Miami Hurricanes, AJ Ciscar Itching to Start the Season on a High Note
As a Weston, Florida, native, AJ Ciscar knew all about the Miami baseball program throughout his upbringing.
He was a four-year letterman at St. Thomas Aquinas, and struck out over 230 batters during his high school career. Then, he shined for Miami as a setup man in his first year. This season, though, he'll be the Friday night starter for the Hurricanes.
The move to Ciscar should come as no surprise for Hurricane fans who followed last year's team, as he made 10 starts and appeared on the bump 21 times. Last year, Ciscar posted a 4.46 ERA across 66.2 IP to go with 65 strikeouts.
It wasn't Ciscar's staff to lead last season, but this year, he's ready for the challenge.
"You know, it's something that I didn't really expect to happen in my sophomore year, but I've just got to trust the process and go about my business the same way each and every day," said Ciscar in a recent media availability. "It's a blessing to be here."
As Ciscar spoke, he recounted the memories of the team's near-miss from the College World Series and a trip to Omaha last season. After working out with Team USA over the summer following his breakout freshman campaign, the Florida native and the rest of the Hurricanes say that anything short of that goal in 2026 is a dissappointment.
"Obviously, we have a bad taste in our mouths from Louisville," said Ciscar. "You know, we were literally one run away, one out away, one big play away from making it to Omaha and achieving the goal that we had."
Much debate is made in baseball over teams simply getting hot at the right time. Last year, that team was Miami. This season, though, the Hurricanes aren't sneaking up on anyone, especially in the ACC.
For instance, Ciskar is ranked as the seventh best starter in the ACC, according to D1baseball.com, while reliever Ryan Bilka is ranked as the No. 6 overall relief pitcher. The Hurricanes will have a target on their back no matter who they face this season, but Ciscar and the rest of the Miami staff claim they're up to the challenge.
The first pitch of the season is slated for Friday night against Lehigh. The Hurricanes will have less than a month to get their feet underneath them before ACC play begins against Boston College on March 6.
Tanner Marlar is a contributing writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI who has covered collegiate athletics at the local and national levels for nearly a decade, including at Cowbell Country, Mississippi State On SI, Boston College On SI, and Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. As a former beat writer, Tanner strives to give thought provoking and exciting coverage to readers who want to know the very best current information about their team.