After a riveting ride through the ACC Tournament, which saw the Canes winning their first ACC championship in school history (they joined the ACC in 2005), the Canes are now thrown into the proverbial lion's den to face arguably the toughest pitchers in any NCAA regional taking place this weekend. Miami, who is 47-8 and the #1 team in collegiate baseball (again), faces Bethune-Cookman on Friday at 4 p.m. at Mark Light Field. The other two teams in the Coral Gables regional are #2 seed Missouri and #3 seed Ole' Miss.
Bethune-Cookman, while the #4 seed this weekend and only 36-20 on the season, will send Hiram Burgos to the mound. Burgos has the nation's lowest ERA at 1.20. On the bright side for Miami is that they gave Burgos his only loss of the season. Not that the Canes would ever worry. After all, they did just win the ACC, which features six teams playing in the NCAA regionals, including #4-ranked FSU.
In a statement that must make most Canes fans smile, phenom 1B Yonder Alonso said of Miami's tough regional draw, "Why not? We're Miami. Nothing is easy, and if I want a ring, I want it the hard way." Somewhere Melvin Bratton, Warren Sapp, and Ed Reed are also smiling at the latest expression of the us-against-the-world mentality from a Hurricanes player. It's tough, it's brash, it's cocky, it's old-school Miami. We'll see beginning this weekend if the outward swagger translates into post-season success and a 5th national baseball title.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Nothing is Guaranteed for Hurricanes Baseball Team
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2 comments:
Nothing is guaranteed, but it sure as hell is a nice position.
Miami: America's Baseball Mecca!
You are quite right it is a nice position. It is a nicer position indeed when you consider that with their steamrolling in the ACC Tournament, they have to be considered one of the hottest teams going into the regionals.
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