Welcome to Miami Baseball 2012. Just when it seems time to write this team off, the Hurricanes find a way to surprise.
After dropping the ACC Tournament opener to NC State in dramatic fashion, Miami responded with a Thursday win over North Carolina and followed it up with Friday’s 6-3 win over Wake Forest.
Eric Whaley pitched eight solid innings for UM, allowing two runs, striking out six and surrendering seven hits, with no walks. Whaley threw a season-high 129 pitches in the win.
Miami got on the board early when Rony Rodriguez belted a solo shot over the left field fence in the top of the second. Wake answered back later in the inning after a Stephen Perez throwing error put the leadoff runner on base, eventually driven home by a two-out single.
The Canes retook the lead in the top of the fourth when Peter O’Brien singled home Chantz Mack, who led off the inning with the a triple. Again the Demon Deacons responded, this time with a solo shot, tying the game, 2-2.
The lead was taken for good in the top of the sixth when Dale Carey walked and was driven home by a Brad Feiger double.
Miami exploded for three in the top of the seventh, starting with a Garrett Kennedy lead-off single. Perez bunted Kennedy to second. Carey then singled, Mack doubled, Fieger singled and after a sacrifice fly by Rodriguez, the Canes led, 6-2.
Wake tacked one on in the bottom of the ninth for the 6-3 final.
Miami must now root for North Carolina to beat NC State in Saturday evening’s showdown. If so, the Canes will pay in Sunday’s championship game.
Let’s see – the Canes are 2-1 in a tournament where the #1 team in the country, coached by the ACC Coach of the Year by the way, are 0-2 and at this writing are losing game 3 to Virginia in the bottom of the 7th inning – 7 to 0!!!
The Canes at least are now looking at playing in the ACC Championship on Sunday if North Carolina wins tonight.
What I want to know is where are KenRoberts and BillB now? Or are they only capable of slinging mud?
P.S. The “goundkeeper”- lol – had NOTHING to do with beating North Carolina or Wake.
Man Up! Support the Canes as they go into the post- season for an NCAA record 40th year…
Good points, 565. Besides Florida State going 0-3, the fact that Georgia Tech went 4-0 and beat some good teams lends a lot of credence to the whole concept of team play, getting hot at the right time and things of that nature which make baseball different than football or basketball.
Lets try it this way. Baseball has been downhill 3 years in a row. Now there seems to be a sentiment “lets give jim another year to turn it around”. Your words not mine. Well turnarounds are great but why the need for a turnaround in the first place. Sure, they,ll win a few and they,ll lose a few. But mami fans are not used to .500 baseball overall, and a lot less then .500 to UF.
I,m guessing it will need new staff and a lot of new players. Should we do to baseball what we did to football under Coker and Randy. Now we hope a young new face can pull football out of the crapper. Why get in the crapper in the first place. It,s a lot easier to stay on top of the mountain once you get there.
I,m just trying to avoid 8 years of baseball .500 performance. To me, this looks like a slow downhill due to lack of talent (recruiting) at both the player and coaching level.
If they win the CWS, i,ll donate my whole welfare check to the salvation army!!!
Ken – You have to work on your comprehension, brother. I never said to give Jim Morris another year to turn it around. I said there’s no way the powers that be are going to replace Morris — a two-time national champion with a stellar two-decade track record — because of a few down years, especially when talking about Miami-esque down years, which include reaching the post-season and / or hosting a regional.
Miami baseball needs a shot in the arm. No disagreement there. Just saying, you’ve been calling for his head since early in the year and I’m letting you know it’s wishful thinking if you really believe 3 is going anywhere but back to Coral Gables for 2013. No way a legend gets canned, or forced out, when getting to the ACC Championship game and hosting the first round of a regional. Period.
Honestly, look at Mike Martin up in Tallahassee. Solid teams all the time, but no rings and this year gets run out of the ACC Tourney going 0-3? Talk about a fan base that has to be losing their minds.
Baseball in the ACC,s best sport, but because it finishes late in the year, after school is out and everybody is headed to the beach, it dosen,t get the sxposure it deserves.
Bad weather up north also shortens he season.
I,m working with a group who want to “cap” the UVA stadium. This would etend the seson 2 months earlier.