#2 Tar Heels take series from #1 Canes…

Did this team peak too soon? Are the bats going cold at the worst possible time? Or did the Miami Hurricanes simply lose a close series against a quality opponent?

The online message boards aren’t for the faint of heart right now. Canes baseball enthusiasts and die hards are up in arms right now after Miami failed to take the series against North Carolina – at home – in the season finale.

43-8 overall and 23-5 in conference play. This was the first series the Canes have lost all year – to the second-ranked team, the final weekend of the college baseball regular season – and some are already pressing the ‘panic’ button.

There is an ounce of merit regarding the panic. Bats are going surprisingly cold and a once invincible pitching staff is now showing chinks in the armor. Miami doesn’t appear to currently be the juggernaut today that they were a few weeks back.

That said, the Canes deserve the benefit of the doubt until they’re sent packing and this season comes to a close. Great teams all have a lull. Be it for an inning, a game, a series or for a few weeks. No one stays on top forever and complacency instinctively sets in. How could these Canes not have read their own press the past few months? How could they not finally lose a series at some point during the season? 

For any innings or at bats the Canes crapped away this past weekend, it more than makes up for the ones they stole throughout the season. Miami’s 12-11 down to the wire loss on Saturday was eerily reminiscent of a down to the wire Sunday win in Tallahassee weeks back. 

With the series tied, Miami had a commanding 11-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth – knowing the game was set to be shortened due to a travel curfew. The Noles stormed back in the final two innings, scoring six unanswered but falling short (11-10) on a called third strike.

Fast forward to this past Saturday, with the series tied and the home team again falling after a superb rally. This time, it was Miami down in the bottom of the fifth – 12-4. The Canes tore off 7 unanswered, brought it to 12-11 and with runners on the corners and two outs, Dennis Rabin went down swinging.

Is this fan base really going to sum up a 51-game regular season on one pitch? If Raben makes contact and drives in two runs, does a 13-12 victory have everyone confident that a National Championship is imminent? 

Personally, I like to see long-time, top-ranked teams stumble down the stretch – or at least get a scare. If it happens to your team in college football, you’re screwed. Baseball? A whole different ball of wax.

The North Carolina series will either prove to be Miami’s wake up call – or their demise. Time will tell. Either way,  it’s no time to give up on a squad that’s busted it’s collective ass all season.

The ACC tourney kicks off Wednesday and Miami faces a Clemson team they swept 3-0 a few months back — 6-4, 15-5 and 7-6, at Clemson. Thursday Miami gets Georgia Tech and on Saturday, a showdown with N.C. State. Win the A Bracket and top-seeded Miami most likely gets a showdown with either #2 Florida State or #3 North Carolina; the two biggest thorns in their side this season.

The regular season is behind the Canes and a shot a redemption against some familiar ACC foes is there for the taking. From there, the Regionals and Super Regionals – where Miami will play host in both. String together a few wins and Miami is Omaha bound, with the season finale disappointment way in the rearview mirror.

It’s time to prioritize. That goes for this team and this fan base. It’s way too early to write these Canes off and say they peaked too soon or went cold at the wrong time. That said, there’s no more time for this team to ‘find itself’. The post-season is upon us and Miami needs to build upon this series loss and prep for the ACC Tourney, Regionals, Super Regionals and hopefully the College World Series.