Miami Drops 2-Of-3 To Duke At ‘The Light’

It’s frustrating, it’s embarrassing, and in all honesty, with all the positives surrounding the University of Miami’s men’s basketball program right now, dwelling on the dumpster fire that’s been this baseball team since it got smacked up weeks ago in Gainesville – it seems counterproductive right now.

There will ample time to harp on all things baseball, but until then, choosing to revel in the success of this basketball team, the upcoming ACC Tournament and March Madness, which is right around the corner, with the Hurricanes looking to earn a two-seed.

On the baseball front, fans have tried to put back-to-back losses at Florida out of their collective mind. After taking one from the Gators on Friday night, 3-2, the Hurricanes fell 6-4 and 6-3 to a sub-par UF squad.

Miami returned home to beat Maine, 6-2, and Central Florida, 5-0, before welcoming ACC rival Duke to The Light.

Game One was a trainwreck. Miami gave up thirteen hits in a 4-2 loss, eleven of which were credited to Chris Diaz, who struggled on the mound. The Canes left five on base, recorded two errors and remained scoreless after the third inning, after tying things 2-2. Duke picked up runs in the fifth and sixth to secure the Friday night win.

Saturday proved to be another crap-fest where pitching fell apart and bats went cold. Again Miami surrendered thirteen hits, eight of which were credited to Javi Salas.

The Blue Devils pounced on the Canes early, getting one in the first and three in the third. They followed up with one in the fourth, fifth and seventh before a two-run eight, extending the lead to, 9-0. UM put together a mini rally, scoring two before it was over.

David Thompson, who started the season hot, was 0-for-8 after the first two losses, and while he had some mid-week hits again some lesser competition, on the heels of an 0-for-4 showing last Sunday in Gainesville, Miami is losing some serious production from Thompson, and many others, which needs to be corrected immediately, before things get real ugly, real fast for the Hurricanes.

Again, this isn’t an attempt to single out a true freshman. A slew of Canes are struggling at the plate. Thompson was mentioned here as he proved to be such a bright spot the first few weeks of the season, leading the team in runs batted in and delivering clutch hits in crucial moments, his last coming in the top of the ninth in Gainesville, driving in the winning run when Miami topped Florida, 3-2.

Since then, ice cold – as are too many others.

To UM’s credit, the sweep was avoided in the form of a 5-3 win on Sunday. Duke took the early 1-0 lead in the top of the third, but Miami responded with three in the bottom of the inning. The Blue Devils answered with one in the fifth, making it a 3-2 ball game, but the Canes had the final say with a two-run sixth. Duke picked up one in the eighth, but the rally was avoided and Miami got out with the win.

Still, the Canes stranded eleven runners and saw zero production of the second half of the line-up, where the bottom four were a combined 0-for-12 on the afternoon.

No doubt the “Fire Jim Morris” contingent will be in full-force this week. Whether they have any merit, it’s hard to argue with their sentiment as Miami baseball cannot seem to climb out of this middle-of-the-road place it’s resided the past half decade.

Personally, I don’t feel it’s worth getting riled up as there will be no mid-season termination, so why even waste the breath? Such was the case when fans wanted to run many a Miami coach out of town.

Unproven ones early in their career like Jimmy Johnson and Butch Davis, who in time would up doing great things, proving their terminations would’ve been disastrous, or guys like Larry Coker and Randy Shannon, one unable of continuing greatness and the other lacking the skills to turn things around after Miami football had bottomed out on his predecessor’s watch.

All aforementioned coaching situations worked themselves out, with disgruntled fans playing zero part in any of the processes. Knowing that, let some of the constant bitching cease, already.

Harsh as it sounds, for those who feel the skipper has run the ship into the rocks, do something about it, or stick your head in the sand.

Email blast the Board of Trustees and president Donna Shalala. Start an online petition. Stop going to games and encourage others who want change to do the same.

In other words, do more than piss and moan in the comments section of a blog or via social media. Create a groundswell and demand change, or deal with what is.

There’s no doubt that something stinks with this program right now, but the two-time national champion and legendary coach isn’t going anywhere between now and June, so figure out a productive way to ensure that 2014 isn’t more of the same.

For the rest, continue heading out to The Light and hoping things correct themselves as the year rolls on. A ton of baseball left to be played for the 13-4 Hurricanes. Illinois State visits for a two-game series on Tuesday and Wednesday this week and from there, the first ACC road trip of the season as Miami takes on North Carolina next weekend in Chapel Hill.

Until then, breathe … and focus all your Cane-love on Greensboro this week as a great, senior-heavy basketball team looks to make more history.

Out with the bad, in with the good.

Christian Bello has been covering Miami Hurricanes athletics since the mid-1990s. After spending almost a decade as a columnist for CanesTime, he launched allCanesBlog.com. – the official blog for allCanes.com : The #1 Canes Shop Since 1959. Bello has joined up with XOFan.com and will be a guest columnist at CaneInsider.com this fall. Follow him on Twitter @ChristianRBello.

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