Miami Baseball Continues To Embarrass

Stating that an ACC Championship was out of the cards after yesterday’s 10-0 loss to top-ranked North Carolina was understandable, but not mathematically correct as the Miami Hurricanes still could’ve won two and hoped for some upsets.

After today, the mediocrity has been confirmed as Miami was smacked down, 7-1, by North Carolina State in game two, now outscored, 17-1 over eighteen innings. A colossal no-show by ‘The U’ – who has also lost five of its last seven games, including the last three, by a combined score of, 27-2.

Chris Diaz got the start for Miami today and another disaster on that front. Diaz lasted six innings, giving up eight hits and six runs, while striking out five. He was followed by Javi Salas, Thomas Woodrey and AJ Salcines, who went three innings, giving up three hits and a run, though the damage was already down.

This proved to be another game where the Miami offense struggled, while the opponent pounced quickly. North Carolina State put together a four-run second inning that set the tone and while the Canes got one back in the bottom of the third, the Wolfpack got two back in the fifth and sixth innings, pulling away for good.

Where undisciplined plate appearances did UM in against UNC, costly errors in the field were Friday’s downfall. Three of the four runs in the top of the second were unearned.

After giving up a leadoff walk to Tarran Senay, Miami was unable to field a bunt Grant Clyde. Brett Williams grounded out, but moved the runners to second and third. Bryan Adametz reached first on a fielder’s choice, with Senay thrown out at home, but with two outs Miami still couldn’t get out of the inning unscathed.

Jake Armstrong sent a 2-2 pitch past first, scoring Clyde and a batter later Logan Ratledge bounced a shot to short that should’ve been an inning-ending out, but Brandon Lopez threw the ball away, which allowed Adametz to score the inning’s second run.

Trea Turner then singled to short, beating out the throw, which allowed Armstrong and Rutledge to score, putting the Pack up, 4-0, in what could’ve been a scoreless inning with some heads-up baseball.

More frustrating than the actual on-the-field blunders themselves; the post-game commentary from Miami head coach Jim Morris.

“That was a huge inning – it took us right out of the ballgame,” Morris said.

Excuse me, but since when does a four-run second inning EVER take a college baseball team out of a game? Never, that’s when.

I try not to waste too much time coach-bashing, chalking a lot of interview material up as coach-speak, but that statement is the epitome of a loser’s mentality and it’s no wonder Miami laid an egg in Durham this week if that’s what trickles down from the top after a rough second inning.

There are some very obvious problems with this Miami baseball program and some are simply the nature of the sport. Being a private school and dealing with partial scholarships, while big-time state schools can offer an education and playing opportunity for a fraction of the cost? That’s a real road block for UM. Absolutely.

As for the notion that too many good kids are going pro instead of heading to college, that’s a cop-out. Change up the recruiting strategy and put more focus on role players. Also, take a page from football and Al Golden, who is working to build a program chock full of kids that always dreamt of playing for the Hurricanes. Guys who are enamored with orange and green, not just green.

What there will never be an excuse for; a lack of fundamentals, a loser’s mentality, boneheaded mistakes and sub-par effort. Yesterday is was North Carolina’s starting pitcher calling out Miami’s hitters for being undisciplined and swinging at bad pitches and today it’s the Canes’ veteran head coach who all but admitted that this thing was over after a four-run second inning. Oh, how the mighty have fallen…

Miami will face fifth-seeded Clemson at 3pm on Saturday in an important game, not for ACC prowess, but simply because the Hurricanes are now a bubble team in regards to even reaching the NCAA Regionals. Forget hosting or being a top seed, UM is merely begging for an invite at this point.

The Tigers fell to the Wolfpack, 6-3 on Thursday and Clemson will face top-seed North Carolina on Friday night, which should set up a full blown losers’ bracket showdown in game three.

Clemson and Miami met late April in Coral Gables with the Canes taking the series. The Tigers earned a 1-0 game one win, but the Hurricanes responded with a 2-1 win on Saturday and a 7-0 rout on Sunday.

UM better home for some of that weekend magic it had last time against CU or this team could be looking at it’s first May ending to a season in almost four decades.

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