Miami takes 2-of-3 from Florida State…

Miami Baseball is tough to cover from three time zones away. I still can’t believe some form of PPV isn’t offered or that games can’t be streamed online. Watching “Gametracker” and listening on the radio seems so prehistoric in this day and age.

If there was any series to be broadcast this last weekend, it’s Miami and Florida State. Once a respectful rivalry, things turned ugly last April and were downright bitter when the Sunshine State foes met months later in Omaha.

The top ranked Canes rolled into Tallahassee late last season for a three-game road series against the second ranked Seminoles. Miami rolled 11-4 the first game, fell 9-5 on Saturday and took the series on Sunday, in a curfew-shortened, 11-10 battle. Florida State faithful got a little feisty after Miami players celebrated momentarily, with the Noles refusing to shake hands.

Benches cleared and some smack talking ensued at home plate, while Tallahassee’s finest hurled sodas, saliva and racial insults at the visiting Canes.

Come Omaha both teams were in the losers bracket and Miami eliminated Florida State, 7-5 in a contest where the Noles stranded a College World series record, leaving 17 runners on base. The result, more poor sportsmanship from Mike Martin, who refused again to shake hands with Jim Morris.

In their first meeting since Omaha, it was No. 7 Miami hosting No. 23 Florida State this past weekend and the Noles jumped on the Canes early, up 4-1 after one. Miami pitchers gave up seventeen hits, with starter David Gutierrez (and his then-ACC leading 1.51 ERA) yanked 2/3 of the way through the first. The Canes never got back on track, trailing 10-2 in the seventh.

Miami rebounded with a 6-4 win on Saturday, a day when the 1999 National Champion Canes were on hand for their ten year anniversary. Miami knocked off Florida State, 6-5 for the ’99 title, making this the ideal weekend to celebrate. 

Chris Hernandez was on the mound game two and tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts.

Down 4-1 after 5 1/2, Miami responded with a five-run sixth inning and put the game out of reach. A quick Scott Lawson walk and Jason Hagerty home run brought it to 4-3 and no outs. John Gast relieved starter Brian Busch, but the Canes chipped away at the newbie, giving up three straight singles. Exit Gast, enter Geoff Parker, who struck out Dave DiNatale.

Ted Blackman pinch hit for Vickash Ramjit and the gamble paid off, driving in a run and breaking the Noles as a throwing error brought in two more, putting Miami ahead for good, 6-4.

The proverbial ‘rubber match’ proved all Canes early on, with back-to-back grand slam-fueled innings. Again, miscues by Florida State set the stage and Miami answered. UM loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first, thanks to two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Harold Martinez sent the 1-0 pitch over the left field wall and it was a quick 5-1 Miami lead.

An inning later, a single, another hit-by-pitch a double and a walk pushed it to 6-1 with the bases against juiced. This time Yasmani Grandal fired the 0-2 offering out and it was 10-1 Miami and no looking back. A few late insurance runs pushed it to 14-7 entering the ninth and the Canes closed out a 14-8 victory, sending the Noles home losers again.

Miami is now 7-2 in the past nine meetings and Florida State hasn’t won a series against the Canes since April 2007.

Next up for Miami, a Tuesday match up against Florida Atlantic and a weekend road series at Clemson. Next week, more of the same. Another Tuesday contest against the Owls and another road series against an ACC foe; North Carolina. The Canes next home stand starts April 24th when Virginia Tech heads south.

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