The Beast breaks down 10-3 win over Texas A&M

It took five days and seven games, but the Hurricanes are finally able to call themselves Coral Gables Regional Champs. Was this the most well played regional I’ve seen the Canes play over the years? No. However, sometimes expectations are a little too high for our local college team.

One could really make a case that Jim Morris is the most underappreciated coach in South Florida. How many other coaches have taken the same team to the postseason 17 years in a row? Just saying.

I know you look at the final score of 10-3 and you’re thinking, “it’s all about the bats.” You’re wrong. It’s all about the pitching. Miami may have lit up Texas A&M with ten runs, but the Aggies went hitless from the third inning to the ninth today.

Chris Hernandez picked up his second win of the tournament, but Sam Robinson gets my MVP vote for today. Robinson went 4 2/3 innings, giving up only two hits and a run. He walked one and struck out four. This coming from a guy that’s been a situational pitcher at best.

Sometimes when you’re sitting in the stands and you see a guy warming up in the bullpen you cringe a little bit. You tend to think that putting a guy in a tight situation that he hasn’t been in is a bad idea. However, you forget that there’s a reason this guy is wearing the orange and green.

While J.D. Arteaga knows his staff and is going to give Morris great information on guys, Morris over the years has shown the ability to find the right guy when needed. Sure there have been times that pitching decisions have backfired, but that’s been more out of lack of depth than making the wrong call on going with a guy.

“We put him out there at the top of the order when they got a couple lefties out there, but he’s proven in our inner-squad games that he can get right-handers out also,” said Coach Morris on the decision to go with Robinson. “ I told J.D. [Arteaga] ‘let’s leave him in as long as he’s doing well. I didn’t necessarily expect him to go four and a third, but I also wasn’t about to take him out because he was pitching very well. We were ahead, and he was throwing strikes. He did a great job.”

Robinson got a great round of applause from the crowd as he left the game and he tipped his hat to the crowd. Was that the right move? “I kind of second-thought myself after I did that because I didn’t know if that was the right thing to do or not.,” Robinson said. “But I’ve never gotten a standing ovation from this crowd before, and I thought I’d acknowledge them and thank them for being there for me.”

So it’s on to Gainesville for Miami, and a best 2-of-3 series with the Gators. I was at A-Rod Park in March when the Canes lost the series the Gators.

At the time I really felt UF had a superior club – but that was before guys like Michael Broad, Stephen Perez, Chris Palaez and Frankie Ratcliffe really showed their stuff. That was also before Eric Whaley emerged as a threat and though he didn’t have the best regional, Yasmani Grandal showed today that he can still get the clutch hit as he did today with his big three RBI double in the sixth.

I have a much better feeling about Grandal now that the draft is behind him. He knows he’s got a pretty big pay day coming up, there’s no reason for him to worry about anything now. The question really will be pitching. One would hope you’re able to throw Hernandez on Saturday night after three days rest.

Friday night is a crapshoot. I’m guessing it’s either David Gutierrez or Jason Santana. You’d probably have Whaley ready for Sunday if you needed him. You’d feel a lot better about playing the Gators in three prime time games if it were at A-Rod park. All bets are off now that Miami has to travel north. (Anyone see Jim Burt, Jr. around?)

It was a long few days of baseball in the Gables. There were more rain and lightning delays than I’ve ever seen before, but somehow, through all the inclement weather and tough competition, our Canes are moving on to the Sweet 16 of college baseball. I don’t know, a trip up the turnpike and later I-75 might have my name on it. Do I really have to bring my Gator wife though? I’m not sure I can take a car ride with her repeating that “Gainesville is the best place on earth,” for five hours.

The sacrifices we make.

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