Hurricanes To Host Fifth Consecutive NCAA Regional

May 23, 2001

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University of Miami Hurricanes (44-12)
#1 Baseball Weekly/ESPN, Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and NCBWA & 2 National Seed

NO. 1 MIAMI HOSTS THE CORAL GABLES REGIONAL — The top-ranked Hurricanes, seeded No. 2 nationally by the NCAA, will host their 5th consecutive NCAA Regional, May 25-27, and 18th overall. UM has advanced past its Regional in 15 of 17 previous seasons and made it to the College World Series 14 times after hosting. If UM is awarded the No. 1 seed, it will mark the 12th time they are the top-seed at its own Regional. Miami has been a No. 1 seed in 1988, 90-91-92-94-95-96-97-98-99-00-01.

HURRICANES GARNER NATIONAL NO. 2 SEED — The Hurricanes were selected as the National No. 2 seed, behind Cal State Fullerton for the 2001 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. In the three seasons of the current NCAA format, the Hurricanes have been nationally-seeded twice (1999 #1).

HURRICANES HOST FIFTH CONSECUTIVE REGIONAL– Miami will be hosting its fifth consecutive NCAA Regional at Mark Light Stadium. UM is just one of four teams to have hosted the last five seasons.

MIAMI AGAINST THE CURRENT 2001 NCAA TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANTS — Miami has played 30 games against teams qualifying for the 2001 Division I Baseball Championships. Of those 30 games, UM has forged a 20-10 record. Against the Coral Gables Regional Bracket, UM is 4-0 this season with wins over Florida (3) and Stetson (1).

STATE OF FLORIDA DOMINATES NCAA BRACKET — The state of Florida placed a tournament-high nine teams in the postseason, led by Miami (at-large), Florida State (ACC at-large), Central Florida (TAAC champion), Florida (SEC at-large), Florida International (Sun Belt at-large), Stetson (TAAC at-large), Jacksonville (TAAC at-large), South Florida (Conference USA at-large) and Bethune-Cookman (MEAC champion).

MIAMI VS. FLORIDA — The Hurricanes have faced Florida seven times during the postseason and hold a 6-1 record over the Gators. The two schools last met during the 1997 NCAA Regionals in Coral Gables, a 6-5 UM win. Overall, UM has a four-game win streak over UF in the postseason.

Miami defeated Florida in all three meetings during the 2001 season, including two games in Coral Gables. The two victories over the Gators at Mark Light Stadium extended UM’s win streak over UF to 12 straight since the 1996 season. The season-sweep over the Gators marked a first for UM since the 1991 season. Additionally, UM’s win in Gainesville on the Gators’ opening day ended a streak of 10 straight losses to UF at McKethan Stadium.

The Hurricanes lead the all-time series with Florida, 105-80-1, since the 1940 season. The UF series is the longest on-going series on the Hurricanes’ schedule. Only Miami and Florida State have met more times since the 1951 season. Since the 1994 season, Jim Morris has gone 19-14 against the Gators, including a 16-2 mark in Coral Gables.

Game #2 (Coral Gables), Miami 8, Florida 7 — Mike DiRosa had sat out nearly the entire game resting a bruised shoulder suffered in the Friday win over UF, and in his lone at bat in the bottom of the ninth he came up with a walk-off single to score Charlton Jimerson for the winning margin. UM fell behind, 4-0, early, but rallied behind a Mike Rodriguez two-run home run, a Danny Matienzo home run and a Kris Clute two-RBI single.

Game #1 (Coral Gables), Miami 10, Florida 4 — UM received an all-around effort in the victory with 10 runs and 13 hits from its offense, no errors and 11 Gators left on base from its defense and just one earned run off a balk from the bullpen. After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the second, Kris Clute hit a three-run home run deep to left field to put UM ahead for good in the bottom of the second. Clute tied his career-best in the game with four RBI.

Game #1 (Gainesville), Miami 14, Florida 5 — UM defeated Florida on the Gators’ opening day at McKethan Stadium to end a string of 20 straight wins by the home team in the series. Miami last defeated UF in Gainesville, 10-2, on February 2, 1995. The nine-run margin of victory was the largest for UM in Gainesville since the 1985 season. The bullpen allowed just three hits and one run over the final 5.1 innings. The UM offense produced a season-best 14 hits and 14 runs. Six UM batters had multiple hits, including Kevin Mannix and Mike DiRosa, who each had three RBI.

MIAMI VS. STETSON — Miami has faced Stetson four times during the postseason and hold a perfect 4-0 record against the Hatters. The two schools last met during the postseason in the 1990 NCAA Regional in Coral Gables, a 4-3 UM win. UM’s record for the largest margin of victory during the postseason occured against Stetson, 18-2, in 1982. Miami stands at 106-43 all-time against Stetson since 1947.

Game #1 Miami 10, Stetson 9 — Miami faced Stetson once this season, a 10-9 victory at Mark Light Stadium on April 30. Javy Rodriguez hit a walk-off single with bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to win the game. Down 9-6 in the top of the ninth, Stetson’s Brian Snyder hit a two-out three-run home run off UM closer George Huguet to tie the game. UM rallied in the bottom of the inning as Kris Clute led off with a double to right center. Kevin Brown then hit an infield single to move Clute to third. After Greg Lovelady struck out, Stetson intentionally walked Brad Safchik to load the bases. Javy Rodriguez followed with his game-winning single, a ground ball that bounced over third base. UM was led in the game by Rodriguez and Danny Matienzo, who each had three hits. Lovelady led the way with four RBI, ahead of Rodriguez and Matienzo’s two each. UM starter Chris Sheffield recorded nine strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work with just three hits allowed.

MIAMI VS. BUCKNELL — The first round of the 2001 NCAA Regional against Bucknell, the Patriot League Champion, will mark the first meeting between the two schools. UM stands at 151-34 against collegiate teams in first-time meetings (no service or international teams included). Miami has already defeated this season three schools (Albany, San Diego State and Savannah State) in first-time meetings.

UM has faced three other members of the Patriot League and have forged a 29-3-1 record. The Hurricanes are 26-3-1 against Army, 2-0 against Lafayette and 1-0 vs. Navy. Holy Cross is the only member of the Patriot League to win the National Championship (1952, Independent). Holy Cross is the only school other than Miami to win the CWS as an Independent.

UM’S 1999 CWS TITLE PUTS HURRICANES IN SELECT COMPANY — With their 1999 College World Series championship, the Hurricanes became the eighth program all-time to win at least three National Championships (1982, ’85 and ’99). Only two independents have ever won the College World Series, Holy Cross (1952) and Miami (1999, `85, `82).