Hurricanes Roll Past Beavers, 11-1, in World Series Opener
June 17, 2006
Miami Post-Game Press Conference
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Miami got comfortable at the College World Series really quickly after a year’s absence.
Dennis Raben homered and drove in four runs and Scott Maine combined with two relievers for a six-hitter in Miami’s 11-1 victory over Oregon State on Saturday night.
Jon Jay and Tommy Giles had three RBIs apiece as the Hurricanes, in Omaha for the 22nd time in 32 years, won their CWS opener for the first time in their last three appearances.
The unseeded Hurricanes, which lost four out of five games to end May, have won six of seven in the NCAA tournament, averaging 10 runs a game.
“Going out here tonight and winning 11-1 and swinging the bats like we did and Scott pitching like he did against a nationally ranked team like Oregon State, I think we’re coming out here showing everybody we’re for real,” Raben said.
Miami (42-22) moves to a Monday game against second-seeded Rice, which defeated Georgia 6-4 in the afternoon. Oregon State (44-15) meets the seventh-seeded Bulldogs in a Bracket 2 elimination game Monday.
“I’m very excited about the game we played tonight,” Miami coach Jim Morris said. “We played the game tonight about as well as we could have played.”
The Beavers played Tulane and Baylor close in losses at last year’s CWS. The only returning team from the 2005 CWS field, Oregon State never threatened against the Hurricanes.
Miami scored five runs in the first two innings against Dallas Buck (12-3). The Beavers’ starter didn’t come out for the sixth after giving up a two-run homer to Raben that put Miami up 7-0.
Raben hit a two-run double in the first. After Buck walked the bases loaded in the second, Giles sent a drive into the right-center gap for a three-run double and a 5-0 lead.
Danny Valencia doubled leading off the fifth and Raben followed with his third homer in seven NCAA tournament games and seventh of the season.
“I didn’t make pitches when I needed to, and I put too many guys on,” Buck said. “I didn’t do all the things that made me successful before.”
Rain delayed the game 1 hour, 34 minutes between the seventh and eighth innings.
“I hate rain delays,” Morris said. “As soon as you find out we’re ready to play, you have to refocus. A seven-run lead can disappear very, very quickly against a club like Oregon State.”
Any concern Morris had about a possible letdown ended when Jay hit a bases-loaded triple in a four-run eighth against Eddie Kunz.
“We feel we’re a better club than what we showed tonight,” OSU coach Pat Casey said. “The nice thing about this tournament is that it’s double elimination.”
Maine (12-3) bounced back from a dismal outing in the super regionals last week when he was roughed up for eight runs and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings against Mississippi.
The sophomore left-hander allowed four hits in seven innings against the Beavers. He walked two and struck out three.
“An early lead definitely helps and takes the pressure off,” Maine said. “The command of my pitches was really good. With the guys scoring runs throughout the game, it definitely helped.”
Cole Gillespie hit an RBI triple off Jon McLean in the eighth for Oregon State’s only run.
“Today was bad. Monday hopefully will be better,” Beavers catcher Mitch Canham said. “The main idea is just to flush it and be prepared for the next game.”
