Miami Finishes Regular Season No. 1 in Polls
May 26, 2008
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CORAL GABLES, <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes Baseball team regained the No. 1 spot in the final regular season USA Today/ESPN Top 25 coaches poll, Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball polls released Monday. The Hurricanes finished the regular season ranked as the top team in six of the last seven weeks on their way to a No. 1 national seed.
The Atlantic Coast Conference continues to have three teams ranked in three of the major college baseball polls as North Carolina (No. 3 in Baseball America, No. 4 Collegiate Baseball, No. 2 USA Today/ESPN Top 25) and Florida State (No. 2 in Baseball America, No. 3 USA Today/ESPN Top 25 and No. 3 Collegiate Baseball) also represent the conference.
Miami (47-8) is the No. 1 overall national seed for only the second time. The last time the Hurricanes earned the overall national seed was in 1999, when UM became the only No. 1 overall national seed to ever win the College World Series title.
The Hurricanes earned the top spot in the rankings after going 4-0 at the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship winning the title game over Virginia, 8-4. Five Hurricanes were selected to the 2008 ACC Baseball All-Tournament Team with outfielder Dave DiNatale tabbed the Most Valuable Player. Junior first baseman Yonder Alonso, junior second baseman Jemile Weeks, junior outfielder Blake Tekotte and freshman pitcher Chris Hernandez also were named to the all-tournament team.
