2008 Coral Gables Regional
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2008 Coral Gables Regional
Friday, May 30
Game 1 – Missouri vs. Mississippi, 12 p.m.
Game 2 – Miami vs. Bethune-Cookman, 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 31
Game 3 – Ole Miss vs. Bethune-Cookman, 12 p.m.
Game 4 – Missouri vs. Miami, 4 p.m.
Sunday, June 1
Game 5 – Ole Miss vs. Missouri, 12 p.m.
Game 6 – Miami vs. Ole Miss, 4:37 p.m.
All Games Televised on ESPNU.
Radio for the Hurricanes:
WVUM (90.5 FM), WQAM (560 AM),
Spanish Radio WWWK (102.5 FM) and WPIK (105.5 FM)
Game 56
Friday: Miami vs. Bethune-Cookman
Probable Starting Pitchers:
BCC: Hiram Burgos, Jr., RHP (9-1, 1.20 ERA)
UM: Enrique Garcia, Sr., RHP (6-2, 4.67 ERA)
MIAMI MAKES NCAA RECORD 36TH CONSECUTIVE REGIONAL APPEARANCE
Miami (47-8) extended its NCAA record by earning its 36th consecutive NCAA Regional berth when the Hurricanes were awarded the No. 1 national seed and No. 1 seed at the NCAA Coral Gables, Fla. Regional. The Hurricanes will face No. 4 seed Bethune-Cookman at 4 p.m. (ET). Miami is hosting for the first time since the 2005 season and 12th time under head coach Jim Morris in his 15-year tenure.
No. 2 seed Missouri (38-19) opens up the regional at noon (ET) against No. 3 seed Ole Miss (37-24).
HURRICANE BROADCAST INFORMATION
All of the games of the 2008 NCAA Coral Gables (Fla.) Regional will be televised live on ESPNU. The games can also be heard on WVUM (90.5 FM) and WQAM (560 AM) either online or on the air. Games will also be broadcasted in Spanish on WWWK 105.5 FM and WPIK 102.5 FM.
MIAMI STREAKING TO AND THROUGH THE NCAA REGIONALS
2008 marks the 36th-consecutive postseason for Miami, adding onto the NCAA all-sport record it currently owns. The Hurricanes are 106-34 (.757) all-time in NCAA Regional play. Below are some numbers and facts regarding the ‘Canes and the NCAA Tournament:
20 – Consecutive Regional-opening home wins – Miami has won its last 20 Regional home openers, spanning nearly 30 years. The Hurricanes last lost the first game of a Regional at home with an 8-5 loss to Clemson on May 19, 1978.
24 – Consecutive years Jim Morris has led a team into the postseason – That includes nine consecutive appearances when he coached at Georgia Tech.
36 – Consecutive postseason appearances by Miami – An NCAA record.
45 – Regional games since Miami had back-to-back losses – Miami has made a habit of bouncing back in the Regionals since Jim Morris took over in 1994. The Hurricanes have played in 48 Regional games since experiencing their last set of back-to-back losses prior, to Morris’ arrival, at the 1993 Baton Rouge Regional.
Jim Morris IN THE POSTSEASON
Miami has earned a bid to the postseason in each of Jim Morris’ 15 years at the helm of the baseball program. Miami’s berth in the 2008 postseason extended Morris’ personal streak to 24 consecutive appearances, with the first nine coming while he was the coach at Georgia Tech. Morris has taken UM to 10 College World Series, winning in the National Championship in 1999 and 2001. He has a 78-30 (.722) record in postseason play at UM.
MIAMI AGAINST THE FIELD OF 64
Miami once again played one of the toughest schedules in the country, and the 2008 NCAA Tournament field proves it. Seven of UM’s opponents this season are in this year’s NCAA Tournament. UM was 18-5 against teams in this year’s tournament including 3-3 against two of the top three national seeds – North Carolina and Florida State.
MORRIS’ TEAMS IN THE MONTH OF MAY
“Finish strong.” It’s a universal demand of coaches in every sport. Jim Morris’ teams have met those demands in the month of May by posting a 161-51 (.759) mark during his tenure, including NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals. That record compares favorably to Morris’ 525-198-3 (.716) mark at Miami in the other months of the season. Even more impressive is what Morris’ `Canes have done at home in the month of May. Since taking over the program in 1994, Morris has led his teams to a 125-25 (.849) record at Mark Light Field in the month of May.
JACKSON INVITED TO USA BASEBALL
Sophomore shortstop Ryan Jackson is one of 14 players that have already been selected to the 2008 USA Baseball National Team trials. USA Baseball announced its second round of invitations for the 2008 National Team Trials held June 11-23 throughout the northeast and southeast United States. The 14-member list is comprised of nine sophomores and five freshmen, joining the 12-member initial invitee list announced earlier this month. In all, 32 players will be invited to the National Team Trials with 22 of those players being selected for the National Team roster which will be announced on June 24.
SOMETHING FAMILIAR FOR TEKOTTE
Junior centerfielder Blake Tekotte returned home last June to play on the field where he won a state championship his senior year in high school when Miami played in the 2007 NCAA Columbio (Mo.) Regional hosted by the University of Missouri. One year later, Tekotte’s hometown team makes the track down to Coral Gables for 2008 regional play. Tekotte, a native of Columbia, Mo., starred at Hickman High School, where he was an all-state selection as a junior and senior. He won state titles in football and baseball as a senior.
ABOUT THE MIAMI HURRICANES
Miami (47-8, 23-5 ACC) earned the No. 1 overall national seed after sweeping through the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship to win the program’s first ACC Tournament title. UM defeated Virginia, 8-4, in the title game. Five Hurricanes were named to the all-tournament team.
Junior first baseman Yonder Alonso hit two more home runs in the ACC Tournament to take over the conference lead. Alonso has been homering at an unreal pace lately. He has 15 home runs in the last 25 games. He leads the ACC with 21 long balls.
Freshman lefty Chris Hernandez improved to 11-0 winning the first game of the ACC Championship. He has not walked a batter in his last four starts, which is a string of 27 2/3 innings. Junior centerfielder Blake Tekotte had a good tournament as he matched his career-high with four hits in the 15-12 win over Georgia Tech. Miami tied a tournament record with six homers in the game and now has 90 on the season – the first time since the 1999 season that UM has at least 90 homers in a season.
THE ONLY TIME
Miami earned its second ever No. 1 national seed in 2008. The last time Miami was the No. 1 national seed, the Hurricanes won the 1999 College World Series. UM is the only No. 1 national seed to ever win the CWS.
The Hurricanes were the No. 2 overall national seed in 2001 when it won the CWS title. Only three of top two national seeds have ever won the CWS – Miami in 1999 and 2001 and LSU in 2000. Only five of the top eight national seeds all-time have ever won the CWS. Besides Miami and LSU, Texas as a No. 5 seed won in 2002 and Rice as a No. 5 seed won in 2003.
ABOUT NO. 4 SEED BETHUNE COOKMAN
Bethune-Cookman earned the automatic bid out of the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC) and bring a 36-20 record into the NCAA Coral Gables Regional. The Wildcats have the nation’s lead in ERA in RHP Hiram Burgos, who is 9-1 with a 1.20 ERA. He has 67 strikeouts in 75 innings while teams are hitting just .213 against him. LHP Joseph Gautier is 6-2 with a 2.00 ERA while holding teams to a .197 opponent batting average. He has 73 K’s in 67 2/3 innings. The Wildcats have a 3.78 team ERA. RHP Eric Thomas round out the BCU rotation with a 9-0 record. Thomas boasts a 2.04 ERA with 72 K’s in 75 innings. Opponents hit him at a .196 batting clip. Offensively, the team hits .297 led by shortstop Jose Lozada who is hitting .414. He has started all 56 games on his way to a team-high 84 hits and 61 runs. He is second with 57 RBI. First baseman Osvaldo Torres has driven in a team-high 72 runs, while posting 64 hits, 16 doubles and 12 home runs. Five players have 10 or more stolen bases led by Neal Jones, who is 21 of 22 in stolen base attempts.The last time the Wildcats played in a regional in Coral Gables was during the 1999 season.
LAST TIME AGAINST BETHUNE-COOKMAN
Tuesday, Mar. 25, 2008- (2) Miami 10, Bethune-Cookman 5 – Sophomore shortstop Ryan Jackson went a perfect 4-for-4, including his second career home run in the bottom of the fourth, as the No. 2 University of Miami baseball team won the first of two mid-week contests against Bethune-Cookman, 10-5, Tuesday night at Mark Light Field. Jackson scored a career-high three runs in addition to tying his career-best marks with four hits and four RBI. Sophomore catcher Jason Hagerty went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI for the Hurricanes (18-2), who set a new school record with their sixth straight game with 10 or more runs. Sophomore third baseman Mark Sobolewski also went 2-for-4 for Miami. John Housey earned his second win of the season in his just fourth career start, allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out four. Iden Nazario, Kyle Bellamy and Carlos Gutierrez combined to throw the final 3 2/3 innings to secure the victory. Bethune-Cookman starter Samuel Rodriguez was unable to retire a batter, allowing UM’s first four batters to reach base and eventually score in the bottom of the first. Reliever Roman Lancara suffered the loss despite allowing just two runs over the first four innings in relief of Rodriguez. Neal Jones went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored for the Wildcats (14-7). Jose Ortiz also came away with two hits and six other Wildcats recorded a hit.
Wednesday, Mar. 26, 2008 – (2) Miami 8, Bethune-Cookman 5 – Freshman catcher Yasmani Grandal drove in the game-winning run after junior Dave DiNatale hit a two-run game-tying single in the bottom of the eighth as No. 2 Miami rallied to defeat Bethune-Cookman, 7-6, Wednesday night at Mark Light Field. Junior right-hander Carlos Gutierrez tossed the final inning to record his fifth save for the Hurricanes, who improved to 19-2 on the season.
Sophomore right-hander Kyle Bellamy won for the second time after tossing a scoreless eighth inning. He relieved Alex Koronis, who kept the game close for the Hurricanes. Koronis struck out five in three scoreless innings and allowed just one run on one hit. Sophomore right-hander David Gutierrez made his first career start and gave up three earned runs on five hits in three innings. He struck out three.
Blake Tekotte and Grandal each collected two hits for the Hurricanes. Right fielder Neal Jones led the Wildcats going 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI and a home run. Hiram Burgos (2-1) suffered his first loss for Bethune-Cookman as he allowed one run on two hits. Bethune-Cookman starter Felix Machado pitched well. Machado tossed 5 1/3 innings giving up four earned runs on seven hit and striking out five.
Miami trailed 6-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth. Dennis Raben walked to lead off the eighth and moved to second when Joey Terdoslavich hit a one-out single. After Joseph Gautier struck out Yonder Alonso for the second out, UM pulled off a double-steal. DiNatale pinch-hit and knocked the second pitch he saw into center field allowing Raben and pinch-runner Jonathan Weislow to score and tie it, 6-6. DiNatale moved up to second on the throw to the plate. Grandal then laced a single through the right side allowing DiNatale to score putting the Hurricanes ahead, 7-6.
