'Canes Ready to Face Florida for a Spot in Omaha

June 10, 2010

Miami Super Regional Guide | Super Regional Central

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-Fresh off its 15th regional win under the direction of 17th-year head coach Jim Morris, the University of Miami baseball team will travel to Gainesville to take on No. 3 national seed and rival Florida in a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional beginning Friday, June 11 at McKethan Stadium.

The Hurricanes (43-18) won the Coral Gables Regional Tuesday afternoon, cruising to a 10-3 win behind big relief outings from Chris Hernandez and Sam Robinson. Scott Lawson carried the `Cane offensively throughout the regional, finishing 9-for-17 with four homers, four walks, seven RBI and nine runs scored en route to most outstanding player honors. Michael Broad led the regional in hitting however, going 9-for-14 (.643) with two homers, five RBI and five runs scored.

ACC Player of the Year Yasmani Grandal was named one of five Golden Spikes Award finalists on Tuesday. Grandal continues to lead the league in hitting (.411), slugging percentage (.729) and on-base percentage (.538). He was selected with the 12th overall pick by the Cincinnati Reds in the first round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Player Draft on Monday. In addition to Grandal, four more `Canes were selected on the draft’s second day, including junior left-hander Chris Hernandez, who went in the seventh round to Boston. Hernandez – a Louisville Slugger All-America selection this season – currently leads the ACC in ERA (2.77) and wins (10), while ranking third in strikeouts (106) and fifth in opponent’s batting average against him (.229).

During the regional, this year’s Miami team became the first in school history to record 100-plus homers, 100-plus stolen bases and 20-plus triples in a season. Harold Martinez leads the `Canes in homers with 21, while Stephen Perez and Zeke DeVoss each 24 steals.

Super Regional Schedule
Friday, June 11
Game 1 – Miami vs. Florida / 7 p.m. / ESPN
(Florida serves as the home team)

Saturday, June 12
Game 3 – Miami vs. Florida / 7 p.m. / ESPN2(Miami serves as the home team)

Sunday, June 13
Game 5 – Miami vs. Florida / 7 p.m. / ESPN2(Coin flip will determine home/visiting teams)

Broadcast Information
ESPNPBP – Clay MatvickColor – Kyle Peterson, Eric Byrnes

560 WQAM
Joe Zagacki, Mike Levine

1450 ESPN DEPORTES
Joe Martinez

90.5 WVUM
Justin Antweil, Ernesto Suarez, Christina de Nicola

Live Stats
– www.ncaa.com- www.hurricanesports.com

FLORIDA REPORT
The Gators (45-15) cruised through the Gainesville Regional, out-scoring their opponents 32-to-5 over the weekend. In the regional championship game, UF took down FAU, 15-0, to secure its spot in playing host to a Super Regional. Matt den Dekker leads the Gators’ offensive attack. The senior outfield is hitting a team-best .361 with 13 homers, 48 RBI and a team-best 62 runs scored. He also leads the club with 23 steals. Joining him offensively are Preston Tucker (.345, 11 HR, 46 RBI) and Austin Maddox (.339, 17 HR, 68 RBI). The pitching staff is led by lefty Alex Panteliodis, who is 10-2 with a 3.39 ERA in 87 2/3 innings. Hudson Randall (8-3) has the best ERA amon the regular starters (2.97), while Brian Johnson (6-4) also boasts an ERA under four. Kevin Chapman serves as UF’s closer. In a staff-high 29 appearances, Chapman has 11 saves and is 3-0 with a 1.28 ERA.

MIAMI VS. FLORIDA
Miami owns a 123-97-1 advantage all-time over Florida. Last season, the `Canes and Gators met five times in Gainesville – with UM sweeping an early season three-game series before the Gators won both match-ups in the Gainesville Regional in late May. The Gators have won four of their last five meetings with the `Canes, including taking two-of-three from Miami early this season in Coral Gables.

CORAL GABLES REGIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Seven Hurricanes were named to the 2010 Coral Gables Regional All-Tournament Team, including Scott Lawson who earned Most Oustanding Player after going 9-for-17 with four homers, four walks, seven RBI and nine runs scored in the regional. In addition to Lawson, Chris Hernandez, Frankie Ratcliff, Harold Martinez, Nathan Melendres, Chris Pelaez and Michael Broad all earned all-tournament honors.

YAZ ON JOHNNY BENCH, GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD LISTS
University of Miami junior catcher Yasmani Grandal has been named a finalist for both the Johnny Bench Award (nation’s top catcher) and Golden Spikes Award (nation’s top player).

WHAT DOES 40 MEAN?
Miami has reached the College World Series every time it has recorded at least 40 wins before the start of the NCAA Tournament under head coach Jim Morris. In his 17 years at the helm in Coral Gables, the `Canes have hit the 40-win mark 12 times before regional play and advanced to Omaha in each of those years.

RECORD WATCH
This year’s Miami team is closing in on several school single-season records, both individually and as a team. The Hurricanes have hit 104 home runs as a team this year, marking only the fourth time in school history Miami has hit 100+ home runs in a season. The previous three times the Hurricanes advanced to the College World Series.

QUICK HITTERS
– This year’s Miami team is the first in program history to record 100+ homers, 100+ steals and 20+ triples.
– First and second year players have accounted for 528 of the team’s 628 hits (84.1 %) this season.
– Yasmani Grandal has been intentionally walked eight times in Miami’s last 25 games.
– Seven Miami hitters have hit eight or more home runs this season.
– The Hurricanes are averaging 12 runs per game in seven postseason games.