McMahon to Start Starkville Regional Opener
Miami (39-18) vs. Central Michigan (46-12)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule | Game Notes
May 31 – June 3, 2019
NCAA Starkville Regional | Dudy Noble Field | Starkville, Miss.
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Sophomore Chris McMahon will take the mound against Central Michigan in Miami’s 2019 Starkville Regional opener on Friday night at Dudy Noble Field.
The Hurricanes earned a berth in the 2019 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship Monday, marking the program’s 46th trip to the postseason. Second-seeded Miami (39-18) will join host and first-seeded Mississippi St. (46-13), third-seeded Central Michigan (46-12) and fourth-seeded Southern (32-22) in the Starkville Regional.
McMahon (3-2, 3.70 ERA) will oppose Central Michigan senior right-hander Pat Leatherman (10-1, 2.56 ERA) in Game 2 of the Starkville Regional, scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET, following the conclusion of the afternoon game between Mississippi State and Southern. The game will be broadcasted live on ESPN3. Both 790 The Ticket and 90.5 WVUM will broadcast the game on the radio.
Miami owns an all-time NCAA Regional record of 126-46 (.733). The Canes’ all-time mark in the NCAA postseason stands at an impressive 192-99 (.660).
With their selection to the Starkville Regional, the Hurricanes return to the postseason for the first time since 2016. Miami will also play outside of the state of Florida in the regional round for the first time since 2013, when they were the No. 2 seed in the Louisville Regional.
The Hurricanes head to the Starkville Regional for the fourth time in history, playing there in 1973, 1974 and 1975. Miami has played made 18 of its 46 regional appearances away from Coral Gables, with just 11 of those 18 coming outside of Florida.
Miami is 3-1 all-time against Mississippi State, last taking two games from the Bulldogs during the 2005 Coral Gables Regional. The Hurricanes have never played against Central Michigan or Southern University.
The Hurricanes, who have had a consistent presence in the top 25 for the last seven weeks, finished the regular season 19-6 over their final 25 games. Miami went 1-1 as the No. 4 seed at the ACC Baseball Championship this week, beating No. 9 seed Virginia, 10-3, and falling to No. 5 seed North Carolina in 11 innings, 7-5.
NCAA Regionals, which will consist of four-team double-elimination tournaments at 16 campus sites, will get underway Friday (May 31) and run through Monday (June 3), as necessary. The eight regional winners will advance to Super Regional play, again at campus sites, June 7-10. Those eight winners will then move onto the College World Series, which begins play Saturday, June 15, at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.
