Bad Week for Miami Baseball as Cavaliers Sweep Canes

The bubble finally burst. Miami (31-21, 14-12 ACC) was on a ten-game winning streak when they headed up to Charlottesville last weekend for a three-game weekend series against Virginia (30-26,14-10). The Cavaliers sent the Canes back home on another streak, this one of the three-game losing variety.

What happened, one might ask? The first three hitters in the batting order, Jake Ogden, Max Galvin, and Daniel Cuvet, were a combined 15 for 34 ( .441) over the weekend, no blame there. The last five batsmen in the order were a combined 7 for 58 ( .121 ) in the three games. Miami's starting left fielder, Derek Williams, has been out with a hand injury for nearly two weeks. What Miami has been missing in his absence finally showed up in Virginia. Williams was batting .345 (3rd on team ) and carried a .647 slugging average (2nd). The Canes need middle and back of the lineup to run production. Hopefully, Williams will be able to return soon, or backups will start producing.

In Friday's loss, starting pitcher Griffin Hugus walked the leadoff hitter, gave  up four singles, and Virginia was up 3-0 after the first. Hugus didn't allow another hit in his stint, but it didn't matter. Miami could not provide any offense as they managed only four hits, one by Ogden and two by Galvin, all evening in a 6-1 loss.

Saturday's loss was one that got away. Miami was up 8-4 after four innings. From there on, the Canes' bats went cold, and the Cavs chipped away at Miami's lead. Virginia added one run in both the fifth and sixth and was down 8-6 going into the seventh. A leadoff home run and a walk in the Virginia seventh brought in Miami's star closer, Brian Walters. It was not Walter's day. He gave up consecutive walks and a hit batsman, and it was 8-8 going into the eighth. Ogden led off the eighth and was hit by a pitch, a Cuvet single moved Jake to third, and a go-ahead RBI single by Dorian Gonzalez Jr gave Miami a 9-8 lead. Walters was sharp in the eighth and set down the Cavs batters 1-2-3 on eight pitches. Spirits were high in the Miami dugout with a lead in the ninth and Walters on the hill, but not for long. Walters' first pitch was sent over the centerfield wall by Harrison Didawick to tie it at 9-9. The next batter, James Nunnallee, walked, stole second, and plated the game-winning run on an Aidan Teel single to right. The 10-9 loss was a heartbreaker for Miami, full of what could have been.

Sunday wasn't much different. Miami had nine hits, but three were by Ogden and three by Cuvet. After stranding ten runners in Saturday's loss, they stranded nine on Sunday. Ogden, Galvin, and Cuvet reached base 10 times between them in the finale, but it only added up to 3 runs. Virginia led 7-0 after four innings, the Canes closed to 7-5 but fell 8-6 when it was over. The brooms were out.

Virginia made it to Omaha last season. Three hundred seven schools play Division 1 baseball. The goal of every one of those teams is to make it to Omaha, where the College World Series (which starts June 13) is played. The road to Omaha is not easy. A team must earn one of 64 bids to the NCAA tournament (the selection show is on Monday, May 25, at noon on ESPN2) by winning their conference championship or with their season-long performance earning them an at-large bid. The 64 teams are divided into 16 regional groups of four, who each play double-elimination competitions (May 30-June 2). The 16 winners play in 8 super regionals (June 6-June 9) in best-of-three competitions, and the eight winners advance to the College World Series.

Miami has three conference games remaining, and they are all essential in

determining the Canes' fate in both seeding in the ACC Championship ( May 20-25 in Durham, NC) and earning an at-large bid to NCAA regional play.

The Canes are at home for the final series against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (29-19, 12-15 ACC). Time for the games on Thursday, 5/15, and Friday, 5/16 is at 7 PM. Saturday's first pitch will be at 1 PM. All games will be at the on-campus Mark Light Stadium, and it will be a wild weekend.

Miami sits in eighth place in the ACC standings going into the weekend play. Teams that finish between 5 and 8 in the standings receive a first-round bye. Only three teams can knock the Canes out of eighth place and a bye. In 11th place, Notre Dame can only go ahead of Miami by winning all three games. Wake Forest and Louisville are tied for ninth place at 14-13 and play each other in Louisville this weekend. If either of the two sweep, Miami needs a sweep to stay ahead of the winner. If Wake and Louisville split 2-1 either way, Miami needs to win 2 of 3 to keep the bye. There are many

scenarios that could provide Miami with an eighth-place finish with one win, but none are remotely likely. Please head on out to "The Light" and support the Canes. They deserve your support, and you will love the experience.

That's it for now. Be well, all, and Go Canes.