allCanes

Kent to The U; Miami says 'no excuses'

2008-07-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

Prince Kent is headed to The U. What that means at this point of the game, we'll see. Late July and the Miami Hurricanes have already 'reeled in' another prospect for the action-packed 2009 class. I use quotations when I say reeled in as Signing Day is half a year away and verbal commitments really don't amount to squat. Just at Patrick Johnson.

That said, Kent sounds like a stand up kid and the exact opposite of PJ. The Norcross (GA) High School senior plays WR/CB but Miami coaches have told him he's being tabbed to play defense. He spent his pre-teen years living in Ft. Lauderdale and the last few years bouncing around with his mother in the ARMY.

The 6-foot-3, 190 pound Kent says his commitment to The us is "100% solid" but I'll feel a lot better about that come February - or January, if Kent makes his way to campus as an early enrolle, as planned.

Next big name recruit set to make a decision is Antwan Lowery, a four-star DT out of Miami (FL) Columbus. Lowery is deciding between Miami and Rutgers and will announce on August 1st.

Early enrollment and pre-season commitments seem to be the way of the future and are doing away with some of the Signing Day theatrics and last minute flip-flops. I've oft vented about my disdain for the recruiting game, broken commitments and teenage kids playing coaches who could be their fathers or grandfathers.

Kids that are truly committing in fall, aren't interested in playing the game and are ready to get on campus in January for early enrollment - those are the mature kids who you want on your roster.

Kent chose Miami over Alabama and Clemson.

"No excuses" is the new Miami mantra for 2008. Senior linebacker Glenn Cook then took the new catchphrase and brought it to the next level, creating LiveSTRONG-type bracelets for players and coaches.

I'm all for the motivational rah-rah stuff... if it works. I guess I'm still scarred by some preseason comments a few years back about Miami being not just hungry, but famished after giving away the Fiesta Bowl an wanting to win it all in 2003. Where was all that hunger after 31-7 at Virginia Tech and 10-6 against Tennessee a week later?

I believe we're seeing a legitimate attitude change at Miami. Left tackle Jason Fox spoke up on the matter on Sunday at the ACC Football Kickoff:

"Some of the players we had to get rid of were kind of cancerous to the team and really brought us down and didn't care about football," Fox said. "They're gone now, and we can get back to focusing on football. Sometimes the coaches were more worried about punishing the guys who weren't doing well instead of focusing on football."

"...This year the biggest change is everybody's attitudes. When you cut off all the negativity on your team and everybody's attitude is positive, it's contagious."

Again, sounds great, but how will it play out if Miami is 1-2 going into a September 27th match up with the same North Carolina team who upset them last year? Saying the right thing is a lot easier than doing it. Here's hoping this team has had a real attitude transformation and that the influx of new, young talent from winning programs helps keep this team focused.

Another step to ensure the 'no excuses' chant won't just be an empty promise? The implementation a seven-player council that will keep close tabs on players and punish those who need punishing.

To ensure there will be no backlash or favoritism, the players themselves voted Fox, Cook, Eric Moncur, Colin McCarthy, Chavez Grant, Khalil Jones and Dwayne Hendricks to the council. Council members meet at least once a week, usually after 7-on-7 drills on Wednesday or Saturday.

Fox says their job is to help 'police' the other players, while Moncur quipped that there are no guidelines for the punishment ("Our team will take care of it.")

Some might call it another motivational ploy, but I see yet one more way Randy Shannon is attempting to preach his sermon on 'accountability'.

After spending some of the off-season with mentor, former coach and former boss Jimmy Johnson, Shannon is definitely reaching into JJ's bag of motivational tricks and is working to get the best out of his players and personnel.

This will help the program in the long run and also proves that Shannon isn't as stubborn or set in his ways as some of his biggest critics might believe.

Shannon has also confirmed that his one-year experiment with no names on the jerseys has now come to an end. Point proven. Miami players will officially have names on the back of the jerseys this coming season, ending the mass confusion regarding who the hell was who last year (and who was screwing up.)

Rumors are still swirling on the Zach Kane front, but nothing has been confirmed. It appears Miami coaches will sit back and wait on the legal system to run its course. This being the case, you have to assume Kane will be on campus by fall as odds are this latest brush with the law will be swept under the rug, like some past transgressions (supposedly) have been.

I'm all for due process, but I still think something stinks here. I don't have a good feeling about Kane's tenure at Miami, should he wind up at The U. He just seems like the type of kid who attracts trouble. I hope I'm wrong.

A reader chimed in on a recent blog, asking where some Miami signees stand. Sounds like Gavin Hardin, C.J. Holton, Ben Jones and Andrew Smith are officially in. The news wasn't so promising regarding Antonio Harper and C.J. Odom.

Harper is headed to Milford (NY) Prep and odds are Odom is looking at a similar fate. Not great news on that end, but Miami's offensive line will welcome Jones, the d-line needs Smith's assistance, Hardin will boost the linebacker corps and Holton looks like he'll be a solid safety. Celebrate the ones that got in as opposed to lamenting those who are 'on hold' for a while.

Brandon Washington has retaken the ACT and scored a 21 (he scored a 15 last time around), so he's now waiting on the NCAA Clearinghouse for things to be official. Washington says that his ACT score combined with his GPA will be enough to have him reporting to UM by month's end.

(Update 7/23: Washington's test scores were flagged by the NCAA Clearinghouse and there are no more test dates this year, so he's headed to prep school along with Odom and Harper.)

One last rant before I go. I'm seeing a lot of chatter on message boards about The Gator and I don't get it. Thread after thread on Tim Tebow. Hypothetical scenarios regarding the September 6th match up between the Canes and Gators at the Swamp. Pissing and moaning about ESPN's coverage of Florida and their Friday Night Lights camp last week.

Stop already.

Who gives a hell about UiF? Why the obsession. They're a four-loss team with a Heisman winning quarterback. No more, no less. They'll be top five when they play Miami in a few months and the Canes have an uphill battle. Great. It'll be dealt with then and there.

Until that day comes, can the bitch-fest stop? Yes, ESPN is stroking all things Florida right now. They're sporing and Urban woody and they're sending their cameras out to get all the footage they can of Mr. Everything-Right-With-College-Football-Tebow. Deal with it.

That's what happens when your soph quarterback wins a Heisman. That's what happens when you're a state school with one of the largest athletic departments in the country. That's what happens when you're in a podunk, one horse, 'rah rah' college football town like Gainesville.

All that said, TV cameras and pretty boy head coaches don't win football games. Does all the coverage help recruiting? Bet your ass it does. Still, any kid swayed to go to UiF over The U because of Urban Meyer's sharp tongue or ESPN's bonus coverage - he was never a Cane to begin with. Those aren't the kids Shannon and staff are targeting.

Let the Gators get all the hype. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Four losses is still four losses, no matter how you dress it up. They'll get theirs this year.

Miami needs to worry about Miami. The rebuilding process is on and it's time to start getting excited about the future of Hurricanes football, instead of getting pissed off over Flori-duh's media coverage.

Come fall, It's a Marve Thing...

2008-07-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

Robert Marve is The One.

Miami's version of Neo in The Matrix, billed as a savior and heir to throne at Quarterback U.

All this talk about the quarterback situation for Miami being a 'wide open' race is a sham. True freshman Jacory Harris will get some necessary snaps this year and can be a capable #2 guy year one, but the future of the Miami Hurricanes rests on the right arm of Marve.

When success happens, a slew of things take place. Hard work and preparation are your main ingredient, as is natural talent and ability. From there, timing, a little bit of luck and the stars aligning.

My gut tells me Marve is the right guy at the right place at the right time. The antithesis to Kyle Wright. Marve is primed to be the "ying" to Wright's "yang".

Like Wright, Marve headed to The U with substantial high school success and a handful of post-season accolades. Highly touted. Tons of potential and upside. Sky could be the limit if all goes according to plan.

For Wright, everything that could go wrong, did. Riding in on the coattails of another Northern California native, Ken Dorsey, the Danville product landed in Coral Gables half a decade ago when things began falling apart.

Miami had the defense to carry them in 2003-2004. The running game was still semi-potent with a banged up Frank Gore and promising frosh Tyrone Moss. Gritty QB Brock Berlin had enough chutzpah and game to step up in big games and rally the Canes to victory.

Wright was given the keys in 2005. 'Cokerization' was in full force. The effects of less than stellar recruiting and poor development of players was coming back to bite these once proud Hurricanes.

In five seasons on Miami's campus, Wright saw four offensive coordinators, two head coaches and a drop-off in talent that seems unfathomable after what the Canes accomplished between 2000-2003.

Wright walked in when the Miami program was fat, happy and resting on its laurels.

Marve came aboard when The U was gasping for it's last breath and in need of salvation.

Last year was almost the start of The Marve Era. With neither Wright or Kirby Freeman able to get the job done, Randy Shannon would've quickly thrown the true freshman in the fire, a la Dorsey in 1999, but a wreck on Interstate 75 a year ago yesterday changed everything.

Marve fared much better than his flipped-six-times, totalled Dodge Charger, driven by teammate Jermaine McKenzie. The quarterback and wide receiver who were supposed to inject life into a limp Canes bunch instead spent 2007 on the sidelines, lucky to be alive and starting the countdown to 2008.

2008 is finally here.

Marve's non-throwing hand, healed but still baring the scar of a life-changing July evening. The broken left wrist again strong, but nerve damage between the ring finger and pinkie will force Marve to sport a precautionary glove for the rest of his playing days.

'Fate' is defined as 'the will, principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are, or events to happen as they do'.

Not only did Marve walk away from a wreck that should've killed him, but had the cut been positioned a quarter-inch the other way, his pinkie might've been lost.

Last year, the loss was seen as a tragic blow to a desperate team. Entering 2008, Marve is calling it a "blessing in disguise".

While Harris entered The U a skinny true freshman a few months back, Marve has been the Canes scout-team quarterback since the mid-season. He attended the meetings, broke down film and learned the offense. Come fall, Marve will be as ready as any hungry redshirt freshman in the nation.

He'll also be the most humble.

Gone are the glory days at Plant High, where Marve's Panthers went undefeated and where the QB is revered for breaking Tim Tebow's high school records.

Also gone? Marve's high school helmet, crushed in the wreckage. For those believing in fate, quite possibly a sign that it's all about looking forward and not dwelling on the past.

"It was like we could do no wrong my senior season at Plant - but that accident humbled me. Everything was taken away from me. I think there was a reason for it," said Marve.

"It could've been my throwing hand. It could've been one of my arteries, or something. But I was spared and now I'm allowed to continue. Am I different? No doubt. I'm going to appreciate every day, every snap. I'm going to work my butt off."

A few more tidbits for those believing that destiny has a hand in things? Marve's first game as a Cane will be on the same field as where he brought home the Class 4A State Title in 2006: Dolphin Stadium. Just over three months later, the ACC Championship will be held in his hometown of Tampa.

From a boy to a man in the matter of a year, without even taking a snap.

Mentally, Marve grew more from a vicious car accident than he ever would've lining up behind center last fall. Physically, he's packed on 25 pounds of the 'man weight' Harris won't gain until next season.

Life-changing experiences make or break us. Sometimes we need a jolt to wake us up or shift our perspective. Whether Marve was in need of it, he certainly took a big hit and is better for it.

Over the next few years we'll see how much of this is fate versus chance. For now, Miami has reason to be optimistic for the first time in a long time.

Wright and Freeman have been put out to pasture and new life has been injected into the veins of this Miami program; not only at quarterback but receiver, as well. Shannon and staff reeled in a half dozen highly-touted, ready to go wide outs to go along with McKenzie and Leonard Hankerson of last year's class.

Marve will see more talent at receiver in 2008 than Wright saw the last three years combined.

Action kicks off August 28th when Charleston Southern heads to town. Tune in to see Marve's debut and what could be the beginning of something very special.

Canes305... 'The State of Miami'

2008-07-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I started writing a column for CollegeFootballNews.com. I saw they were looking for bloggers and felt like I should get on board to take up for the Canes. Most of us feel The U doesn't get the national respect it deserves, so I got on board to let the outsiders know that Randy has Miami back on the right track.

The second-years coach is following the blueprint to a 'T', knows the lay of the land and between solid recruiting, aggressive personnel moves and his leadership, he'll right the ship.

Follow the blog at CFN.com or check it here a few days later when it's reposted.

I was originally going to write a piece this week detailing Randy Shannon, how he's the right man for the job, how he'll out-recruit anybody and he knows the blueprint for bringing the Canes back.

I was going to call it 'The State of Miami' which was a term conjured up by Howard Schnellenberger during his tenure at The U.

As I sat down to lay out my piece, I received my weekly alert from the Miami Herald and stumbled across Barry Jackson's piece on the Miami Hurricanes and the state of the program this off season.

Jackson beat me to the punch and touched on much of what I was going to explain to you outsiders regarding Miami being "back" - and it being a matter of "when", not "if".

At The U, it's all about family. Miami lacks the rah-rah tradition of the big college school and the Canes are their own entity.

An Independent from their inception until joining the Big East in 1991 (and the ACC in 2004), the Canes built their legacy with that "anybody, anyplace, anytime" mentality that many smaller programs have employed over the years.

Miami played the big boys, whipped 'em, won titles and became the force to be reckoned with the past 25 seasons - outside a brief drop off in the late 90s and again the past two seasons.

The Canes won five titles with four different coaches and did so in a way outsiders couldn't understand.

Howard laid the foundation, but it was Jimmy Johnson who brought things to the next level, going 44-4, winning a title (1987) and leaving another in the desert (1986). Randy was a four-year letterman under Johnson in the mid to late 80s. While at Dallas, JJ made Shannon a Cowboy in the 11th - not for his size and skills, but for his football knowledge and ability to lead.

Shannon wound up starting as a rookie in the league.

When his playing days rapped, it was back to The U as an assistant for seven years - his final three under Butch Davis, his position coach at Miami in the 80s - as well as with the Cowboys. From there, to the Dolphins, reuniting with JJ and then back to Coral Gables, to take over for defensive coordinator in 2001, when Larry Coker took the reigns.

Outside of a few years in Dallas, Shannon has spent all his playing and coaching days in Miami. He knows the city like the back of his hand. He knows the high school football programs, the coaches, the players and how things are done.

Shannon saw Johnson take Schnellenberger's Miami program to that next level, which is why he spent time this off season down in the Florida Keys with his mentor. Johnson is taking Shannon under his wing, teaching him how to utilize players and get the most out of them - starting with the upperclassmen who will be beat out by hungry freshman that were part of the nation's top-ranked recruiting class (per ESPN).

Get these guys on board with the rebuilding process. Get them one-on-one and ask them how they can make the team better. Get everyone involved and don't let them check out mentally. Eliminate any back-talking or counterproductive behavior by dealing with it immediately.

At Miami, it's not just young coach talking to old coach about how to maintain the tradition. Par for the course, older players and NFL superstars are reaching out to the new crop of Canes.

Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma has already reached out to true freshman Sean Spence and Arthur Brown, offering up his cell number and explaining his desire to mentor both of them. Panthers linebacker Jon Beason has done the same.

Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork has followed suit and did the same for Marcus Forston.

Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson has reached out to Aldarius Johnson, as have Colts wideout Reggie Wayne and Redskins flanker Santana Moss.

Enough is enough. After a 12-13 run since November 2005, the Miami alum know they're as important a piece in the rebuilding puzzle as the new Canes that will have to get it done on the field.

Beason said he was "in tears" when watching last season's 5-7 campaign. Vilma complained about "guys not improving year to year", refusing to just blame it on talent and hinting towards a lack of developing the skills set of the past few recruiting classes.

The first rounders and superstars that have earned Miami the moniker 'NFL U' are on campus this summer, working out to gear up for another season - and they're working out side by side with those Canes already on campus, preparing for fall.

Early as it may be in the process, they see change and a desire to improve.

Miami won't be back on the road to the National Championship in 2008, but it's also not as far off as some of the critics might feel. The Canes truly bottomed out last year, which happens after the wrong guy for the job 'Cokerizes' the program and leaves it in need of a full-on overhaul.

Shannon is one step closer to bringing things back and I'm going to keep selling you on that message as things progress.

Nice move, Kirby...

2008-07-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

On paper it doesn't sound like much. New Miami Hurricanes athletic director Kirby Hocutt heard of a small public outcry, got involved and righted what looked to be a wrong.

In reality, it was a great PR move by the new AD for a fan base that's felt burned by Miami's athletic department and past regime.

The Canes are headed to Dolphin Stadium as the Orange Bowl and all its history have been reduced to a pile of recently removed rubble. Miami's athletic department will get a financial shot in the arm from the move, but will have contend with a fiery fan base questioning their every move and resisting change.

The latest dilemma? No midfield "U" logo on game day. One of many long-time Miami traditions looked to be extinct as the Canes are competing for field space with the Dolphins and Marlins.

When the news was announced last weekend, the message board jockeys were out in full force, voicing their opinions on matter.

It wasn't pretty.

To his credit, Hocutt sprang to action - setting up Monday morning meetings in an effort to find a compromise that would keep Miami's tradition alive, without stepping on the toes of its new stadium 'roommates'.

The verdict? The "U" will resurface as soon as late September, barring the Marlins' post-season agenda. Dolphin Stadium will grow a special patch of grass with the "U" on it and that turf will be transplanted onto the field for 5 of this season's 6 home games.

The result is similar to what is currently done for Dolphins home games regarding doing away with the Marlins' pitching mound on Sundays.

It's a small step for Miami fans, yet a giant leap for a new athletic director trying to win over a fickle fan base. The action itself is important, as tradition continues - but more importantly, it proves that Hocutt has his ear to the ground and is listening to the concerns of the fan base.

If there was a cause worth taking up, Hocutt chose a good one out the gate. Over time, this fan base will continue to have issues with the athletic department's decision-making.

Winning a small battle up front will definitely keep some of that heat off... for now.

Nice move, Kirby.

In other news, Hocutt struck another exciting chord when he mentioned wanting to renew a rivalry with Miami and Notre Dame. He stated that The U is done playing the likes of FIU and is interested in booking "marquee opponents".

Once the Irish get a new athletic director in place, Hocutt is interested in a prime-time showdown with the former rivals in one of their neutral site NBC games.

I smell one of two things here (1) the Irish going for a 'bigger name' opponent, like another service academy or (2) ND wanting that 'neutral' site to be in Chicago, at Soldier Field.

If Hocutt can get the dream match up of Notre Dame and Miami on the books again, this new AD will achieve rock star status in no time.

Sporting News College Football '08: Miami Preview...

2008-06-29T16:49:00.000-07:00

Thank God I live out west and was able to score a Gator-less copy of the Sporting News College Football '08. I'll take USC's Rey Maualuga on a cover instead of Jesus Christ Tebow and a dirty Seminole (Greg Carr) as the inset.

Not only are the Miami Hurricanes absent on the regional cover (pictured above), but outside of the ACC preview, The U gets virtually no love anywhere else in the mag.

That's not an implication of a Sporting News bias. It's simply life after 5-7. No preseason All-Americans. Nobody on the Heisman Watch list, or any other award list. No games that'll dictate the National Championship chase - in our out of conference.

All-ACC was the best Miami could muster up and that was OT Jason Fox. No skills players and no defensive superstars. Just a senior offensive lineman in what TSN calls the sixth-rated conference.

The two bright spots? Wide receiver Aldarius Johnson was one of eight named to the 'Freshman of Impact' list and linebacker Arthur Brown was named the ACC's Top Impact Freshman.

The writing's on the wall. A youth movement is underway and for the Canes, it's a "rebuilding" thing.

TSN did acknowledge Miami's top-flight recruiting class, ranking it #1 in the ACC (5th overall) and has the Canes penciled in for the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando.

A few years back that'd be considered a down year, but after no bowl in 2007 and the Blue Turf Bowl the previous one, this year's prognosis may as well be a BCS berth for this win-starved program.

Humbled Hurricanes. That's what happens after going 12-13 over the past 25 games and leaving the Orange Bowl with a whimper thanks to a 48-0 shellacking at the hands of Virginia.

TSN has Miami ranked 2nd in the Coastal behind Virginia Tech, meaning divisional rights could be on the line come November 13th when the Hokies trek south to Dolphin Stadium.

TSN's Power Ratings give Miami a 3-of-5 regarding offense, 4-of-5 for defense, 3-of-5 for special teams and 3-of-5 for coaching. Nothing to write home about, but until the Canes prove it, no one is going to hand it to them or give The U the benefit of the doubt. Not after the past few seasons.

Potential and name recognition doesn't win ball games.

The offense gets a boost thanks to a new crop of receivers, a now-healthy running game, the best offensive line Miami has seen in a handful of years, as well as new life at the quarterback position - albeit, green.

Defensively the Canes will be as deep at linebacker as they've been in half a decade, though most of that talent was playing high school ball last season.

On the coaching front, Randy Shannon seems to have grown leaps and bounds thanks to addition by subtraction. After Miami's first losing season since 1997, Shannon cut ties with first year defensive coordinator Tim Walton and welcomed defensive veteran Bill Young from Kansas.

A more stubborn coach might've stuck by his guy - and few would've faulted Shannon for giving Walton one more shot - but he didn't. The culture needed to change and experience was necessary at DC if Shannon was going to remain hands-off and focus on being a head coach.

Respect. It's something Miami isn't going to get a lot of this year until it starts winning some ball games and turning some heads. Shannon knows that, as do his players.

"We lost a lot of respect," said junior running back Javarris James. "People don't respect us, so it's time to outwork people so they will respect us."

It all sounds good on paper, but will it translate to the field?

The Canes have always played the 'us against the world' card, but that only means something if you earn the "W". This isn't about moral victories. It's Xs and Os, execution and this youth movement surviving their baptism by fire by not making 'rookie' mistakes.

James is quick to play up the now-healthy backfield, calling it the 'focal point of the offense' - which is a must, considering quarterbacks Robert Marve and Jacory Harris are yet to take a snap as a Cane.

Shannon seems mildly 'wowed' by the receivers, applauding their receptions and ability to get some yards after catches this spring, but until it's done on game day, it's all theory. Kayne Farquharson, Sam Shields and Leonard Hankerson all return and Jermaine McKenzie is ready to do some damage after missing his freshman year due to a preseason car accident.

Toss in a half dozen highly-touted freshman wideouts and Miami is loaded (with potential) at the position. Marve or Harris won't have the same excuses as their predecessors. The talent is returning to the skills positions and it's put up or shut up time.

TSN's Miami coverage called it as fair as you'll see it after the past two seasons of Hurricanes football. They applauded the recent recruits and gave reason to be optimistic, but logic was still employed as nothing has been proven.

Second-ranked in the Coastal Division is a fair assessment after watching Miami go 2-6 in the ACC last year.

One last note - the 'Game To Watch' section, where TSN writes, "A visit to Florida gives the Hurricanes a chance too prove the doldrums of 2007 are behind them and create early momentum."

Last year's Canes couldn't do a thing after a "statement game" against Texas A&M, rolling 34-14 in the Orange Bowl and losing 6 of their next 8. Can this year prove different?

Shannon said he was recruiting winners from winning programs. A 2-0 start out the gate and a win against a hated rival would be epic, but most likely isn't in the cards for a young Miami team. Motivation will have to come either at aTm or when conference play kicks in and regardless of a 'signature' win, the Canes will have to take one game at a time and focus. This a young team that needs to find itself.

However it plays out, 2008 will be a year of growth and moving forward. The 5-7 campaign of 2007 was Miami hitting rock bottom. All that could go wrong did. Close, winnable games were all lost. Players quit and the new coaching staff went through it's growing pains.

It'll take a few years to turn it around, but improvement is on the horizon come fall.

For those doubting the power of the Baseball Gods...

2008-06-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

It almost sounds like a gag headline, don't it? 47-31 Fresno State is your college baseball National Champion for 2008. As if Oregon State's improbable back-to-back titles of 2006-2007 weren't enough, now it's the Bulldogs who are celebrating.

Anyone who ever chest-thumps or drones on about regular season stats, #1 rankings and how a National Championship is simply 'expected' after a promising January to May run, remember the past few years in Omaha.

Fresno State lost 12 of their first 20 games this seasons. They needed to WIN the Western Athletic Conference tournament just to MAKE the NCAA field of 64. The Bulldogs fought off elimination in the regionals and the super regionals and became the FIRST No. 4 seed to reach the College World Series since the tourney expanded in 1999.

The west coast 'FSU' jacked 14 home runs in seven CWS games. No other team in the field boasted more than six.

None of this makes Miami's 1-2 run in Omaha any easier to swallow.

Even the fact that it was Georgia who Fresno State knocked out - twice.

It just proves that there are no gimmies in college baseball. No favorites. The only absolute is that nothing is certain.

Eight equally qualified teams reach Omaha and all start the tourney 0-0 and in need of a win to avoid elimination games the rest of the way to the championship series.

It's about getting hot at the right time and in the post-season, Miami went ice cold while Fresno State was molten lava.

A lesson to be learned next time these Canes head to Rosenblatt.

Ice Cold. Unclutch. Home. Done.

2008-06-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

Forgive the untimeliness of this piece.

For The U, the college baseball season came to a crashing thud Wednesday afternoon. After spending countless hours watching games and covering this squad the past few months, it was time for a breather before deciding to sum up what went wrong in a heartbreaking post-season.

That and the sun was shining all weekend, so once the Canes pulled out of Omaha, I did the same. Not worth watching or thinking about as it'd be an excuse to play the 'what if' game when there were better things to do.

53-11 and headed home empty-handed. That's the legacy the Miami Hurricanes leave behind regarding the 2008 season.

Arguably the 'best' team The U has ever fielded, Miami tanked in Omaha.

Bats went cold. The defense crapped the bed. Players lost their mojo and the Canes never once resembled the stellar team they were all season.

A 23-loss Stanford squad put two Sunshine State powers in check en route to a 2-1 record at the College World Series. After smacking up Florida State, 16-5 and losing a nailbiter to Georgia, the Cardinal took it to the Canes, 8-3 in a game that was done as soon as Miami took the field.

College baseball is an inexact science. More so than almost any other sport. Stick your rankings, regular season records and statistics all in the trash come mid-June. The 1999 Hurricanes were the only squad to win a title, as a top seed entering the post-season. Since then, nothing but upsets.

As good as Miami looked during the regular season, the chink in the armor was spotted in the regular season finale against North Carolina. The Canes fell 10-6 and 12-11 in the final two games, losing their first series of the season.

Over those final two losses, Miami gave up 22 runs and left 19 runners stranded on base.

Why does that trend sound so familiar?

Sure, Miami breezed through the ACC tourney - but the Canes had to earn every win from that point forward. Gone was the dominant regular season team. Instead, a bunch who could never pull all facets of their game together and play like the champions most expected them to.

A 7-4 scare against lowly Bethune-Cookman (yeah, I know their pitcher was good, but still. A bottom of the eighth rally to best Missouri by 1, followed by an 11-2 beat down of and outmatched and out-manned Ole Miss squad.

Arizona took Miami in game one of the Super Regionals, but the entire series was topsy-turvy and was one swing from being 2-0, 0-2 or the 2-1 advantage the Canes needed to advance to Omaha.

Never once did Miami have Arizona in check, despite a home field advantage, a better record and a stronger, collective squad.

The aura would carry over to Omaha, where Miami played tight out the gate. Gone were the big rallies, hot bats, defensive prowess and a pitching staff that would clamp down and hold off an opponent's onslaught.

You never want to blame an epic meltdown on one play. That said, when Carlos Gutierrez sailed one past Yonder Alonso in the top of the ninth in game one against Georgia, you could feel the collective wind coming out of Miami's sails.

The wild pitch on a would-be third strike for the second out - that was bad enough - but to not regroup after that and to literally throw it away moments later? Miami gave away an entire season in half an inning. Tagged in the nose, the Canes recoiled when they tasted their own blood. Instead of coming out swinging, Miami remained tight, tentative and a shell of themselves the final two games in Omaha.

The familiarity and upper hand the Canes have on the Noles helped earn a 7-5 win, though it was almost given away again in the ninth.

1-1 and with a fighting chance, Miami simply face planted against Stanford. A no-show. Never it in for a minute after that 1-0 lead in the first.

The stats? As ugly as they've been all season. 10 Canes went down swinging and 12 runners were left on base, after stranding 9 against Florida State and 7 against Georgia.

After three games in Omaha, the Canes' box score read - 98 at bats, 14 runs, 27 hit and a total of 28 runners left on base, while striking out 24 times.

The middle of the order, ice cold. Mark Sobolewski only mustering up one hit in 12 at bats. Ryan Jackson going 6-for-13 with 0 RBI. Adan Severino, 4-for-9 with 0 runs or RBI.

For all the magic Dennis Raben provided defensively in right field, the mohawked one was a paltry 2-for-11 with 0 runs and 2 RBI and Yasmani Grandal mustered up 2 hits in his 9 at bats.

The top of the order put a few runs on the board, but also remained unclutch when given the opportunity.

Blake Tekotte was 3-for-11, despite 3 runs and 3 RBI. Jemile Weeks hit two home runs, but also went 3-for-11 and struggled to do what he did best - laying down bunts, playing small ball, helping manufacture runs and just getting on base.

Alonso had 5 hits in 12 at bats, but his Omaha legacy will be remembered for chasing breaking balls and striking out three times against the Cardinal, stranding five by the fifth inning.

All season, all signs pointed to this being "Miami's year" but that was based on regular season wins and the Canes peaking too soon. Come May, Miami went 3-3 down the stretch - losing a sloppy 7-6 contest at Virginia Tech, before the skid against North Carolina.

A far cry from the squad that went 27-2 at one point in 2008.

Omaha and the post-season are a completely different ball game. Just ask Georgia and Fresno State - the two underdogs who found their way to the title game.

The east coast Bulldogs were a #8 seed while the west coast bunch upset a stellar Arizona State team in the Super Regional to earn their berth and get through a bracket including Rice, LSU and North Carolina -- two recent past champions and a recent runner up (twice).

Florida State rolls all season and it's 0-and-2 and a BBQ. For anyone lamenting Miami's ninth inning heartbreak in game one, it's hard to top the Noles giving up 11 to the Cardinal over the course of three outs.

LSU rides an almost two dozen-game win streak into the post season and bows out 1-2, just like Miami.

An Omaha-staple like Rice heads back to Texas for a BBQ of their own, after going 0-2.

North Carolina finds a way to upend a red hot LSU team (twice), but can't solve the mystery of a Fresno State bunch who started the season 8-12, going 1-2 against the Bulldogs over a six-day span?

The only certain in Omaha is that there is no certain. You think you know, but you have no idea.

It's a funky place where dreams are made, hearts are broken and words like "underdog" or "favorite" have no pull.

When you get to the Midwest, someone has the 'mojo' and the others are simply along for the ride. How far they go depends solely on the mercy of the baseball gods.

If there's a lesson to be learned is this - the college baseball season doesn't start in January. Come mid-June it's eight teams at Rosenblatt all sporting 0-0 records and all battled-tested after two rounds of regional action. Favorite-schmavorite. It's anybody's ball game.

53-11 - like the 2008 Canes - sure sounds good on paper.

In the end, it was a great run but once the post-season got underway it was soon proven that it simply wasn't in the cards for Miami this year, despite a hell of a run.

Kane: More trouble than he's worth?

2008-06-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Miami Hurricanes recruit Zach Kane was arrested over the weekend and charged with aggravated assault, back home in Toms River, NJ.

Around 11pm on Saturday, the linebacker prospect "allegedly" broke a bottle over the head of a fellow teen, causing the victim to receive upwards of nine stitches.

I know what I'm going to say here isn't going to jive with some, but those who put life over football will most likely agree with my sentiment.

Randy Shannon needs to cut bait now. Pull Kane's scholarship and send a message that this type of behavior simply isn't acceptable.

Harsh? Not really. We're not talking about a kid like Willie Williams boosting a few car stereos while in junior high school. We're talking about a privileged 18-year old who obviously doesn't realize the ramifications of his actions as well as the honor of being recruited to play for The U, while getting free education and showcasing his talent for the NFL.

During the recruiting process, some schools shied away from Kane, citing him being a bit of a hot head and a troublemaker. That said, he was a star athlete and got the preferential treatment that came along with being defensive player of the year in a podunk northeastern town.

Look where all that coddling got him.

The University of Miami had a handful of early enrollees this past spring. Recruits from the 2008 class who busted their ass to graduated early, only so they could have their asses busted on Greentree trying to get ahead during spring football.

While (potential) future teammates were doing all they could to help put Miami back on the map, Kane is running around his hometown - fresh out of high school and looking for summer trouble.

Late night underage boozing? Assault? All of this with a college scholarship on the line and a chance to play for a team he adores?

It's moronic behavior by another modern day teenager with a sense of entitlement and an 'above the law' mentality.

I have two words for Kane; Jordan Futch. You want to talk about everything right with a college football recruit, look no further than the outside linebacker out of Chaminade-Madonna in Hollywood, FL.

Futch graduated early but couldn't enroll until fall. Before he signed with Miami, his personal mission was spreading the 'Gospel according to Randy', contacting other potential recruits and selling everyone he could on The U.

While Kane is drinking his summer away and assaulting teens in Toms River, Futch is spending his summer as a plumber, working 7am to 5pm Monday through Saturday.

After a hard day's work, it's straight to L.A. Fitness for a two-hour training session and then off to bed to do it again the next day.

Futch doesn't have to come out and say why he employs the 60 hour work and is a gym rat. It's obvious. This kid puts football first and is doing all he can to avoid the pitfalls that come with being a teenage athlete with a scholarship awaiting and a bright future.

A week from today, Futch reports for duty at The U, having been cleared by NCAA Clearinghouse and having received his admission's letter from UM.

Where will Zach Kane be a week from now?

What are the legal ramifications from this boneheaded act?

How will Randy Shannon respond?

The second-year head coach is a hard-ass and a disciplinarian. That much is known. What isn't known is Shannon's immediate reaction regarding a situation like this.

Miami gets a bum rap and has earned the 'Thug U' moniker from opposing fans and rivals, who ironically enough support programs that have seen a ton more off-the-field drama than The U. (17 Gators in hot water on Urban Meyer's watch the past 3 years ring a bell?)

The Canes will forever pay for their brash ways in the 80s, being the anti-establishment bunch who not only won - but did so in a loud and proud manner than the traditional 'rah-rah' college football enthusiast didn't appreciate.

Shannon is working tirelessly to change Miami's image and Kane's recent blunder is a black eye for a program that's spent the past decade trying to heal.

A month ago, Shannon was overseas visiting injured soldiers and has spent the past few weeks applauding the efforts of these young men and women. He spoke of their team effort and the maturity it takes to do what the soldiers are doing on a daily basis.

"I'm watching 19, 20, 21 year olds do various jobs and do it with perfection," said Shannon. "You get amazed because I'm coaching 20, 21 year olds in football and it's the same thing - you want perfection."

"I'm pleased with is the teamwork of the military forces, how they work together, mingle together. If the Air Force wasn't effective, then the Marines and Army wouldn't be effective. If the Navy wasn't doing their job the right way, the Marines wouldn't be a part of it. If the Army didn't do the things they were doing, the air force wouldn't be effective."

It seems the military experience had a profound impact on Shannon, regarding their maturity, teamwork and camaraderie. It'll be interesting to see how he chooses to deal with the immaturity, selfishness and boneheaded actions of Kane after seeing other 19 to 21-year olds hitting on all cylinders and mature beyond their years.

Kane might not be a lost cause. 15 years ago, Pat Tillman was a high school senior arrested and charged with felony assault after coming to the aid of a friend in an altercation outside a pizza parlor.

Tillman had the charges reduced to a misdemeanor after spending 30 days in a juvenile facility, went on to have a stellar career at Arizona State and made his way to the NFL before being killed by friendly fire, overseas in 2004.

"I learned more from that one bad decision than all the good decisions I've ever made," Tillman said, regarding the incident.

"It made me realize that stuff you do has repercussions. You can lose everything."

Shannon and staff recruited Kane and obviously know the kid better than a hack writer, message board jockeys or fans of other programs who Kane spurned to come to The U. In the end, Shannon's punishment will fit the crime - as it always does.

Whether Kane winds up at Miami or not, here's hoping the kid learns his lesson pronto - be it on his own, through his future coaches, through a story like Tillman's or even learning from a peer like Futch and his recent example.

One mistake can cost you everything. The older you get and with more on the line, there is little margin for error. Everyone is responsible for their actions and the hard-hitting needs to be saved for the football field; not weekend house parties.

Treating a peer like a human pinata and busting a bottle of one's head like it's the bow of a ship is inexcusable with all Kane has to lose.

For his sake, hopefully he gets a shot at redemption.

If I'm calling the shots, he's figuring it all out somewhere other than Coral Gables.

Miami doesn't need Kane's baggage.

You stay classy, Mike Martin...

2008-06-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.

Let's hope it stays that way for the rest of Mike Martin's tenure at Florida State.

The arch-rival Miami Hurricanes ended the Seminoles season... again. Regardless of whether the Canes can come back to win it all, there is a sense of satisfaction sending Florida State home early after a 7-5 win on Monday.

Miami's last two-and-out in 23 College World Series appearances was in 1979, while this is the fourth "0-and-2 and a barbecue" on Martin's resume in 13 trips to Omaha.

Florida State provided some fireworks in the ninth, rallying from a 7-2 deficit and making it 7-5, with the bases juiced and the potential winning run on first.

Carlos Gutierrez finally got that much anticipated third out, ending the rally after giving up four hits, two walks and three runs. When the ended, Miami players and coaches let out their collective sigh of relief, congratulated each other and then lined up for the traditional high-five train at home plate.

Jim Morris waited behind his team for a visit from the opposing head coach, but it never came.

While Miami and Florida State bid adieu on the field, one individual chose to sit out this portion of the game; Martin.

The sixth all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division-I college baseball history chose to watch from the dugout, instead of doing what he's seen done in thousands of games as a head coach and player - offering congratulations to the winning bunch, or accepting if his team was victorious.

Everything anyone wants to know about Martin was summed up Monday afternoon when ESPN's cameras panned to a 64-year old man pouting in the dugout like a six-year old girl who just had her Barbie taken away.

Martin is another fossil that's overstayed his welcome in the college game. He sees the hands of time turning and knows each season in Omaha might be his last. He wants one title on his resume and his talented squad squandered away another chance in 2008, blowing game one to Stanford and leaving an NCAA-record 17 runners stranded on base against Miami.

Instead of blaming himself, he chose to take it out on the team who broke his heart this year and did the same in the 1999 championship game; Miami.

Morris and the Canes are such a thorn in Martin's side, it makes him sick. Florida State is the big time state school with the big time state funding, yet the little private school in Coral Gables is the one with four rings and the real tradition.

When Miami heads north to Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium, it's never a spirited competition. Noles fans shout obscenities and racial slurs towards the Hispanic contingent on the Canes' squad - too ignorant to realize the majority of their own team are of Hispanic decent as well.

The Canes took the regular season series in Tallahassee this year, 2-1, despite the atmosphere. An 'almost brawl' that incurred when Martin's sour bunch lost 11-10 in game three, shortened due to a travel curfew.

Like their class act coach in Omaha, the Noles stayed in the dugout on April 20th, refusing to shake hands with the Canes when the game ended prematurely, on a called third strike in the seventh. Miami started a little bit of uncalled for taunting and only then did Florida State get off their collective ass and decide to 'meet' at home plate.

Like a rotten fish, the Noles baseball program stinks from the head down. Martin's true colors are coming out as he's getting older and more bitter as each title-less year passes. Monday's dugout performance is just one more reason to hate Florida State if you don't already.

As for this article? Just another Cane trying to point out what the national media chooses to miss. Karl Ravich and Robin Ventura mentioned Martin staying in the dugout at game's end, but neither put Old Man River on blast for his antics, afraid to speak out against the legendary head coach, much like college football analysts are too afraid to call b.s. on Bobby Bowden for his laid back approach to disciplining thug players.

Enjoy the flight back home Noles and enjoy the 0-and-2 BBQ Brisket Special, Miami style.

No one said it would be easy...

2008-06-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

Get used to the nailbiting.

When you start the College World Series 0-1, elimination is the name of the game and every contest will be sweat out like the National Championship.

The Miami Hurricanes bit the big one against Georgia on Saturday and the consolation prize was a showdown with arch-rival Florida State. The Noles woofed all week about wanting a piece of the Canes and were seeking revenge for the shortened, 11-10 Miami win in game three of the regular season series.

In the other dugout, The U. Still smarting from the loss to the Dawgs, but treating the Noles as just another opponent. There'd be no war of words. Just nine innings of a Sunshine State rivalry, all for a chance to live another day.

Miami pulled out the 7-5 win, but not without providing yet another scare. Up 7-2 at the top of the ninth, Carlos Gutierrez provided another shaky outing and almost blew another save. Four hits. Three runs. Two walks. Seven batters. 49 pitches. No strikeouts.

Hardly and ace-like performance.

Make no mistake, Gutierrez is a huge reason Miami even made it to Omaha. The closer is responsible for 13 saves this season and Saturday's errant ninth inning throw was his first error of sorts.

That said, Gutierrez is giving Miami fans a bit of deja vu regarding all time Canes who have tightened up, with the money on the table in Omaha. So many times has The U trekked west to the College World Series and come home empty-handed. Guys who were all world during the regular season, simply went cold when taking the field at Rosenblatt.

It's not an indictment on Gutierrez, as several Canes have been a shell of themselves this post season. Bats have gone cold at time. Once stellar fielders have been prone to freshman-like errors. Routine plays have looked more like rocket science than old hat.

Miami stranded nine runners on base against Florida State. That pales in comparison to the record-setting 17 the Noles left behind, but it's inexcusable nonetheless. Against Georgia, seven were left aboard in the 7-4 loss.

Despite the frustrated tone of this piece, all isn't lost and some good definitely came out of Monday's bounce-back game.

Miami ended Florida State's season, which will never be taken for granted. People will call this a 'healthy rivalry' but don't mistake the fact that there is some bad blood between these squads and the winner would take serious pride in ending the loser's season prematurely.

Neither the Canes or Noles expected to wind up in loser's bracket and both teams played a bit tighter than they would have if sporting identical 1-0 records. Elimination was on the line and it showed.

Florida State jumped out early with a 1-0 lead after one and an inning later, knocked starter David Gutierrez out of the game - literally - with a shot to the right bicep. Eric Erickson came in to relieve in the second an held Florida State scoreless over the next two innings.

In the bottom of the third, Miami exploded for four runs and finally blew the tight game open. Yasmani Grandal walked, Blake Tekotte grounded out and Jemile Weeks homered to left.

After a Yonder Alonso fly out, Mark Sobolewski drew a walk, Ryan Jackson singled and Adan Severino was the inning's third and final free base.

With two outs and a chance to do what they've failed to do so many times in the postseason, Miami piled on a few more runs with a Dennis Raben single to center, driving in two.

Florida State got one back in the top of the fourth, but the game remained 4-2 until the bottom of the seventh when two singles and a walk set the stage for a Jason Hagerty two-RBI single. Tekotte added an insurance run in the eight with a solo shot and at 7-2, it appeared to be a Miami lock - or as much of a lock as you can expect with three outs to play in Omaha.

For all the criticism Gutierrez will receive for Monday's mini-meltdown, the most important stat? The third and final out being recorded before Florida State had a chance to tie or win the game.

End of story.

Solid players have bad outings and great teams are going to look mortal at times. The Canes struggled to put the Noles away, but in the end Miami lives to see another day, while it's "0 and 2 and a BBQ" for smug Mike Martin and his bitter bunch.

Next up, Stanford - a College World Series underdog who upset Florida State in their opening game, but lost a nailbiter to Georgia on Monday night. For the Canes, another one-game season and a third elimination game in their past four outings.

If Miami can end Stanford's season on Wednesday night (7:00pm EDT), it'll be back-to-back contests against Georgia for a crack at the finale.

For now, one game at a time. One inning at a time. One pitch at a time. 1-1 in Omaha is still daunting, but it's not impossible.

Miami was ice cold in the ninth against Georgia, but the temperature rose to luke-warm on Monday with a win over Florida State. It can get hot with a win over Stanford, but would need to get scorching to upend Georgia twice and make it to the championship game.

All that said, celebrate this win. The Noles are homebound and the Canes will live to see another day.

Keep the faith.

For one more game, at least.

Give it away, give it away now...

2008-06-15T14:58:00.001-07:00

It wasn't supposed to end like this. A week ago Carlos Gutierrez proved to be the hero, with a series-saving fielding effort to drive the final stake in Arizona's heart - sending the Miami Hurricanes to Omaha.

What a difference a week can make.

A 4-3 ninth inning lead turned into a 7-4 loss in a matter of minutes.

It wasn't bad pitching. It wasn't even horrible defense. It simply was a string of bad luck at the worst possible time - with everything on the line.

The more I watch college baseball, the more I realize rankings and statistics are worthless.

Miami sported a 45-0 record when leading after eight innings. Stat geeks choose to chest-thump over that kind of stuff, but what does it really all mean when you're now 45-1, with that lone loss coming during the most important game of the season?

Timing is everything. Especially in Omaha. This isn't the first time a great Miami team has faceplanted or blew an opportunity. Lesser Canes teams have won it all, while some of the supposed best Miami squads have gone home empty-handed.

The faint of heart should steer clear of the message boards today. The folks with the biggest mouths, choosing revisionist history (instead of logic) are out in full force.

Some of their knee-jerk thoughts? Jim Morris should be fired. Yasmani Grandal should be benched. Gutierrez is a worthless closer. Morris should've left Kyle Bellamy in the game, instead of doing what he did all year - going to his closer in the ninth.

Can it, haters.

Miami had their worst inning of baseball at the worst possible time. Sucks, but it happens. Welcome to Omaha.

Stanford whooped higher-seeded Florida State, 16-5 yesterday, hours before Miami was upset by lower-seeded Georgia. Today, it's out-of-nowhere Fresno State taking it to a favored Rice squad, 17-5.

Florida State, Miami and Rice in the losers' bracket - with Stanford, Georgia and Fresno State moving on. Programs with some rich CWS history will now need to scrap their way out of an 0-1 hole, while some newbies are in the driver's seat.

It is what it is, people.

The Canes gave it away last night. It wasn't Morris' decision to go with Gutierrez. It wasn't even Gutierrez's errant throw or Grandal's untimely miss behind the plate.

It was simply bad luck. Bad timing. An imperfect storm when Miami could least afford to weather it.

The odds of yesterday's ninth inning collapse are almost infinitesimal. A runner reaching first after a strike out, due to a wild pitch? Almost unheard of. Especially in the ninth, with a first round CWS berth on the line. A pitcher - known for his fielding abilities - sailing the ball past his first baseman, allowing the game-winning run?

Inconceivable, and hardly characteristic of a team destined to win it all.

In college baseball more than anything else, it's about getting hot at the right time and getting the lucky bounces. Such isn't the case for Miami right now. Sad but true, as bitter as that pill may be to swallow.

The Canes caught some bad luck in game one of the Super Regionals, endured a shoot out in game two and staved off execution in game three, allowing them to advance. It took everything in the tank for a top-ranked Miami team to even reach Omaha.

It's been a while since the Canes have looked like a 'hot' team. Before struggling with Arizona in the Super Regionals, Miami had some shaky moments in the Coral Gables regional - needing to rally for wins over Bethune-Cookman and Missouri, before beating up on a run down and depleted Ole Miss bunch.

The last time the Canes truly looked like the 'Canes' was the ACC tourney - with convincing wins over Clemson, Georgia Tech, NC State and Virginia. Even when a few of those games had their close moments, Miami still looked in control. The bats were hot, the pitching clamped down when it needed to and The U was still the team to beat.

That simply hasn't been the case these past few weeks.

As has been the case lately, Miami has been stranding runners on base. Against Georgia, the Canes left seven on and never capitalized when they needed to. Seven total hits? Guys like Mark Sobolewski, Dennis Raben and Dave DiNatale going 0-for-12 on the day?

Blake Tekotte, Jemile Weeks and Yonder Alonso being the only Canes productive at the plate all day? Where was the middle and bottom of the order? This is Omaha. Teams are putting up four-run innings and double-digit victories.

Four runs and seven hits against the likes of Georgia is as unacceptable as a ninth-inning collapse - buy a team applauded all season for its stellar defense.

Chalk this one up to wrong team at the wrong place at the wrong time. The regular season means nothing when you get to Omaha - where everyone starts out 0-0 and all eight teams are capable of winning it all.

Miami choked in a game when you can't choke. The Canes went cold at a time when teams in the hunt are supposed to get red hot.

It'll now take four straight victories to simply reach the title game - and two more to win the whole damn thing.

Impossible? No. Likely? An even bigger 'no'.

The challenge begins Monday with an elimination game against arch-rival Florida State, another 0-1 bunch looking to stay alive in Omaha. From there, the loser of the Georgia/Stanford contest and from there, two straight victories over the Dawgs/Card winner.

A team with Miami's pitching and hitting has the ability to make it happen - but do they have the heart? Losing 7-4 is rough enough, but having your guts torn out in the top of the ninth after an uncharacteristic defensive meltdown? Doesn't exactly leave Miami faithful feeling solid about the chances.

This thing ain't over... but it's definitely on life support.

Win or lose in Omaha, this season isn't a loss - contrary to today's popular opinion. Only one team wins it all every year. The Canes have reached the College World Series twenty-three times and came home winners a mere four times.

The odds of winning it all are slim - no matter what you are ranked in early June. You can't throw out a 52-10 season if the Canes don't bring home one for the thumb.

Disappointment in yesterday's collapse is understandable, but don't let it take away from the accomplishments of 2008. A better outcome was expected, but it was never promised. Great teams sometimes go cold in Omaha. Look no further than some great Miami teams last decade for further proof.

Right now, it's a one-game season and Florida State is on deck. Beat the Noles, hope to get hot again, regroup and see what happens next. Both UM and FSU lost ninth inning heartbreakers. Who can shake it off and who comes to play tomorrow? Tune in at 2:00pm EDT to find out.

See 'U' in Omaha...

2008-06-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

The winningest season under Jim Morris at The U looked like it was in serious doubt on Friday night.

52-9 and an .852 winning percentage mean squat when you squander game one and face elimination in back-to-back games.

Oh, what a difference two days can make.

The Miami Hurricanes are headed back to Omaha for the 23rd time in the program's history.
Thank God, because anything else would've been deemed pure failure and an utter disaster.

Sunday's 4-2 victory was the complete antithesis to Saturday's 14-10 offensive shootout, much more similar to Friday night's close-knit affair, where one team simply made a few more plays than the other.

Defense, pitching and unclutch hitting was the name of game three.

Miami looked to be following suit regarding the other top-ranked teams, pouncing on their opponents in the rubber match. Florida State had a 6-run first inning against Wichita State and Georgia tattooed N.C. State for 9 runs in their first at bat.

The Canes got on the board early with a three-spot. Blake Tekotte led off the action with a single to short. Jemile Weeks doubled down the left field like and drove in Tekotte. A batter later, Yonder Alonso picked up where he left off Saturday night, firing off a game-deciding two-run shot to left field.

Still smarting from Friday's night's long-ball that came up a few feet short, Alonso made the most of his weekend at bats, going 3-of-8 with 5 RBI and two big time home runs. Every time #19 came to the plate, it was obvious he had something to prove.

Arizona got one back in the bottom of the first and Miami next answered with one in the top of the third. Weeks' bat remained hot, his legs moving and his baseball IQ sharp as a tack - turning in a single into an extra base after a fielding error. An Alonso pop up sent Weeks to third and a Mark Sobolewski ground out brought Weeks home for the Canes final run.

A rare throwing error gave the Wildcats another run in the bottom of the fourth and at 4-2, that's as much offensive action as this game would muster up. Enough for a win, but hardly enough for a fan base on pins and needles after Saturday's offensive firepower. Who'd have expected five straight innings of scoreless college baseball in the third game of a Super Regional?

The Canes had 7 hits on the day and 3 came courtesy of the first inning. The Wildcats topped that with 8 hits, but only produced 2 runs.

In a cruel twist of fate, it was Arizona who couldn't deliver the clutch hit when it counted. On Friday night, Miami stranded 9 batters and went 1-of-12 with runners in scoring position. Come Sunday, the Wildcats went 2-of-17 and blew multiple opportunities to make something happen.

The losers will blame it on ice cold bats, while the victors will be quick to point to superior pitching.

Enrique Garcia went six innings, allowing 7 hits and 2 runs, while striking out 4. Kyle Bellamy threw 2/3 of an inning in relief, allowing no hits and striking out 1. Chris Hernandez was available for one inning, giving up the Cats' remaining hit and striking out 1 as well, but the hero proved to Carlos Gutierrez, earning another shot to make up for Friday night's three-run, extra inning blunder.

Gutierrez was summoned late in the eighth inning. Hernandez struck out C.J. Zeigler with a called third strike on a full count. T.J. Steele singled up the middle and stole second while Hernandez was in the process of walking Mike Weldon on four straight balls. After a ground out advancing both runners, Morris went to the bullpen.

Ahead 1-2 in the count, Gutierrez plunked Dillion Baird, loading the bases and giving UA their dream scenario as UM would be down to their last at bat and deflated as all hell if the Cats could spark a late rally.

Enter Rafael Valenzuela and your Pontiac Game Changing Performance.

Valenzuela swung at the fourth offering and sent a nubber towards third, which Gutierrez barehanded and fired over to Alonso at first for the inning's third out. Disaster averted and for all intents and purposes - game, set, match. Alonzo fired the ball into the infield turf, as to say "not in our house" and put a final exclamation point on what proved to be a stellar defensive stand.

Miami had a shot at some insurance runs in the ninth, but stranded 2 in an affair that saw 7 Canes left on base. Jason Hagerty doubled to right field and Adan Severino walked, both after Dennis Raben started the inning with a ground out. Hagerty and Severino both advanced on a wild pitch, but both Yamani Grandal and Tekotte struck out swinging.

What the offense couldn't do, the defense again made up for. After Weeks mishandled a routine grounder to start the bottom of the ninth, Gutierrez struck out Brad Glenn which paved the way for another Jon Gaston at bat and would-be hero moment.

Gaston stuck a dagger in the Canes' collective heart Friday night with his 11th inning three-run game changing shot. As the right fielder crossed the plate, he made a "shhhh" gesture towards Hurricane Nation, obviously forgetting this was a three-game series.

Though he had an impact on Saturday's contest, going 2-for-4, Gaston proved to be worthless on Sunday with a dreaded 0-for-5 in the final box score. His ninth inning at bat, the cocky one went out with a whimper instead of a bang, catching a piece of Gutierrez's first offering and popping it up to Alonso for the inning's second out.

One out from Omaha, chalk another up to a stellar defensive moment as Ziegler fired a shot between short and third, which Ryan Jackson made a great break on. A difficult stop and an even more difficult throw from the infield/outfield lip, Jackson lazered one into Alonso's glove for the final out of the series.

Pandemonium ensued as the Canes celebrated the back-to-back victories and College World Series berth, while Gaston and his not-so-merry band of Wildcats shed their dugout tears and were left wondering how things could turn so quickly after Friday night's upset.

Miami is Omaha bound, while a cocky Arizona bunch has nothing more than a long flight back to Tuscon and time to ponder where, when and why it all fell apart after once leading this series, 1-0.

The Canes will have a few days to rest up and will head to the College World Series a battle-tested bunch.

After a 4-0 run in the talent-heavy ACC tourney, Miami took faced some solid foes in the Coral Gables Regional, going 3-0 against Bethune-Cookman, Missouri and Ole Miss.

While fans were still scratching their heads after an inconspicuously talent-heavy Regional tourney, Miami then draws Arizona in the Super Regional - a former #1 earlier this season, a talented bunch peaking at the right time and featuring two pitchers taken in the first round of last week's MLB Draft.

Florida State gets Wichita State. Georgia gets N.C. State. LSU gets UC Irvine. Arizona State gets Fresno State. North Carolina gets Coastal Carolina. Top-ranked Miami gets a fiesty Arizona bunch.

On paper, sure most of the aforementioned lesser opponents are ranked in he middle of top 25 - but most built up their records beating up on lesser competition, playing in lesser conferences.

The Pac-10 is no joke this season. Just ask sixth-ranked Cal State Fullerton, whose season is done after getting swept by Stanford.

Being that Miami went 5-1 these past few weekends, the focus is off the unfair regional seedings and can instead be turned towards tougher competition making the Canes much more battle-tested entering next weekend.

Miami ducked no one down the stretch and is now 9-1 in the postseason. Georgia awaits, as does the winner/loser of the Stanford v. Florida State match up.

The action begins on Saturday and the Canes have a good shot at bringing home their fifth title in school's history barring the pitching holds up, the bats stay hot, the defense remains stifling and the baseball gods allow The U some good fortune in a sacred place that has been hit or miss over the years.

Congrats, Canes. As much as it's become almost expected after 22 previous trips to Omaha, it's never taken for granted.

Down to a one-game series; Omaha on the line

2008-06-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

5 hits and 3 runs on Friday night. 14 hits and 14 runs on Saturday. No mystery what it takes if you want to win ball games against formidable opponents in the Super Regionals.

Painted into a corner after a lifeless performance in game one, the Miami Hurricanes came out swinging (literally) in game two and got back to what they do best; stroking the long ball.

Four home runs last night - all when runs were absolutely necessary - propelled top-ranked Miami to a 14-10 win over Arizona.

Early on, it looked like an extension of Friday night, with the Wildcats jumping on the Canes with a four-run first inning. To say Eric Erickson got off to a shaky start is an understatement. The junior lefty gave up 4 hits and 4 runs after facing 7 batters.

Erickson settled down over the next two innings, allowing no hits and no runs and the Canes began chipping away at the stone in the top of the third when Jemile Weeks worked the count, got a walk and stole second.

With a running in scoring position, Miami finally got that much needed confidence booster when Mark Sobolewski doubled down the left field line and brought home Weeks. A larger feat in reality than it was on paper, after going of 1 of 12 with runners in scoring position on Friday and stranding nine on base.

Another three up, three down inning courtesy of Erickson in the bottom of the third and the Miami offense obviously fed off it, batting around the order and putting up a 5 hit, 6 run inning, finally getting the juices flowing. The Canes still left three stranded, but tough to complain when six runs have already been scored.

The highlight proved to be a Yonder Alonso three-run shot, with a 3-2 count. Alonso didn't get a lucky break Friday night, when the wind blew in and kept a game-winning, three-run shot from getting out in the bottom of the ninth.

The baseball gods seemed to take an ounce of pity on the first baseman last night, when his shot to left field bounced off the top of the fence and made it out by the skin of its teeth.

Arizona responded with three of their own in the fourth, tying it up 7-7.

After a lifeless fifth inning for both squads, Miami again exploded in the sixth, starting with a Sobolewski solo shot on the innings first pitch. Dennis Raben and Dave DiNatale both walked and on the first pitch, Yasmani Grandal homered to right center, giving Miami the 11-7 edge.

From there, it was mostly Canes. The Cats chipped away at the stone, remaining feisty and getting three more, getting it as close as 12-10 entering the top of the ninth - but Miami got two spirit-breaking insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Alonso walked, stole second and found third when Sobolewski moved him over. Ryan Jackson - still looking to break out of his slump - reached on an error, driving Alonso home. The 1-for-6 Jackson was the final run when walked in with the bases loaded.

Carlos Gutierrez again closed out the ninth, allowing no hits and one base on balls. He came him after Kyle Bellamy closed out the eight, allowing 1 hit and striking out 2. David Gutierrez threw four innings in relief of Erickson, with a 4-hit, 3-run outing and striking out three.

Sunday's winner-take-all affair starts at 7:00pm EDT, with Omaha on the line and the pressure squarely back on the once-in-control Wildcats. The bats have come alive for the Canes, the momentum has shifted and the better team has homefield advantage.

In the end, this is a three game series. Four of this weekend's eight series started on Friday night and three of those have series-deciding Sunday games. Miami is in good company as highly-seeded Florida State and Georgia are also battling it out with their series locked up, 1-1 against lesser competition.

Enrique Garcia will take the mound for The U tonight and here's hoping for some vintage Miami. Pounce on the Cats early, score some runs, rattle their pitchers, get hot, make a statement and prove who's the better team.

The Canes looked dead in the water Friday night, but after nine innings on Saturday it's now a one-game series with a trip to Omaha on the line.

If that doesn't get the juices flowing, nothing will. Throw the records out the window, play some ball and attain that season-long goal with a win tonight.

'U' choked...

2008-06-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

The Miami Hurricanes are now 50-9 - yet one loss away from missing Omaha after a stellar season.

Sadly, that's what happens when you go 1 of 12 with runners in scoring position in game one of the Super Regionals - allowing a 3-3 contest to find extra innings, after multiple shots at putting away a visiting foe.

Up next, a 7:30pm ET showdown with a hungry Arizona team who can smell the College World Series. How do the Canes respond? This is a veteran team who simply made too many mistakes and didn't capitalize on their opportunities. Can Miami rebound tonight? How bad do this kids want to keep this season alive?

Arizona is no joke. Miami knew that from the get go. The Wildcats were a top-ranked team early this year, stumbled a bit during the middle of the season and pulled things together down the stretch.

Many are still scratching their heads how the top-seeded Canes drew the Cats in the Super Regional, as many saw these two meeting up in Omaha. FSU gets Wichita State. Georgia gets NC State. North Carolina gets Coastal Carolina. Arizona State gets Fresno State. And all this on the heels of Miami facing Bethune-Cookman, Missouri and Ole Miss in last week's regional.

Arizona had two pitchers taken in the first round of Wednesday's MLB draft - Daniel Schlereth (out with an oblique strain) and Ryan Perry, who relieved for a few innings last night. That said, the Canes' Carlos Gutierrez was a first rounder as well, and Jon Gaston found a way to rattle him for a three-run shot, on the heels of putting two batters on - on with a hit pitch.

The match up can be questioned, but a choke-job is still a choke-job.

Arizona pitchers sat down 12 Miami batters last night. Blake Tekotte, Mark Sobolewski, Ryan Jackson and Dave DiNatale were a combined 0-for-17. Nine batters were left on base - most in the middle innings when the Canes usually break out and bust a game wide open.

Miami had it's best shot in the bottom of the ninth when Yasmani Grandal led off the inning with a double off the center field wall. Jonathan Weislow came in to pinch run. Tekotte struck out swinging. Jemile Weeks was hit by a pitch and with two on, Yonder Alonso looked to have belted a three-run shot of his own.

On a night where the Coral Gables breeze was blowing in. Alonso's ball hung up too long and found it's way into T.J. Steele's glove instead of over the wall. Weislow took off on contact, couldn't get back in time and a would-be, game winning home run turned into a double play with the game-winning run stuck on first.

How many opportunities do good teams get to beat other good teams over the course of a game?
Not as many as Miami needed last night, obviously. The lack of clutch hitting killed these Canes last night, in a game that never should've seen extra innings. A botched double play in the second inning, before a two-run shot didn't help either. It was simply one of those night where Miami got no breaks, but also didn't make any breaks of their own.

Now, Miami is painted into a corner and must show its mettle if it wants to reach their season-long dream of Omaha - the home of the CWS and the name of the Counting Crows song which oft plays over the PA speakers between innings.

Winning it all was the goal and now the Canes are one loss away from getting no closer to Omaha than when in front of their TVs next week - unless they pull it together immediately. No time for hanging their collective heads. Miami needs to wake up and show the mettle that allowed them to win fifty games this season.

Simply put, the Miami bats need to wake up. Chris Hernandez pitched a gem last night, retiring 14 consecutive hitters, striking out 6, and only giving up 3 hits and being responsible for 3 runs over 6.1 innings. Kyle Bellamy went 2.2 innings, with 2 hits and 6 strikeouts. Ironically enough, it was the ever reliable Gutierrez who made the game-changing mistake in the top of the 11th, after striking out 4 and only allowing 2 hits in 2 innings pitched.

Outside of a two-run shot by Dennis Raben in the bottom of the fourth, Miami's offense was non-existent. Five combined hits aren't going to get it done in the Super Regional. Arizona pitchers are big time - but not big time enough to stifle almost the entire Canes batting order.

Do or die tonight. Backs are to the wall. Two wins are needed for Omaha. Time to see what this team is made up. Jim Morris has oft said that these Canes rise to the occasion and rise to the level of their competition. Prove it.

This is some serious competition and there's been no point of the season where Miami needed to rise up than tonight. One and done, or two and moving on. Time for these Canes to write their history. Last night was a winnable game and the Canes let it slip away. Time to right all of Friday's wrongs and get two straight wins.

Miami gears up for Arizona on Friday...

2008-06-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

... and we'll have the new Miami Hurricanes vs. Arizona Wildcats shirts in stock for the Super Regionals. Click here for more info!

Also, allCanes is selling tickets for the Super Regional. Tickets for games one and two are now available - $10 for adults and $8 for youths/seniors. Game three tix will be available on Sunday (if necessary) at 11am. Chair backs seating is already sold out.

Tickets available in store online. For more information, email sales@allCanes.com or call 800.226.4247.

Miami advances to Super Regional

2008-06-01T16:16:00.001-07:00

The Miami Hurricanes jumped out to a 3-0 first inning lead against the Ole Miss Rebels and never looked back, en route to an 11-2 victory Sunday afternoon.

Ole Miss limped in to their showdown with Miami after battling Missouri earlier in the day. The Rebels escaped with a 9-6 victory behind the bat of Logan Power and a late-game grand slam. By 4:30pm ET, a fresh-legged Canes bunch was more than ready for a Rebels squad who just played nine innings in the mid-afternoon Florida heat.

Blake Tekotte put the Rebels to the test, bunting and reaching first on the game's first pitch. A batter late Jemile Weeks doubled down the left field line and drove Tekotte home for the 1-0 lead. Yonder Alonso flied out, moving Weeks to third and Mark Sobolewski got Weeks home on a ground out to second. Ryan Jackson sent his shot over the left field wall and after five batters, it was 3-0 Miami.

Weeks picked up his second RBI of the day, bringing home Tekotte in the second inning. After recent struggles at the plate, Weeks found his groove today - as did Dennis Raben, who went 2-for-4 with a home run, 2 RBI, 3 runs a double and a walk. Raben's slump appears to be a distant memory as the Canes gear up for the Super Regional.

Ole Miss scored two in the bottom of the first off of Eric Erickson, making his first start since his outing against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tourney. Erickson started out shaky, giving up two runs on two hits in the first inning, but quickly calmed down and became a menace to the Rebels.

Erickson wound up surrendering 6 hits and 2 runs over seven innings, while striking out 5. Kyle Bellamy came in for one inning of relief, struck out one and gave up no hits, while the dependable Carlos Gutierrez closed it out in the ninth, giving up a lone hit over five batters faced.

Miami's offense racked up four insurance runs in the final two innings, making it 11-2 and squashing out any notion of a comeback from a depleted Ole Miss bunch who shot their load against Missouri.

Credit to the Canes for pouring it on in this one as the men in blue certainly weren't helping the cause. As if yesterday's bad call by Steve Corvi wasn't enough, Miami was the victim of a handful of equally as frustrating calls today - be it an inconsistent strike zone, calling a Rebel runner safe when Yonder Alonso clearly beat him to the bag or calling Ryan Jackson out on what should've been a double, to start a third inning rally.

The Canes certainly weren't going to get any breaks as the top-ranked teams in the land - be it from the NCAA selection committee who lumped Miami in this bracket or an umpire crew who seemed to have it in for Jim Morris and his squad.

Neither an NCAA bias or a slew of poor calls from this officiating crew was going to stop a driven Miami bunch from achieving a 3-0 record at home this weekend. The Canes advance and the Super Regionals are next, with the site determined (Coral Gables) and the opponent to be announced. Miami will face the winner of the Ann Arbor regional, which will be the victor of the Kentucky/Arizona series.

One step closer. Omaha is within reach and based on this gritty demeanor of this team all weekend, you can tell these kids smell it. The Canes are 50-8 (the first 50-win season since 2004) and this was The U's 25th Regional Championship in school's history.

Miami is two wins from a return to the College World Series. Tune in next weekend to watch the drama unfold.