Oxford: Resiliant 'Canes

By Doug Kroll - June 13, 2006

Just a couple of hours after the end of the ballgame, I don't think that it has sunk in that Miami pulled off a win 14-9, on a night in which they blew 3 leads yet still found a way to win. Looking at the 8 teams, it's very easy to eliminate Miami as the team that doesn't fit with the other 7, but they are on one magical ride. Everything has come together at the right time, and they just don't quit.

The Hurricanes play an exciting brand of baseball, they will bunt, steal and drive teams crazy. Just when you want to blurt out that they are a small-ball team, right then they nail you with a long ball. It will probably be the pitching that does in Miami, as the starting staff doesn't really exist past Scott Maine and Danny Gil, but just the pure fact that they have gotten this far, to Omaha in what was called a rebuilding year. There were points in this season where people didn't even know if Miami would be able to get into the regionals. Now not only did they get there, they won on the road back to back weekends.

It becomes the first time Miami advanced to the CWS when winning the super regional on the road. It was also the first time Miami ever won a third and decisive game in the super regionals, they had been 0-2 before tonight's game.

The Canes will be the underdog in Omaha, but the experience that the youngsters will get this coming week is something that you just can't teach them. Miami is looking real good in the years ahead, and once you get to the big dance, you never know what can happen.

It's been a great two weeks, and i can't believe i'm going to pack my bags for Omaha when i return to Miami tomorrow. It will be an exciting week, the third great week in a row. Thanks to all the readers out there, it's been great to cover it all.

Doug Kroll
WVUM
Miami Hurricane