This was a big step forward for UM after a horrifying opening weekend. Two losses to the Mercer Bears on Miami's home field had some people nervous and perhaps a bit skeptical about these Hurricanes. No, Miami isnt' as good as its preseason #2 ranking. But yes, Miami is good. Darn good.

Scott Maine delivered an ace-like performance on Friday. Manny Miguelez was dominant today. The bullpen was bad, but still much better than it was last weekend. Remember, these are young and inexperienced guys that are only going to get better.

You can say the same thing for the freshman in the UM lineup like Ryan Jackson and Mark Sobolewski. Those guys came through with huge hits in the ninth inning last night to help propel UM to the dramatic 9-8 win. Right now, I'm not sure UM is a top five team. I think maybe being ranked #10 would be more appropriate because this team has some holes. But when everything starts clicking, you'll be seeing a loaded, deep, fast, and fun team in Coral Gables.

UCLA has some questions to answer. Who other than Tyson Brummett can provide Coach Savage with some quality innings as a starter? Will Brant Rustich (two losses this weekend) be a legit closer? Can this team start knocking in runners instead of wasting opportunities?

Again, we're looking at a very young team. They will get better. They've got a good Friday night starter which gives them a solid chance to win every series they play. There will be some growing pains, but UCLA is solid. The Bruins will bounce back.

As for me, I want to say thanks to our viewers on the Touching The Bases Slog. It's been fun to cover this series. Three exciting games that kept us entertained the entire time. We had a pitcher's duel, a slugfest, and a game that was something in between.

Later