The First Leg Is Done

[Unchained]

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Ryan Jackson and Dennis Raben each homered as the No. 1-ranked and No. 1 national seed Miami Hurricanes defeated Mississippi, 11-2 to win the NCAA Coral Gables Regional.

Eric Erickson (8-1) picked up the win pitching seven strong innings. Erickson gave up two runs and six hits while striking out five.

Miami (50-8) advances to the Super Regionals and will await the winner of the Ann Arbor Regional between Arizona and Kentucky. The dates on the best-of-three series will be announced Monday night.

Miami is now 46-4 at home during postseason play under coach Jim Morris.

The Regional Championship is the 25th in school history and it gives the Hurricanes their first 50-win season since 2004.

Jackson was named Most Outstanding Player of the Regional as six Hurricanes were named to the all-tournament team. The sophomore shortstop hit .545 (6-of-11) with two home runs and four runs batted in regional play.

Miami jumped on Ole Miss (39-26) early scoring three runs in the first inning including an RBI double by Jemile Weeks and a solo homer by Jackson.

Ole Miss pulled within 3-2 on a two-run homer by Cody Overbeck, his 17th of the season. Raben's two-run blast to right-centerfield in the third gave Miami a 6-2 lead. It was his ninth of the season.

Raben, Weeks, and Jason Hagerty each drove in two runs for the Hurricanes, who have won seven straight games.

Nathan Baker (3-6) took the loss pitching 2 1/3 innings allowing six runs--five earned.

The Hurricanes are expected to host the NCAA Coral Gables Super Regional. The NCAA will make the official announcement Monday night at 11 p.m.

[CoeburnCane]

They advance to host Arizona in a Super Regional Best of 3 series. ESPN will televise the first 2 games (Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 7:30pm), and ESPN2 will televise Game 3 (if necessary), at 7pm on Sunday.

Arizona defeated Kentucky to advance this past weekend--they've had a tough road so far because the committee didn't allow them to host the Regional that they were the #1 seed in...they gave it to the #2 seed, Michigan. I know it's summer time everywhere, but going from a decently hot Ann Arbor to Coral Gables in June? That's gonna be a rough transition, I don't care if they're used to desert heat or not.

[imported_Coach]

i love this time of the year. most people like january for the bowl games but i absolutely love the "road to omaha". it makes it difficult sometimes due to the lack of tv coverage.

[1inStripes]

I don't think the transition will be that bad CC. If they were heading straight from Ann Arbor to Miami and not having in rest in between I could agree, but with a few days off and rested up, I think Miami just being the better team would worry me more than a hot/humid day.

[CoeburnCane]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 1inStripes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I don't think the transition will be that bad CC. If they were heading straight from Ann Arbor to Miami and not having in rest in between I could agree, but with a few days off and rested up, I think Miami just being the better team would worry me more than a hot/humid day.</div></div>

I see your point, but I just can't discount the home field advantage that Miami has at Mark Light Stadium with that kind of heat...anyone who's been to Arizona versus S. Florida will tell you that they're different kinds of heat.

Miami's the better team overall, they finished up the season ranked #1 in the nation and won arguably the toughest division in the toughest baseball conference in the nation, plus won the ACC tournament by going 4-0 thru it. Arizona was the 4th place team in an always tough Pac 10, and only played .500 ball in conference.

If I'm Arizona, sure I'm moreso worried about the guys like Yonder Alonso, Jemile Weeks, Ryan Jackson, and Chris Hernandez coming out and dominating on the field/at the plate/on the mound, but playing baseball in S. Florida in early June has to be a lot different than playing in Ann Arbor in late May.

[1inStripes]

I expect Miami to win just because they are the better team. Your right from all I have heard. I havent been to the west, but generally the temperature is hotter, but drier, so it feels hotter here in the south than the west because of the humidity.