CORAL GABLES, Fla. - After earning
only the program's second advance in an
an NCAA Regional with Saturday's
6-5 victory over Columbia, the Wildcats
(27-32) head back to Alex Rodriguez
Park at Mark Light Field for a 2 p.m.
rematch with host Miami (42-17) in
Sunday's Regional elimination game.
Bethune-Cookman (27-32) vs. Miami (42-17)
NCAA Baseball Regional - May 30 - June 1, 2014
Elimination Round Game 2 - Sunday, June 1, 2 p.m.
Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field - Coral Gables, Fla.
B-CU Social Media Outlets:
Twitter: @CookmanBaseball | @BCUathletics
Facebook: BCUathletics
Instagram: @BCUathletics
YouTube: CatEye Network
Ticket Information
All-Session
Field Box: $90
Chairback Reserved: $60
General Admission: $45
Single-Session
Field Box: $30 (unlikely to be available)
Chairback Reserved: $20 (unlikely to be available)
General Admission: $15
Pitching Starters:
B-CU: RHP Gabriel Hernandez (1-3, 4.29 ERA) vs. UM: LHP Bryan Radziewski (7-2, 3.14 ERA)
Wildcats Update
With the 6-5 victory over Columbia, the Wildcats earned a Regional win for the first time since defeating Florida International in the second round at the 2002 Gainesville (Fla.) Regional. The advance also grants the Wildcats an opportunity to rematch with host Miami, taking on the Hurricanes for the second time this weekend and fourth this season. In the opening round contest, the Wildcats and Hurricanes battled through eight scoreless innings and the 1-0 loss came down to a walk-off score with two outs away for the Hurricanes.
Against Columbia, the Wildcats remained steady hitters, picking up eight hits (B-CU had seven in the first meeting with Miami), but proving more successful in converting for scores. The Wildcats got the Lions' attention right away as leadoff hitter and right fielder Josh Johnson's first contact sailed over the left field wall for a home run. B-CU steadily built its lead, reaching 6-0, but the Lions made a furious rally to bring it down to the final inning in the one-run victory.
Senior shortstop Shaun McCarty has remained hot at the plate, putting up another 2-for-4 performance against the Lions, and is batting a team-leading .571 in the Regional. McCarty has consistently proven a source of play-saving defense for the Wildcats. The 2012 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner at Paradise Valley CC locks down the middle infield with an outstanding jump on the ball for a team-leading 136 assists and a hand in 29 double plays.
Although a recent trend, McCarty's hitting is not new news. Since the final conference series (Savannah State, May 3-4), McCarty has been solid at the plate, batting .417 with five (5) doubles & one (1) triple, scoring seven (7) runs and batting in five (5) more.
Senior second baseman Matt Noble also rose to the occasion in Saturday's elimination game, hitting 2-for-3 with three (3) RBI. He as well has been batting a steady .340, with six (6) doubles, since the SSU series, and is also .571 in the Regional.
Toeing the rubber, the Wildcats will go with the normal Sunday starter, redshirt senior Gabriel Hernandez, coming in with the most big-game experience on the roster, earning 45 strikeouts in 63 innings this season.
Despite playing at Miami's home field, the Wildcats will be the home team for the game, having been the away team in both matchups thus far in the Regional.
In the double-elimination NCAA Regional, the Wildcats are still alive and can earn their place in the winner's bracket with a victory over Miami on Sunday. A win would put the Wildcats in uncharted waters in program history.
Miami Hurricanes Update
After defeating the Wildcats in the opening round, the Hurricanes matched up with Texas Tech in a low-scoring defensive struggle on Saturday, falling to the Red Raiders 3-0 to drop into the elimination bracket.
Despite being steady scorers across the season, the Hurricanes have put up just one run in 18 innings this weekend and have been limited to just nine (9) hits across the two games, as opposed to the Wildcats' 15.
Shortstop Brandon Lopez had UM's biggest day against the Wildcats in the opening round, going 2-for-3, but went 0-for-4 against the Red Raiders. In the second game, designated hitter Brad Fieger and third baseman Johnny Ruiz paced the Hurricanes, each batting 2-for-4.
Leading hitter Dale Carey has been relatively quiet in the Regional, hitting 1-for-8 this weekend despite a season average of .307. Batting .296 on the season, the second-ranking Zach Collins is 1-for-6 so far. Collins leads the Hurricanes in 2014 with 49 RBI and nine (9) home runs, in addition to 30 runs scored.
On the mound for the Hurricanes will be typical Sunday starter Bryan Radziewski, who has earned a 7-2 record with a team-leading 102 strikeouts in 91.2 innings this season, limiting opposing hitters to a .237 average at the plate.
Live Coverage
The NCAA will provide live stats from Mark Light Field through the NCAA website. There will be plenty of live action coverage, including radio play-by-play by Goliath Radio on WELE 1380 in Daytona Beach and online at this link. For those with network access, the game will be telecast live on ESPN3/WatchESPN app on smartphones and tablets. Fans can also keep up on game action with steady updates from Bethune-Cookman's social media outlets.
Staying Social
For all the latest information on the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, follow the official Twitter feeds, @CookmanBaseball or @BCUathletics, or "Like Us" on Facebook at BCUathletics.
The official hashtags for this game will be: #BeatMiami and #HailWildcats.
To join the conversation on social media, be sure to tag your B-CU-related posts with the official hashtag of B-CU Athletics, #HailWildcats.
-B-CUathletics.com-
