For most UM fans who follow college baseball, they know this super regional series with VCU will not be an easy task. Could it be? Yeah. But it could also end up "two and the U is through" for the Canes. For the uninformed, all they know is the opponent is someone called Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and their name alone should mean they will be fodder for the Canes.
Oh, U mean like Columbia? Yeah, we stomped them 21-3 to win the regional title and advance to this series against VCU, but their pitching was good enough the night before to blank us for the first time all season. Remember how good NCST's pitching was at the ACC tournament? They too all but shut us down offensively and that loss cost us a chance to play for the title.
I mention all this because VCU has a couple of pitchers by the name of Heath Dwyer (10-2, 2.85 ERA), and JoJo Howie is 8-6 with a 2.93 ERA. Howie will pitch Friday, Dwyer Saturday. All it takes to win the weekend is two games.
They also have a guy named Matt Lees who garnered three saves in the Dallas Regionals that got them to Coral Gables. He only lowered his ERA to 0.76 last weekend and he now has 52 SO's in 59.1 innings over 34 appearances.. But guess what? He's not even their closer. Daniel Concepcion is and he has 14 saves in 66.1 innings and 26 appearances.
Let's not underestimate these guys just because they play in a non-power conference. (Atlantic 10). They are 15-1 in their last 16 games and they haven't given up more than 3 runs in a single game. U know what good pitching can do to good hitting.
We are playing at home where we are something like 34-5. We are also a hot team with lots of talent at the plate and we have some pretty good pitchers who can win games. My point is this: In this post-season, we can get beat by any team, especially by one whose pitching our guys have never seen.
I expect us to end up in Omaha, but don't underestimate this opponent. That would be a mistake.
Go Canes!
Oh, U mean like Columbia? Yeah, we stomped them 21-3 to win the regional title and advance to this series against VCU, but their pitching was good enough the night before to blank us for the first time all season. Remember how good NCST's pitching was at the ACC tournament? They too all but shut us down offensively and that loss cost us a chance to play for the title.
I mention all this because VCU has a couple of pitchers by the name of Heath Dwyer (10-2, 2.85 ERA), and JoJo Howie is 8-6 with a 2.93 ERA. Howie will pitch Friday, Dwyer Saturday. All it takes to win the weekend is two games.
They also have a guy named Matt Lees who garnered three saves in the Dallas Regionals that got them to Coral Gables. He only lowered his ERA to 0.76 last weekend and he now has 52 SO's in 59.1 innings over 34 appearances.. But guess what? He's not even their closer. Daniel Concepcion is and he has 14 saves in 66.1 innings and 26 appearances.
Let's not underestimate these guys just because they play in a non-power conference. (Atlantic 10). They are 15-1 in their last 16 games and they haven't given up more than 3 runs in a single game. U know what good pitching can do to good hitting.
We are playing at home where we are something like 34-5. We are also a hot team with lots of talent at the plate and we have some pretty good pitchers who can win games. My point is this: In this post-season, we can get beat by any team, especially by one whose pitching our guys have never seen.
I expect us to end up in Omaha, but don't underestimate this opponent. That would be a mistake.
Go Canes!
