Miami 44-year NCAA-best streak to stand at least 28 years as FSU eliminated from postseason
The Miami Hurricanes have entered the final week of the regular baseball season with a top-10 ranking, a chance to win the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference and a decent shot of hosting an NCAA regional.
On Saturday night, the Hurricanes also learned they will not have to remove the orange coat of paint that graces the middle of the green UM home dugout at Mark Light Field with the words “NCAA RECORD 44 STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENTS.’’
That’s because archnemesis Florida State, tied with the Hurricanes for the national record streak of 44 consecutive berths in the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, was eliminated from the upcoming ACC tournament. Thus, that ended any FSU chance for an ACC tournament title that would have automatically propelled the Seminoles to an at-large NCAA regional berth.
And how, of all things, was FSU mathematically eliminated? By Miami’s loss Saturday at Pittsburgh.
The top 12 of 14 ACC teams qualify for the ACC tournament that runs May 23-28 in Durham, North Carolina, and as of Monday, FSU was in the ACC basement.
Thus, Miami and FSU will be tied for that national record streak for at least 28 more years. Vanderbilt of the Southeastern Conference has the current longest active streak of 16 NCAA regional berths.
FSU (20-30 overall and 7-20 in the ACC) last missed the postseason in 1977.
Miami (34-17, 16-11) ended its NCAA streak when it failed to reach the NCAA tournament in 2017 and 2018, but played in a regional in 2019, 2021 and ‘22. In 2020, NCAA baseball ended prematurely because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile
The Hurricanes, who rose to No. 9 Monday in the Baseball America Top 25 Poll and stayed at No. 11 in the D1Baseball rankings, are tied atop the Coastal with Virginia (41-11, 16-11). Duke (34-16, 15-11) trails by half a game. UM has won seven of its past eight games and nine of its past 11 and travels to neighboring FIU (20-31) for a 6:30 p.m. game Tuesday at FIU Baseball Stadium.
After that, it’s a three-game final home series against Duke that runs Thursday (7 p.m.), Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m. senior day) at Mark Light Field. The Canes will learn what they are seeded for the ACC tournament after the regular-season finale.
UM coach Gino DiMare told the Miami Herald after the Canes’ previous home game last Tuesday against FIU that “every game matters — not just because we’re at the end of the season.”
“At the end of the day it’s just trying to play our best baseball,’’ DiMare said. “That’s what we need to do. We’re doing a pretty good job of that. ...We’re playing probably the best we’ve played all year. I hope there’s some more left.’’
UM hosted an NCAA regional last season as the No. 6 national seed, but fell at home in the first round. The Canes have not been to the College World Series since 2016.
Sixteen teams will be chosen to host four-team regionals across the country, and a series win against Duke and at least one win in the ACC tournament, if not more, would help ensure that the Canes, with a current No. 18 RPI, host the first round.
“Just play good baseball,’’ DiMare said. “The guys are in a good frame of mind. Winning breeds that kind of confidence.’’
This story was originally published May 15, 2023 at 4:27 PM.
