Hurricanes in Gainesville for NCAA tournament. But before UF, their focus is on Troy
The Miami Hurricanes understand the task at hand.
With the Hurricanes set to begin play in the NCAA tournament at the Gainesville Regional on Friday, it would be easy to look ahead to a potential matchup with the host team — in-state rival Florida, which swept Miami in an abbreviated two-game series earlier this season in Coral Gables and has dominated the series for the better part of the past two decades.
But Miami understands there’s an opponent it has to face before that looming rematch.
“It’s all about Troy,” Hurricanes coach J.D. Arteaga said.
Miami (38-18), the No. 2 seed in the Gainesville Regional, opens play in the double-elimination regional at UF’s Condron Family Ballpark at 6 p.m. Friday against the Troy Trojans (32-29), the No. 3 seed in the regional. Host and No. 8 national seed Florida (39-19) begins play against the regional No. 4 seed Rider Broncos (33-18).
“That’s the whole playoff environment,” Hurricanes catcher/first baseman Alex Sosa said. “You can only worry about the game you have coming up.”
The Hurricanes have shown flashes this season of being a team capable of making a deep postseason run. TAt one point the Canes won six consecutive weekend series and finished fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s regular-season standings.
Miami then made a run to the ACC tournament semifinals with wins against Stanford and Boston College before falling to eventual tournament champion Georgia Tech.
But the Canes have had their lapses. While the lineup has kept them in just about every game even with star third baseman Daniel Cuvet still sidelined with a stress fracture in his lower back, the Hurricanes’ pitching (specifically the bullpen) has been erratic and the defense has been shaky.
“Play clean baseball,” outfielder Derek Williams said.
They know the margin for error is thin. Two losses in any round of the NCAA tournament ends their season. There are no do-overs at that point.
“If you get eliminated from this tournament, your season’s over,” Arteaga said. “Hopefully they’re mentally focused and ready to go.”
Rotation set
Arteaga announced Thursday that senior left-handed pitcher Rob Evans will be Miami’s starting pitcher for the tournament opener against Troy.
Evans has been the Hurricanes’ most consistent pitcher this season. He enters the NCAA tournament with a 10-3 record and a 3.16 ERA to go along with 94 strikeouts against 28 walks over 82 2/3 innings pitched. He has pitched at least seven innings four times this season and has eight quality starts, defined as pitching at least six innings while allowing no more than three earned runs.
“Every time he’s taken the ball this year, he’s given us a chance to win,” Arteaga said. “That’s all you could really ask for from a starting pitcher: Give us a chance to win.”
Evans said he woke up “a little giddy” on Thursday as he gets ready for his first NCAA tournament start.
“It should be the same thing [Friday],” Evans said. “Wake up ready to take the ball and get these guys a win.”
Although Arteaga did not confirm any other starting pitchers beyond Evans on Friday, this move sets up sophomore righty AJ Ciscar (5-4, 4.44 ERA) to pitch on Saturday. Lazaro Collera would most likely be Miami’s No. 3 starter should they advance past the first two games.
Previewing Troy
The Trojans made the tournament field after finishing tied for third in the Sun Belt during the regular season and advancing to the semifinal of the conference tournament.
Jimmy Janicki, the Sun Belt Player of the Year, leads the Troy lineup. The sophomore catcher enters the NCAA tournament hitting .350 with 17 home runs, 73 RBI and 57 runs scored. Three other regulars in the lineup are also hitting above .300 this season: outfielder Aaron Piasecki (.338 average, nine home runs, 42 RBI), utility player Drew Nelson (.311 average, five home runs, 37 RBI) and outfielder Steven Meier (.309 average, nine home runs, 39 RBI).
“It’s a scrappy lineup,” Evans said. “They’re gonna find ways to get it done in many different aspects of the game. ... They have different ways of scoring on you.”
On the mound, senior righty Tommy Egan (5-4 record, 4.94 ERA, 87 strikeouts against 28 walks over 74 2/3 innings) and senior lefty Benjamin Stubbs (4-3, 5.13 ERA, 72 strikeouts against 35 walks over 79 innings) have been Troy’s primary starters. Junior lefty and Kentucky transfer Hayden Smith (2.57 ERA over 42 innings) has been their most consistent pitcher among players who have thrown at least 30 innings.
Gainesville Regional schedule
Friday
Game 1: Rider vs. Florida, 1 p.m., ESPN+
Game 2: Troy vs. Miami, 6 p.m., ACC Network
Saturday
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 1 p.m.
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 6 p.m.
Sunday
Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, noon
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 5 p.m.
Monday
Game 7 (if necessary): Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6, Time TBA
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