Miami-BC clash highlights Super Regionals
Over the years, the Road to Omaha has frequently gone through Miami. After an epic Coral Gables Regional, don’t think that can’t happen again.
Before it even entertains the notion of returning to the College World Series, though, Jim Morris’ club must handle Boston College in the super regional field. Handicappers at online sports book Bovada.lv like the host Hurricanes to capture the best-of-three set, which begins today. The Eagles, on the other hand, are +375 underdogs.
Bet on This Afternon’s Action in South Florida
Miami (48-11) survived a trio of tight contests last weekend, capped by consecutive one-run victories over Long Beach State, to advance. Those two affairs totaled 8 hours, 37 minutes. BC traveled a less taxing road in Oxford, toppling Tulane, Utah and then the Green Wave again without having to confront No. 1 seed Ole Miss.
If the Eagles (34-20) continue to pitch with confidence, they stand a legitimate chance of springing the upset here. Junior ace Justin Dunn, whom the Mets just selected in the first round of the MLB draft, toes the rubber at 5 p.m. ET. He boasts a 4-1 record with a 1.49 ERA, to say nothing of a heater that regularly reaches 98 mph.
Dunn is tasked with corralling the ‘Canes’ impossibly deep lineup, which features another top-20 pick in Zack Collins. The junior catcher, a Johnny Bench Award finalist, holds a .358 batting average with 13 homers and a .631 slugging percentage. His 69 walks also pace the entire nation.
While UM harbors a few reservations about the state of its rotation (Jesse Lepore’s shoulder stiffness represents a particularly intriguing sidebar), that sort of patience at the plate will ultimately make the difference. We’re not quite ready to put Miami back in the championship series the first time since 2001, but Morris should feel great regarding his battle-tested crew. Take the Hurricanes in three.
FRIDAY SUPER REGIONAL FREE PICK: MIAMI -550
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