Road To Omaha: Canes Bring Experience To College World Series
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OMAHA, Neb. (CBSMiami/AP) -- The eight best teams in the country head to Omaha with their eyes on the prize -- a College World Series championship.
The double-elimination format starts Saturday with the big game taking place June 27th through the 29th, if necessary.
It's familiar territory for the #3 Miami Hurricanes (50-12) and Head Coach Jim Morris, the sixth Division 1 coach to ever reach 1,500 wins (1,534-658-4 in 34 seasons).
"We won't be happy unless we bring home a ring," said Morris, whose team was eliminated by Florida a year ago in the CWS.
The Canes have made 24 CWS appearances, with a 48-40 record all-time, including four national championships, the most recent coming in 2001. They also set an NCAA record in 2016 with their 44th consecutive tournament appearance.
Catcher Zack Collins leads the team batting at a .357 clip with 15 HR and 57 RBI. Left-hander Michael Mediavilla is the team's first 10-game winner since 2010, going 11-1 with a 3.11 ERA. And Closer Bryan Garcia is the nation's active career saves leader with 43 closeout victories.
Their opponent, the Arizona Wildcats, was one of the best teams to come out of the West. They have won six of seven, with Catcher Cesar Salazar's two-out, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 11th inning giving them a walk-off win at Mississippi State last Saturday. The Wildcats enter the CWS for the first time since winning the 2012 national title.
However, Coach Morris said this Hurricanes squad is his best defensive team in the 22 years he's been at Miami. With a .983 fielding percentage, that ties for best in the nation.
The Canes have also been getting it done with the long ball, including two grand slams in the NCAA Tournament. The homers are expected to slow down at the cavernous TD Ameritrade Park, though.
The game is scheduled for Saturday, June 18th at 8 p.m. est on ESPN2.
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