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Regional Tournament: Day 2

After a moderately stressful and somewhat nervous first day win over under-rated Pitcher Hiram Burgos and the Bethune-Cookman College Wildcats from Daytona Beach, the University of Miami Hurricanes face the Tigers of the University of Missouri in a winner's bracket showdown in game two today at 4 PM.

While Miami head coach Jim Morris (seen here at the ACC tourney with some crazed Canes fan) chose to throw #3 starter Enrique "Kiki" Garcia against the Wildcats on Friday, the Tigers went with All-American Ace Aaron Crow.  While Garcia was good enough to get the win over the jacked up Wildcats, Crow was as good if not better than advertised as he simply mowed down the Ole Miss Rebels like a freshly sharpened blade through the beautiful turf at Mark Light Field in Coral Gables.

Miami relied on Reliever Kyle Bellamy (seen here at the ACC tourney) and closer Carlos Gutierrez to shut down the Wildcats in the eighth and ninth innings and maintain the Canes tenuous three run lead.  The Canes late inning combo closed out game one in style and propelled Miami to a 7-4 victory in advancing to the winners bracket. 

The Canes offense did produce enough runs to win the game but also left many runners stranded including two bases loaded situations where they failed to capitalize.  They will need to maximize their chances if they plan on winning the tourney and advancing to the Super Regionals

Today the Canes will go with their Ace, and ACC Freshman Of The Year, Chris Hernandez.  Hernandez has been more than just good, he has been unbeatable.  No literally, he is 11-0 and IS unbeatable.  So, no need to watch the game on ESPNU, just go take a nap, or mow the lawn, or paint the deck and then come back and see the score later around 6:30 PM. By then the Canes should have the game wrapped up 12-3.

We will be bloggin LIVE both here and at the Miami Herald blog "Eye on the U".  Play-by-play and inning ending updates throughout the game while you nap, paint, or mow.  We'll see ya' later for the victory celebration...it's BYOB (Bring Your Own Blog)!

2008 Regional Baseball Tournament

Note: Canespacers will be joining Manny Navarro from the Miami Herald who will be blogging the Canes baseball game LIVE from Mark Light Stadium today at 4 PM.  Here is the link:

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/umiami/

For the 36th consecutive time (an NCAA record), UM enters the NCAA baseball tournament for a shot at the College World Series.  As the Canes begin pursuit of their 23rd appearance in the CWS, they bring a great offense that can hit for power and average; a deep pitching staff with perhaps the best bull pen in the sport; an outstanding defense led up the middle by the nation's best double play combo; Blake Tekotte in center, and oh by the way, a CANON in left field that goes by the name of Adan.  The head coach ain't too bad either.  He's looking for his 11th CWS in 15 seasons with The U.

What a difference a year makes!  In 2008, Miami's numbers are up across the board from 2007, and significantly in certain key areas.  Team battling average is up by 36 points, with 31 more HR's and 104 pts increase in slugging %.  The Canes also increased their fielding % from .966 to .975, and for those thinking "so what?" that's a drop of almost one error per game, which resulted in a reduction in unearned runs from 74 to 24 - a huge difference.  Team ERA is down 35 points, but the biggest difference here is free bases.  Last year, between walks and hit batters, Miami allowed 296 base-runners.  This year, its down to 203 - again, a tremendous difference.

Alas, all is not gold that glitter.  Eric Erickson has apparently not fully recovered from his mid-season injury, and with him being the likely game one starter, Miami enters the Regional with some trepidation.  Although some feel that Kyle Bellamy is a concern, I disagree.  He has been money all year long, and his struggles in the ACC tourney were more a result of a miniscule strike zone, than poor pitching.  When a sidewinder is losing command, his ball stays flat.  Bellamy's had good downward movement on his pitches in Jacksonville in each appearance, and his velocity and location were sound.  He and Carlos Gutierrez will be fine in the friendly confines of "The Light".

The other "issue" that concerns me is Yonder Alonso.  His relatively modest #'s last weekend exposed his weakness against left handed pitching.  He's hitting in the .240's against them.  Since those games were televised, you can bet our future opponents will send waves of southpaws to face him for the balance of the season.

UM starts off with Bethune Cookman College and the nation's leader in ERA, Hiram Burgos.  UM had a couple of mid-week struggles with BCC, but this is the playoffs.  UM will not overlook BCC, and although Burgos is a nice pitcher, his numbers are a product of mediocre competition. 

In game 2 of the series with Miami, Burgos came in to get the final out in the 8th to save the game, and UM touched him with a pair of singles to steal the victory. 

Of course, the key to this game is UM's starter.  I expect Morris to go with Erickson, but he will have a short leash.  BCC, similar to the other 2 members of this regional, hits around 300, and has marginal power.  Their defense is average and their bull pen is shallow.  UM will handle BCC. 

Ole Miss would appear to be the major hurdle for the Canes this weekend, as they will have a taste for vengeance.  Remember, UM eliminated Ole Miss in 2006 on their home field in dramatic fashion, when Danny Valencia hit a late grand slam to seal the victory in game 3.  The Rebels have a good pitching staff with some major league talent on the mound.  Their star is closer Scott Bittle, but their starters are solid.  They are a little unusual in that their strength appears to be in the pen, and not their starters.  They give up a lot of runs early in games, which bodes well for UM who is a fast starting team averaging nearly 5 runs/game in the first 3 innings. 

The Rebels' overall starts are solid, hitting around 300, era around 4, and a good SO/BB ratio.  In the SEC, however, those numbers do not hold up.  They were .500 in the conference, and their era was up nearly a run a game.  Their offense also sputtered against conference pitching.  Ole Miss is battle tested in the SEC and has some quality left-handers at their disposal to challenge Alonso.  The good news is that Bittle is a rightie, and if we face them in game #2, we'll greet them with Chris Hernandez. 

Last, but not least, The Mizzou Tigers are a team with similar #'s to Ole Miss that tail off in conference play.  The Big 12 is historically a solid conference, but this is not a particularly strong year.  No Big 12 team has been consistently strong, with the possible exception of A & M, who beat Mizzou all 4 times they met this year.  Missouri is also led by their pitching staff, with a good stable of starters, but they have only one lefty on the roster with meaningful innings this season (and he's nothing special).  They lack a true closer, and have 6 complete games, which is rare in college ball, and is an indication that they are not comfortable with their pen. 

The Top Tiger on the roster is starting pitcher Aaron Crow, but I'd be shocked if we see him-they'll need him to get past Ole Miss in the opener.  They do not really match up well with the Canes, especially if their starters struggle at all.  Miami has outscored the opposition by 123 runs after the 5th inning, showing that while UM hitters feast on the opposition's relievers, Miami's bull pen has been solid all year long.  That stat more than any other explains how you go 47-8 with the nation's #1 RPI.

The talking heads at ESPN think this group will be a major test for The U.  We've got no walk in the park, but there are very few "easy" Regionals in my opinion.  While each of these teams boast capable pitching, none can match Miami's offense, defense, speed on the base-paths, and its overwhelming history of Regional success on campus.  Pull for Mizzou over Ole Miss for an easier road, but if Erickson pitches well in the opener, I like the home team to advance in order.  FYI, ESPNU has announced that the Coral Gables Region will be one of two featured, so take their "analysis" with a grain or two of salt as they seek to promote their broadcasts.

Since I'll be gone for a few weeks, I'll give you my 2 cents regarding the Super-Regional.  Miami is likely to face Arizona, a tradition rich team that has won the CWS, and just took 2 of 3 from ASU.  Michigan is a possibility, but look for the Cats.  Nothing jumps out about Arizona statistically, but they played a tough Pac 10 schedule, and won series against Fullerton, and at Georgia, giving them series wins against 3 National Seeds.  They are no slouch, and it will be a great match-up.

I hope to be flashing the U all over northern Italy for the next 2 weeks.  Get out to The Light and give the Canes the home field advantage they deserve.  GO CANES!   

Twenty Things U Didn’t Know About The U

1. The 1983 Miami Hurricanes were the first national championship team without a single player making an All-America first team voted by AP, UPI, the Football Writers Association or the College Football Coaches Association.

2. The 1987 Hurricanes beat 5 top 10 teams over an eleven game span: #10 Arkansas,  #4 FSU,  #10 Notre Dame, #8 South Carolina, # 1 Oklahoma and # 20 UF just  for fun.

3.  The 1991 Hurricanes gave up just 8.3 points per game in 12 games, led by middle linebacker Michael Barrow.

4. The 2001 Miami Hurricanes won their games by an average of 32 points a game over their opponent.

5. The 2001 Hurricanes beat two top 15 ranked teams back to back by a combined score of 124 -7.  The worst back to back whippings of ranked teams in NCAA history.  First #14 Syracuse went down 59-0 and then #12 Washington was walloped 65-7.

6. The 2001 Hurricane defense scored eight touchdowns and led the nation in pass defense, scoring defense and turnover margin.

7. An astonishing seven 2001 Hurricanes were first team All Americans.

8.  Canes WR "Downtown" Eddie Brown had 220 yards receiving vs Boston College 1984.

9. Miami was Champion or co-champion of The Big East 9 out of the 12 years they belonged to the conference.

10. The Florida Gators are the only team to ever jump in “Flippers Pool” in the Orange Bowl after beating the Hurricanes.

11. The usually calm Howard Schnellenberger tacked on a late field goal against the Gators, after fans bombarded his players with peaches in 1980.

12. The University of Miami is one of four universities and the only private school in the nation to raise 1.4 billion dollars in fund raising between 2003-2008.

13. The 1966 Schedule would be a handful today. Colorado, FSU, LSU, UGA, Ind, USC, Tulane, Pitt, Iowa, UF, VTech.

14. All American Brett Romberg Center, 6-3, 297 was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.  A little about Romberg during his time at UM...Did not allow a quarterback sack in his 46-game career. Never graded lower than 88 percent for a game. Started his last 33 games at center. Miami had a 32-1 record with Romberg as the center.  Earned Offensive MVP honors by the coaching staff six times in his Miami career.

15. January 2001 -- The Miami Hurricanes suffered a 15-yard penalty during their Sugar Bowl game against Florida when Sebastian the Ibis runs onto the field and taunts the Gators after a Miami touchdown.

16. The Hillel Jewish Student Center hosted a bar mitzvah celebration for Sebastian the Ibis, an event usually reserved for 13-year-old Jewish males. Although no one was sure if Sebastian was Jewish, they were sure he was enjoying the celebration.

17. Gino Torretta hit Horace Copeland for a 99 yard td against Arkansas for the Canes longest passing TD.

18. Last year when Miami played FSU 132 players from the state of Florida were on the combined rosters.

19. In 1966 Ray Bellamy, University of Miami receiver became the first black scholarship player on a major college team in the deep south.

20. The 1988 Hurricanes were the first Florida collegiate team of any type to be invited to the White House by then President Ronald Reagan.

This blog was written for Canespace by SolarCane.

SPECIAL NOTE: Canespace blogger Cat5 has developed a new Canespace logo and window decal for your vehicle. 

For cost, shipping or to place orders contact [email protected]. More details to follow on the blog.  See photo at left!

2008 ACC Champions!

The feature was written exclusively for Canespace by blogger JC...

As the Canes embark on the “drive for five” to match the illustrious football program yet again in national titles, let’s take a look back at the season that was and take a peek at what’s ahead.

The season began fraught with uncertainty. To accommodate northern schools and promote equality in the sport, the NCAA decided to condense its baseball schedule and mandate a uniform start date to the season for all competing teams. The result was a compact gauntlet of games, featuring many midweek contests and sure to challenge teams and their pitching staffs like never before.

The Canes traditionally had a spread out schedule loaded with home games and few, if any, midweek games.  Morris fretted about an academic falloff among all his players and subpar results on the field as pitching was thinned out. What he got was anything but. The Canes stormed out of the gate to a 27-2 record, beating rival Florida in a series for the first time since 2005. The red hot bats of Jemilee Weeks and Alonso Yonder (both batted over .400 for a long time to start the season) buoyed an overall dominant offense which averaged nearly 10 runs a game. A stunning six players from this lineup were named to the all-ACC team. The defense was also stellar.

On the mound, Morris stuck with the trio of ace Eric Erickson, Chris Hernandez, and Enrique Garcia and was rewarded with a 12-1 record in weekend series.  Erickson and Hernandez both started 7-0 before Erickson went down with an injury. Hernandez quickly seized the role of ace and finished undefeated as a starter and won ACC Freshman of the Year. But even more of a pleasant surprise was the depth of the
pitching winning most of the midweek games and filling in for Erickson for more than a month. Special props to David Gutierrez, who also pitched the clincher in the ACC Championship game. Only two of the Canes’ eight losses came midweek.

Even though early on most Canes games were double digits blowouts, there were lots of memorable games.  From a stirring comeback at FAU prior to the incredible series at Florida State to Chris Hernandez stunning 1-0 win over Virginia in a wonderful pitchers duel.

But getting the ACC monkey off their back was perhaps the biggest accomplishment of this team so far, clinching the regular season title with a 12-2 win against defending champ UNC and winning the tournament title going undefeated and again beating Virginia in the title game.

The Canes have spent much of this season at #1, and enter the postseason as the #1 national seed in the NCAA tournament. Such is their reward: one of the hardest regional draws in the nation, featuring Missouri and Ole Miss as well as annual patsy Bethune Cookman. Aaron Crow is arguably the best pitcher in the nation and is 12-0. Ole Miss made it to the SEC title game, has an amazing pitching staff, and had an underachieving season given its tremendous talent.  ESPN picked them as a #3 seed likely to pull an Oregon St and get to the CWS.

Miami beat Ole Miss in Oxford in a 2005 super regional to advance to the CWS, so revenge may well be on the Rebel’s minds. The only good news is the Canes won’t have to face Crow twice, but make no mistake: there is some serious pitching in this regional. The Canes offense has their legacy at stake. Can they be shut down at home?

Should Miami advance out of their regional, their reward in the super regional? That would be preseason #1 or #2 (depending on who you ask) Arizona, OR unproven but talented Big 10 Champion Michigan. The other two teams in the Ann Arbor regional don’t scare anyone. That’s why they won’t advance. This is the hardest road to the CWS the Canes have faced in a long time. But hey, ESPN says we’re gonna win!

The real season begins now ladies and gents. Like Morris said, the ACC championship is nice, but for a program decorated like ours at the U, Omaha is all that we care about. Morris may have been wrong about the ACC tournament being more challenging than any regional, but let’s hope he’s right about everything else and gets one for the thumb. Go Canes! On to Omaha!

Loving Every Minute Of It

Head Coach Jim Morris and his University of Miami Hurricanes baseball team continued their winning ways on a hot, humid afternoon in Jacksonville on Saturday by out pitching and out scoring North Carolina State 5-2.  The Wolf Pack trailed the entire game and attempted several rallies but the Canes pitching staff that included starter Enrique Garcia, reliver Kyle Bellamy and closer Carlos Gutierrez shut down the Wolf Pack offense to preserve the win.

Garcia, who struck out seven and gave up three hits, pitched seven scoreless innings before turning the game over to Bellamy.  Assistant coach and former UM player J.D. Arteaga has done a great job with the Canes pitching staff throughout the season and hopes to have his hurlers in top form for the upcoming regionals leading to the college World Series.

While college basball is usually about the "PING" of the bat and how many runs your team can score, consistent and effective pitching cannot be overlooked as a key part of the game.

The Canes took an early lead on a three run home run over the right field wall by Jemile Weeks in the third inning.  From the moment Weeks, seen here being interviewed after the game, made contact with the ball there was never any doubt that it was "outta here"!  The Canes added two runs in the fourth inning playing small ball with timely hitting and an RBI double by Dave "Heavy D" DiNatlie and another RBI single by catcher Jason Haggerty.

The play of the game though may have been when the Canes were in the field playing their usual stellar defense.  Left Fielder Don Severino fielded a base hit to shallow left and came up throwing to gun down a Wolpack runner at the plate on a picture perfect throw and great play by UM cathcer Jason Haggerty to block the plate.  Canes fans who were at the game in large numbers were on their feet and chanting: "Let's Go Canes" after the play.

I was only supposed to be at the first two games of the in Jacksonville on Wednesday and Thursday and was scheduled to leave on Friday morning.  But after two great games and two Hurricanes victories, I just couldn't leave until I got in one more game.  As I mentioned previously, the location and the fans here are just awesome!  From the parking, to the stadium, to the field and into the stands the place is top notch. And if I have to remind you, even the concessionaires love Canespace!

The Canes and Head Coach Jim Morris face the Virginia Cavaleers today at 1 PM for the ACC championship.  We went deep undercover to ask a "inside source" who would win the championship game.  The Chick-fil-A cow told us under the strictest confidentiality to eat more chicken and GO CANES!!!

Jammin' in Jacksonville

We be Jammin' mon!  The Miami Hurricane baseball team is doing exactly that here at the ACC championships at the Baseball Grounds in city by the St. John's River, Jacksonville, Florida.  The Canes hardballers have their groove on and their mojo working as they have won two in a row here at this beautiful ball park.  The Canes are fully jammin' the bases with runners, the stands with fans and the scoreboard with runs.  It is simply incredible to see fans from the 305, 954, 407, 904 and all points in between gather together to cheer their team. 

There were times during tonight's game against Georgia Tech you could have closed your eyes and thought you were in Coral Gables instead of Jax.  The chants of "Let's Go Canes" and "Got some Canes Over Here, Whoosh, Whoosh" finally reached their peak in the late innings of the game.  It was sweet music to the ears of Canes fans like Hoke, Mike and David seen here who traveled from Zephyrhills and Deltona to see their team play in the ACC tournament. 

Before we cover the game let me say this: If you have never been to Jax for the ACC tourney you have really missed somehting special.  Next year the tourney moves to Fenway Park in Boston and things will not be the same.  This event is the bomb!  Great stadium, great people and great college baseball games are all you need for a great week in the city from the 904. Fans like Betty and Jorge here from Stuart.  I sat next to them for most of the game and had the best of times. These are Canes fans!

Ok, now the game.  Any college baseball game with over 30 hits and 27 runs has to be exciting right?  Well, this one was!  Runs galore, momentum swings, pitching changes and unbelievable drama filled the air.  The tension was as thick as the humid and hot Jacksonville air throughout the game.

Canes starter Eric Erickson lasted less than five innings as he continues to struggle after returning from "arm soreness" earlier in the season.  The Canes will need Double E to regain his old form if they are to win the CWS this year.  Yonder "Goes The Ball" Alonso hit two massive dingers and Davey "Heavy" DiNatlie slammed two of his own to stake the Canes to the lead they would NOT relinquish.  Relievers Kyle Bellamy and David Gutierrez gave up some runs but also were able to seal the deal and move the Canes closer to an ACC championship.

If you saw the game on TV then you most likely saw the Canespace sign on the digital landscape.  That was me working the camera and showing how proud I am to rep The Space.  Next game is Saturday at 1 PM.  I planned to leave tomorrow, but now may stay to see what happens.  It is hard to leave when even the concession girls love The Space! Watch the games to see what happens... 

Canes Tame The Tigers

The University of Miami, apparently still smarting after dropping their #1 national ranking by losing two of three to end the season at home against UNC, came out on fire and with a vengance against Clemson in their first game of the ACC tourney in Jacksonville.  The Tigers were down by four runs early and after that point were never really in the game against the Canes.

The Hurricane's bats came alive again and ACC Freshman of the Year Chris Hernandez was absolutely dominant on the mound to propel the Canes to an easy 7-1 victory.  Miami's next game is againt the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech Thursday at 5 PM.  Canespace will be there to bring you updates, photos and behind the scenes stories of the action on the diamond.

I am not going to give you the game story or box score details and the Canes win.  If you watched the game on TV or read Jer's LIVE play-by-play blogging (with an assist from Cane Since 1982) of the game here on The Space you already know what happened, when and by who.  Plus that is what newspapers like the Miami Herald and the Sun Sentinel are for.  What I want to do is to bring you the fans experience at the game so you feel like you were there.  So here we go...

The Facility:  Located in dowtown Jacksonville near the St Johns River and next to the NFL Jaguars' Stadium the location is easy to find and accessible from multiple routes.  A clean, safe, multi-level parking garage (only $5 bucks!) is directly across the street from the ball park.

That is where I met the first two Canes Fans of the Day (CFODs) Jim from the 954 and Paul from Cocoa Beach.  They saw my Canes gear and car ornaments and called me right over to park next to them.  We shared a carbonated adult beverage, a few Canes war stories and took this photo before making our way over to the stadium.

This place is a top notch, first class stadium with great views, access and amenities.  You can't get any closer to the players or the action than here.  You are practically on the field here making for a great fan experience.  I talked briefly before the game during warm-ups to Alonso, Bellamy and Weeks and took these shots of Chris Hernandez warming up in the bullpen.  Any closer and you could smell his deodorant, or not!  Let me say this: The stadium is new, clean and has great food and atmosphere.  We'll give it a Canespace Fan Rating (CFR) of 9 on our scale.

The Fans: Throughout the day I met hundreds of Canes fans and spread the word about The Space.  Cane fandom was well represented in Jacksonville which was really nice to see in this Gator and Seminole infested area of our State.  I had the Canespace banner tied up on one of the railings high up in the stands behind home plate and one of the signs that Solar made in his basement print shop advertising Canespace as THE place to be for LIVE Canes chat coast to coast 24/7.

We even met some fans from Clemson who were nice enough gentlemen and also nice enough to have their picture taken for the blog.  I think their names are Gary and Charles, but don't make me swear under oath to that!  Anyway, we worked the crowd in a way that would have made OcalaCane proud and a good time was had by all, Canes fans and other teams fans alike.

The only drawback was that it was a quiet as a PGA Tour event and there were more polite "golf claps" going around than water and peanut vendors who seemed to be everywhere.  I tried my best to fix it with the familiar "Got Some Canes Over Here...Whoosh, Whoosh", Let's Go Canes (clap, clap, clap) and De-Fense, (clap, clap), De-Fense but it was to no avail.  We'll give it a CFR of 7 (8 minus 1 for lack of enthusiasm).

The Game: The Canes were in the lead and in control of the game from the beginning.  Freshman pitcher Chris Hernandez played anything but like one in leading the Canes to their first victory of the tourney.  He was back up by a stellar defense that turned several solid if not spectacular double plays and the Hurricane offense that awakend early and staked him to an safe 4-0 lead en route to a final seven run tally.

Hernandez is the most composed, controlled and consistent Canes player I have seen in a long, long time.  Bad news?  At this rate he will surely be MLB bound sooner that you can say C-A-N-E-S.  Several Canes contributed to the offense in a real team effort on a day when Yonder "Goes The Ball" Alonso was average at best and his partner in crime Jemile Weeks managed to get on base twice. We'll give this game a CFR of 8.

Jacked Up In Jacksonville

The University of Miami baseball team entered the 2008 season with great hope, promise and potential.  The Canes exceeded all expectations, spending most of the season ranked #1 in the nation before dropping the final series of the season at home against then #2 ranked UNC.  The Canes success was fueled by dominant pitching, timely hitting and solid coaching by head man Jim Morris. 

Miami won the ACC Coastal Division for the first time and now looks to control it's own destiny by winning the ACC Tournament in Jacksonville this week.  The Canes first game is at 1 PM on Wednesday and they play again on Thursday at 5 PM.  Canespace will have daily updates from Jacksonville on Wednesday and Thursday nights after each Miami game. 

So stay tuned to The Space for baseball updates and the sites and sounds from the games.  Here's a local joke/trivia question I heard today at a neighborhood sports bar.  See if you know the answer: 

Why is the St. Johns River one of only a few that flow North?    

Canes, Brains, and Buffalo Bills

A Hurricane trivia quiz from SolarCane with the not so easy to Google answers:

1. What number did Warren Sapp wear as Miami Hurricane?

2. What was George Mira’s number?

3. Where was Jim Kelly born?

4. Dorsey broke many records, who broke his Maxwell Trophy in his apartment?

5. Where was Brett Romberg born?

6. How many consecutive PATS did Carlos Huerta make as a Miami Hurricane?

7. Which Miami Hurricane head coach was an All American tight end?

8. Who did Jimmy Johnson nick name “Beat Weeds”?

9. Who owns a restaurant named The Full Moon?

10. What Miami Hurricane was the only Big East player to win Offensive Player of the Year and Special Teams Player of the Year in the same season?

This Week On The Space

In the land of Orange and Green, here is what's up this week on Canespace...

• This weekend the University of Miami hardballers lost a tough three game series at home against The University if North Carolina.  The Canes romped 12-2 in game one but ran into uncharacteristic pitching problems against the Tar Heels in games two and three of the series.  Canes hurler Erik Erickson struggled in game two and David Gutierrez gave up five runs in game three to put the Canes in the hole they could not climb out of in spite of a spirited ninth inning rally that pulled the Casnes to withing one run (12-11). With runners on first and third and two outs Dennis Raben struck out swinging to end the game and the Canes hopes of a miraculous comeback in the last regular season game of the year.
• Canespace blogger Cat 5 has developed a very professional looking window decal (through Fast Signs) for Canes fans.  It looks great and highlights the Canes five football National Championships and Canespace.  If interested, email me at [email protected] for details.
• Canespace fans who attended the UM baseball game Thursday night at The Light against UNC had a special treat at our pre-game party at The Titanic before the game. Christopher Stock and David Lake who are both reporters from www.insidetheu.com met and chatted with Canespacers. And to top that off, Shandel Richardson from the Sun Sentinel made a VERY special guest appearence to our pre-game extravaganza.  Shandel was very friendly, gracious and down-to-earth as he spoke with Canespacers Cane since 1982, Cat5, Keoki  and yours truly 86Cane.  Keoki took some great pics that are posted at the bottom of this blog.
• A certain UM Cheerleader and friend of Canespace may be in the running for Sports Illustrated cheerleader of the week.  Details to follow if and when approved and appropriate.
• Our regular Monday Chat with Chris Stock has to be canceled for this week.  Chris is going to the Vatican to have an audience with the Pope and get a special prayer said for the Canes 2008 season.  Well maybe not exactly, but yes, the Monday lunch chat IS canceled for this week only!
• The Canes Diamond Dogs are headed to Jacksonville this week, site of the ACC baseball tournament.  The tourney gets going Wednesday with the Canes most likely game time being 5 PM or 8 PM.  Canespace will be the the ONLY major player from South Florida that will at the event with daily updates and photos filed here on the B L O G.  Stay tuned for the news U can use from Canespace!