Play Ball! ACC Tournament Begins Today

Your Miami Hurricanes will begin ACC Baseball Championship tournament play today at 4 PM by taking on the Florida State Seminoles at New Bridge Bank Park in Greensboro, NC.

The fourth seeded Hurricanes, who finished the regular season with a 39-15 record (20-10 ACC), are without regular starter Eric Erickson and will start freshman right-hander Eric  "Bob Marley And The" Whaley in place of the injured UM hurler while the fifth seeded Seminoles (39-16, 18-12 ACC) will send lefty Sean Gilmartin to the bump. 

Miami and FSU are paired with No. 1 seed Virginia (23-7 ACC) and No. 8 seed Boston College (14-16) in Division A of the tournament. Under the pool-play format, each team will play one game against each of the other three opponents in its division Wednesday through Saturday. The two teams with the best records within their respective division brackets will advance to the title game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

After facing FSU today, the Hurricanes will play Boston College at noon on Thursday before taking a day off on Friday.  Doug Flutie, who recently found out he still has one year of NCAA eligibility left, will pitch for BC while we expect that the Eagles' Gerald Phelan will be way out in center field (awaiting some sort of hail Mary toss).

The synchonized swimming events (also known as "pool play") will wrap up on Saturday, with Miami and Virginia squaring off at noon.  The Cavaliers just finished taking two of three games from the Hurricanes last week in Coral Gables so this game will be a tough challenge for UM against top-ranked UVA .

Miami will be counting on ACC Player of the Year Yasmani Grandal (seen above after crushing another HR) to lead the way this week in Greenboro. Grandal enters the tourmanent leading the ACC in hitting (.428), on-base percentage (.552) and slugging percentage (.759).

UM ace Chris Hernandez will take his team leading eight wins (8-3 with a2.94 ERA) to the mound when Miami plays Boston College.  It is expected that David Guiterrez will pitch for the Hurricanes when they face Virginia.

Miami may be a long shot to win the ACC tournament this year but we will be cheering them on all the way.

GO CANES!

Comments

[SinisterCane]

?first

[SinisterCane]

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SinisterCane]

1-2-3 CLEAN SWEEP???

[SOUP]

The best goatee in the game, Garza on the mound tonight will snap the 2 game slide

Posted by: Sebastian57 | May 26, 2010 at 03:38 PM

I HATE IT!

The Rays have stunk it up the last two nights against some pretty good pitching.

They will win tonight if I go to the game. U going tonight?

[SOUP]

Such a SINISTER blogger U are. U know what to do? Email me at:

[email protected]

BTW some shirts that were supposed to be mailed weeks ago are now just getting sent. I just found out that Mrs. Soup been slackin'...

[SOUP]

From www.hurricanesports.com:

All 13 games of this year's ACC Baseball Championship will be televised for the fourth straight year via RSN, a regional network that covers the entire conference footprint. Please check theACC.com for local affiliates and stations.

MIAMI'S TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
GAME 55: WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 4 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
FSU- LHP Sean Gilmartin (6-6, 4.63 ERA) vs. MIAMI - RHP Eric Whaley (4-1, 4.58 ERA)
TV: RSN
RADIO: 560 WQAM, 1450 ESPN DEPORTES, 90.5 WVUM

GAME 56: THURSDAY, MAY 27, 12 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
BC - RHP Mike Dennhardt (4-7, 7.22 ERA) vs. MIAMI - LHP Chris Hernandez (8-3, 2.94 ERA)
TV: RSN
RADIO: 560 WQAM, 1450 ESPN DEPORTES, 90.5 WVUM

GAME 57: SATURDAY, MAY 29, 12 p.m.
PROBABLE STARTERS
VIRGINIA - LHP Danny Hultzen (8-1, 2.08 ERA) vs. MIAMI - RHP David Gutierrez (5-1, 4.32 ERA)
TV: RSN
RADIO: 560 WQAM, 1450 ESPN DEPORTES, 90.5 WVUM

FSU REPORT
The Seminoles have dropped four of their last six entering play this week, including dropping all three games at Clemson in its last regular season series. All-ACC performers Tyler Holt (.341, 11 HR, 40 RBI) and Mike McGee (.332, 11, 60 RBI) lead the offense, while McGee also doubles as FSU's closer with four wins, nine saves and a 0.43 earned run average. Sean Gilmartin (6-6, 4.63) is slated to throw against the `Canes on Wednesday.

[autumn]

six - just finished reading the last entry or two on the previous sports blog. already impressed with the work you do with solar on this 50's list, and other blog entries.
i think you need a new name: "spanty"
short for "sports savant guy". nothing to do with spandex.

[Sebastian]

Only Garza can rock the goat like he can, that thing is sweet

Yeah i`ll be there, im meeting some peeps from work and I believe we will be behind the 3rd base dugout. Game 1 we were in left field and last night was to the 1st base side of homeplate. I had a 1st hand look at that pitch and it was awful, but the language was even better.

[Sebastian]

Nathan Melendres smacks a 2 run dinger followed by a solo blast by Michael Broad

End of the 2nd

Them-0
`Canes-3

[CGNC]

Autumn - LOL his nickname is "Vest". And Six it has everything to do with spandex...ha ha

[SOUP]

End of the 2nd

Them-0
`Canes-3

Posted by: Sebastian57 | May 26, 2010 at 04:38 PM

NICE! U watching it on TV or Game Tracker?

[SOUP]

"sports savant guy". nothing to do with spandex.

Posted by: autumn | May 26, 2010 at 04:24 PM

Six knows stuff he doesn't even know.

LOL

[CGNC]

Acc Tourney is held here

http://www.downtowngreensboro.org/citylight/go/newbridge-bank-park-greensboro-grasshoppers

[Sebastian]

Game Tracker right now, which im glad of because C.P. made an error leading to 2 unearned runs and to see that on tv wouldnt of been wise for the future of the tube

[Sebastian]

End of 3

Them-2
`Canes-3

[solarcane]

hurri
yes I considrered Hogan very carefully.
He made a lot of today's stars rich.
When I didn't put Don Garlits, Fireball Roberts and Bobby Allison in because they were race car drivers , I felt I should leave the Hulkster off because he was more an entertainment celebrity.
Like ungar I'd love to meet Hogan I think he was an original.

Thanks for taking time to read the articles!

[solarcane]

Six knows stuff he doesn't even know.

I'll second that statement.

[Ungar]

1. Six, I have fun discussing these things with you, and thanks for the links. I had read some of them in my search for the writeup of my comments, but your first one solved a problem my failing memory had had for YEARS! I have been telling my boys that just before the big play in Game 7 of the World Series, an Indian (sorry, Native American) had to leave the game because he lost his contact lens. That was in Game 5 of the NLCS, instead. I use that as an example of "be prepared" and have a spare set of contact lenses if necessary.

"There was a delay as the near-sighted Tucker and teammates looked around for his right contact lens on the warning track. Failing in that, Tucker ran to the clubhouse to look for a replacement. But Cox, leery of letting Maddux wait too long to continue, replaced Tucker, and Maddux threw a first-pitch fastball to Jeff Conine; the Marlin smashed a single up the middle, scoring Bonilla."

2. In that article, it makes it clear not only that the zone was understood by both sides, but that Maddux took advantage of it as well, so it wasn't like only the Marlins benefitted as some folks have claimed. In fact, had the Braves won, I doubt they would have complained about a strike zone that they normally exploited to their advantage.

"And Maddux, seemingly best suited for a strike zone like Gregg's because of his control, did throw bad pitches -- very few, but enough to lose."

"Michael Tucker homered for Atlanta leading off the second inning, tying the score at 1-1, and for the next five innings Maddux, too, exploited the strike zone. Florida hit only two balls out of the infield after Bonilla's first-inning single -- until Bonilla led off the seventh."

3. You mention how good the Braves pitching was and how that was the reason for their 1196 strikeouts that year. Florida had only 8 fewer, 1188, and their pitchers were pretty good as well.

4. And the Braves and especially Bobby Cox are famous for complaining about calls. Heck, this is from just two weeks ago. There is a reason he holds the record for most ejections, after all.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Braves-disrespect-Nats-Olsen-after-he-takes-no-?urn=mlb,239375

And from your first article:

"Atlanta can survive by winning Games 6 and 7 at home Tuesday and Wednesday, with Tom Glavine and John Smoltz pitching at Turner Field. But the Marlins, beset by staggering injuries and illnesses the past four days, control the series. Kevin Brown, who did not start today because he was sick with the flu, is scheduled to pitch Game 6, with a chance to send the Braves home for the winter, grumbling about umpiring once more."

5. As for the idea that the Braves did not benefit from a "generous" strike zone, we have this gem from our own Mike B.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2001-04-01/features/0103310070_1_greg-maddux-strike-zone-pitch

"They say they're not going to call the pitch that's 4 inches off the plate," Pittsburgh pitching coach Spin Williams says. "That's the Glavine-Maddux pitch."

and this one:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070702&content_id=2062212&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym

"Glavine knows he might have reached 300 last season had he re-signed with the Braves after 2002. He also knows the adoption of QuesTec and the absence of the strike zone he, Greg Maddux, Leo Mazzone and others worked so hard to expand undermined him as much as -- if not more than -- it undermined any other pitcher. Maddux expanded the strike zone, too, but not to the degree Glavine did. And Maddux occasionally would throw a pitch over the plate. When Glavine did, he hadn't executed the pitch properly."

[Ungar]

"After facing FSU today, the Hurricanes will play Boston College at noon on Thursday before taking a day off on Friday. Doug Flutie, who recently found out he still has one year of NCAA eligibility left, will pitch for BC while we expect that the Eagles' Gerald Phelan will be way out in center field (awaiting some sort of hail Mary toss)."

Was that on purpose, SOUP?

$*(%&^*#$!!!!

The rest of you will soon find out why SOUP is now on my hit list.

8-) all in fun of course...

[Ungar]

Sebastian, did they show the handshake in Gametracker?

You know, a little Morris going out there like a white weeble, and then making Martin's weeble glow red as they shook hands?

Or did he dodge the handshake this year?

[Ungar]

Game Tracker right now, which im glad of because C.P. made an error leading to 2 unearned runs and to see that on tv wouldnt of been wise for the future of the tube

Posted by: Sebastian57 | May 26, 2010 at 04:50 PM

Tube? What's a tube?

Call me on your rotary phone and explain it to me.... 8-)

[solarcane]

soup ocala skool
I talked with some folks that went sec IV with NOC. just awhile ago.
They said it was the most fun they ever had while expecting to die.

They said wear the best sunscreen you can buy.
Bring some really loose fitting clothes for the ride back home or out to dinner, because we will be sunburned, but not battered bloody like I keep saying. lol!

Oh yea they said bring lots of extra towels for thje rest of the crew that forgets theirs.
They said the same thing soup said,
NOC guides are first class.

back after dinner.

GO CANES!

[solarcane]

You know, a little Morris going out there like a white weeble, and then making Martin's weeble glow red as they shook hands?

LMAO !!!!!

I remember when soup used to vault stuff of that quality.

[SOUP]

The rest of you will soon find out why SOUP is now on my hit list.

Posted by: Ungar | May 26, 2010 at 04:58 PM

I'm a big boy, I can handle my business.

At least U read the article which is more than most people do. ;-)

[SOUP]

Towels? Check

Sun Screen? Check

Spare dry clothes to wear on the ride back? Check

Having fun while being quite prepared to die? Check

Did I mis anything???

[Sebastian]

A passed ball and a 2nd RBI from M.Broad makes the score at the end of 4

Them-2
`Canes-5

[solarcane]

Call me on your rotary phone and explain it to me.... 8-)
Posted by: Ungar | May 26, 2010 at 05:01 PM

Stuff you never knew, and probably weren't that concerned about.

Here is some good trivia on how and why different areas were assigned the area code they have.
It's because of rotary phones btw

Originally there were only 86 codes, with the biggest population areas getting the numbers that took the shortest time to dial on rotary telephones.

That is why New York City was given 212, Los Angeles 213, Chicago 312 and Philadelphia received 215, while four areas received the then-maximum number of 21 clicks: South Dakota (605), North Carolina (704), South Carolina (803

[86Cane]

Originally there were only 86 codes

Posted by: solarcane | May 26, 2010 at 05:17 PM

Things that mnake U go hmmmmmmmmm...

[solarcane]

soup,

check lists complete.

I'm feeling better and better about our chances of wading out of the Chatooga on our own.

The folks I talked with weren't even scabbed up or twitching.
They hinted they might just go back.

If we four this off , we gotta get a river full of spaceballers for the next one.

[Ungar]

Hmm, you made an enemy, and then you are going whitewater rafting.

I guess you have never seen The River Wild, or Deliverance?

To me, that gunshot at the top of the rough waters in Deliverance was scarier than Jaws.

And having the nerdy husband transform into Rambo in River Wild was unbelievable...

[solarcane]

Originally there were only 86 codes

AT&T's motto used to be:
"We got this, matter of fact we got All of this."

[Ungar]

Did I mis anything???

Posted by: SOUP | May 26, 2010 at 05:13 PM

Yes, you misSed the S key on the keyboard a second time. 8-)

[Ungar]

Worst part about being poor in the 1970s:

Still having a rotary phone, trying to dial in to Y100 to win concert tickets, and hearing the rich kids with the auto-redial winning over and over again.

I went to college just to make sure I wouldn't have to live with a rotary phone as an adult. And it worked!

[Ungar]

At least U read the article which is more than most people do. ;-)
Posted by: SOUP | May 26, 2010 at 05:10 PM

Ahh, I thought you had read #1 on the list I sent you, and were doing that as a dig.

Nevermind....

[solarcane]

ungar,
we are going down the exact same section the canoe broke in half and disintegrated in Deliverance.

Having soup along with his buoyant head only an arms length from latching onto is comforting to say the least.

[Ungar]

A passed ball and a 2nd RBI from M.Broad makes the score at the end of 4

Them-2
`Canes-5

Posted by: Sebastian57 | May 26, 2010 at 05:13 PM

Couple of questions:

1. Are we the "home" team in this game? I would have thought the higher seed would get that.

2. Why ARE we the lower seed, we had a better record and conference record than FSU?

3. (I know, more than a couple, but I feel curious) How is Whaley pitching? you mentioned the two runs were unearned, but has he been otherwise shutting them down or just getting out of jams?

[Ungar]

Just before going down there then, make sure to compliment his blogging skill. That will inflate it to the proper 35 PSI for safety purposes.

[solarcane]

ungar,
remember on the rotary phone when you would call someone and the timing would be just right
and you could hear their phone ratcheting around the dial while they were calling somebody they wanted to talk to more than you?

We used to dial every number except the last digit and have out finger stuck in the dial just waiting for roby " Paul is dead" yonge to cut us loose.

[OCALACANE]

Soup...
Solar...

Sunscreen? jk I work in the Fl. sun everyday.
Just spent the weekend at Daytona. Bring on the Ga. sun :)

Checklist complete...
Can't wait. Oh and Soup Ga. has reciprosity with Fl. on Concealed carry we covered :)

[Ungar]

Nope, but I have had folks do that with touch tone phones, where they pick up before the first ring, don't even listen for the dial tone, and then type in the seven digits and wait for the ring.

I would always answer with "Who are you calling?" in a deep male voice, like they were calling his girlfriend's line and some guy answered.

Caller ID has killed the fun of that though. 8-)

[Ungar]

If you hear the banjos, then lock and load!

[Sebastian]

Yes we are the home team and the #4 seed

In his 5 I.P.

He has given up 5 hits 1 BB and 1 SO

He has performed very well considering both Chris Pelaez and Stephen Perez have committed errors that he had to work around

[solarcane]

soup,
I always read all of them no matter who wrote them, or what they are about.
I read yours mostly for the Berman influence, which cracks me up.

[solarcane]

ocala lol!
I have worked in the Florida sun for ovee 40 years straight, surfed and fished in it forever.
Having skin cancer treatments now yearly for over ten years in a row makes think the doctors know a thing or two.

Make sure you get any freckles, moles, crusty skin looked at once a year too ocala.
Us outsiders gotta be vigilant.
I want you around to take of your bride a long time, brud

[OCALACANE]

Amen to that!!!

[Ungar]

Thanks for the updates Sebastian!

[Sebastian]

Harold Martinez pimps a 3 run shot to make the score 8-3 in favor of the `Canes

[OCALACANE]

Whats goin on with the game?

[OCALACANE]

WOOT WOOT!!

[Ungar]

I want you around to take (care) of your bride a long time, brud

Posted by: solarcane | May 26, 2010 at 05:51 PM

solar, you've been warned about the sex comments on here! 8-)