NCAA Regional Preview: Coral Gables

By Will Kimmey
June 2, 2005

1. Miami 38-17, at-large, third in Atlantic Coast, 34th NCAA tournament, 33rd consecutive appearance
2. Mississippi State 40-20, automatic, won Southeastern Conference tournament, 26th NCAA tournament, third consecutive appearance
3. Florida Atlantic 36-22, at-large, tied for second in Atlantic Sun, sixth NCAA tournament, fourth consecutive appearance
4. Virginia Commonwealth 33-20, automatic, won Colonial tournament, eighth NCAA tournament

Player To Watch: Which Cesar Carrillo will show up for Miami? He’s lost his last two starts after winning his first 24 career decisions and Miami seemed to fold after each, getting swept at Clemson and going winless in its first ACC tournament during a string of six straight losses to end the season. To be fair, Carrillo is still 12-2, 2.29 with 111 K’s in 110 innings and allowed just two runs in the second loss. The junior righthander won’t start until the second game, and his outing will loom large for his team’s confidence.

The Favorite: Yes, Miami’s six-game losing streak is its longest since 1966, but all of those came away from home. Now the Hurricanes are back in the friendly surroundings of Mark Light Field and eager to silence all those who chuckled at their late slide. ACC player of the year Ryan Braun (.401-16-71, 22 steals) and John Jay (.422-0-50) can still drive in Danny and Paco Figueroa in an offense that ranked 11th nationally in runs per game. And Carrillo still has never lost at home. Miami’s only worry could come when its ace isn’t working; the team ERA without him on the hill is 4.84.

On The Other Hand: Mississippi State’s deliberate offensive style–it doesn’t hit for much power, nor does it steal bases–might give teams a false sense of superiority. The Bulldogs proved with a 4-0 SEC tournament run that they can single opponents to death while also keeping offenses off the board with a pitching staff that ranked 20th in ERA at 3.42 even after navigating the heavy-hitting SEC behind the steady starting trio of Alan Johnson, Todd Doolittle and Jon Crosby. Top hitter Joseph Hunter typifies the offense. He hit .344, compiling 47 singles and eight extra-base hits. Catcher/infielder Thomas Berkery provided the punch with seven home runs, making up for just three from Brad Corley, who hit 19 as a sophomore. The team has 28 this year.

Bracket Buster: Florida Atlantic gets another trip to nearby Miami in the postseason, a tradition that’s getting much like Southern’s trips to Louisiana State–tired. The Owls might even have surprised their coaches with this bid; the young club looked primed for a rebuilding year after delivering Miami a regional scare a year ago with a veteran club. Fittingly, its stars are a freshman and sophomore. Rookie Mickey Storey did little more than lead the conference with a 1.77 ERA (11th in the country) while winning nine games and saving seven more. Two-way talent Mike McBryde batted .377 as an outfielder and recorded 10 saves after Storey moved to the rotation, adding 45 strikeouts in 35 innings.

Don't Forget About: Virginia Commonwealth moved to a smaller park in Petersburg, Va., as the field it shares with the Triple-A Richmond Braves was repaired during the early spring, so naturally it ranks ahead of all but one team in this field with 127 stolen bases. Still, five players reached at least eight homers and six tallied 10 or more doubles, led by sophomore second baseman Scott Sizemore, who hit .372/.471/.691 with 24 doubles and 12 homers. This young club won the CAA tournament, but like VCU is likely a year away from being a serious regional contender.