Florida is getting a clear warning about what Miami brings into tonight

Florida is set to take on Miami at 8 PM at home as part of the NCAA Tournament. The winner will be just one win away from Super Regionals while the loser will need to win three games in a row to escape.

To get a better idea of Miami’s baseball team, we reached out to our FanSided sister site Canes Warning and spoke to their site expert Patrick Previty to see what Florida fans need to keep an eye on tonight.

Florida takes on Miami in the NCAA Tournament 

Hail Florida Hail: Last year was the first time since 2016 that Miami made it out of regionals. Do you feel like that achievement has paid any dividends as this season has progressed?

Canes Warning: Yes. The biggest thing last year did was prove this group could win in a postseason setting. Miami went to Hattiesburg as a No. 3 seed and beat Alabama and Columbia. The Hurricanes then lost the first regional final to Southern Miss before coming back the next day to win the regional.

This year’s team feels more mature because of that experience. Miami faced challenging circumstances with the delay in its 10-5 win over Troy, and part of the reason the Hurricanes answered the call is because of what last year provided.

Hail Florida Hail: Derek Williams has taken a massive leap for Miami this season. Is there anything he is doing differently that has helped fuel that leap?

Canes Warning: Williams was already good last year, hitting .317 with nine home runs in 43 games, but he missed the final 16 regular-season games with a broken hamate bone in his left hand. He came into this season healthy, and that has allowed him to settle in.

After the Troy game, Williams is now hitting .380 with 16 home runs. Earlier this season, he talked about not getting too wrapped up in stats and instead focusing on the team situation, which has given him the opportunity to produce in big spots.

Hail Florida Hail: Daniel Cuvet’s numbers were down all year, and then he got hurt. How big of a loss has Cuvet been, or has Miami been able to navigate it pretty well?

Canes Warning: It is a massive loss, considering Cuvet is one of the best bats in the country when healthy. This year, he had 12 home runs, 45 RBI and a 1.086 OPS before the injury.

Miami has navigated it better than most teams would, though. The freshmen have helped keep the lineup afloat. Alonzo Alvarez, Dylan Dubovik and Gabriel Milano accounted for 17 of the Hurricanes’ 36 hits during ACC tournament play, and freshmen had combined to hit .359 with seven home runs and 18 RBI over the team’s final 10 games before entering postseason play.

Hail Florida Hail: What would you classify as Miami’s biggest weakness?

Canes Warning: Defense. Miami has committed 86 errors with a .959 fielding percentage, while opponents have committed 61 errors with a .970 fielding percentage. The pitching staff has also had moments where it lets teams hang around, entering with a 4.88 ERA and 1.45 WHIP.

The offense is good enough to win this regional, but the Hurricanes have to play clean baseball.

Hail Florida Hail: Final prediction for the game?

Canes Warning: I’d lean Miami 7, Florida 6. Miami’s lineup is hot, and if the Hurricanes can put pressure on Florida’s bullpen, they have a shot to steal the game.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow