Despite struggles, veteran Canes looking for 5th title in Omaha

Posted 5:45AM on Wednesday 16th June 2004 ( 20 years ago )

CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA - The Miami Hurricanes made a triumphant return to Omaha's College World Series last season, a year after the program's worst record in more than 30 years. The stay lasted three games. Miami leaves for Omaha again Wednesday and plans to stay a bit longer this time. ``Going out there last year, it was kind of like our season was a success just making it there,'' said Miami first baseman Jim Burt, who was on Miami's last title team in 2001. ``But this year, nothing less than the championship is going to be a successful season for us.'' The Hurricanes (49-11) have reason for optimism, with Saturday's opener against LSU (46-17) just days away. Nearly the entire roster is back, including seven starters in the field and all three starting pitchers from last year's team. Miami's veteran squad cruised through most of the season, losing just one three-game series before continuing its dominance in the postseason. The Hurricanes routed their regional competition by a combined score of 44-14 before sweeping archrival Florida in the super regionals last weekend. ``We're peaking at the right time,'' left-hander J.D. Cockroft said. Last year's Omaha struggles aren't far from the team's thoughts, however. Miami entered last year's World Series looking for the school's fifth title, but were instead humbled twice by defending champ Texas, which outscored Miami 18-3. Outfielder Richard Giannotti, a sophomore on last year's team, remembers the feeling in the locker room following their elimination. ``That's when we first started saying that we can't let that happen again,'' Giannotti said. ``We knew we were pretty much gonna have the same exact team back. We knew we had a chance to come back and win it.'' Even with the veteran lineup, injuries and suspensions threatened to turn Miami's season sour. In April, Morris kicked reliever Shawn Valdes-Fauli and closer George Huguet, the schools all-time saves leader, off the team for still undisclosed rule violations. The move could have crippled the bullpen, but the Hurricanes prospered despite the losses. Freshman Danny Gil picked up for Huguet, going 8-0 with a 3.11 ERA out of the bullpen, including five saves. ``That was a big blow,'' Gil said of the suspensions. ``But everybody's seemed to pick it up in a time of need.'' Injuries caused five starters to miss time during the season but two freshmen left fielder Jon Jay and shortstop Roger Tomas stepped in and the Hurricanes hardly missing a beat. Jay is hitting .364 as Miami's leadoff man while Tomas is hitting .305 and has just five errors in 30 starts on the left side of the infield. ``Our freshmen aren't playing like freshmen, they're playing like veterans out there,'' Burt said. ``Roger and Jon Jay pretty much carried us (in the super regionals).'' Another first-year player, right-handed starter Cesar Carrillo (11-0, 2.73 ERA) carries a perfect record to Omaha. He teams with Cockroft (9-4, 3.41), Brandon Camardese (6-2, 3.86) and Dan Touchet (5-1, 3.69) in a talented rotation. With players like Burt who tops the team with a .373 average, 14 homers and 72 RBIs leading the Hurricanes' lineup, Miami is ready to prove that last year's Omaha appearance was just a warmup. ``A lot of the guys are confident and saying that that if we don't win it's going to be a disappointment,'' catcher Erick San Pedro said. ``We expect to win.''

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