Coral Gables (FL) Regional Final Open Thread

NCAA Tournament Coral Gables Regional Final
Location: Alex Rodriguez Park - Mark Light Field | Coral Gables, Florida 
Date: Sunday, June 1st to Monday June 2nd (if necessary)
Official Site Notes
Radio: Affiliates

Regional Matches: The Coral Gables Regional is already through four games, with one team already out of the tourney and another without a loss. Here is a recap of all the games played in this tournament.

Game 1: Friday, May 30th @ 1:00 pm on ESPN3 
Texas Tech Starting Pitcher: LHP Johhny Drozd (7-0, 2.03)
Columbia Starting Pitcher: LHP Thomas Crispi  (3-2, 4.54)
Final Score & Box Score: - Columbia 2, Texas Tech 3 - Box Score

Game 2: Friday, May 30th @ 6:00 pm on ESPN3 
Miami Winning Pitcher: LHP Andrew Suarez (6-3, 2.95)
Bethune-Cookman Losing Pitcher: RHP Scott Garner (1-4, 5.62)
Final Score & Box Score: - Bethune-Cookman 0, Miami (FL) 1 - Box Score

Game 3: Saturday, May 31st @ 1:00 pm on ESPN3 
Bethune-Cookman Winning Pitcher: RHP Zuniga (8-4, 2.59)
Columbia Losing Pitcher: RHP Kevin Roy (6-6, 3.06)
Final Score & Box Score: - Bethune-Cookman 6, Columbia 5 - Box Score

Game 4: Saturday, May 31st @ 6:00 pm on ESPN3 
Texas Tech Winning Pitcher: LHP Dylan Dusek (7-0, 2.08)
Miami Losing Pitcher: LHP Chris Diaz (9-1, 2.32)
Final Score & Box Score: - Texas Tech 3, Miami (FL) 0 - Box Score

Here are the games that will be going on today:

Game 5: Sunday, June 1st @ 1:00 pm on ESPN3 
Bethune-Cookman Starting Pitcher: -
Miami Starting Pitcher: -
Final Score & Box Score: - Miami 10, Bethune-Cookman 0

Game 6: Sunday, June 1st @ 6:00 pm on ESPN3 
Texas Tech Starting Pitcher: RHP Ryan Mosley (1-2, 3.86)
Miami Starting Pitcher: RHP Javi Salas (4-3, 3.04)
Final Score & Box Score: -

For those of you who couldn't watch the previous two baseball games, here are my analysis over those games:

MikeTTU Game 1 Analysis:

After a disappointing showing in the Big XII tourney, Texas Tech (RPI 17) was selected as a 2nd seed (instead of a 1st seed) in the Coral Gables Regional. Their first match-up? Against 3rd seed Columbia (37 RPI), who many thought deserved a 2nd seed.

The game started off as a pitching dual, with two pro baseball capable pitchers going toe for toe, exchanging outs and strikeouts. In the bottom of the 3rd, Columbia ran into trouble with the bases load and two outs, but Thanopoulos was able to get Eric Gutierrez to fly out to end in the inning. The following half inning, Columbia returned the favor, loading up the bases with a single out. Chris Sadberry was able to get Maguire to hit into a double play situation, but Maguire was able to beat out Burleson's throw from second to take the 1-0 lead over the Red Raiders. Texas Tech once again loaded up the bases in the bottom of the 4th with one out, but fly outs by Hunter Redman and Stephen Smith ended the inning.

Bryant Burleson lead off the 5th inning with a double, but after outs by Tyler Neslony and Gutierrez, it seemed Tech was continuing their string of bad luck. However, when Texas Tech needed it the most, Adam Kirsch elevated a pitch over the left field wall for a 2-1 lead. Columiba was able to tie the game in the next inning though through sacrifices, a wild pitch and an error. Texas Tech Reliever Johhny Drozd and  Columbia Thomas Crispi then entered the game and pitched 2 stellar innings leading into the 9th. In the bottom of the 9th, Stephen Smith lead the inning with a walk (who then was replaced by Zach Davis), followed by a sacrifice by Bryan Burleson. Neslony then hit what looked up a pop out to the 2nd baseman, but he dropped the ball, and Neslony was able to reach 1st safely. With the runner on 1st and 2nd, with Eric Gutierrez up the plate, amazing happened. Gutierrez wasted away several pitches before taking the 9th pitch to the left center gap, scoring Zach Davis and walking off.

Sadberry pitched an good game, allowing 2 ER on 5 hits in 5.1 IP and distributing 5 K's. Johhny Drozd then finished up the job, pitching 3.2 innings, only allowing 2 hits and issuing a strikeout. Adam Kirsch had an outstanding game, going 1 for 1 with a 2 run shot in the 5th, and walking 3 times in the game. Proudfoot also played well,  going 1 for 1, walking twice and laying down a successful sacrifice. Finally, even though Gutierrez struggled throughout the game with fly outs and double plays, he came through when Texas Tech needed him most. That's what great players do, even when they struggle and aren't playing their best, they come through when they need too.

You can check out tomorrow's game against either 1st seed Miami (15 RPI) or Bethune-Cookman (RPI 202) tomorrow at 6pm on ESPN 3. The winner of that game advances to the regional championship, the loser faces the winner of tomorrow's elimination game. Interesting fact, Bethune-Cookman's pitcher has beaten the Hurricanes twice this season already. We'll post the starting pitcher for tomorrow's game when we know who it is.

MikeTTU Game 2 Analysis:

Miami ended up beating Bethune-Cookman on a walk-off wild pitch on Friday night to face the Red Raiders. The pitchers selected for the dual would be two with incredible stats, as Miami picked LHP Chris Diaz (9-0, 2.32 ERA) and Texas Tech choose LHP Dylan Dusek (6-0, 2.35 ERA). A pitching dual was among us.

After a fairly quiet 1st inning, Texas Tech starting breaking the silence in the 2nd. After an Adam Kirsch out, both Ryan Long and Devon Conley successfully bunted aboard. After a passed ball by Miami catcher Zach Collins, in which both Long and Conley advanced a plate, Tim Proudfoot was able to find a hole between the 3rd baseman and Shortstop for a RBI single. With Hunter Redman at the plate, Collins once again allowed a passed ball, making way for Conley to score from 3rd base. Redman and Stephen Smith would be the final outs of the inning.

On the defensive side of the ball, Dylan Dusek was pitching a classic. Through the first 3 innings, he only allowed four base runners and struck out two others. Dusek ran into trouble in the bottom of the 4th though. With two outs in the inning and runners on 1st and 2nd, Jacob Heyward (brother of Braves OF Jason Heyward) came up to the plate and struckout. Dusek's 3rd strike ended up knocking the glove out of Redman's hand, so he picked up the ball and threw it to first for the out. However, the umpires discussed the play, and ended up ruling it catcher's interference, allowing Heyward to take 1st. The telecast reviewed the play several times, and it was CLEAR that Redman dropped the glove, and that the bat never touched it. Dylan kept his poise though and was able to get Dale Carey to pop out.

Over the Dusek's last four innings, he allowed only one base runner. He would leave the game in the 9th with 8.0 innings pitched, allowing 4 hits, a walk and distributing 3 strikeouts. During the 8th, Smith was able to reach bag on an infield single, followed by a walk by Bryan Burleson. After a Tyler Neslony sacrifice and a pitching change, Gutierrez would hit a shallow outfield single to score Smith. Kirsch and Long would then strikeout to end the side. Corey Taylor then came on in the 9th inning, Miami's Brad Fieger singled to center, followed by a strikeout and a Alex Hernadez single to left. Taylor was able to close out the occasion with a line-out to 3rd and a fly out to left.

Miami and Bethune-Cookman will square off tomorrow at 1pm to determine who will face Texas Tech in the regional final. The final will be at 6pm tomorrow, with the Red Raiders only needing one win to secure a Regional win, while the winner of Miami and Bethune-Cookman will need two. If Tech wins, there is a good chance they could host the Super Regional, with #1 Florida being eliminated today.