NCAA Baseball Super Regional ACCtion: Sunday, June 8
Three ACC teams are OMAHA BOUND!



June 8, 2008 




OMAHA BOUND! Tar Heels Capture Super Regional Title Over Coastal Carolina

CARY, N.C. (AP) - Adam Warren threw six innings of two-hit ball, Dustin Ackley drove in three runs and North Carolina beat Coastal Carolina 14-4 on Sunday to win the Cary Super Regional and reach the College World Series for the third straight year.

Warren took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and every starter had at least one hit for the Tar Heels (51-12), who scored six runs in the second, led 12-0 in the sixth and then celebrated their latest berth in Omaha by dogpiling behind the mound.

Next up: The winner of the Baton Rouge Super Regional either UC-Irvine or LSU next weekend at Rosenblatt Stadium.

One day after hard-throwing Alex White dominated the Chanticleers' hitters in a series-opening 9-4 victory, it was Warren's turn to show why the Tar Heels boast the nation's best pitching staff.

He struck out three and lost his no-hitter with two outs in the fifth when second baseman Kyle Seager lost Tyler Bortnick's pop-up in the sun, before he was relieved in the seventh by Colin Bates. Warren (9-1) won his third straight decision and earn his first victory of the NCAA tournament.

Tim Federowicz also drove in three runs and Tim Fedroff and Garrett Gore had two RBIs apiece for North Carolina, which improved to 5-0 in the NCAAs and outscored its opponents 51-20 in two straight weekend sweeps. Their last loss in the tournament came last June in Omaha, where they were beaten by Oregon State in the championship series for the second straight year.

OMAHA BOUND! Hurricanes Take Series with 4-2 win

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - Yonder Alonso homered and Enrique Garcia pitched six effective innings as Miami defeated Arizona 4-2 and won their Super Regional Series Sunday night.

Miami's three first inning runs stood as the Hurricanes (52-9) won the series two games to one and advanced to their 23rd College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

"It was a very a tough Super Regional," Miami head coach Jim Morris said. "Every game came down to the end."It's great to know we're going back to Omaha."

Reliever Carlos Gutierrez pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for his 13th save of the season.

Arizona, which won the series opener Friday, stranded seven runners in scoring position.

The Wildcats (42-19) loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth but Gutierrez sprinted off the mound, retrieved Rafael Valenzuela's chopper down the third base line and threw out Valenzuela at first for the final out.

Miami freshman left-hander Chris Hernandez, who started Friday's opener, entered with Arizona runners on first and third with two out and retired Jon Gaston on one pitch with a force out. Gaston, who hit a game-winning three-run home run Friday, went hitless in four at bats.

Alonso's two-run homer in the top of the first off Arizona starter Eric Berger gave the Hurricanes a 3-0 lead. Miami scored earlier in the inning on Jemile Weeks' RBI double.



OMAHA BOUND! Seminoles Headed To 19th College World Series 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Senior Ryan Strauss pitched six innings of scoreless relief and seniors Buster Posey and Jack Rye hit long home runs to lead Florida State to an 11-4 victory over Wichita State and into the College World Series for the first time since 2000. The Seminoles won the best two-out-of-three games series by a 2-1 margin after losing the first game. The Seminoles outscored the Shockers 25-8 in their two victories after losing the first game 10-7.

It marks the 19th trip to the CWS for Florida State and the 13th under head coach Mike Martin. It marks the third time the Seminoles have advanced to the CWS out of the Super Regional format which was instituted in 1999.

The Seminoles scored six runs in their first at bat in the top of the first inning. A three-run home run by Rye scored shortstop Jason Stidham and Posey to make the score 3-0. After three consecutive walks to first basman Dennis Guinn, left fielder Mike McGee and designated hitter Stephen Cardullo, the bases were cleared for the second time in the inning on a three-run double to left center field by second baseman Tommy Oravetz to make the score 6-0.

The double by Oravetz chased out Wichita State starter Anthony Capra (9-1) with two outs and six runs across the plate. It was the shortest outing of Capra's career as a starter. Capra was replaced by Tim Kelley who recorded the final out of the inning as he got Stidham to fly out to left.

Georgia Ends Pack's Season with 17-8 Game 3 Victory 

ATHENS, Ga. - NC State's bid to earn the second College World Series berth in school history ended early Sunday afternoon, as nine of Georgia's first 10 batters scored in the bottom of the first inning of a 17-8 victory in Game 3 of the NCAA Athens Super Regional.

The Bulldogs sent 14 hitters to the plate against three NC State pitchers in their opening at-bat in front of a sell-out crowd of 3,512 spectators. Georgia didn't need any insurance, but added six more runs later in the game on five home runs. Two of those were by All-America shortstop Gordon Beckham, who tied Georgia's career home run record with 51. Reserve Joey Lewis, third baseman Ryan Peisel and catcher Bryce Massanari hit one each.

It was the most runs given up by the Wolfpack all season.

The Wolfpack (42-22) ends its season with at least 40 wins for the 13th time in school history and the third time in the last four years.