After the Los Angeles Regional, most people just figured Maryland center fielder Lamonte Wade was a cleat-wearing superhero. In the span of four days, we’d seen make an insane home run theft, hose two guys at the plate and knock two pitches out of the park. So as Wade barreled toward the left-center wall in the eighth inning against Virginia — tracking a ball that, if caught, would snuff out a bases-loaded Cavaliers rally and preserve a one-run Terrapins lead — SportsCenter was already queuing the music.
Instead, the ball kicked off the heal of Wade’s glove, clearing the bases and capping a five-run frame that turned a 3-0 Maryland lead into an eventual 5-3 loss in Game 1 of the Charlottesville Super Regional.
Doherty steps up to plate. Hits Bomb. Brings home 3 and the lead for Virginia! #RoadToOmaha http://t.co/HAMGrovsxK
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 5, 2015
It had been going so smoothly for Maryland, too. Pitcher of the Year candidate Mike Shawaryn motored through the first seven innings with zero runs and just five hits. When he gave up consecutive singles with one out in the eighth, the Terps handed it off to Kevin Mooney, the all-time saves leader in school history.
But Mooney got flat-out shelled. A guy who came in with a 1.89 ERA immediately gave up back-to-back singles to make it 3-2, then threw a pitch in the dirt to put two men in scoring position. After an intentional walk, Virginia’s Kevin Doherty smoked the pitch that Wade couldn’t track down.
Now one loss from being sent home, the Terps need to do on Saturday what they couldn’t do in the eighth inning on Friday: settle down and get back to being the team that knocked off No. 1 seed UCLA in the regionals. That, and send Wade back into the phone booth for his cape.
Let’s take a look at the other three games from Friday night.
Miami 3, VCU 2
When the Hurricanes dropped a three-spot in the second inning, you figured the highest-scoring offense in college baseball was getting ready to run away and hide against the only four-seed left in the field. But VCU starter JoJo Howie and reliever Matt Lees combined to allow just two more Miami hits the rest of the way.
Canes starter Andy Suarez was dominant through the first five frames (one run on three hits), but a 90-minute lightning delay knocked him out of the game in the sixth. VCU immediately took advantage, tacking on a run to cut the deficit to one.
It wouldn’t get any closer than that — the Miami pen clamped down, retiring VCU batters in order in the seventh, eighth and ninth to close out the win.
Arkansas 18, Missouri State 4
Typically, the concept of home field advantage doesn’t really apply to baseball. But in the college game, where small school players are sporadically dropped into big crowds at larger schools, I’d argue that it’s real.
This could help describe why Missouri State — which averages less than 700 fans at home games — played like a bunch of intimidated school kids in front of a record 11,869 in Fayetteville. The Hogs smashed 18 hits, two of which left the yard, and this thing was a nine-run game by the sixth.
But you know who wasn’t intimidated by the crowd? THIS DUDE:
That’s one brave bear! We tip our cap to you sir… #RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/96bJhDq7o0
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 5, 2015
Florida 13, Florida State 5
All but one of the guys in the Gators starting lineup notched a hit and otherworldly freshman JJ Schwarz went yard for the 17th time this season. Florida State stranded 22 baserunners and had four errors.
To summarize:
BOMBS AWAY! JJ Schwarz launches one to put Florida up 7-0. #RoadToOmaha http://t.co/kBo7LSvqJV
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 6, 2015
Updated bracket
