UM baseball team beats VCU, advances to College World Series – Miami Herald

Next stop: Omaha, Nebraska.

With chants of “OMAHA!” echoing through Mark Light Field, the four-time national champion Miami Hurricanes earned their first berth in the College World Series since 2008 by defeating Virginia Commonwealth University 10-3 Saturday.

Thanks to a gritty, walk-on Miami grad-student-turned-hero named Sam Abrams and timely hitting from an offensive powerhouse that couldn’t connect for a chunk of the game, the Miami Hurricanes’ goal of a fifth national title is firmly in hand.

With the score tied at 3-3, UM went ahead 4-3 in the fourth when Jacob Heyward reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second, stole third and scored on a passed ball.

The Canes (49-15) added five in the seventh to cushion their lead to 9-3. And Willie Abreu’s solo home run in the ninth, which continued the “OMAHA!’’ chants from the crowd of 3,680, finished off the Rams.

But the hero? Senior pitcher Abrams, a slightly built 180-pounder who has never earned a dollar of baseball scholarship money and had pitched a combined 14 innings in his three previous seasons. He was even cut during tryouts before his sophomore season.

Saturday, Abrams earned his second career victory in the biggest game of his life.

A Miamian who played at Killian High, Abrams prevailed in the end. He entered the game to replace struggling starter Thomas Woodrey with no outs and bases loaded in the bottom of the third (UM was visiting team). He struck out the first two batters and got the last one to fly out to right field.

Abrams, whose name was chanted repeatedly Saturday by a crazed UM crowd, went a career-high four innings, allowing a single hit and no runs. He struck out four and did not walk anyone.

Bryan Garcia closed out the game for Miami.