For the first time since 2016, the Miami Hurricanes are heading to a Super Regional. The No. 3-seeded Canes clinched the Hattiesburg Regional Monday night with a tense 5-4 victory over host and No. 16 national seed Southern Miss, holding off a furious late rally by the Golden Eagles.
It marks the 13th Super Regional appearance in program history for Miami, and their first regional championship in nine years. The win capped a hard-fought four-day stretch in Hattiesburg that saw the Hurricanes ride early dominance, recover from a blowout loss, and finally seal the deal in a winner-take-all Game 7.
The Hurricanes wasted no time making a statement in the regional. On Day 1, Miami took down No. 2 seed Alabama to set the tone. They followed it up with a 14-1 dismantling of Ivy League champion Columbia on Saturday, a team that had shocked Southern Miss in the regional opener. That win put the Canes just one victory away from the Super Regionals.
But Sunday brought adversity. The Golden Eagles came roaring back in front of a packed home crowd, unleashing a 17-6 beatdown of Miami to force a decisive Game 7. With their season on the line Monday night, the Hurricanes responded with resilience and timely pitching.
Right-handers Reese Lumpkin and Will Smith steadied the ship for Miami in the winner-take-all game. The duo combined for 6.1 innings of two-run ball, quieting the same Southern Miss bats that exploded the night before.
On offense, the Canes came alive in the middle innings. They plated two runs in the fifth and added two more in the sixth to stretch their lead to 5-1. Key contributions came from across the lineup, as Miami executed small ball and capitalized on Southern Miss mistakes.
But the regional finale was anything but easy. Southern Miss refused to go quietly, launching a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to cut the lead to 5-4. With the tying run on base, the pressure was on Miami’s bullpen.
Ultimately, the Canes shut the door with a routine flyout to left field, triggering a dogpile celebration on the infield as Miami punched its ticket to the Super Regionals.
With the win, Miami now awaits its Super Regional opponent as the NCAA Baseball Championship narrows down to the final 16 teams. It’s a significant milestone for a storied program that has claimed four national championships and is eager to return to Omaha.
After years of postseason frustration, the Hurricanes are storming into the next round with momentum, grit, and a clear goal: a return to the College World Series.
