UM upsets Louisville in first round of ACC baseball tournament
The Miami Hurricanes are still alive — thanks in large part to Daniel Cuvet and his career-high six-RBI game.
Miami’s baseball team, which started this week’s ACC tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina, needing four wins a row to claim the title and make an NCAA regional, upset seventh-seeded Louisville 8-5 on Tuesday.
The 11th-seeded Canes (26-29) will play second-seeded Clemson (40-13) on Thursday at 11 a.m. (ACC Network).
With a win there, Miami would still need to prevail in the ACC semifinals on Saturday and in Sunday’s title game.
Cuvet, Miami’s freshman third baseman, hit a pair of three-run homers. He gave Miami a 3-0 lead in the first, and he extended the Hurricanes’ advantage to 8-3 in the seventh.
That second homer tied Miami’s freshman record of 23 set by Pat Burrell in 1996. Two years later, Burrell was the first pick in the 1998 MLB Draft.
“It’s an honor,” Cuvet said of matching Burrell. “[The record] is a goal I had. I keep working, and I’m glad it’s led me to this much success.”
Cuvet, who went 3 for 5, ranks first in the nation in RBI by a freshman with 71.
“I love playing day games,” Cuvet said. “This is a beautiful stadium, and I was able to see the ball really well.”
Miami coach J.D. Arteaga called Cuvet a “special” player.
“From Day One, you could see his pure power,” Arteaga said. “But he also enjoys the game. He learns from at-bat to at-bat, and he understands what pitchers are trying to do. He just gets it.”
But Cuvet, a 6-3, 235-pounder from Fort Lauderdale, wasn’t Miami’s only star Tuesday.
Starter Rafe Schlesinger (5-5) allowed just three runs in 5 2/3 innings, which is not bad considering Charlotte’s relatively small ballpark. There were six homers hit on the day, including one by Miami’s Lucas Costello.
Other Miami stars on Tuesday: reliever Myles Caba and center fielder Jacoby Long.
Caba earned his fourth save, allowing two runs in 3 1/3 innings. Long went 2 for 4 with two runs scored, one walk and one exceptional diving catch.
Miami will now turn to ace Gage Ziehl (4-3, 3.93 ERA) against Clemson.
Ziehl beat Clemson 3-2 with a complete-game effort on March 28. Ziehl struck out 15 with no walks and just one earned run.
“This is the guy we want to pitch against them,” Cuvet said of Ziehl. “He had a very good outing last time, and we hope he can do it again.”
Added Arteaga: “Every game for us is a must-win.”
