June 25, 2002

Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) -- - Miami finished the 2002 season with a 34-29 overall record, including a postseason run that resulted in the Hurricanes coming within three outs of a return trip to the College World Series in Omaha, NE. As a result of its 4-2 postseason record, Miami finished as high as 17th in the final 2002 by Collegiate Baseball newspaper.

Entering the postseason with a 30-27 record, Miami was the third seed in the Gainesville Regional. UM opened with a victory over cross-town rival FIU, then proceeded to defeat the top-seeded and host Gators in two of three games en route to the regional championship.

UM then advanced to the Super Regional round, the sweet 16 of college baseball, where it traveled to Columbia, SC to face national No. 6 seed South Carolina. USC defeated Miami 10-7 in the opener, but the Hurricanes rebounded to win the second game 5-2. In the third game, UM built a 4-1 lead going into the ninth inning, but the Gamecocks rallied for five runs to pull out a 6-4 win in the decisive third game.

The Hurricanes were also ranked 17th by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association of America (NCBWA) and 20th by both Baseball America and in the Baseball Weekly/USA Today Coaches Poll.

Miami has been ranked in the Collegiate Baseball final polling in 31 of the past 34 seasons since 1969.

UM has been ranked in the final Baseball America poll 21 times since 1981, as well as the 10 seasons of the Baseball Weekly Coaches Poll since 1992.