Canes Survive Southern Miss, Punch Ticket to Super Regionals

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — For the first time in eight years, the Miami Hurricanes are heading back to the NCAA Super Regionals, surviving a pressure-packed 5-4 battle against top-seeded Southern Miss in the final game of the Hattiesburg Regional on Monday night.

This win was a character-revealing performance from a team that’s battled adversity all season. Behind clutch pitching, timely hitting, and a never-say-die attitude, the Hurricanes earned their 13th trip to the Super Regionals in program history.

Right-hander Will Smith was the calming force Miami needed out of the bullpen. In just his third win of the year, Smith delivered three innings of crucial relief, allowing only one run on a single hit and punching out four. Starter Reese Lumpkin laid the foundation early, while Rob Evans and Brian Walters finished the job, with Walters locking down a nail-biting ninth to seal the win.

The night began with fireworks from designated hitter Derek Williams, whose 411-foot solo blast gave the Hurricanes an early lead and ignited the dugout. For Williams, sidelined for weeks due to injury, the moment was personal. “It felt really good,” he said postgame, emotion still fresh. “There were some dark moments. But I’m thankful to be back out there doing what I love for my team.”

Southern Miss answered back in the fourth, briefly tying the game, but Smith extinguished the threat with a rally-killing double play. That momentum swing opened the door for Miami to strike again—and they didn’t miss.

Freshman Michael Torres sparked a two-out rally with a single in the fifth. Jake Ogden followed with an RBI double, and Max Galvin tacked on another run with a single. The Hurricanes led 3-1 and never trailed again.

Senior Dorian Gonzalez Jr. added insurance with a no-doubt homer in the sixth, his 11th of the season, stretching the lead to 4-1. Torres’ infield single later in the inning plated Williams and pushed it to 5-1. That extra cushion proved vital.

Southern Miss wasn’t done. A run in the seventh and a two-run homer by Carson Paetow in the bottom of the ninth brought the Golden Eagles within one. The crowd at Pete Taylor Park roared with hope. But Walters silenced them with a pop-up to end it—his teammates exploding into celebration as he clinched the final out.

Afterward, head coach J.D. Arteaga, beaming and exhausted, reflected on the grit of his team. “There’s no script for a game like this,” he said. “You just try to steal outs when you can. These guys—Lumpkin, Will, Rob, Walters—they gave everything. I’m just thankful we get to keep playing baseball with this group.”

Smith, a fifth-year veteran who had tasted heartbreak in past regionals, summed it up: “We were not going to lose that game today. You knew it the moment we walked into breakfast.”

Now, the Hurricanes shift their focus to Louisville, where a best-of-three showdown against the Cardinals awaits. The prize? A ticket to Omaha and a shot at college baseball’s biggest stage.

Miami may not have been perfect Monday night—but they were resilient. And in June, that’s what matters most.

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