The Rivalry is Back

   Alonso was the hero against FAU Wednesday, but can the Canes stay #1 after FSU?

It's good to have the Miami-Florida State rivalry back at the apex of College Baseball, with #1 ranked Miami traveling to Tallahassee to face #2 FSU this weekend. As someone who spent much of the late 1990s and early part of this decade in Tallahassee during the spring, this rivalry can at times define the entire sport of College Baseball. In 1999, I attended two of the three games in Tallahassee between the two teams, and saw FSU's only win over Miami that season. The Hurricanes went on to win the National Championship, including a come from behind victory in the title game of the College World Series against Florida State.

Miami's move to the ACC coupled with the addition of two other new teams to the ACC has cut the number of games a year played between the two schools from six to three. It has also forced a change in Miami's longstanding rivalry with local power Florida Atlantic, and Florida State's series with Florida into a combination of one off mid week games. (Interestingly Miami and Florida have been able to keep their traditional early season series but that about kills Miami's non conference weekend schedule for the season) Last night, Yonder Alonso hit a two out, two run homer to defeat FAU a team that has played Miami about as well as anyone this season.

But the Hurricanes have not faced anyone of FSU's caliber yet. That having been said Florida State hasn't faced anyone of Miami's caliber yet. Add to this the real possibility that Miami ace Eric Erickson could return to the starting rotation for Sunday's potential rubber match. "I’m not sure [if he'll pitch]," Manager Jim Morris told the Miami Herald Wednesday. "I’ll know more today after practice when he throws his first bullpen in a month. I do expect him to be back to be honest, but I don’t know that for right now."

Whether or not Erickson does return the Canes rotation has been fine this season. Freshman Chris Hernandez will start either Friday or Saturday and he has been to this point in the season simply awesome. But Florida State's pitching is if anything even better than Miami's. 

This is going to be fun: A renewal of the biggest rivalry in college baseball with the national #1 ranking on the line. Miami-Florida State in April: It doesn't get any better and bigger than this.