— When they faced their in-state rival earlier this year, things didn't go as the Hurricanes would have liked. They were without one of their starting pitchers. Their lineup was still somewhat unsettled. And ultimately, those two factors proved costly for Miami.
The Hurricanes dropped two of three against Florida in Gainesville back in February during an early-season showdown between a pair of top-10 teams. Now, as the two teams prepare to meet Saturday night with higher stakes on the line at the College World Series, Miami's players and coaches say they feel confident the Hurricanes are a stronger, better team — and they're ready to see how they now match up against the Gators, who like the Hurricanes, have been playing impressive baseball of late.