Miami baseball loses ACC Championship game after late Clemson rally

Clemson overcame a 5-3 deficit with an eight-run seventh inning to defeat the Miami baseball team11-5 on Sunday afternoon in the ACC Tournament title game. Miami will find out its NCAA Tournament fate on Monday at noon ET on ESPN2. Miami is projected to host a regional next weekend as a top 16 national seed.

Miami rallied from its own deficit on Sunday after Clemson led 3-0 after two innings. The Hurricanes scored two runs in the third, one in the fourth and two in the fifth to seize a 5-3 lead. That lead held until the seventh-inning explosion by Clemson. C.J. Jayfus and Jacoby Long each had two hits for Miami.

Four Clemson players had multiple hits. Riley Bertram led the Tigers with four RBIs and Will Taylor drove in three. Tristan Smith, Jackson Lindley and Ryan Ammons shut out Miami over the final 5.1 innings. Miami had two runners on in the ninth inning but was unable to score. Expect several Hurricanes on the All-Tournament team.

Miami accomplished a lot in Durham this weekend. Big wins over North Carolina State and Duke in pool play on Thursday and Friday followed by a win in the semifinals over top seed and number one ranked in the country Wake Forest on Saturday solidified hosting a regional for the Miami baseball team next weekend.

The Hurricanes were in the discussion for a top eight national seed and potentially hosting through the super-regional with a win over Clemson. The Tigers are one of the hottest teams in the country with 16 straight wins. Miami has not lost two consecutive games since getting swept at Virginia in April.

The ACC is expected to receive at least eight NCAA Tournament bids. Finishing in fourth place in the ACC this season with an 18-12 record in the regular season and then 3-1 in the ACC Tournament has been impressive. Miami will have to advance out of the regional for Gino Di Mare to silence his critics.