2026 NCAA Tournament Central for Miami Baseball: How to Watch
The Miami Hurricanes look for back-to-back Super Regional appearances, but they have been placed in a familiar and unlucky regional that has haunted them for over two decades.
The Gainesville Regional prepares for the Canes, hosts the Florida Gators, Troy Trojans, and the Rider Broncs.
This is another opportunity for the Canes to restore order in the state and remind the country why the team is viewed as a blue blood.
It's a great opportunity, man," head coach J.D. Arteaga said. "It's a new season. Everybody starts 0-0. We're part of the field of 64. And this is what you play for. You play the first 56 games. And we started all fall and everything to get to this point, this opportunity to go play no matter where it's at. We got an opportunity to stay in state and go to Gainesville.
"And Troy is our number one objective right now, is trying to get that game one and then get into that winner's bracket game on Saturday. So we're excited and ready to go.
Regional Team Breakdown
Florida Gators
The 2023 National Championship is one of the most dangerous teams in the country, even after losing to the Georgia Bulldogs in the Semifinals of the SEC Tournament after holding a 6-0 lead for six innings.
The Gators have a dangerous offense and a great starting pitching rotation, very similar to the Hurricanes'. The Hurricanes will also see one of the most dangerous hitters in the country, once on their own team, in Blake Cyr, who has been unstoppable over the past few weekends.
Troy Trojans
The Trojans finished tied for third in the Sun Belt Conference while reaching the semifinals of the conference tournament. They finished with a 32-26 record, which also came against some of the toughest competition in the country.
Troy played the eighth hardest strength of schedule in 2026, and the No. 2 non-conference strength of schedule. They finished No. 35 in the RPI, winning eight times over conference champions (including the SEC’s Georgia and the Sun Belt’s Southern Miss), and won 19 times vs. teams in the RPI’s Top 100.
Rider Broncs
Losing your coach before the season starts is one of the hardest things to overcome, but the Broncs have been able to overcome it and win a conference championship thanks to the team's resilience. Finishing with a 33-18, 22-8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference record, they have a star pitcher, senior right-hander PJ Craig, who tossed seven shutout innings to win the conference championship
Craig was named tournament MVP, only giving up two runs and five hits over his two appearances (16 innings, 12 strikeouts).
Projected Starting Rotation and Lineup
Starting Lineup Miami | Projected Pitching Rotation |
|---|---|
Jake Ogden, 2B | Friday Starter: Lazaro Collera |
Max Galvin, LF | Saturday Starter: Rob Evans |
Derek Williams, RF | Sunday Starter: AJ Ciscar |
Alex Sosa, 1B | Monday Starter (If Nessary): Sebastion Santos-Olson |
Alonzo Alvarez, C | |
Dylan Dubovik, DH | |
Gabriel Milano, 3B | |
Vance Sheahan, SS | |
Fabio Peralta, CF |
The Hurricanes have been around with their rotation all season, but their offensive lineup without Daniel Cuvet continues to be positive.
The question now is the rotation of players with the pitching staff. Miami's bullpen has been up and down, but against the best offense in the country, the Canes were able to minimize the damage after AJ Ciscar got clipped multiple times. It was the best outing of the group all season at the ACC Baseball Championship, and that is expected for the rest of the season.
Miami's Key Injuries
Daniel Cuvet, 3B
"He's still swinging the bat," head coach J.D. Arteaga said. "Likely won't see him this week, but he is progressing...slowly progressing. The longer we play, the better chance we all have to see him play."
TJ Coats, P
Coats remains out with nerve issues in his throwing arm, taking a hit to the Canes potential rotation of players.
Miami's Path to Super Regionals
Gainesville Regional
Friday, May 29
Game One: 1 p.m. ET* – Rider vs. Florida (ESPN+)
Game Two: 6 p.m. ET* – Troy vs. Miami (ACCN)
Saturday, May 30
Game Three: Time TBA* - Loser Game One vs. Loser Game Two
Game Four: Time TBA* - Winner Game One vs. Winner Game Two
Sunday, May 31
Game Five: Time TBA* - Loser Game Four vs. Winner Game Three
Game Six: Time TBA* - Winner Game Four vs. Winner Game Five
Monday, June 1
Game Seven (if necessary): Time TBA* - Winner Game Six vs. Loser Game Six
Matching Regional for Super Regional: Hattiesburg Regional
Friday, May 29
Game One: 2 p.m. ET* – Little Rock vs. Southern Miss (ESPN+)
Game Two: 6 p.m. ET* – Jacksonville State vs. Virginia (ESPN+)
Saturday, May 30
Game Three: 4 p.m. ET* - Loser Game One vs. Loser Game Two
Game Four: 9 p.m. ET* - Winner Game One vs. Winner Game Two
Sunday, May 31
Game Five: 4 p.m. ET* - Loser Game Four vs. Winner Game Three
Game Six: 9 p.m. ET* - Winner Game Four vs. Winner Game Five
Monday, June 1
Game Seven (if necessary): Time TBA* - Winner Game Six vs. Loser Game Six
*All times subject to change based on TV
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.
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