Miami earns first sweep in weeks, will soon learn if it is finalist to host regional

The weekend proved, if nothing else, to be a serious mood-lifter for the University of Miami.

The unranked Hurricanes did over the weekend what they knew was imperative to stay in the running for an upcoming berth in the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. They swept their three-game series against nonconference opponent Appalachian State, a team with a losing record that would have proved nearly fatal for Miami had the Hurricanes lost.

Miami (27-15, 15-14 Atlantic Coast Conference) prevailed 10-2 Sunday at Mark Light Field, despite a 2-hour, 19-minute rain delay. The Canes beat App State (16-26, 7-8 Sun Belt) 16-1 Saturday night and 4-2 Friday night, with Sunday’s game called after six innings because of a curfew that couldn’t extend the start of an inning after 6 p.m.

With seven games remaining in the Canes’ regular season, the NCAA is expected to announce Monday up to 20 sites that are finalists to host the four-team regionals for the first weekend of NCAA tournament play in early June.

Only 16 programs will be selected as host sites, but Kendall Rogers of DIBaseball.com tweeted late last month, through sources, that the NCAA “will now announce 20 possible Regional host sites the week of May 10, and will dwindle that number to 16 the night before Selection Monday [on Memorial Day]. This allows more teams to compete for host sites.’’

UM has three home games May 14-16 against Georgia Tech, a May 18 home game against FAU and a three-game weekend series at Louisville May 20-22 before the ACC Tournament May 25-20 in Charlotte.

The Canes, who earned their first sweep Sunday since sweeping Clemson April 18, need to win as many games as possible before the NCAA tournament field of 64 is announced May 31 live on ESPN.

As for Sunday’s game, UM’s lightning alarm went off after one pitch in the bottom of the second and the game was halted for a weather delay. Then, as the rain began to fall at 1:45 p.m., out came the tarp.

Here’s what happened before that:

The Mountaineers struck first with two runs in the first inning. UM responded with four runs in the bottom of the first. Adrian Del Castillo (3 for 4, 2 RBI) doubled down the left-field line, scoring Tony Jenkins and Anthony Vilar, both of whom reached on walks. Adrian’s older brother Christian (3 for 3, 3 RBI) then followed with a double to right-center that scored Adrian. Raymond Gil’s single up the middle drove home Christian to make it 4-2 Canes.

After the rain delay, Miami mounted a two-out rally with a double by Vilar, RBI-single by Yohandy Morales (2 for 3, 4 RBI) and RBI-single by Christian Del Castillo. The Canes led 6-2 after two innings, 7-2 after four and 10-2 after five.