Miami Hurricanes 2025 Hattiesburg Regional Preview

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Miami, Florida – Believe it or not, the Miami Hurricanes are back in the NCAA tournament, and that means it’s time to scope out the Hattiesburg regional. The Cardiac Canes stumbled late in the season, losing six of their last seven games, but were still able to secure a three-seed spot, beating out less fortunate programs such as Connecticut, Virginia, and Xavier. This will be UM’s 50th tournament appearance, the seventh in the last ten years. The Golden Eagles are the hosts as No. 16 Southern Miss squares off against Ivy League champion Columbia Friday evening. Miami, meanwhile, kicks off the regional against SEC foe Alabama during the afternoon.

Griffin Hugus, Max Galvin, Brian Walters, Jake Ogden and Daniel Cuvet spoke to the media today before the team departs for the Hattiesburg Regional ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/4xsn0lrC1A

— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) May 27, 2025

The Hurricanes wrapped up the 2025 season finishing 31-24 overall and 15-14 within ACC play. After a bruising gauntlet within the schedule that included three straight ranked opponents, Miami went on an unexpected run of 10 consecutive conference wins and five winning weekends in a row, significantly raising the team’s RPI. Reviving their postseason hopes via victories over Duke, Georgia Tech, and NC State, UM did just enough in the committee’s eyes despite an embarrassing early exit in the ACC Championship with one of the hardest schedules.

UM is 132-54 overall in regionals and will need to overcome its struggles on the road. They concluded the slate an anemic 7-14. Here are the other three teams that make up the Hattiesburg regional:

Alabama Crimson Tide

Record: 41-16 (16-14 SEC)

RPI: 13

SOS: 28

.@AlabamaBSB features a versatile offense that has power (91 homers, .488 slugging percentage) and the ability to manufacture runs (.397 on-base, 52 steals in 59 attempts).

The Crimson Tide leads the Hattiesburg Regional in runs scored (439) and average runs per game (7.7). pic.twitter.com/x8lQNC8sHg

— D1Baseball (@d1baseball) May 29, 2025

Roll Tide

Hailing from Miramar, Florida, All-American shortstop Justin Lebron is the superstar on this team. Lebron raked freshman year, hitting .338 with nine doubles, 12 homers and 37 RBIs, while also showing a great glove up the middle. Slashing .315/.422/.644, he leads the team in runs (60), doubles (17), home runs (18), RBIs (72), and stolen bases (17). He could very well be a headache for Miami’s pitching. Another guy worth mentioning is Crimson Tide Closer and National Pitcher of the Year Semi-finalist Carson Ozmer.

With a program record 17 saves, he leads all Division I relievers, having appeared in a team-high 28 games. Ozmer owns an impressive 2.89 ERA, holding opponents to a .191 batting average, notching 47 strikeouts. Carson will be a difficult arm to get past, he has not allowed a run in 22 of his 28 outings. Tyler Fay is who the Canes will likely face on Friday. Fay moved out of the bullpen to become the Friday night ace in mid-April. Despite efficient outings, he picked up his first win as a starter in the postseason during the first round of the SEC tournament, tossing a career-high six innings while punching out six and holding Missouri to a run. Although he’s 1-2 with a 4.71 ERA, the redshirt sophomore logged 41 strikeouts in nearly 50 innings pitched.

There’s a reunion worth mentioning. Former Hurricane Jason Torres was one of the top bats that transferred last year. He started in every game for the Crimson Tide, hitting .259 complemented by a .851 OPS, consisting of five doubles, 11 homers, and 37 RBIs.

Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Record: 44-14 (24-6 Sun Belt)

RPI: 19

SOS: 73

Jake Cook and Nick Monistere form a dynamic duo atop the @SouthernMissBSB lineup 🤝

Cook is blazing fast and seemingly on base all the time (.438 OBP), and Monistere is hitting .338 with team highs in homers (19), RBIs (68) and slug (.641). pic.twitter.com/32gULtWpBn

— D1Baseball (@d1baseball) May 29, 2025

Ready to Soar

Southern Miss is brimming with athleticism and power. JB Middleton is their dominant Friday night starter who finished the season with a nearly flawless 10-1 record supported by a 2.01 ERA and a razor-sharp 0.83 WHIP. Holding hitters to a .168 batting average, Middleton struck out 114 in 98.1 innings pitched. Shifting to the plate, there’s a trio of sluggers that are nothing but trouble for opposing pitchers. Nick Monistere is a veteran presence and powerful bat, hitting .338, reinforced by a 1.066 OPS. Monistere leads the team in runs (55), hits (79), home runs (19), RBIs (68), and even steals (7).

Matthew Russo is Bash Brother Number Two. Russo’s .289 average may not be as impressive, however, he’s second in homers with 17, as well as manufacturing 10 doubles and 54 RBIs. Carson Paetow rounds out the group, hitting .275 with a .952 OPS. Paetow recorded a team-best 17 doubles in addition to 15 home runs (third-most) and 59 RBIs (second-most). He may have struck out a team-leading 71 times, but he also walked the most (33), making him a dangerous bat. The Golden Eagles hit a total of 97 home runs combined this season. That’s a lot of power.

Columbia Lions

Record: 29-17 (16-5 Ivy League)

RPI: 60

SOS: 179

The stage is set.#RoarLionRoar 🦁 // #OnlyHere 🗽 // #RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/D2bX8ExJ41

— Columbia Baseball (@CULionsBaseball) May 29, 2025

Hear me roar

The Lions don’t have much in the way of pitching, so I’ll focus on the hitting. Ivy League Player of the Year Sam Miller leads the way with the third-best batting average, hitting .347, coupled with a conference-leading 1.042 OPS. Recording 48 runs, Muller came in second within the Ivy League but leads the conference in home runs (16) and RBIs (55). Anton Lazits hit the second-most dingers in the league with 12, chalking up a .290 average and 1.007 OPS. Lazits accumulated 45 runs, 14 doubles, and 42 RBIs. The outfielder had a terrific Ivy League tournament, hitting in all five contests, producing a .409 average consisting of three homers and six RBIs.

Two-way Senior Griffin Palfrey was one of the top bats entering the year, and the first baseman made his presence known, tallying a .263 batting average including 18 extra-base hits, six home runs, and 44 RBIs. Seen as the Preseason Player of the Year by D1, Palfrey had a bit of a down year but was great in the final against Holy Cross, going 3-for-6 with a pair of two-baggers and a triple, scoring twice and knocking in a run. Columbia may appear to be the weakest link, however, the Lions are one of the hottest teams in the tournament, riding on a nine-game winning streak. No Ivy League team has made it to a Super Regional since 1974. Who knows, maybe they’ll surprise everyone. It’s baseball, anything can happen.

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