Miami Baseball Awaits NCAA Bid Following ACC Exit With 9-3 Loss To Georgia Tech

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The fifth-seeded Miami Hurricanes baseball team (38-18, 16-14 ACC) fell to top-seeded Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon in the semifinal round of the 2026 ACC Baseball Tournament, 9-3. The Yellow Jackets used three two-run homers and three Miami errors to power their way to the championship final.

“A lot of credit to Georgia Tech,” Miami coach JD Arteaga said. “That’s a really good team, really good lineup. Their pitching staff did a great job keeping us off balance, mixed it up well.

“Too many mistakes – seven walks, three errors. That’s not going to (beat) a good team. Have to do better against that team. … When you play like we did today, you’re going to lose. … Have to do better.”

Georgia Tech’s Jackson Blakely (8-1) earned the win after allowing two runs on seven hits across 5.2 innings while striking out three. Miami starter AJ Ciscar (5-4) was charged with the loss after surrendering six runs, five earned, in 3.2 innings of work.

“They don’t allow you to make any mistakes,” Arteaga said. “They lead the country in hitting with two strikes. You make a mistake up in the zone, Ciscar made a couple, they are going to make you pay. … They have power 1-9. I’ve seen a lot of good lineups, this ranks up there.”

Georgia Tech wasted little time grabbing control of the semifinal matchup, using a two-run homer from Vahn Lackey in the opening inning to move in front early.

The Yellow Jackets continued to swing the bats in the middle innings as Ryan Zuckerman connected on a two-run shot to center in the third before adding another two-run homer an inning later, extending the Georgia Tech advantage to 6-0.

Miami answered in the sixth inning when freshman Alonzo Alvarez came around to score after Vance Sheahan ripped an RBI double down the left field line, and Dylan Dubovik later crossed the plate on a wild pitch to cut into the deficit.

Georgia Tech responded with runs in each of the next three innings, taking advantage of a pair of wild pitches while also getting an RBI single from Alex Hernandez to stretch the lead to 9-2.

The Hurricanes added one final run in the eighth when Gabriel Milano lifted a sacrifice fly to left field that brought home Alex Sosa, moving the score to 9-3.

“Miami is a really good team,” Georgia Tech coach James Ramsey said of UM after the game. “Miami has a lot of things going right for it.”

Next up for Miami: A regional berth that will be disclosed Monday by the selection committee starting with a Noon broadcast on ESPN2.

Stay tuned then as CaneSport will be on hand with feedback from the team and a look at the matchups.

“Every year since we’ve got here a little better, little better,” Arteaga said. “Should be a 2 seed next week, last year a 3 seed. Nowhere near where want at Miami, but keeping working to get where we want to be.”

The final takeaway message from Arteaga off this loss?

“Hopefully we get it out of our system, because next week the season’s over (if you lose at regionals),” he said. “Can’t take anything for granted. Have to show up, have to be ready to go for nine innings.”