The NBA & NHL playoffs are in full swing, the NFL offseason continues and MLB is into its 2nd full month of play. And to add more fuel to the fire, let’s not forget about NCAA football and baseball.
If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what is going on in the sports world, just follow the South Florida teams as Miami is the center of the sports universe right now.
Let’s start with the Panthers. Coming off their best regular season in franchise history, Florida is fresh off an amazing comeback win over the Capitals in game 5 of the playoffs. Down 3-0 in mid-2nd period, the Comeback Cats stormed back with 5 straight goals to win 5-3 to go up 3 games to 2. Forward Carter Verhaeghe had a franchise record 5 points with 2 goals and 3 assists. The Panthers can wrap up the series with a game win 6 Friday night in Washington.
In the basketball world, the Miami Heat are keeping pace with the Panthers as they are also up 3-2 in their series vs. the 76ers. They could close out the series on Thursday night in Philadelphia. The Heat continue to show exceptional resilience and teamwork playing without point guard Kyle Lowery. Miami, under the guidance of head coach Erik Spoelstra, plays as a cohesive unit regardless of who is/isn’t playing and all they do is win.
The Marlins are off to a streaky start with a 14-17 record but have the young talent and strong rotation that should keep them in playoff contention for most of the season. They are led by star 2nd baseman Jazz Chisholm who is hitting .295 with 6 home runs and 24 RBIs. Sandy Alcantara (2.74 ERA) and Pablo Lopez (4-1, 1.00 ERA) lead the pitching staff. The Marlins need to get their 3 big right-handed boppers, Jorge Soler, Jesus Aguilar and Avisail Garcia going.
The Dolphins also stayed in the news this week by signing running back Sony Michel. He’s a solid all around back who will create a 3 headed RB monster along with Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds. Assuming the offensive line does it job, Miami may actually be amongst the best rushing teams in the NFL this season. When was the last time you could say that Dolfans?
College baseball doesn’t get a lot of love, locally or nationally, but the Miami Hurricanes ball team is currently ranked 6th in the NCAA with a 35-12 record.
And Canes football fans are feeling some pre-season love as they were ranked as the 2nd best team in the ACC behind Clemson. The combination of new coach Mario Cristobal and returning star QB Tyler Van Dyke has the media and fans optimistic about a successful 2022 season.
The current state of South Florida sports teams should allow its fans to be fired up throughout 2022. Enjoy the ride!
