Seth Miller's grand slam helps send Florida State to College World Series

TALLAHASSEE |?Seth Miller connected for his third grand slam of the season during an eight-run eighth inning as the Florida State Seminoles reached the College World Series for the 15th time under coach Mike Martin and for the 21st time overall Sunday with an 18-7 victory over Stanford in front of 4,673 at Dick Howser Stadium.

"It's just the way baseball works out," said Miller, a junior outfielder from Panama City who entered the game hitting only .225. "It's like coach Martin said: It's a crazy game."

The Seminoles (48-15) won their Super Regional against Stanford (41-18) two games to none and set a school record for the most runs scored in a super regional with 35. They were outhit 18-13 by Stanford but turned three double plays to end three innings, and Stanford left 14 runners on base.

Florida State will play Arizona in their opening College World Series game, Friday or Saturday. The other two teams in the Seminoles' bracket are Stony Brook and UCLA.

FSU had leads of 6-0 and 10-2, but Stanford had cut it to 10-6 before Miller's blast in the eighth, FSU's seventh grand slam of the season. Miller almost didn't get the chance to add to his list of grand slams this season. The batter before him, John Holland, flied out to center but was awarded first because of inteference by Stanford catcher Eric Smith.

Miller then desposited the ball over the right-center field fence.

"I like situations like that where you can put a team ahead," Miller said. "That happened to be a grand slam for me. If that's the way it works. I'll take them all day long."

Sherman Johnson snapped a 5-for-23 slump in the postseason with a three-run homer in the second and a two-run single in the sixth. He also singled to start the key eighth inning, which was followed by three Stanford walks before the interference and Miller's homer.

"We needed that," Johnson said of Miller's blast. "I think everyone really understood the game was over. That was a big lift for us."

Jayce?Boyd started the Seminoles off with a two-run homer in the first.

Garry Smits: (904) 359-4362

madonna halftime m i a clint eastwood mia super bowl tom coughlin wes welker eli manning