Florida Baseball is 3-0 in Omaha for second time in program history
OMAHA, Neb. — Michael Roberston was ready and willing to run through the center field wall. The commitment paid off as the Florida baseball team advanced to the College World Series Final with a 3-2 win over TCU.
Jac Caglianone pitched 4.1 innings before UF head coach Kevin O’Sullivan went to the bullpen to finish off the Horned Frogs, who were eliminated. Shortstop Josh Rivera hit a two-run homer in the top of the first inning to give the Gators a lead they held onto until TCU tied the game in the bottom of the eighth. In the top of the ninth, second baseman Cade Kurland’s RBI infield single scored pinch-runner Michael Robertson for the game-winning run.
Josh Rivera got the Gators on the board in the first inning with a two-run home run to left field. The homer was his 19th long ball of the campaign.
What went right
- Josh Rivera smoked a fastball for a two-run home run in the top of the first inning.
- Ryan Slater took over in the fifth inning and after a single and a walk to load the bases, got a strikeout and a popup to the infield to leave the bases loaded and hold on to a 2-1 lead.
- Colby Halter was a vacuum at third base in the sixth inning.
- Florida’s win was the 53rd of the season, tying a school
What went wrong
- Florida didn’t get a great start from Jac Caglinaone but he did enough to put his team in a position to win after the game.
- Brandon Neely allowed a run to score in the eighth inning that tied the game.
Came up big for the Florida baseball team
- Josh Rivera: 3-4, 2 RBI, 1 R
- Luke Heyman: 2-4
- Cade Kurland broke out of a 1-14 College World Series slump to hit an infield single in the top of the ninth that scored Michael Robertson to go up 3-2.
- Michael Robertson made the catch of his lifetime to seal the win.
TCU player who gave Florida trouble
- Brayden Taylor: 2-5, 1 RBI
- Ben Abeldt: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Most important stat of the game
- The final score: 3-2.
Big picture
The Florida Gators are back in the College World Series Final for the fourth time in program history and the first since 2017. The Gators are two wins away from hoisting the program’s second National Championship.
What’s next
The Florida baseball team will await its opponent for the 2023 College World Series Final. Florida will play either LSU or Wake Forest on Saturday.
