2023 Baseball & Softball Thread
- Thread starter ocalaman
- Start date
Not as strong, agreed.... but they still faced three opponents in the top ten by the end of the season.
Bama is scrappy, just like their basketball program, and I'm sure they won't just roll over. ...so you're not going to get any more of a clear picture of wake Forest even if they beat bama.
Hopefully they don't though.
Waldrep is on tonight. 13 Ks through 8 - including 9 of last 13!
4-0 good guys.
4-0 good guys.
Going to the CWS.
The Cocks SS has been the luckiest mother effer in this series.
The Cocks SS has been the luckiest mother effer in this series.
Hurston Waldrep was tremendous and it was great to see Colby Halter come through with 3 of our 4 RBI. Now it's on to Omaha where we open up against the winner of Duke/Virginia.
247sports.com
Florida secures its return to the College World Series
The Gators haven't been to the College World Series since 2018
247sports.com
Waldrep was dominant. 8 innings with 13 Ks. Only gave up 3 hits and one of those was a cheap infield single. Our pitching has really come on strong.
Found it not long after I posted. That weather delay was ridiculous. On to Omaha!
This team has what it takes and is certainly good enough to win it all. We will see what happens.
We play our first game Friday against Virginia, a very tough draw. Win that game and we get the winner of TCU vs. winner of tonight's Oral Roberts/Oregon game. TCU absolutely destroyed Arkansas in the Fayetteville Regional and then beat up on Indiana State in the Super. They are on a tear. But with the way our pitching and defense have come around of late, we have a good chance to win it all. To me, winning the D1 Baseball World Series is the toughest feat in sports. It takes a degree of luck, a bunch of guys playing their best at the right time, plus some unexpected guys stepping up in key situations. Just getting to Omaha is a tremendous accomplishment. Go Gators!
Solid 8 teams. Not sure which side of the bracket is tougher. Make it this far everyone is pretty hot. We had a tough regional, with teams that spent most of the year ranked, then SC spent some time in the top 5 before injuries. They came in one of the hottest teams so I feel like we've been tested.
Bracket for the Gators in Omaha is set
Country has already posted the teams we will face in Omaha, but the article below has a little more juice.
As a reminder, the College World Series follows the same format as the Regional round. Florida will be in a four-team bracket that is double elimination. The lone team to survive will take on the survivor of the other side of the bracket for the best-of-three championship series.
Florida will have the following three teams join them on their side of the bracket:
- Virginia
- TCU
- Oral Roberts
The winner of that game will take on the winner of TCU vs Oral Roberts.
https://hailfloridahail.com/2023/06/12/florida-baseball-bracket-gators-omaha-set/
Imo, TCU is the most dangerous opponent in the entire CWS, even more than Lsu or wake Forest. Pitching has to be A+ to beat them and still knock in 5 runs or more. That's if we get past Virginia.
SEC now the "Bad Boys on the Block"
in College Baseball
List of CWS Winners & Runners Up
SEC has had a team in the Championship series every year since 2017 -
In two year (2017 & 2021), it was an all SEC Series
in College Baseball
List of CWS Winners & Runners Up
SEC has had a team in the Championship series every year since 2017 -
In two year (2017 & 2021), it was an all SEC Series
| 2022 | Ole Miss (42-23) | Mike Bianco | 4-2 | Oklahoma | Omaha, Neb. |
| 2021 | Mississippi State (50-18) | Chris Lemonis | 9-0 | Vanderbilt | Omaha, Neb. |
| 2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2019 | Vanderbilt (59-12) | Tim Corbin | 8-2 | Michigan | Omaha, Neb. |
| 2018 | Oregon State (55-12-1) | Pat Casey | 5-0 | Arkansas | Omaha, Neb. |
| 2017 | Florida (52-19) | Kevin O'Sullivan | 6-1 | LSU |
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Just an FYI - Oklahoma's ace, AA sophomore pitcher Jordy Bahl is transferring to Nebraska to, supposedly, be closer to home and boyfriend. Originally from Nebraska, she had committed to Nebraska in high school before flipping to Oklahoma and helping them win 2 national titles. Oklahoma also loses grad senior Alex Storako off the team, leaving them with only 2 pitcher - rising senior Nicole May and little used rising sophomore Kierston Diel. The Sooners signed 4 elite players in their 2023 class, but none of them are pitchers. You can bet they will hit the transfer portal and phone lines hard to poach a couple of quality pitchers from around the country. But losing the top pitcher in the country via transfer has to hurt.
If not for Arky dropping a foul ball, they would have finished off Oregon State in 2 games rather than giving the Beavers new life to rally to not only even the series but blanked Arky in game 3 in the CWS final, which would have the SEC winning 5 of those titles in a row.
Kind of a bum deal as the No 2 seed. to have to open up with the No 7 national seed. UVA is extremely solid. Good starters, great bullpen and really good lineup.
Anybody in the field could beat you in a single game I guess.
No easy roads to the final, but that is a rough opening matchup, particularly considering how important game 1 is.
Anybody in the field could beat you in a single game I guess.
No easy roads to the final, but that is a rough opening matchup, particularly considering how important game 1 is.
No easy games when you get to this point. Good thing about baseball tourney is even if you have one bad game you can still recover and advance. Not that way in hoops. So these teams are all really good.
Brad,
You are soooo right !
Dropping the 1st game & then trying to advance from the loser's bracket may not be impossible -
BUT
it's a HELL of a tough task !
Hoping we don't dig that sort of hole for ourselves.
The #7 seed is who the #2 seed is supposed to open with at the CWS. #1 vs. #8, #3 vs. #6 & #4 vs. #5. Several unseeded teams made it and they just take the spot of the seeded team in their bracket. However, I do agree that Virginia is a tough draw. They are well coached and a very well rounded team. And if we win that game, we will more than likely play TCU, who is unseeded but maybe the hottest team in the field right now. But I look at it this way - Virginia fans are probably saying, man what a tough draw we have, playing Florida in the first game!
Yeah. Seems to me you should re-seed once you get to the CWS. But like everyone is saying, it’s not that big of a deal. Any of these teams can beat you in one game, particularly when everyone is going to be pitching a rested Friday night starter.
Looking at the other bracket, those guys didn’t get any favors either. Wake Forest, LSU, soon to be joined by Stanford, Texas, Tennessee and/or Southern Miss. CWS is just deep water.
I agree 100 percent with Ocala’s earlier post that there is no such thing as a disappointing trip to Omaha. You can be loaded everywhere and get run out because of two cold innings.
CWS trip is like a final 4. You’re going to hang a banner, so it’s just a matter of how good you want the banner to read.
I agree 100 percent with Ocala’s earlier post that there is no such thing as a disappointing trip to Omaha. You can be loaded everywhere and get run out because of two cold innings.
CWS trip is like a final 4. You’re going to hang a banner, so it’s just a matter of how good you want the banner to read.
Sully's 8th time in 16 seasons. Pretty dang good. I'm not counting 2020.
Jay Johnson previews CWS, matchup with Tennessee
https://www.on3.com/teams/lsu-tigers/news/jay-johnson-previews-cws-matchup-with-tennessee/
Full list (& comments) of opening matchups at the 2023 Men's College World Series
https://lsutigerswire.usatoday.com/...ries-opening-matchups/?itm_source=parsely-api
All games of the CWS are scheduled for ESPN. Weather issues could change that, of course.
Game 1 - Friday at 2 pm - Oral Roberts at TCU
Game 2 - Friday at 7 pm - Virginia at Florida
Game 3 - Saturday at 2 pm - Stanford at Wake Forest
Game 4 - Saturday at 7 pm - Tennessee at LSU
Game 5 - Sunday at 2 pm - Losers of Games 1 & 2 in an elimination game.
Game 6 - Sunday at 7 pm - Winners of Games 1 & 2
Game 7 - Monday at 2 pm - Losers of Games 3 & 4 in an elimination game.
Game 8 - Monday at 7 pm - Winners of Games 3 & 4
Game 9 - Tuesday at 2 pm - Winner of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6 in an elimination game
Game 10 - Tuesday at 7 pm - Winner of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8 in an elimination game
Game 11 - Wednesday at 2 pm - Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 9. (Game 9 winner would have to win Game 11, then another game Thursday to advance to the championship series.)
Game 12 - Wednesday at 7 pm - Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 10. (Game 10 winner would have to win Game 12, then another game on Thursday to advance to the championship series.)
Championship Series - Best 2 out of 3 - Saturday June 24 at 7 pm; Sunday June 25 at 3 pm; Monday June 26 at 7 pm, if necessary.
Game 1 - Friday at 2 pm - Oral Roberts at TCU
Game 2 - Friday at 7 pm - Virginia at Florida
Game 3 - Saturday at 2 pm - Stanford at Wake Forest
Game 4 - Saturday at 7 pm - Tennessee at LSU
Game 5 - Sunday at 2 pm - Losers of Games 1 & 2 in an elimination game.
Game 6 - Sunday at 7 pm - Winners of Games 1 & 2
Game 7 - Monday at 2 pm - Losers of Games 3 & 4 in an elimination game.
Game 8 - Monday at 7 pm - Winners of Games 3 & 4
Game 9 - Tuesday at 2 pm - Winner of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6 in an elimination game
Game 10 - Tuesday at 7 pm - Winner of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8 in an elimination game
Game 11 - Wednesday at 2 pm - Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 9. (Game 9 winner would have to win Game 11, then another game Thursday to advance to the championship series.)
Game 12 - Wednesday at 7 pm - Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 10. (Game 10 winner would have to win Game 12, then another game on Thursday to advance to the championship series.)
Championship Series - Best 2 out of 3 - Saturday June 24 at 7 pm; Sunday June 25 at 3 pm; Monday June 26 at 7 pm, if necessary.
Nothing to do with the CWS -
BUT
An Interesting note
Austin is coming off a career year for the Bruins in which he maintained an 3.39 ERA over 82.1 innings pitched. Austin appeared in 17 contests with UCLA in 2023, including 13 starts, and picked up 104 strikeouts against 34 walks while limiting opposing teams to a .229 batting average.
https://247sports.com/college/flori...al-recruiting-ucla-pitcher-kelly-a-211584717/
NOTE
One thing about a pitcher who transfers - he doesn't have to learn the offense or who to throw the ball to.
I think this one year rental will be a good one.
https://www.on3.com/teams/florida-gators/news/florida-baseball-has-five-enter-transfer-portal/
BUT
An Interesting note
Gators add Pac-12 All-Conference pitcher via transfer portal
Kelly Austin, a graduate transfer right-handed pitcher from UCLA, will join Florida's 2024 roster with one season of remaining eligibility.Austin is coming off a career year for the Bruins in which he maintained an 3.39 ERA over 82.1 innings pitched. Austin appeared in 17 contests with UCLA in 2023, including 13 starts, and picked up 104 strikeouts against 34 walks while limiting opposing teams to a .229 batting average.
https://247sports.com/college/flori...al-recruiting-ucla-pitcher-kelly-a-211584717/
NOTE
One thing about a pitcher who transfers - he doesn't have to learn the offense or who to throw the ball to.
I think this one year rental will be a good one.
Florida Baseball transfer portal tracker
Sully & Gators active in recruiting new arms.https://www.on3.com/teams/florida-gators/news/florida-baseball-has-five-enter-transfer-portal/
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That’s pretty crazy guys on the roster are entering the portal before the CWS is done. I could have seen Tejada getting some innings.
The Gators are set to open play in the College World Series on Friday at 7 p.m. against Virginia.
Four Florida players were named all-Americans by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Wednesday afternoon, the publication announced. Florida star two-way player Jac Caglianone and left fielder Wyatt Langford were selected to the first team while closer Brandon Neely earned a second-team nod and shortstop Josh Rivera a spot on the third team. This marks the first-ever all-American selections for Neely and Rivera.Caglianone has put together one of the best seasons in recent college baseball history as his prolific power has him just one home run away from tying the BBCOR era home run record (32) set last year by former Texas slugger Ivan Melendenz. He also leads the Gators in total bases, RBI, ERA and batting average against, something that had not previously occurred at the university.
For the rest of the story use the link:
Four Gators named NCBWA all-Americans
The Gators are set to open play in the College World Series on Friday at 7 p.m. against Virginia
247sports.com
Hurston Waldrep worked out pretty good this year.
Brandon Sproat will open the College World Series for Gators
A rough start against USCe, but ended up working out pretty good.He gave up three in the first two and put up four zeros. I (Sully) was going to take him out in the fifth, he was at 90 pitches, he had to really make a lot of leverage pitches. It was an emotional night for him. He begged to go back out there in the sixth and obviously he put up another zero.”
Assume Jac Caglianone will open at 1st Base.
https://www.on3.com/teams/florida-g...ill-open-the-college-world-series-for-gators/
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Cags plays 1st when not pitching. Once or twice this year Sully had him Dh'ing and put Riopelle at first with Heyman catcher or vice versa. But not recently.
With a title on the line, Gators could break rotation in Omaha
The Gators open College World Series play on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET against Virginia
247sports.com
