2023 Baseball & Softball Thread
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'There's some similarities': O'Sullivan highlights parallels title-winning 2017 squad
https://247sports.com/college/flori...an-college-world-series-omaha-gato-211629352/
Gators' pitching staff will be all hands on deck
In Game 1 - every team puts their best pitcher on the mound !While coming from the loser’s bracket isn’t necessarily a death sentence, it certainly complicates your chances of winning a national title. In fact,
37 of the last 41 teams that won the last game here also won their opening game in Omaha.
Sully - “Right now the plan is to do whatever we can to win tomorrow, and Sproat will obviously start.”
Some people truly do want to be Gators -
"...Brandon Sproat turned down third-round money after being drafted 90th overall by the New York Mets.
The slotted signing bonus for that pick was $691,300,"
But if you are fortunate enough to win the first one and you have an opportunity to win the second one, then somebody has to beat you twice.”
Winning that second game is pivotal.
27 of the last 32 (CWS Winners) have started the tournament off 2-0.
The Gators will turn to Hurston Waldrep, who has been phenomenal in the NCAA Tournament. Waldrep will likely be the only pitcher off-limits for the Friday opener. Even Jac Caglianone could be asked to come out of the bullpen — something he hasn’t done this season.
https://www.on3.com/teams/florida-g...ors-pitching-staff-will-be-all-hands-on-deck/
Our best pitcher is Waldrep. But no reason to mess with a winning formula at this point. Sproat is great but he is more or less guaranteed to have one inning where he gives up 3 runs.
With the depth of our bullpen? Caglianone won’t be pitching Friday.
Updated betting odds for Gators at College World Series
People who set the lines in Vegas are NOT stupid; but they are more interested in equalizing the amount of money bet on both sides than predicting the winner.I am a Jinx, so I NEVER bet on Gator sporting events. LOL
Florida Baseball: No such thing as a sure thing
Even though Florida is the second-ranked team in the tournament, oddsmakers have the Gators as tied for the third-best odds to win it all:- Wake Forest (+275)
- LSU (+380)
- Florida (+450)
- Virginia (+450)
- Tennessee (+750)
- TCU (+800)
- Stanford (+1200)
- Oral Roberts (+2200)
Mike Rivera using past College World Series experience to guide Gators in Omaha
Mike Rivera was Florida's starting catcher when it won a title in 2017OMAHA, Neb. — Of course, Mike Rivera remembers the highs.
But as Rivera embarks on his fourth College World Series, this one six years after his last trip and as Florida’s student assistant first base coach, it’s the lows of two unsuccessful trips to Omaha in 2015 and 2016 that are front of mind for the 27-year-old.
The lessons from those experiences hold too much value now.
“When we went there in ‘15 and ‘16, we were ranked No. 1 all year and we were blowing teams out,” Rivera said. “But once we got to Omaha we were so worried about winning the whole thing that we would talk about it before the first pitch of the first game was even thrown.”
It was a fatal error for those talented teams, Rivera said. Overcoming their own confidence simply proved impossible.
It’s why the first-year Florida assistant is, once again, using his patented leadership to guide Gator players away from the big picture, instead locking them into the moment in order to give them the best chance to win it all.
Read the rest -
https://247sports.com/college/flori...e-world-series-scores-game-kevin-o-211659679/
I loved Mike Rivera. He was a tough SOB and that’s how that team played. Cool article. Great to have him on staff!
Cool article on Cags by Jeff Passan.
www.espn.com
Passan: 'Jactani' takes over Omaha
He led NCAA baseball in home runs and has a 99 mph fastball. Can he follow in the footsteps of the reigning AL MVP? The Gators' All-American sure thinks so.
If it's like the TCU/Oral Roberts game that was scheduled to start at 2, it will probably be 10 minutes or so after. That was a great game, BTW. 2-2 going to the bottom of the 8th, TCU scores 3 runs on 1 hit, 3 walks, a hit batter and sac fly. Then ORU gets 4 in the top of the 9th to win 6-5.
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Brandon Sproat good 1st inning.
Tied up 1-1
UVA Hanging around
Charles Schwab Field at Omaha too Damn big for our HR hitters
Sproat has been pulled
Cade Fisher in relief
3-1 UVA
Sully may have kept Sproat in too long
Gators will get the last at bat - they need it.
Tied up 1-1
UVA Hanging around
Charles Schwab Field at Omaha too Damn big for our HR hitters
Sproat has been pulled
Cade Fisher in relief
3-1 UVA
Sully may have kept Sproat in too long
Gators will get the last at bat - they need it.
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Sproat pitched great. But he was gassed. Should have pulled him after the leadoff walk. Now VA in position for a big number.
Tough breaks this inning. No way we can score 5 against this VA staff. Will need to play our way out of the losers bracket. Lets see if we can make that happen.
A lot of swinging for the fence and not getting base hits. Deep ball outs don’t do much good.
Part of the problem tonight is that our aggressive nature at the plate has led to some swings at balls out of the zone for easy pop outs. That last Josh at bat a prime example.
Two long balls have tied it up
5-5
Langford 456 ft HR
GATORS WIN 6-5 --- Play Oral Roberts next
Gators - 21 come from behind victories in 51 games
Omaha Fan RETURNED the HR ball to Langford !
5-5
Langford 456 ft HR
GATORS WIN 6-5 --- Play Oral Roberts next
Gators - 21 come from behind victories in 51 games
Omaha Fan RETURNED the HR ball to Langford !
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What a win. That is how you do it. You go out there and you win a damn ballgame!
What a game!! The bats finally woke up and the Crapolier pitchers had no answer.
Kurland struggling is the difference in this lineup from when they were just shredding everyone. But plenty of firepower left.
Gotta remember, this kid should have been in high school this past year. Kurland isn't the typical freshman but he's made such few mistakes this season. I see him becoming next seasons Cags.
Not sure what their head coach was thinking leaving the wannabe tall ass Randy Johnson on the mound.
Great start from Sproat and even better comeback by this gutsy Gator team. Ty Evans earned a start on Sunday, but 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th to win the game was incredible.
He had no faith in the guy behind him. Guy could barely throw a strike. Bullpen game favors the Gators, which is why it was a little weird Sully didn’t go to the pen in the 7th. It seemed like he was trying to save his bullpen a little bit, even going to Fisher first guy in, which I don’t know the last time I saw that. He ended up having to use Neely anyway after we were 2 runs down. Anyway his team picked him up.
He also said: it gets late early there.
And: nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.
That guy got it.
Man, you called that, haha, funny only because we still won, haha
When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
Awesome comeback win. Maybe Sully could have done a few things differently, but he's one of the best in the biz so hard to second guess that guy. Wonder if he will move Kurland from the 1 hole, but he is really struggling to get on base. Ty Evans most likely hit his way into the lineup for Sunday.
Yep...I'm taking credit for the reverse negative post getting things turned around.
That was just a great game. One of the best baseball games I’ve ever seen. Langford with the bomb. This team just does not quit.
Yeah I wouldn’t trade sully for anyone. But I did think he was putting the cart before the horse a little bit thinking bullpen management in that spot. If thats what he was doing. I thought we were extremely fortunate to get Sproat through 6 without a run. Remember he got a caught stealing and a real nice double play for three straight outs when he was really having a hard time throwing strikes.
Anyway, it worked out great. Gators just kept on grinding, which is a credit to their coach.
