The Gators pounded 23 hits and six home runs in crushing LSU in Game 2 of the CWS Championship Final.
WHAT HAPPENED: The Gators punched back hard in Game 2 of the best-of-three College World Series Championship Final against LSU, crushing the Tigers 24-4 on Sunday afternoon in Omaha. The 24 runs are a CWS record and the 20-run victory is the largest margin in CWS Championship Final history. After losing 4-3 in 11 innings in Game 1, Florida’s win Sunday forced a winner-take-all Game 3 on Monday night. Ty Evans<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-evans/15491> went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI, including a grand slam in the sixth inning that broke a 3-3 tie and ignited the Gators’ offense. Florida finished with 23 hits as Wyatt Langford<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/wyatt-langford/15497> went 5-for-5 with a homer, two doubles and six RBI, and Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/15489> added three hits, two homers and five RBI. The Gators won their program-record 54th game of the season, eclipsing the 53 wins by the 2011 team.
PLAY OF THE GAME: In Florida’s six-run third inning, Evans stepped to the plate against LSU reliever Gavin Guidry with the game tied 3-3, the bases loaded and two outs. Evans pulled Guidry’s first pitch high down the left-field line for what appeared to be headed toward foul territory. But with a brisk wind twirling out toward center, the ball drifted back into fair territory, landing in the home team’s bullpen for a grand slam. It was Evans’ second home run of the game, and fourth of the CWS, the most any UF player has ever hit in the CWS.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Caglianone entered Sunday’s game 2-for-17 in the CWS and had not homered in a season-high eight consecutive games. Caglianone contributed an RBI single in the third that tied the game, but he saved his best swings in the later innings. Caglianone homered in the sixth and eighth, the second homer his 33rd of the season. Meanwhile, the 6-foot-5 lefty is the probable starter for the Gators in Monday’s Game 3.
STAGGERING STAT: The Gators blasted six home runs Sunday, becoming the first team to ever hit five or more home runs in the 13-year history of Charles Schwab Field, which replaced Rosenblatt Stadium as home of the CWS in 2011.
STAGGERING STAT II: Florida’s top four hitters in the lineup entered Sunday’s game 12-for-69 with eight RBI in the first four games of the CWS. The foursome of Cade Kurland<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/cade-kurland/15514>, Langford, Caglianone and Josh Rivera<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/josh-rivera/15504> combined to go 12-for-21 with 12 RBI in Game 2.
KEY MOMENT: This could easily be tossed to the side, but after Gators starter Hurston Waldrep<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/hurston-waldrep/15517> struggled with his command, UF head coach Kevin O’Sullivan<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kevin-o-sullivan/1551> inserted seldom-used right-hander Blake Purnell<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/blake-purnell/15502> into the game with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the third. Purnell got Tommy White to ground into an inning-ending double play to maintain Florida’s momentum from a six-run outburst in the top of the frame. Purnell and Nick Ficarrotta<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-ficarrotta/15493> closed out the victory, with Ficarrotta tossing five innings for his second save.
BY THE NUMBERS: 8 — Hits for Riopelle in the NCAA Tournament. 6 — Home runs hit by Riopelle in the NCAA Tournament. 90 — RBIs for Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/15489>, establishing a new program record.
NOTABLES
* Florida’s 54 wins set a new single-season program record and are tied for the most in the nation this season (Wake Forest).
* After being down, 3-1, after two innings, Florida scored 23 unanswered runs to win its first College World Series Finals game following a defeat.
* It’s the first time the Gators have gone to Game 3 in the MCWS Championship Finals.
* The Gators’ 24 runs scored set a new Men’s College World Series record.
* Florida’s 24 runs scored marked a new season high, while also setting a season high with 23 hits.
* Florida’s 24 runs and 23 hits are the team’s most since March 3, 2019 vs. Winthrop (28 runs, 23 hits).
* The 24 runs are the most ever scored by Florida against LSU.
* The Gators are playing in the College World Series Finals for the fourth time in team history (2005, 2011, 2017, 2023).
* Florida is playing in its 13th College World Series and eighth in the Kevin O’Sullivan<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kevin-o-sullivan/1551> era: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2023.
* The Gators are now 25-25 all-time at the CWS and 129-85 in the NCAA Tournament.
* Waldrep struck out two batters in Sunday’s start, finishing just one shy (156) of tying Alex Faedo’s record of 157 set in 2017.
* The Gators’ six home runs are tied for the second-most in a game in MCWS history, trailing only the eight hit by LSU vs. USC in 1998. The six homers were the most since USC hit six vs. Georgia in 2001.
* Florida is the first team to post multiple four-homer games at Charles Schwab Field – regular season or at the College World Series.
* UF launched six homers in a game for the first time since setting the program record with eight vs. Cincinnati on Feb. 26, 2023.
* Since Charles Schwab Field opened in 2011, Florida’s 14 home runs are the most ever in a single College World Series.
* Florida posted its second game of the season with multiple players launching two or more homers and the first since Feb. 26 vs. Cincinnati (Caglianone and Rivera).
* Caglianone and Evans are the fifth pair of teammates to hit multiple home runs in the same MCWS game, and first since USC in 2001.
* UF delivered its 22nd come-from-behind win of the season and second of the 2023 MCWS.
* Evans homered in each of his first two at bats including a grand slam in the third to increase his season total to eight home runs including a program-record four in the College World Series.
* Evans hit the first grand slam in MCWS Finals history and the second ever (Brad Wilkerson vs. Florida State, 1998) by a Gator at the MWCS at any stage.
* Evans has hit as many home runs in the MCWS (four) as he did the entire season leading into the event.
* Langford hit his 20th home run in the sixth inning, becoming the third Gator to post back-to-back 20-homer seasons alongside Brad Wilkerson (1997-98) and Jud Fabian<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jud-fabian/15127> (2021-22).
* Langford also notched the first five-hit game of his career.
* He also tied Florida’s single-season doubles record (28) alongside Mike Zunino.
* Langford now owns the two-longest home runs hit at the MCWS at Charles Schwab Field with his 449-foot homer in the top of the sixth.
* Langford is the 18th player with at least five hits in a MCWS game and first to do it in a MCWS Finals game.
* Langford is the third player with four hits and four RBI in a MCWS Championship Finals game, joining Fresno State’s Steve Detwiler (2008 vs Georgia) and North Carolina’s Tim Federowicz (2006 vs Oregon State).
* Caglianone swatted his 32nd and 33rd home runs of the season to break the single-season BBCOR record (Ivan Melendez – Texas, 32, 2022).
* Caglianone’s 90 RBI this year set a new program record (Preston Tucker – 85).
* Six of Riopelle’s eight hits in the NCAA Tournament have been home runs.
* After just 10 in the regular-season, he has hit nine dingers since the SEC Tournament began.
* The Gators have scored at least one run in all 70 games this season.
* UF has scored in 49 of its 50 MCWS games.
* Florida has now swatted a program-record 142 home runs this season.
* The Gators have launched 13 of the 29 home runs at the 2023 College World Series.
* Florida has struck out 717 batters in 604 innings – translating to 10.7 per nine innings, which would mark a new program record.
* The Gators have 681 hits through 70 games (9.57hits/game).
* The Gators have scored in 43.5% of batted innings (251 of 577).
* Florida is now 53-67-1 all-time vs. LSU including 11-16 at neutral sites.
* The Gators are 24-20 in the series under O’Sullivan and 6-5 at neutral sites.
FROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O’SULLIVAN
Opening statement…
“A lot to be said. We swung the bats really good today. And the wind was in our favor. It was obviously a tight game to start. And then we just swung the bats extremely well, obviously. I thought the double play that Blake Purnell<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/blake-purnell/15502> got was a huge play in the game. And obviously Nick (Ficarrotta) came in and did a terrific job on the mound. We’re excited about the opportunity to play tomorrow. Obviously, we can’t take any of these runs into tomorrow. We’ll have to reset, reboot. But awfully proud of the way they responded from last night’s tough loss.”
On the bullpen’s performance…
“Obviously, it was the difference in the game. I mean, we had a 3-3 game. And then Blake came in, like I said, and got the big double play, 6-4-3, and sunk the ball. He did a really nice job the following inning. Then they were going to go left-right-left, and he was having a little trouble throwing strikes to left-handed hitters. So, we went to (Nick Ficarrotta<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/nick-ficarrotta/15493>). We were at the bottom of the order. And what can you say about his effort? It was outstanding. Because our bullpen was a little light today. We weren’t going to use (Brandon) Neely or Cade (Fisher) in this game, so some other guys needed to step up. The goal was to, if we got into any trouble, was to go to (Ryan) Slater in the middle part of the game and hopefully ride him for three or four innings. But turned out we didn’t have to use him today.”
On the offensive approach today…
“I think once Jac (Caglianone) got the single back up the middle, I think that kind of took some pressure off of him, even though it was a four-hopper through the middle of the field, I think he relaxed a little bit. Obviously, your best players have to perform. Wyatt (Langford) had an unbelievable day. I think he went 5-for-5. Jac, obviously had a good day at the plate. Cade (Kurkland) had a couple hits. When those guys start going, our offense, obviously, is a lot better. And our best players performed really well today.”
On the mindset heading into tomorrow…
“Honestly, what’s there to say? We’re playing for a national championship. I think the more you talk about things, the more maybe uptight they might get, and relax. They don’t need a ‘rah rah’ speech tomorrow. We’re playing a very good LSU team and the winner is going to have the opportunity to be national champion. Enjoy it tonight and wake up tomorrow and stay in our routine.”
UP NEXT: Florida and LSU meet on Monday night at 7 p.m. ET for a winner-take-all Game 3. The Gators seek their second national championship and first since 2017. LSU seeks its seventh and first since 2009.
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