Top of Gators’ lineup must wake up to stay alive in CWS
OMAHA, Neb. — The Gators waited four hours to play their opening game of the 2024 College World Series.
It took their bats another two hours — approximately midnight at Charles Schwab Field — to get on the board Saturday night.
Just after 2 a.m. ET, Michael Robertson and Jac Caglianone represented the tying and go-ahead runs in the top of the ninth, but they couldn’t score. Texas A&M reliever Evan Aschenbeck completed three scoreless innings of relief to shutdown a late Florida rally 3-2.
“I thought we did a good job,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “But we had some opportunities, and when you have those opportunities to score, you know, you’ve got to cash in.”
Texas A&M’s pitching staff kept the Gators guessing. Florida stranded 10 runners and struck out 16 times — a College World Series single-game record. Each of the Aggies’ pitchers tossed three innings with only Chris Cortez giving up two runs on a ground-rule double from Dale Thomas and a sacrifice from Robertson.
Florida managed eight hits but only Caglianone (2-for-3) tallied a hit amongthe first four in the lineup. Ashton Wilson, batting .414 throughout the NCAATournament, struck out for the fourth time in the final at bat.
“Texas A&M was outstanding on the mound,” O’Sullivan said afterwards. “Their pitching staff was outstanding.”
Drowsy and defeated, the coach and his Gators have no choice but to look forward. Florida responded from a 13-17 conference record and quick elimination in the SEC Tournament by winning six of their last seven games.
They’ll have to do something similar if they hope to repeat appearances in the CWS Championship Series, starting with N.C. State, which also lost in dramatic fashion by losing to Kentucky on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th.
Up next …
Florida vs. N.C. State
When: Monday in Omaha, Neb., 2 p.m.
TV: ESPN