After spending their first three games of the College World Series living on the edge and surviving, the Florida Gators came up one run short in game one of the best-of-three championship series Saturday night, falling to LSU, 4-3, in 11 innings on a leadoff home run to deep right field by Cade Beloso. Winners by a single run in each of their first three games, the Gators had chances to push across a game-winner in both the bottom of the ninth and tenth innings but each time they couldn’t deliver the clutch hit for a walk-off win. When Beloso hammered an 0-1 pitch for his 16th home run of the season, the Gators had one last shot at either extending the game or walking it off, but lefty reliever Riley Cooper got a 1-2-3 inning on a fly ball to left and back-to-back strikeouts to end the game. With the loss, the Gators (54-16) have their backs against the wall. Florida has to win Sunday (2 p.m.) or the season is over. Win, and the Gators have a chance to send the game into a deciding game three Monday night. Florida will send righthander Hurston Waldrep (10-3, 3.99 ERA) to the mound Sunday. It was an uphill battle for much of the game for Florida, which struggled to make contact with LSU starter Ty Floyd, who gave up five hits while striking out 17 in eight innings. Cooper came on in relief in the ninth, escaping that inning when he struck out Richie Schiekofer with Luke Heyman on second. In the bottom of the 10th, the Gators had runners on first and second with only one out but couldn’t capitalize. Colby Halter reached when he was hit on the wrist and Cade Kurland singled off the glove of Cooper, but Josh Pearson made a leaping grab in left to prevent Wyatt Langford’s laser beam liner from getting over his head. Cooper got Jac Caglianone to pop out for the final out, setting the stage for Beloso’s heroics in the top of the 11th. LSU had its chances to blow the game wide open in the first four innings off Florida starter Brandon Sproat, who had electric stuff when he could locate it in the strike zone. The Tigers scored a single run in the first, another in the third and sent six batters to the plate in each of the first four innings but each time they threatened a big inning, Sproat came through with clutch pitches to escape. In the first, Sproat hit LSU leadoff hitter Dylan Crews, who moved to second one out later on an 11-pitch walk to Gavin Dugas. Beloso went opposite field to single in Crews to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Further damage was avoided when Sproat struck out Brayden Jobert for the third out. LSU loaded the bases in the second on an Alex Milazzo single that was sandwiched between two walks, but a liner by White that Colby Halter snagged at third and a strikeout of Tre Morgan ended the threat. Dugas homered to lead off the third to stake LSU to a 2-0 lead but the Tigers couldn’t capitalize on a single by Beloso and an error by Cade Kurland because Sproat got a fielder’s choice ground out and a strikeout of Milazzo to end the inning. Florida chipped away with a run in its half of the third when Kurland walked with one out, moved to third on a double to right center by Langford and came home on a ground out by Caglianone. Floyd erased the threat when he struck out Josh Rivera for out three. Sproat continued his Houdini act in the fourth when LSU loaded the bases on a 2-out single by Morgan, a double to shallow center field by Dugas and an intentional walk to Beloso, but Jobert went down on strikes to end yet another threat. When Sproat walked Jordan Thompson to lead off the fifth, Kevin O’Sullivan called in freshman lefty Cade Fisher from the bullpen. Fisher set the Tigers down in order and the Gators responded in their half of the inning with a Ty Evans double down the left field line, a sacrifice bunt by Colby Halter and a groundout to second by Kurland. After Fisher delivered a scoreless sixth, BT Riopelle hammered his 18th homer of the season, a no doubter from the moment it left his bat, giving the Gator a 3-2 lead that held until Tommy White homered in the eighth off Fisher. When Morgan followed with a single, O’Sullivan went to Neely, who got a fly ball to center field and a strikeout to end the inning. Fisher was untouchable in the seventh, but he hung a slider on an 0-2 count to Tommy White with one out in the eighth and the All-American third baseman made him pay with a 400-foot home run to left that tied the game at 3-3. When Morgan singled to left, O’Sullivan went to the bullpen to bring in Neely to face Dugas, who had homered off Sproat earlier. Dugas hit a fly ball to center for an easy out and Beloso went down swinging on three pitches for the final out. The loss ended Florida’s eight-game postseason winning streak that dated back to the morning after a loss to Texas Tech. The Gators won that one thanks to a 12-strikeout performance by Waldrep, who will be charged with keeping Florida’s hopes of a national championship alive Sunday afternoon. Following that win, the Gators knocked off Texas Tech twice to advance to host a super regional. So, the Gators know how to play in losers go home situations. The question heading into Sunday enough to win the game, but for the fourth straight game in Omaha they struggled to find any consistency at the plate. Florida came into the College World Series with one of the more impressive offenses in the country, but four games have produced only 17 runs. Saturday night against LSU, the Gators were 0-8 with runners in scoring position. To get back into a groove at the plate, the Gators will need to do a better job of making contact than they did Saturday night. Floyd and Cooper struck out a combined 20 Gators, allowing only six hits while walking two. Sproat, Fisher and Neely struck out 16 Tigers but they allowed 11 hits, walked eight hitters, threw a wild pitch and hit one batter. LSU was 1-12 with runners in scoring position.

OMAHA -- The first night in Omaha proved to be a smashing success, marking the beginning of an unforgettable journey through the College World Series. Our adventure kicked off with a spirited Jell-O shot at the infamous Rocco's, raising Florida’s overall shot counter. Joined by my dad Patrick, my friend Cade Beal and his father Tyler, as we set off to explore the vibrant downtown area, we saw a city consumed by a sea of purple and gold, with the occasional "Go Gators" chants bellowed from various corners. As expected, LSU fans displayed their unwavering support in Omaha with Louisiana Hot Sauce passion. The remainder of the night unfolded with belts of infectious laughter, a few well-deserved beers and captivating tales of our fathers' college days. Omaha has exceeded my expectations with its abundant food offerings and lively nightlife, leaving me thoroughly impressed. As the night drew to a close, we bid farewell, knowing that Saturday promised to be equally exhilarating, with the prospect of even more joy and excitement. Saturday morning greeted us with anticipation as we ventured past the stadium in search of a hearty breakfast. We encountered a formidable army of enthusiastic fans, snaking in a line that wrapped around the stadium. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement, as an impressive 70% of the crowd consisted of Tiger supporters. The air was thick with anticipation, and the surrounding fanfare only heightened the excitement. Spectacular displays of school spirit and camaraderie were evident, as fans engaged in lively conversations, exchanged playful banter, and participated in various activities organized around the stadium. I even had to get myself a very overpriced “OmaCHOMP” shirt at the merchandise tent. With breakfast in hand and our spirits soaring, it was time to lock in for the upcoming game. Florida goes into this series with the advantage coming off of longer rest and a full bullpen in comparison to LSU. Notably, Florida and LSU did not cross paths during the regular season or the SEC Tournament. Throughout the year, the Tigers consistently held the No. 1 ranking, while the Gators maintained an unwavering presence in the top ten. While winning the College World Series doesn't always guarantee the best team in the country, it would be difficult to dispute that the victor of this best-of-three series isn't truly the nation's finest. Here is the official schedule for the next three days: Saturday, 7 PM, ESPN: LSU vs. Florida (Home) Sunday, 3 PM, ESPN: Florida vs. LSU (Home) Monday, 7 PM, ESPN: (if necessary) LSU vs. Florida (Home) The Gators embarked on a challenging route, starting with the Gainesville Regional: Florida A&M: A commanding 3-0 victory. Texas Tech: A narrow 5-4 loss. UConn: An emphatic 8-2 win. Texas Tech: A dominant 7-1 triumph. Texas Tech: Another impressive 6-0 shutout. They continued their impressive run in the Gainesville Super Regional: South Carolina: A nail-biting 5-4 win, followed by a confident 4-0 shutout. In the College World Series, Florida displayed their mettle with standout performances: Virginia: A hard-fought 6-5 triumph. Oral Roberts: A thrilling 5-4 victory. TCU: A closely contested 3-2 win. The Tigers showcased their dominance in the Baton Rouge Regional: Tulane: A commanding 7-2 win. Oregon State: A close 6-5 victory. Oregon State: An impressive 13-7 triumph. In the Baton Rouge Super Regional, LSU maintained their winning momentum: Kentucky: A resounding 14-0 victory, followed by an 8-3 win. Their journey in the College World Series exemplified their tenacity and skill: Tennessee: A hard-fought 6-3 win. Wake Forest: A tough 3-2 loss. Tennessee: A convincing 5-0 triumph. Wake Forest: A confident 5-2 victory. Wake Forest: An intense 2-0 win in 11 innings. Aside from the impending battle for the national championship, the matchup is also a showcase for numerous MLB prospects who have caught the attention of scouts: Florida: OF Wyatt Langford (Rank: 3) RHP Hurston Waldrep (Rank: 20) RHP Brandon Sproat (Rank: 79) SS Josh Rivera (Rank: 111) LSU: OF Dylan Crews (Rank: 1) RHP Paul Skenes (Rank: 2) RHP Ty Floyd (Rank: 87) RHP Grant Taylor (Rank: 98) 1B/OF Tre’ Morgan (Rank: 136) The pitching rotations for both teams in the CWS Final are expected to play a crucial role. Florida: The Gators enter the CWS Final with a well-rested and prepared pitching staff. After playing only three games during their week in Omaha, Florida will rely on Friday night starter Brandon Sproat for game one against LSU. Hurston Waldrep will take the mound in game two, while Jac Caglianone is slated as the game three starter, if necessary. Additionally, Florida's bullpen comprising Ryan Slater, Brandon Neely, and Cade Fisher, is fully rested and available for the series. LSU: LSU will likely turn to righthander Ty Floyd, their No. 2 starter, in the series opener against Florida. The subsequent pitching decisions are less certain, but left-hander Nate Ackenhausen, who delivered an outstanding performance on Tuesday against Tennessee, could potentially start on Sunday with four days of rest. Left-handers Javen Coleman and Griffin Herring are also possible options for either Sunday's game or the potential Monday Game 3. As the stage is set and the tension mounts, let's take a glimpse at the projected lineups for the championship clash: Florida: 2B Cade Kurland CF Wyatt Langford 1B Jac Caglianone SS Josh Rivera C BT Riopelle DH Luke Heyman LF Tyler Shelnut RF Ty Evans 3B Colby Halter SP: Brandon Sproat LSU: CF Dylan Crews 3B Tommy White 1B Tre’ Morgan 2B Gavin Dugas DH Cade Beloso RF Brayden Jobert SS Jordan Thompson LF Josh Pearson C Alex Milazzo SP: Ty Floyd The stage is set in Omaha and I could not be more excited to be a part of it.

June 24, 2023 A few thoughts to jump start your Saturday morning. The marathon that is the college baseball season comes down to three games in Omaha and finally, we get the series that we never got to see in the regular season – Florida (53-15) vs. LSU (52-16) in a best-two-out-of-three all Southeastern Conference matchup to determine the NCAA championship. There is juicy irony to this matchup that begins tonight (7 p.m., ESPN). Not only are the Gators and LSU the last two teams standing in this season that began back in February, but they’re both in the championship series of the College World Series for the first time since 2017. Florida took out LSU in two games in 2017 to capture the first NCAA baseball championship in school history. To get to the College World Series in 2017, the Gators had to beat Wake Forest twice in three games in the Gainesville Super Regional. LSU had to play four straight days this past week, beating Wake Forest twice in three games to advance to the championship series against the Gators. Back in 2017, the Gators had to beat TCU twice in three games to advance to the championship series with LSU. The Gators eliminated TCU back on Wednesday evening, their third straight win in Omaha. By winning their half of the Omaha bracket in three games, the pitching sets up nicely for Kevin O’Sullivan and the Gators who will go with Brandon Sproat (8-3, 4.66 ERA, 127 strikeouts) tonight and Hurston Waldrep (10-3, 3.99 ERA, 154 strikeouts) Sunday afternoon. If a third game is necessary Monday evening, the Gators may choose either Ryan Slater (10-1, 3.68 ERA, 48 strikeouts) or Cade Fisher (6-0, 3.22 ERA, 42 strikeouts) since the normal third man in the rotation – Jac Caglianone (7-3, 3.68 ERA, 85 strikeouts – would be working on four days rest since his Wednesday start against TCU. The situation is less clear for LSU, which had to play four games last week including three against Wake Forest to get to the championship series. Ace Paul Skenes (12-2, 1.69 ERA, 209 strikeouts), worked eight innings on four days rest Thursday night, throwing 120 pitches. Skenes threw 123 pitches last Saturday against Tennessee in his first College World Series start. Would LSU coach Jay Johnson be willing to throw Skenes against the Gators with three or fewer days of rest this weekend? Most experts figure Skenes might be used in a 1-inning closer role Saturday or Sunday and if the series goes to Monday, perhaps two or three innings. Tonight, LSU is expected to go with righthander Ty Floyd (7-0, 4.45 ERA, 103 strikeouts). Floyd pitched five innings of 2-hit baseball, striking out 10, in the Tigers’ 3-2 loss to Wake Forest back on Monday night. The Sunday starter could be Nate Ackenhausen (3-0, 2.86 ERA), who threw six shutout innings in his only start of the season to keep LSU’s hopes alive in an elimination win over Tennessee back on Tuesday. Game notes: Heading into the championship series, Florida’s most likely MVP candidates seem to be shortstop Josh Rivera (4-12, 2 HR, 3 RBI) and closer Brandon Neely (2-0, 5 innings, 4 strikeouts) … Florida is 3-0 in Omaha despite the first five in the batting order (Cade Kurland, Wyatt Langford, Caglianone, Rivera and BT Riopelle) going a collective 6-38 (.157 batting average). Those five are due for a breakout series … Caglianone needs one home run (he has 31) to win the NCAA home run championship outright (tied with Wake Forest’s Brock Wilken). Caglianone needs one RBI to tie Preston Tucker for the UF single-season record of 85 … The Gators are 16-11 all-time at Charles Schwab Field … LSU is second in the NCAA in home runs (138) while Florida is third (136) … LSU has a team ERA of 4.30 (20th nationally) while Florida is 33rd at 4.48. Adam Steinberg new UF men’s tennis coach Adam Steinberg, who won an NCAA championship in 2006 at Pepperdine and the last nine seasons the head coach at Michigan, has been named Florida’s new men’s tennis coach, succeeding Bryan Shelton, who resigned to coach his son Ben Shelton on the pro tour. Shelton led Florida to the 2021 NCAA title. Steinberg has been the head coach at St. John’s (76-23), Alabama (69-57), Pepperdine (282-105) and Michigan, compiling a 32-year record of 582-287. At Michigan Steinberg led the Wolverines to seven consecutive NCAA appearances and back-to-back trips to the quarter-finals. He was Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2022. Castleton gets 2-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers Colin Castleton wasn’t taken in the two rounds of the NBA Draft Thursday night, but he landed a two-way free agent contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and their G-League affiliate South Bay Lakers. The two-way contract will allow Castleton to play in the G-League while being brought up to the Los Angeles Lakers in the event of an injury to the NBA team or a roster vacancy. Castleton’s contract with the Lakers will allow him to be paid at a higher salary than the typical G-League player. While earning All-SEC first team in 2023 and All-SEC second team in both 2021 and 2022, Castleton averaged 14.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game during his UF career. He scored 1,165 points at UF after transferring from Michigan. The best college basketball league? If the NBA Draft is the measuring stick, then the top conference in all of NCAA basketball is the SEC. Thursday night, 10 SEC players were taken (six in the first round, four in the second) in the draft, and if you count the fact former Gator Keyontae Johnson and Toumani Camara (formerly of Georgia) went in the second round, that’s 12 (20 percent) of the players taken in the two rounds. The Big Ten had seven drafted in the first and second rounds, while the Big East and ACC had five each and the Pac-12 and Big 12 had four each. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: LSU football and basketball were dealt an embarrassing blow by the fine folks at the NCAA. The infractions committee vacated 37 wins from LSU in years 2012-15 because offensive lineman Vadal Alexander’s father was paid $180,150 by a booster who embezzled the money from a Baton Rouge hospital. The 37 wins were also vacated from the record of former LSU head coach Les Miles. Instead of a career record of 145-73, Miles’ record dips to 108-73, a .597 winning percentage which makes him ineligible for the College Football Hall of Fame. Former LSU basketball coach Will Wade, now the head coach at McNeese State, was given a 2-year show cause for major recruiting violations that surfaced during the FBI investigation into college basketball corruption. Wade will be suspended the first 10 games of the 2023-24 season at McNeese. It’s bad publicity for LSU, but in reality, that’s about it because the NCAA is essentially a toothless Tiger. Football got three years of probation and reduced official visits and fired offensive line coach James Cregg got a 3-year show cause. Basketball also got three years of probation and a $5,000 fine. That’s it. It is embarrassing for the school in one sense, but embarrassment is like water running off a duck’s feathers. The duck keeps on swimming along, unimpeded. In private, LSU athletic director Scott Woodward probably feels like throwing a victory party. Meanwhile, up at Kansas, Bill Self has to be giggling. If this is all the NCAA can do to LSU, he has to figure that if the NCAA tries hitting him with anything worse, he’ll take it to court. Given the NCAA’s abysmal record in court cases – it only seems like they are Oh and Three Zillion – you have to know they will lose this case, too. Charley Pell must be rolling over in his grave about now. Not only is cheating legal now that there is such a thing as NIL (Now It’s Legal!), but the harsh penalties the Gators received back in 1984 would likely be nothing more than a slap on the wrist in today’s NCAA. What we have is an NCAA that is completely incapable of getting anything right. Under the likes of Cedric Dempsey, Myles Brand and the incredibly inept Mark Emmert, we have an organization that spent nearly three full decades doing a dandy impersonation of Don Quixote, charging up a hill to do battle with windmills rather that address legitimate problems that are like chickens coming home to roost. The NCAA’s horrendous responses to issues that date back before any current college football or basketball players were even born have created such a mess that politician Charlie Baker was hired to go to the United States Congress seeking relief. As if an organization that rewards itself with pay raises while the country keeps ringing up debts that may never be paid can fix the mess that is college athletics. Charlie Baker will fail, just as his predecessors failed. For all his stupidity and ineptitude, the NCAA kept rewarded Mark Emmert with pay raises. There is but one solution and that is to ditch the NCAA completely. Burn down that house and form a brand new organization with its own set of rules and a commissioner cut from the same cloth of the late, great Pete Rozelle. Pete Rozelle ruled the National Football League with an iron hand, but he also transformed the NFL into the modern, streamlined organization that it is today. Notice you don’t see any NFL franchises going broke. That’s because of the work Pete Rozelle did decades ago. In the NFL there is a salary cap and there are restrictions on free agency. In collegiate sports, thanks to the lack of leadership from the NCAA, there are no rules or limits for NIL money and the transfer portal allows athletes to sell themselves to the highest bidder. It is an unsustainable model that is the result of unqualified academics trying to run a multibillion-dollar business. Prior to running the NCAA, Charlie Baker was the governor of Massachusetts and before that he ran non-profit health benefits company. He played JV basketball at Harvard, hardly what you would consider adequate training to run a successful multisport business. The lack of leadership tells us that if the football-playing Division I schools don’t secede from the NCAA we are going to see schools dropping some of their non-revenue sports because they can’t pay the bills. If and when that doesn’t work, we’ll start to see some athletic programs contemplating bankruptcy. It could happen, sooner and not later. We’re closer than ever before to some Division I school going belly-up financially.

Just call them the Omaha Drama Kings. That's the Florida Gators who made it 3-0 at the College World Series, all three wins by a single run and all three requiring last inning magic. Wednesday afternoon, the Gators got a run-scoring infield single in the top of the ninth that drove home pinch-runner Michael Robertson with the winning run. Florida's 3-2 win over TCU was sealed in the bottom half when closer Brandon Neely shut down the Horned Frogs 1-2-3 to preserve the win. Of course, there had to be some drama, even with three-up, three-down ninth because Michael Robertson ran down Brayden Taylor's high drive to center field and made a leaping grab against the fence for the final out of the game. With the win, the Gators (53-15) advanced to the best-of-three championship series that begins Saturday evening. It was 2-2 heading into the ninth after TCU tied the game on an Anthony Silva double that eluded Wyatt Langford's glove by about two inches, driving home Tre Richardson, who had singled and advanced to second on a ground out. Then came the ninth. Then came the Florida magic. Tyler Shelnut led off by bouncing a double off the wall in right center off Ben Abelt, who had been nails for three full innings, holding the Gators scoreless while giving up three hits. TCU brough on closer Garrett Wright to face pinch-hitter Dale Thomas, who popped a bunt to first for out one. A long fly ball to right by Colby Halter looked like it might make it out of the park, but Austin Davis made a leaping catch against the wall for out two, but it did move pinch-runner Michael Robertson to third. The Horned Frogs thought they were out of the inning when Cade Kurland hit an 0-2 bouncer into the short-third hole, but Silva slipped as he threw to first. Instead of a fast ball that would have been out three, his looping throw was a tad too late to get Kurland. Robertson scored, leaving the ninth to Neely. Neely struck out Elijah Nunez on an eye-high hearted that Nunez couldn't lay off of then he got Karson Bowen on a ground out to shortstop. On an 0-2 count, Neely grooved a fast ball that Taylor got all of. It was a race to the wall in center field that Robertson won with a leaping grab. Florida's run in the ninth ended a drought. Florida scored two in the top of the first on a walk to Wyatt Langford and Josh Rivera's 19th home run of the season, his second homer in Omaha. After that, the Florida bats were pesky but unable to put any insurance runs on the scoreboard. TCU was pesky, too. The Gators spent the rest of the game living on the edge as pitchers Jac Caglianone, Ryan Slater, Cade Fisher and Neely kept making big pitches when they needed them most to keep TCU from busting the game wide open. TCU had an answer in the bottom half of the inning when Caglianone was all over the place. He walked one, threw a wild pitch and hit a batter. There was also a passed ball involved, but TCU touched Caglianone for only one hit, a single to right center by Taylor that scored Karson Bowen from second base. The potential was there for a big inning, but Caglianone struck out Silva to strand Taylor at third to end the threat. The Frogs got a runner to third in the second, but Caglianone struck out Bowen to snuff out TCU’s chance to tie up the game. Caglianone got an inning-ending double play grounder from Tre Richardson in the third and got a helping hand from his defense in the fourth. Kurtis Byrne was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, moving to second on a ground out by Silva. Logan Maxwell singled to right center but when Langford threw to second, the third base coach waved Byrne home. Big mistake there. Rivera threw a dart home and BT Riopelle applied the tag for the second out. Caglianone got out of the inning when Davis hit a weak fly ball to right field. When Caglianone’s pitch count hit 85 on a Bowen single to right field with one out in the fifth, Kevin O’Sullivan made the switch to bring on Slater from the bullpen. Slater gave up a single to Taylor and a walk to Cole Fontenelle to load up the bases for Richardson, who hit two grand slams in the same game against Arkansas in the Fayetteville Regional. This time there was no heroics. Slater threw a 1-2 slider down and away that Richardson missed by a foot. An 0-1 slider got Kurtis Byrne to hit a sky-high popup that Kurland squeezed for the third out. Yet another bullet dodged, still a 2-1 Florida lead. Rivera led off the sixth with a single to right field on a 3-2 pitch and that was the end of the road for TCU starter Cole Klecker, who was pitching on four days rest. That brought on Ben Abelt for a left-on-left matchup against Riopelle. Abelt struck out Riopelle, but Luke Heyman lined his second single of the game over the shortstop’s head to give the Gators first and second with one out. Albet wouldn't give in, striking out Shelnut on a curve ball that broke outside, maybe six inches off the plate, and inducing Ty Evans into a bounce out to third to end the inning. The Gators went to Cade Fisher in the seventh and the freshman lefty showed by O’Sullivan says he has a slow heartbeat in tight situations. Fisher went 1-2-3 with a strikeout, a grounder to short and a foul out that required an outstanding grab at the screen behind home plate by Riopelle to end the inning. Ten pitches, seven strikes, three outs. Still Florida 2, TCU 1 with seven full innings. Tension mounting in the stands among fans from both teams, but obviously no sweat for Fisher. After Fisher started the eighth with a groundout, O'Sullivan went to the bullpen bring in Neely, who promptly gave up a single to Richardson just past the lunging Colby Halter at third. A squibber in front of the plate moved Richardson to second, then Silva doubled to left center, a ball that Langford came within a couple of inches of running down. Maxwell was hit by a pitch but Neely pitched his way out of the inning on a called third strike to Davis. Tied at 2-2, the Gators found their magic woofie dust once again. Three straight games the Gators have summoned mojo in the ninth. Three straight games, three straight one-run wins. Now they move to a best-of-three championship series. Is there enough magic to win two more games?

In the midst of a College World Series run, Kevin O'Sullivan and the rest of the staff have maintained their eye to the future, pulling in another transfer who will join the program next season. Former Coastal Carolina catcher Tanner Garrison announced his intentions to transfer to Florida on Monday. Garrison was Coastal's starting catcher for 16 games throughout the 2023 season, batting .275 with 20 RBIs and six home runs. This past year was his most productive season at the plate, despite starting fewer games than he had the year prior. Throughout his four-year career with the Chanticleers, Garrison started 56 of the 96 games he played in earning a career average of .257 while adding 53 RBIs. Despite a somewhat productive career at the plate, it is Garrison's defensive ability behind the plate that stands out with most with his addition. He boasts an impressive .992 career fielding percentage, with just five errors charged to him throughout four seasons behind the dish. Additionally, he was the best rated pitch-framer across all D-1 catchers which will greatly benefit next year's pitching staff. Garrison is not the first catcher to come to the Gators after a stint with Coastal Carolina. As Florida fans may happily remember, BT Riopelle began his career with the Chanticleers. Riopelle played three seasons with Coastal earning All-Sun Belt Second Team honors in 2021. Although Riopelle's Chanticleer career was a little more productive than Garrison's it's hard to ignore the success that Gators have had with transfer catchers in the past. The Gators are in need of depth at the catcher portion with the departure of three backstops, including Riopelle, at the conclusion of the 2023 season. Backup catchers Rene Lastres and Salvy Alvarez have entered the transfer portal, which leaves the Gators with Luke Heyman as the only potential catcher on the roster. However, Heyman has predominantly been a first baseman and designated hitter through this year's campaign. It seems likely that Florida will look to add at least one more catcher, depending on their plans for Heyman. Garrison is the second transfer the Gators have picked up this offseason, joining former UCLA pitcher Kelly Austin.

Kyle Curtis' wonderful adventure at the College World Series. OMAHA, NEB. -- Deciding to come to Omaha was never an "if" question for me; it was more of a "when" question. When Florida centerfielder Michael Robertson made a flying catch to send the Gators to the championship, I knew I had to get to go. Leading up to Omaha, my dad entertained and teased me with the idea, saying things like "if they make it, we can go" or dropping hints about a potential trip. Since I had already been approved for media credentials, the only obstacle was finding a way to get there and securing a place to stay. On Thursday morning, I woke up to my dad shouting my name across the house. His friends from his time at Florida had been persistently urging him to make the trip to Omaha. Their convincing made it easier for me to get my dad to come around. After purchasing the plane tickets, we had barely enough time to pack before hitting the road. The best available flight was out of Atlanta, so my father and I embarked on a six-hour journey to Atlanta and then flew into Chicago early Friday morning. From there, we proceeded to Omaha around noon. Upon arriving at the hotel in Atlanta, we were treated to what might have been the greatest College World Series game I had ever seen. LSU and Wake Forest delivered an exhilarating match with two of the country's top pitchers showcasing their skills. In a perfect scenario for Florida, Paul Skenes, LSU's star pitcher and the SEC single-season strikeout record holder, threw well over 100 pitches, putting him in a disadvantageous position to start against Florida. Skenes, who had been the most dominant pitcher in college baseball, pitched eight scoreless innings against one of the country's top offenses, Wake Forest. Rhett Lowder, Wake Forest's pitcher, had an 18-0 record leading up to Thursday night's matchup, setting the stage for one of the most highly anticipated pitching duels in College World Series history. Lowder also pitched nearly eight scoreless innings on just 88 pitches. Both sides lived up to the hype. The game extended to 11 innings, forcing both teams to rely on their bullpen despite the outstanding performances by their starting pitchers. Now, Florida will enter Saturday's game one fully rested, with all the Gator pitchers available for the winner-take-all series. With all this information swirling in my mind, falling asleep was impossible, reminiscent of the anticipation I felt as a child on Christmas Eve. While at the airport, I was greeted by many Gator fans who offered encouraging words, as well as LSU fans. The Tigers have historically traveled well as a fanbase and showed no difference this year for the College World Series. Before boarding our aircraft in Chicago, we ran into Eric Fabian, who was the centerpiece of last week's Father's Day Special. Mr. Fabian is the father of current player Deric Fabian and former standout Jud Fabian. While catching up and discussing the whirlwind of their travels over the past week and a half, Mr. Fabian shared some exciting words about Omaha. "25,000 people watching baseball," Fabian said. "There is truly nowhere like Omaha. It's one of the coolest places ever for a baseball fan." Looking at a majority of LSU fans in the airport, we asked what he thought the crowd would be like over the upcoming weekend. "15-1," Fabian said. "When we were here last week for the first round, LSU fans were the strongest fanbase here. I don't expect that to change." The Rocco's Jello shot competition supports that theory, with LSU having a whopping 29,000 shots ordered compared to Florida's 2,900. By the end of the weekend, I aim to contribute one or two shots to that count. After finally arriving in Omaha, Charles Schwab Field was the first thing I spotted while peering out of the airplane window. The history and significance it holds in the baseball world is something that can't be described until experienced in person. Once we checked into the hotel, we planned to meet up with fellow Gator friends and family and spend Friday night exploring the city of Omaha. Stay tuned for updates on my adventure in Wonderful Adventure In Omaha.

Adam Steinberg: The New Champion Coach of Florida Men's Tennis It's official, folks! The highly successful Adam Steinberg has taken the reins as head coach of Florida Gator Men's Tennis. Steinberg, who has led his teams to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, is gearing up for what he hopes will be unprecedented success. Steinberg's impressive career boasts a whopping 32 seasons as a Division I head coach. His glittering overall record of 582-287 (.711), encompasses successful spells at four different Division I programs. Most notably, he led the Pepperdine University to its first and only men's tennis national championship in 2006. Moreover, Steinberg has been at the helm of Michigan's men's tennis program for the past nine seasons, recording five seasons of at least 20 victories. This tenure also included two back-to-back NCAA quarterfinals appearances - a first in the program's history. His record at Michigan stands at an impressive 172-64 (.729) over nine seasons. His approach to player development and recruitment has been a key factor in this success. Beyond the court, Steinberg's players have excelled in their academic pursuits as well. He takes pride in his players' off-court accomplishments, which includes a commendable tally of 48 Academic All-Big Ten honors received by 20 different Wolverines during his tenure at Ann Arbor. In his early years, Steinberg started his coaching journey at St. John's University where he led the program to a Big East title in 1991. His career has also seen successful stints at Alabama, Northwestern, and St. John's. Before his triumphant time at Pepperdine, he held the position of head coach at Alabama from 1998 to 2002, leading the Crimson Tide to four NCAA Tournament appearances. Steinberg is looking forward to his new role with great enthusiasm. "The University of Florida is rich with tradition and is the ultimate combination of academics and athletics," he expressed. "It's a privilege to be the new leader of the Florida men's tennis program." Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin is equally excited about Steinberg's appointment, stating, "Adam is a proven winner and his track record speaks for itself. We are thrilled to welcome Adam and his family to Gator Nation. His ability to recruit, develop and compete for championships will position our men's tennis program for success for years to come." For Steinberg, coaching has been a lifelong journey. After a successful collegiate tennis career at Penn State, where he served as team captain in his senior season, he received his bachelor's degree in marketing from Penn State in 1989. A native of New York, Steinberg now resides in Florida with his wife, Casey, and their two daughters, Mia and Billie. His journey ahead promises exciting times for the Gators and their fans. With Steinberg's vast experience and a proven track record, the future of Florida Men's Tennis is looking brighter than ever.

The third time is the charm for Kevin O'Sullivan and the Gators baseball team who add yet another important piece to the 2024 roster. Colby Shelton, who played for Alabama this past season, announced his intention to transfer to the University of Florida via Twitter on Thursday. Shelton is the third incoming transfer the Gators have grabbed to date, joining pitcher Kelly Austin and catcher Tanner Garrison. The former Alabama infielder spent most of his time at third base this season, starting 59 of the team's 64 games. The freshman put together an incredibly impressive campaign this past season which earned him multiple freshman All-American honors in addition to a spot on the SEC All-Freshman squad. Shelton set an Alabama program record for a season, smashing 25. He was the only member of the Crimson Tide to hit over 20 home runs and did so while also hitting .300 with 51 RBIs. He also led the Tide with a .729 slugging percentage. The Lithia (Fl.) native started the season by reaching base in his first 12 games and later put together an impressive 10-game hitting streak. In terms of where Shelton may fit defensively for the Gators next season, there will be some gaps to fill in the infield. Starting shortstop Josh Rivera will likely be lost to the MLB Draft meanwhile third baseman Colby Halter is draft eligible but is yet to clarify his plans for the future. Shelton can play both third base and shortstop, so it's safe to say that O'Sullivan should have no issues finding him a spot on the field. It's clear that the All-American will earn a spot in the lineup for his prowess at the plate alone. Sources have indicated that Shelton had been likely to join the Gators for some time now and this the public announcement of his commitment was delayed from when he actually made his decision. While the addition of Shelton certainly brings even more excitement for the 2024 season, the Gators have some unfinished business to tend to right now in Omaha.

June 22, 2023 A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: Florida Gators 14, Everybody Else 11. That’s the combined score of Florida’s three games in Omaha. The Gators beat Virginia, 6-5; Oral Roberts, 5-4; and TCU 3-2. Three games, three wins and a ticket punched to the best-of-three championship series with the winner of tonight’s loser goes home game between top-seeded Wake Forest and LSU. Back when the Gators were majoring in Gorilla Ball, when folks seemed disappointed any time fewer than 10 runs crossed the plate, nobody foresaw a time when Florida wins depended more on stout pitching and near flawless defense. Even past midseason some of the experts were doubting the Gators could go very far in the NCAA Tournament because there would come a time when UF could no longer rely on winning games in home run derby fashion. That was then. This is now. “It's not easy to get to this point,” Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan said after the Gators eliminated TCU Wednesday afternoon. “It's just not. I know I overstate it and say it over and over, but we just played three one-run games and they're all nail-biters down to the end. There's a lot of things that have to go right.” Things do have to go right. While Florida’s home run pace has slowed down in Omaha because the wind knocks down so many potential home runs, it really isn’t about how many homers the Gators have hit, but when they hit them. The Gators hit three in the last two innings in the win over Virginia. They hit three more to stake UF to a lead they never gave up in the win over ORU. Monday, Josh Rivera muscled up a laser shot that cut through the wind and landed in the left field seats of Charles Schwab Field to give the Gators a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Striking that first blow was important. TCU spent plenty of energy playing catchup the rest of the way while the Gators still had the mojo going in the top of the ninth when they scored the winning run without a longball. Of the 18 homers that have been hit in Omaha, seven were struck by Gators. It has been a case of just enough power combined with dominating pitching, exceptional defense and a skipper who, despite his counting faux paus Monday night in the win over Oral Roberts, seems to have a sixth sense about when to make the right move. Eleven of Florida’s 14 runs have been the direct result of Dr. Longball. Florida’s three starting pitchers have allowed only 15 hits and five runs while striking out 23 batters in 16-2/3 innings. The bullpen has made just enough tough pitches under difficult circumstances to snuff out anything close to a big rally. As for defense, the Gators have committed just one error in 27 innings. Wednesday, Caglianone gave up only three hits and one run in a 4-1/3 inning start. Ryan Slater pitched the Gators out of a fifth inning jam in his 1-2/3 innings. Cade Fisher pitched a flawless seventh before he was lifted with one out in the eighth. Brandon Neely gave up a run in the eighth after taking over for Fisher, but he gave UF a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth to preserve Florida’s win. “He [Caglianone] made pitches when he need to, and he'll probably say otherwise, but at the end of the day he bent but didn't break if that makes any sense,” O’Sullivan said. “He made some big pitches, and I think Ryan Slater coming in and recording five outs is huge. We didn't have to go to Cade as early as we possibly wanted to and Brandon did his thing at the end.” O’Sullivan was brilliant the way he manipulated the Florida pitching, but he has been making all the right moves throughout the postseason. He hasn’t gotten nearly enough credit for the way he’s handled the pitching and made the right moves with his lineup because way too much criticism has been hurled his way because of a counting mistake Monday night against ORU. Neely was forced to leave the game with ORU in the eighth because there had been too many visits to the mound (NCAA rules allow only six; pitcher has to leave the game any time there is a mound visit after the sixth). Sully joked about it Wednesday, wearing a T-shirt that read, “Yes, I can count to 6” while the Gators took batting practice. Sully did the right thing by falling on the sword and accepting full responsibility for the mistake, but was he actually to blame? If you watch the Florida bench during games, several people are charting every single pitch, swing, defensive play and mistake. Someone on that Florida bench was in charge of charting mound visits. Either that person failed to alert Sully or else Sully paid no attention when he went to the mound in the eighth inning against Oral Roberts. Bet the farm that someone whose responsibility was to chart mound visits blew it, but you’d never know by Sully’s demeanor. Successful coaches shoulder all the blame for mistakes even when someone else goofed. By pointing only fingers at himself, the level of respect for O’Sullivan in the UF dugout had to grow by epic proportions. Other than that one mistake, which he owned but most likely belonged to one of his underlings, O’Sullivan has been brilliant when it comes to making all the right moves. Some fans tried to roast O’Sullivan in the twitterverse and on the message boards when TCU tied the game in the bottom of the eighth when TCU tied the game at 2-2. Wyatt Langford missed running down a fly ball to left center that turned into a run-scoring double. One instant message read, “It’s Sully’s fault if we lose because he had Wyatt Langford in center field in the eighth inning. Should have been Michael Robertson.” Langford missed gloving Anthony Silva’s RBI double by a couple of inches at best. Robertson is the fastest guy on the team, but there are no guarantees he would have gotten a better break on the ball than Langford. So why was Langford still in center? It had everything to do with the batting order. Luke Heyman made the third out in the eighth. Had Sully put Robertson in the game as a defensive replacement, Langford would have moved to left field and Tyler Shelnut’s night would have been over. Shelnut, who already had one hit in the game, was the first batter due up for Florida in the ninth, so Sully wasn’t about to take Shelnut’s bat out of the game in favor of Robertson, who is hitting .232. Leading off the top of the ninth, Shelnut nearly parked a Ben Abelt fast ball, missing a home run by perhaps a couple of feet. Still, this one was beyond the reach of Austin Davis in right field. Shelnut would up on second with a double. That’s when Robertson came into the game as a pinch-runner. He had the speed to make it to third on Colby Halter’s long fly ball that was the second out of the inning, and he scored the winning run on Cade Kurland’s infield single. Nobody in the twitterverse seemed to recall that an eighth-inning decision to leave Shelnut in the game paid off, nor did they mention that Robertson had the speed to tag up and still advance to third when Halter missed a home run by less than a foot. What they did notice was Robertson’s leaping grab at the center field fence for the final out that preserved Florida’s win. Folks should also be paying attention to the defense being played on the left side of the infield by Halter at third and Rivera at shortstop. It's rare that wins are accidental. Sure, accidental wins happen, but more often than not they are the result of a whole slew of things cobbled together at just the right time. Through the first three games of the College World Series, the Gators have been the antithesis of Murphy’s law that goes, “Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong and at the worst possible time.” The Gators are 3-0 and in the championship series because nearly everything that can go right has gone right and it has all happened at the most opportune moment. The Gators still have two more wins to go before they can claim the school’s first NCAA baseball championship since the 2017 team pulled it off. Some may look at three close call wins as sheer luck or purely accidental, but you don’t win high pressure baseball games if you don’t make all the right moves at just the right time. What these first three wins should be telling us is that this is a team that handles pressure ever so well. Whether it’s Wake Forest or LSU the Gators face in the championship series, this Florida team doesn’t seem capable of letting the circumstances of the big stage get to them. ESPN’s top 25 predictions next three years: The usual suspects ESPN must be scrounging around for content when it comes to college football because it has resorted to predicting college football’s top 25 teams for the next three years. Well, here they are in case you are interested: 1. Georgia; 2. Alabama; 3. Ohio State; 4. Michigan; 5. LSU; 6. Southern Cal; 7. Clemson; 8. Penn State; 9. Tennessee; 10. Florida State; 11. Oregon; 12. Oklahoma; 13. Utah; 14. Notre Dame; 15. Texas; 16. Washington; 17. TCU; 18. Kansas State; 19. Wisconsin; 20. Iowa; 21. Oregon State; 22. South Carolina; 23. UCLA; 24. Pittsburgh; 25. Ole Miss. Here are a few predictions of my own: (1) Tennessee won’t be a top 25 program in three years; (2) Florida State won’t be in the top 25 in part because Mike Norvell won’t hang around at a program that will be making about half what Florida makes in media money; (3) Southern Cal and UCLA will struggle when they have to play cold weather games in the Big Ten so they’re going to lose quite a few games; (4) Texas will be a top five team or better because Arch Manning will be that good; (5) Billy Napier will bring in the kind of recruiting classes that will put the Gators in championship contention sooner and not later. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: By winning their Wednesday matchup with TCU, the Florida Gators are assured of no less than a second place finish at the College World Series. A win against either Wake Forest or LSU, whichever one emerges from tonight’s do or die matchup, will give the Florida athletic program three national championships since May 1, perhaps the hottest finish any SEC school has ever had. Florida has national championships already in men’s golf and men’s track and field, plus a second place finish in women’s track. Add in other programs that provided points and the Florida athletic program will have scored a remarkable 600 points in the spring. A baseball national championship will give UF 700 spring points Take a moment to digest this: Florida has won national championships in 16 sports. The closest any SEC team can come to that record is Georgia, which has national titles in 10 different sports. Florida will finish fifth in the Director’s Cup standings, just four points behind fourth place Virginia, and this is without any points from football, men’s or women’s basketball or soccer. Based on what Billy Napier is doing with football recruiting and how Todd Golden is bringing in outstanding talent for basketball, Florida will be an athletic program that consistently finishes top two or three in the Director’s Cup, and has a chance to win one even without sports like water polo, fencing and field hockey, which add to the final totals of certain west coast and some of the east coast schools.

The much anticipated "June Bloom" finally began after a month of big-time official visits. Let's take a step back and recap what has happened for Florida recruiting over the last week and what we can still expect to come.

Florida baseball is making its comeback in the College World Series, and the team is set to face TCU in a crucial semifinal game that will determine who advances to the finals. The matchup will take place at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. The game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. To catch the action, you can tune in to ESPN or stream the game on ESPN+. If you prefer to listen to the game on the radio, you can follow the broadcast on Gator Radio or Golden Eagles Radio. The Florida Gators have been performing well in the tournament, securing victories against Virginia and Oral Roberts. On the other hand, TCU has fought its way through the loser bracket after losing to Oral Roberts in their first game. This adds an extra level of intensity to the upcoming match. In the event that the Gators lose, there will be an "if-necessary" game played on Thursday at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. However, if Florida emerges victorious, they will advance to the College World Series Finals, which are set to begin on Saturday. Florida enters the game as the favorite, having played fewer innings in the College World Series and enjoying a rest period since their win over Oral Roberts on Sunday night. TCU will rely on true freshman pitcher Kole Klecker, who will be pitching on short rest after a five-inning outing against ORU on Friday. For the Gators, Jac Caglianone is expected to take the mound. Caglianone, the team's typical No. 3 starting pitcher, has shown improvement throughout the season, steadily lowering his ERA from 4.91 to 3.78 since May. However, he has had some challenges with fastball location in the past. Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan has expressed regret for losing track of the team's mound visits during the previous game. This oversight led to some disruptions, but the bullpen should be well-rested in case any issues arise during the upcoming matchup. While the pressure in Omaha can be daunting, Coach O'Sullivan is expected to have everything under control. Winning in Omaha is not an easy feat, but Florida has the opportunity to sweep their pool and advance to the Finals. The game between Florida and TCU is scheduled for 2 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday. Florida will be the away team for this matchup. Here is the projected starting lineup for the Gators: C: BT Riopelle 1B: Jac Caglianone 2B: Cade Kurland 3B: Colby Halter OR: Dale Thomas SS: Josh Rivera LF: Tyler Shelnut CF: Wyatt Langford RF: Ty Evans DH: Luke Heyman Noteworthy statistics for the lineup include Jac Caglianone's impressive performance at the plate, as he is just one RBI away from the school record and two home runs shy of the BBCOR-era record set last season by Texas' Ivan Melendez. The projected starting pitchers for the game are Jac Caglianone for Florida and Kole Klecker for TCU. Caglianone's control of his fastball will be a key factor in his performance, as he tends to be more consistent when throwing it at a slightly lower velocity. Klecker, on the other hand, relies on generating weak contact rather than relying on strikeouts, and opposing batters tend to hit the ball in the air against him. Although TCU may not have the strongest lineup, they have some notable hitters to be cautious of, including first baseman Cole Fontenelle and third baseman Brayden Taylor, who have been performing well in terms of batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. In terms of the series' history, Florida has the advantage with a 2-1 overall record against TCU. The previous three games between the two teams took place during the 2017 College World Series, where Florida won two out of three games, including the decisive final match against TCU. As Florida and TCU face off once again, Florida will look to take advantage of the rest while TCU tries to stay alive..