2019 Gator Baseball: A Year in Review

The 2019 Florida Gator baseball season was a little different than what most Gator fans were accustomed too. With so much talent being taken in these past couple of MLB drafts in addition to the plethora number of freshmen on the roster, this Gator team struggled.

They posted a record of 34-25 and 13-17 in SEC play as Florida stumbled into the NCAA Tournament. Once in the postseason, the youthful Gators could not do much as Florida did not reach the regional final for the first time since 2014. Here's a brief rundown of how the postseason went.

SEC Tournament
Florida finished 11th in the regular season standings and was paired with the No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies (39-23-1) in the First Round. Despite climbing out of an early 3-0 hole, the youthful bullpen would be Florida's downfall as Texas A&M walked off in the bottom of the 10th inning to knock Florida out of the SEC Tournament. At this point, much of Gator Nation was unsure if Florida would even reach the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA Tournament

Call it a miracle, but Florida did reach the NCAA Tournament and was assigned as a No. 3 seed to the Lubbock Regional consisting of the No. 8 nationally seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders (43-18), No. 2 seeded Dallas Baptist Patriots (43-20), and No. 4 seeded Army Black Knights (35-26).

Florida would face off against Dallas Baptist, score eight runs, but still lose 11-8. In the elimination game against Army, the Gators lived to see another day with a 13-5 thrashing of the Black Knights. In a rematch with Dallas Baptist, Florida again scored eight runs and lost as the Patriots defeated the Gators 9-8. At last, this painful and uncharacteristic 2019 season had been put to bed for good.

Season Notes

Despite not making it out of regional play, there are many positives that can still be taken away from this season of Gator baseball. Here are some of the achievements that the Florida Gator baseball team accomplished in 2019:

• Two shutout victories 
• Notched eight victories over five ranked opponents. They were (at the time): No. 6/21 Florida State (twice), No. 5 Mississippi State (once), No. 14 LSU (once), No. 23 Tennessee (once), No. 22 Missouri (thrice).
• Five series sweeps (Long Beach State, Winthrop, Yale, Alabama, Missouri)
• Won four of their 10 SEC series while suffering losses to Mississippi State (twice), Vanderbilt (thrice), Ole Miss (thrice), South Carolina (once), LSU (twice), Kentucky (once), Georgia (thrice), and Tennessee (twice).
• Swept Florida State for the fourth consecutive season.
• Won the Miami series for the fifth consecutive season.
• Finished with a 26-11 home record in their second-to-last season at McKethan Stadium.
• Made the NCAA Tournament for the 12th consecutive season and the 35th time overall. 
• Won one elimination game in the NCAA Tournament.
• Went 9-5 in midweek games.

Award Winners

After looking at what the team as a whole did, let's now look at some of the accolades that the players themselves earned:

SEC

• SEC First Team All-Americans 
• DH/UT - Nelson Maldonaldo (Senior) 
• Freshman All-SEC Team
• 1B - Kendrick Calilao

MLB Draft Selections

Here's a look at the Gators who were selected in this year's MLB Draft:

• Brady McConnell (sophomore): 2nd Round (44th overall) to the KC Royals, shortstop
• Tyler Dyson (junior): 5th Round (153rd overall) to the Washington Nationals, pitcher
• Wil Dalton (junior): 8th Round (257th overall) to the Boston Red Sox, outfielder
• Nelson Maldonado (senior) : 31st Round (947th overall) to the Chicago Cubs, outfielder

Now that the SEC award winners and MLB draftees have been lauded, it's time now to look at the stat leaders for the 2019 season:

Offense

Hits: Brady McConnell (76)

RBI's: Kendrick Calilao (49)

Doubles: Nelson Maldonado (14)

Triples: Austin Langworthy (3) (Junior)

Home Runs: Brady McConnell (15)

Batting Average: Nelson Maldonado (.343)

Slugging Percentage: Brady McConnell (.576)

On Base Percentage: Nelson Maldonado (.408)

Stolen Bases: Jacob Young/Jud Fabian (7) (Freshmen)

Runs Scored: Brady McConnell (51)

Total Bases: Brady McConnell (132)

Strikeouts: Brady McConnell (57)

Walks: Cory Action/Jud Fabian (28) (Freshman)

Hit By Pitch: Wil Dalton (11)

Sacrifice Bunts: Jud Fabian/Austin Langworthy (3)

Sacrifice Flies: Kendrick Calilao (8)

Defense

Assists: Brady McConnell (114)

Putouts: Kendrick Calilao (409)

Errors: Brady McConnell (15)

Fielding Percentage: Austin Langworthy (.1000)

Pitching

Wins: Tommy Mace (8) (Sophomore)

Losses: Tommy Mace/Jack Leftwich (5) (Sophomore)

Strikeouts: Tommy Mace (74)

Walks: Tommy Mace (38)

Starting Pitcher ERA: Jack Leftwich (5.31)

Relieving Pitcher ERA: David Luethje (3.86) (Freshman)

Saves: Nolan Crisp (8) (Freshman)

Appearances: Christian Scott/Ben Specht (22) (Freshmen)

Innings Pitched: Tommy Mace (89.2)

Shutouts: Jack Leftwich (1)

Hit By Pitch: Tommy Mace (16)

Balks: Christian Scott (3)

Senior Sendoff

Nelson Maldonado and Blake Reese began their Gator careers in 2016 while Jonah Girand came on board in 2018 after transferring from Seminole State Community College. In their four years, Nelly and Blake have helped lead the Gators to a mark of 187-82 (.695 winning percentage) and 83-47 (.638 winning percentage) since Jonah joined the team. Though their final seasons for the Orange and Blue ended in regional play, these three can look back on their collegiate careers and take much joy in what they accomplished.

Nelson Maldonado

Photo Credits: AJC.com

Nelson Maldonado was a captain this past season and arguably had one of his best seasons to date as he hit over .300 for the first time and led the Gators in three offensive statistical categories. In his four years as a Gator, Nelly finishes with a slash line of .292/.391/.454 with 253 hits, 163 runs scored, 31 home runs, 149 RBI's, 20 stolen bases, and a .995 fielding percentage.

Nelly's collegiate accolades include:

• 2019 SEC First Team All-American
• 2018 & 2017 SEC Regular Season Champion
• 2018 & 2017 SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2017 National Champion
• 2016 NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team

Statistically, Nelly also leaves the Gators as a member of the Top 10 career hits club with 253 base knocks.  This ties him with Mark Kiger for tenth all-time in UF history!

Nelly graduated with a degree in Anthropology, but will have a chance to continue his baseball career as the Chicago Cubs selected him 947th overall in the 31st Round of the MLB Draft. Thank you for these last four years, Nelly!

Blake Reese

Photo Credits: DothanEagle.com

A Tallahassee boy who chose to take his playing talents down to Gainesville, Blake Reese was an excellent utility man for the Gators and was also a captain this past season. After not playing much his freshman year, Blake's playing time sky-rocketed as he appeared in 141 games over the remaining three years of his Florida career.

One of Blake's most memorable moments came in Game 3 of the 2018 Gainesville Super Regional against Auburn. Standing on third base with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning in a 1-1 game, Blake successfully stole home plate as teammate Nick Horvath dashed for second base on a delayed steal. This run would prove to be critical, as the Gators would ultimately win the contest by a margin of 3-2.

Blake leaves Gainesville with a slash line of .247/.375/.371 with 91 hits, 68 runs scored, 6 home runs, 62 RBI's, 20 stolen bases, and a .949 fielding percentage.

Blake's accolades include:

• 2018 NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team
• 2018 & 2017 SEC Regular Season Champion
• 2018, 2017, & 2016 SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2016 National Champion

Blake graduated with a degree in Forestry and will probably do great things keeping Florida's wildernesses preserved as he was not taken in this year's MLB Draft. Thank you for these last four years, Blake!

Jonah Girand

Photo Credits: News4Jax.com

Jonah Girand transferred to the University of Florida at the start of the 2018 season. He will most fondly be remembered for his performance in the 2018 Gainesville Regional, where he mashed three home runs over the course of the weekend and earned himself the Most Outstanding Player Award for the regional.

Over the course of his two years at Florida, Jonah finishes with a slash line of .170/.278/.468 with 8 hits, 9 runs scored, 4 home runs, 9 RBI's, and a .1000 fielding percentage. He played a total of 25 games and started 10 of those contests. Jonah's lone collegiate accolade is the Most Outstanding Player Award he received for his performance in the 2018 Gainesville Regional.

Jonah graduated with a degree in Criminology and will do a great job enacting justice in the state of Florida as he was not taken in this year's MLB Draft. Thank you for these last two years, Jonah!

Final Takeaway

Before giving my final thoughts, here are my Top 5 Gator games of the 2019 season:

1. Florida sweeps Florida State for the fourth straight season - 3/12, 3/26, and 4/9
2. Wil Dalton hits a go-ahead double in the 8th inning against Miami - 2/23
3. Jordan Butler hits a walk off home run against South Carolina to win the series - 4/13 
4. Jack Leftwich shuts out Missouri - 5/17
5. Florida scores 28 runs on Winthrop - 3/3

2019 can best be described as Florida finally suffering from its success. After losing so many talented and experienced guys to the MLB Draft, Florida had to rely mostly on freshmen during the course of the season. Four freshmen (Jacob Young, Kendrick Calilao, Cory Acton, and Jud Fabian) were in the everyday starting lineup while five freshmen (David Luethje, Nick Pogue, Nolan Crisp, Ben Specht, and Christian Scott) appeared in 15 or more games out of the bullpen.

Florida's roster for 2020 looks like it will consist of six seniors (four of whom transferred in previously), seven juniors, 11 sophomores, and 12 freshmen.

The 2020 Florida recruiting class will most likely contain:

• Hunter Barco (who the New York Mets drafted in the 24th Round) - LHP
• Joshua Rivera (who the San Diego Padres drafted in the 22nd Round) - 3B
• Tyler Nesbitt (who the Colorado Rockies drafted in the 32nd Round) - RHP
• Issac Nunez - SS
• Nathan Hickey - C
• Andrew Roberts - 3B
• Ryan Cabarcas - LHP
• Kevin Martin - RHP
• Hunter Mink - RHP
• Austin Brinling - OF
• Matthew Powell - C
• Tucker Talbott - RHP

In the transfer portal, I have heard news that both freshman infielder Roberto Pena and sophomore transfer pitcher Justin Alintoff will be looking to play ball somewhere else next season. I would not be surprised if rising junior catcher Cal Greenfield followed suit as he is the same year as starting backstop Brady Smith, who played in 56 games this year and started 53 of those contests. The Gators will also be losing long-time assistant coach, Brad Weitzel, who has served 12 years on the Gator staff along side head coach Kevin O'Sullivan.

As frustrating as it was to see the team struggle this year, a season like this can go a long way for these freshmen as they progress in their UF careers. Many of them received a good amount of playing time, and by the time they are juniors and seniors the Gators will once again be a juggernaut on the diamond. 

This isn't the first time Kevin O'Sullivan has dealt with a rough season. In fact, the last time Florida did not reach a super regional (2014), they only went on to rack up four straight College World Series appearances in the following seasons and of course a national championship in 2017.

Thank you for everything, 2019 Gator Baseball! Go Gators!

*All stats accredited to FloridaGators.com
**All awards & honors accredited to SECSports.com

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2018 College World Series: No. 1 Florida Knocks Out No. 13 Texas in First Elimination Game

The No. 1 Florida Gators (48-20) have kept their season alive with a 6-1 victory over the No. 13 Texas Longhorns (42-23) in their first elimination game of the College World Series.

Pitching
Junior right-hander Jackson Kowar (10-5, 3.04 ERA) took the mound for Florida and spun an absolute gem for his 10th win of the season. The 33rd overall draft pick dominated Texas as he allowed zero runs on five hits, struck out a career-high 13 batters, and walked two Longhorns on a  season-high 121 pitches in 6.2 innings.

When it was time for Kowar to exit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Florida was leading 5-0 with Texas runners on second and third. Cue freshman left-hander Jordan Butler, who needed just four pitches to notch the inning-ending strikeout.

After back-to-back walks from Butler in the eighth inning, it was Michael Byrne time. The junior right-hander would give up a run, but would limit Texas's damage to one as Florida carried a 6-1 lead into the ninth. The run of course would be charged to Butler.

In the game's final frame, Byrne would use a line out and a strikeout to obtain the first two outs before giving up back-to-back singles. There would be no Texas rally, however, as he induced a fly out from junior clean-up man Kody Clemens to end the game and Texas's season.

Batting
Florida's offense look much more rejuvenated in this game as the Gators banged out 10 hits and scored a run in the first inning, four in the sixth inning, and tacked on one more in the eighth inning. Four Gators had multiple hits in this contest.

Out of the two-hole, junior designated hitter Nelson Maldonaldo recorded his second consecutive multi-hit game in Omaha as he went 2-5 with an RBI single in the seventh inning and a run scored. Right behind Nelly in the three-hole, junior third baseman Jonathan India went 2-5 as well.

The No. 5 overall pick in the draft kicked off the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning. Then in the sixth inning he hit a three-run home run out to left field to make it 5-0. India finished the day with four RBI's and a run scored.

Down in the six-hole, sophomore left fielder Austin Langworthy went 2-3 with a walk. Rounding out the quartet after Langworthy in the seven-hole, junior second baseman Blake Reese went 2-4 with a double, a run scored, and a stolen base.

The remaining Gators with hits were both seniors. First baseman JJ Schwarz went 1-5 while centerfielder Nick Horvath went 1-3 with a walk and a solo shot in the eighth inning to extend the lead to 6-0. Though he went hitless, junior shortstop Deacon Liput is worth mentioning because he worked two walks and scored twice.

Fielding
Florida cleaned it up defensively as they had their first errorless game since Game 2 of Super Regionals. Texas's lone miscue came on the first pitch of the third inning as sophomore third baseman Ryan Reynolds could not cleanly field a ball off the bat of Jonathan India. This would not result in any Gator runs though.

Final Takeaway
The Florida Gators (48-20) looked like the No. 1 team in the country again as they will live to fight another day. Before previewing their next matchup, here are my final tidbits on their elimination game victory over Texas:

• For the first time since 1991 and third overall time in school history, Florida has won their first elimination game immediately following an opening round loss in the College World Series.
• Florida is now 9-10 all-time in College World Series elimination games.
• Florida is now 20-23 all-time in the College World Series.
• Florida is now 2-2 all-time against Texas.
• This was India's 26th, Nelly's 22nd, Reese's 17th, and Langworthy's 15th multi-hit games of the season.
• India's home run was his team-leading 21st of the season while Nick Horvath upped his total to seven.
• Blake Reese's second inning steal of second base gave him the lead in this stat category as he now has 13 on the year. His double also tied him for the team lead and is his 17th of his junior campaign.
• This was Jackson Kowar's second game of the year with double-digit strikeouts and sixth outing where he went over 100 pitches. That last factoid probably agitates the Kansas City Royals (who drafted him) just a bit.
• Texas's leading hitters were junior catcher DJ Petrinksy (1-4 with an RBI), senior first baseman Jake McKenzie (2-4 with a stolen base), and junior left fielder Masen Hibbeler (2-4 with a double)

The Gators still have an uphill battle as they need three more wins to reach the College World Series Finals. It may feel improbable, but if Florida can duplicate this performance a few times it is definitely possible.

The Orange and Blue will await the loser of the No. 5 Arkansas/No. 9 Texas Tech game on Wednesday, June 20th. Either opponent will be a rematch for Florida and this game will be set for 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 21st, barring any weather delays. It can be seen on ESPNU.

Freshman right-hander Jack Leftwich (4-5, 4.32 ERA) will probably take the bump for Florida, but nothing has been set in stone at this moment.

As for the No. 13 Texas Longhorns, they finish the season 42-23 and have to feel very optimistic about the future after reaching their first College World Series since 2014. Congrats on a great season for the Longhorns!

*All stats accredited to FloridaGators.com

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2018 College World Series: No. 9 Texas Tech Defeats No. 1 Florida in Opening Round

The No. 1 Florida Gators (47-20) are in big trouble after a 6-3 loss to the No. 9 Texas Tech Red Raiders (45-18) in the opening round of the 2018 College World Series.

Pitching
Making what was potentially his final collegiate start, junior ace Brady Singer (12-2, 2.33 ERA) was cruising until the fifth and sixth innings. In both frames, the 17th overall draft pick allowed two runs as Tech jumped out to a 5-1 lead over the Gators.

Singer would finish with a stat line of five runs allowed (two earned!) on nine hits with five strikeouts as he was handed his second loss of the season. He committed a balk in the top of the fourth inning which moved Tech sophomore Josh Jung over to second base. Jung would eventually come in to score on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1.

Reaching 99 pitches after notching his final collegiate strikeout, Brady Singer was pulled with Florida trailing 5-1 in the seventh inning. In his place came freshman left-hander Jordan Butler, who recorded the final two outs of the inning with ease.

In the eighth inning, a single and double put Tech runners in scoring position with no outs. Florida had just trimmed the lead to 5-3 and could not afford to let the margin get any wider. Butler settled in and registered two huge strikeouts before being lifted for junior closer Michael Byrne.

Very accustomed to high leverage situations, Byrne did his job as he fired in three straight strikes for the punch-out. In the ninth, Byrne obtained another strikeout. However, freshman catcher Brady Smith's mishandling of the ball allowed Tech junior Cody Farhat to reach.

A sac bunt would move Farhat to second, and he would come into score on a single into right field for a huge insurance run. Byrne would get another strikeout and a batter's interference on a stolen base attempt put an end to the inning. Though Tech had scored another run to push the lead to 6-3, Byrne had once again been efficient out of the bullpen.

Batting
Florida's offense was dreadful tonight. They mustered a lousy five hits together while scoring once in the third inning and twice in the seventh. That first run did not even come from an RBI, as a Tech balk from junior Ryan Shetter allowed Deacon Liput to score from third.

Junior designated hitter Nelson Maldonaldo had nearly half of the team's hits as he went 2-5 with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Nelly was not the only one with an extra-base hit though. In the first inning, junior third baseman Jonathan India hit a two-out triple into right field but of course was stranded at third base. India had two walks in the contest as well.

The other TWO Gators with hits were sophomore right fielder Wil Dalton (1-4) and freshman catcher Brady Smith (1-2 with a run scored after coming in to pinch-hit in the seventh).

Fielding
Both squad's made one error. Florida's miscue came from junior shortstop Deacon Liput when his throw to first base went up the line with two outs in the fifth. This would lead to two Tech runs and a 3-1 deficit for Florida.

Tech's error also came from the shortstop position as senior Michael Davis misplayed a ball off the bat of Wil Dalton with no outs in the second inning. Though Florida would eventually put runners on second and third with two outs, Tech would hold the Gators scoreless in the bottom of the second.

Final Takeaway 
Florida's chances of repeating are abysmally low after a very lackluster performance tonight. Before previewing their elimination game in a couple of days, here are my final tidbits on the opening round loss:

• Florida is now 6-6 all-time in the opening round of the College World Series.
• Florida is now 0-2 all-time against Texas Tech. Both losses are in Omaha.
• Florida is now 19-23 all-time in the College World Series.
• This was Nelly's 21st multi-hit game and ninth home run of the season.
• Jonathan India's triple was his fourth of the year and he continues to lead the team with that mark.
• Deacon Liput nabbed his 10th stolen base of the season in the second inning and is now within two of the team lead.
• The entire Texas Tech outfield lit up Florida's pitching tonight. Freshman right fielder Gabe Holt went 2-5 with three RBI's, center fielder Cody Farhat went 2-4 with a double and two runs scored, and sophomore left fielder Grant Little went a perfect 3-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
• In addition to the outfield, both senior designated hitter Zach Rheams (1-4 with a double) and Michael Davis (1-4) drove in a run for the Red Raiders as well.
• Texas Tech's bullpen pieced together a great relief performance. Entering with no outs in the third inning and a runner on first, Ryan Shetter allowed one earned run on three hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in 4.1 innings pitched. The right-hander would improve his record to a flawless 6-0.
• For the remaining 2.2 innings, junior right-hander Ty Harpenau gave up one earned run on one hit with three strikeouts and two walks.
• Though exciting to many Gator fans, the decision to play JJ Schwarz did not pan out. The senior captain went 0-4 with two strikeouts and had one of his more shakier defensive games at first base.

I hate to be a pessimist, but Florida will need an absolute miracle to get back to the College World Series Finals. Even if they beat Texas, they will either have to rematch with Tech again or face a red-hot Arkansas team that looks unstoppable. 

The Gators simply do not have the pitching depth to muster out four wins and the offense has been on cruise control going all the way back to May. I hope Florida can put something together, but I honestly do not see that happening.

The Orange and Blue will be back in action as they take on the No. 13 Texas Longhorns (42-22) in an elimination game on Tuesday, June 19th.  First pitch will be at 2 p.m. ET and this matchup can be seen on ESPN. Junior right-hander Jackson Kowar (9-5, 3.24 ERA) will most likely get the start for the Gators. This will be just the fourth meeting between these two baseball goliaths (all in Omaha and which Florida sports a 1-2 record).

As for the No. 9 Texas Tech Red Raiders (45-18), they will be taking on the No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks (45-19) in the second round on June 19th. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on ESPN.

*All stats accredited to FloridaGators.com

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UF Baseball: NO. 1 FLORIDA WALKS OFF INTO OMAHA!!!

The No. 1 Florida Gators (47-19) will be returning to the College World Series for a fourth consecutive season after an exhilarating 3-2 walk-off victory over the Auburn Tigers (43-23) in extra innings!

Pitching
In his biggest start of the year thus far, freshman right-hander Jack Leftwich (5-2, 4.32 ERA) answered the bell. He gave the Gators five solid innings while allowing just one earned run on four hits, striking out three, and walking four.

After a walk to lead off the top of the sixth inning, Leftwich was pulled at 73 pitches with the Gators leading 2-1. He had done his job and it was now up to the bullpen to deliver these final 12 outs for Florida. In Leftwich's place came fellow freshman Tommy Mace. The right-hander would induce a pop up before a passed ball put a runner on second. He would then generate another pop up before walking a batter.

With two outs and the count at 1-2 on senior center fielder Jay Estes, Mace was able to escape the inning as Estes hit a deep fly ball to left field that was caught at the warning track. In the seventh inning, a leadoff single into right field followed by a Wil Dalton misplay on the ball put Game 2 hero Luke Jarivs on second with no outs.

A failed bunt attempt would get Mace a strikeout, but he would proceed to throw a wild pitch that allowed Jarvis to advance to third. Up now was senior first baseman Josh Anthony, one of Auburn's hottest hitters this postseason. After fouling off multiple pitches on a 1-2 count, Anthony hit a fly ball to right field.

Wil Dalton got under it and loaded up as he threw a rocket to the plate. It looked like Dalton would make amends for both his fielding and base-running gaffes in this game as the throw beat Jarvis to the plate. However, junior catcher Jonah Girand came up a bit to receive the ball as opposed to waiting at the plate for the ball to come to him.

As a result, Girand had to reach back to tag a head-first sliding Jarvis. This would be to no avail as the Auburn redshirt senior slid in safe to tie the game up. Mace would keep his poise, and got a pop up from the next batter to keep things tied.

In the eighth, it was Michael Byrne time. Putting the walk off that he allowed in Game 2 behind him, the junior closer came out firing as he struck out the side. In the ninth, the right-hander struck out his fourth straight batter before jumping off the mound to field a ball that he perfectly threw to first base for the second out. He would then record another strikeout to put the Gators in walk-off territory in the bottom of the ninth.

After a 1-2-3 ninth for Florida, Byrne ran into some trouble in the 10th. He got a fly out and a ground out on a total of three pitches before giving up a single to Jay Estes. A wild pitch allowed Estes to take second base before Byrne walked freshman right fielder Steven Williams on a full count.

Up to bat now was Auburn's three-hole hitter Brett Wright. With the count even at 2-2, Byrne induced a ground ball right to junior third baseman Jonathan India. He would step on the bag to end the threat.

Another futile Florida half inning meant Byrne was back out there again for the 11th. There would be no hiccups this time though, as Byrne retired all three Tigers in order to set up the theatrics in the bottom half of the inning.

Batting
Florida was scrounging for offense tonight as they banged out just six hits and scored a run in the first, fourth, and 11th innings. Of the six Gator base knocks, none was bigger than sophomore left fielder Austin Langworthy's. Having been robbed of two extra base hits in both the sixth and eighth innings, Langworthy stepped into the box to lead off the 11th inning against Tiger freshman reliever Cody Greenhill.

Langworthy had homered off of Greenhill to tie Game 2 in the ninth inning, so this proved to be a fairly favorable matchup for the left-hander. After falling behind 1-2, Langworthy smoked a 94 mile-per-hour fastball out to right field. The ball continued to go and go and looked like it could possibly clear the fence!

In the way though was the right fielder Steven Williams. The freshman tracked the ball and then leaped in an attempt to rob Langworthy of at least extra bases for the third time this game. However, the baseball gods smiled down upon Florida as the ball bounced off of Williams's closed mitt and over the fence for a walk-off home run to send the Gators to Omaha!

Just like that, Austin Langworthy was immortalized in Gator lore. He celebrated as he rounded the bases and the entire Gator team poured from the dugout onto the field to mob him at home. Keep in mind that Langworthy is from the city of Williston, which is a mere 30 minutes away from Gainesville. This means that essentially he is a hometown hero and may never have to purchase a meal in all of Central and North Florida ever again depending how the College World Series shapes out.

Here are some different angles of Austin's walk-off homer:

• Telecast
• Press Box
• Down the Third Base Line (Close)
• Down the Third Base Line (Far)

Hero.

Though Langworthy's walk-off long ball overshadows them all, the five other Gators with base hits were junior shortstop Deacon Liput (1-5 with a double and a stolen base), junior designated hitter Nelson Maldonaldo (1-5 with a stolen base), third baseman Jonathan India (1-2 with a solo home run and three walks), junior second baseman Blake Reese (1-4 with a double and a stolen base), and senior center fielder Nick Horvath (1-3).

India's home run kicked off the scoring as he drove an 0-1 pitch to right field to give Florida an early 1-0 advantage in the first inning. When the game was tied, Blake Reese's speed was utilized in the fourth inning. After his one-out double, Reese advanced to third on an infield single from Nick Horvath.

With Jonah Girand up, Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan decided to roll the dice once the junior fell into a 1-2 count. Sully called a double steal and it was executed to perfection. Before the pitch, Nick Horvath took off towards second base and then immediately fell on his belly. This confused Auburn's left-handed starter Andrew Mitchell long enough to give Reese -who took off at the same time as Horvath- an ample amount of time to race towards home.

When Mitchell realized, it was too late. Reese slid in to beat the throw and Florida had literally stolen a run. Horvath would get thrown out at third to end the inning and this would cap off the rest of Florida's scoring until that unforgettable 11th inning.

Fielding
Both squads made one error a piece in tonight's contest. For Florida, Wil Dalton not corralling a single in front of him allowed Auburn to put a runner on second base in the seventh inning. As mentioned earlier, the Tigers would take advantage as they scored him on a sacrifice fly.

For Auburn, second baseman Luke Jarvis bobbled a ball off the bat of Deacon Liput in the fifth inning and was unable to throw out the speedster in time. This would not come back to hurt the Tigers though.

Final Takeaway
This is by far the most exhilarating Gator baseball game (outside of winning the title), that I have ever watched! Before giving my final take on tonight's incredible victory, here are my final tidbits on a wild Game 3 of the Gainesville Super Regional:

• Worth saying again is that Florida will be playing in their fourth consecutive College World Series after their walk-off win tonight.
• This is the 12th time (seventh in the Sully Era) that Florida has advanced to Omaha.
• The Gators improve to 14-6 in super regional play and have now won seven consecutive super regionals.
• This is the first time in school history that Florida has advanced to the CWS on a walk-off of any kind!
• This is the second time in school history that Florida has won a super regional game on a walk-off (Ryan Larson in Game 1 of the 2017 Gainesville Super Regional against Wake Forest).
• The Gators finish with a 4-2 record against Auburn for 2018.
• Blake Reese's double was his 16th of the season while Deacon Liput's two-bagger gives him his 14th for the 2018 campaign.
• Jonathan India's home run gives him a team-leading 20 on the year while Austin Langworthy's legendary home run puts him at four on the season.
• Blake Reese's steal of home plate ties him for the team-lead at 12, while Deacon Liput and Nelson Maldonaldo swiped their ninth and sixth bags of the year, respectively.
• As a result of Austin's walk-off, Michael Byrne improves to 3-1 on the year.
• Jonah Girand had himself a hat trick as he struck out three times tonight.
• Auburn reliever Davis Daniel mowed down the Gator lineup after entering with one out in the fifth inning. The freshman would not give up a hit until the 10th inning, and struck out six while walking four in 5.1 incredible innings of relief. He threw 87 total pitches!
• As a defense, Auburn made a plethora of incredible diving plays throughout the game to keep the Gators off the scoreboard.
• Florida fans answered the call as 5,958 people packed the Mac for this instant classic. This is the third largest crowd ever in the history of Alfred McKethan Stadium at Perry Field!

To advance to the College World Series in this fashion is truly amazing. It had me thinking I was watching a Game 7 of the  MLB World Series with how much every single pitch and at-bat mattered. The Gators grinded out a well-deserved victory, and that can carry major momentum into the CWS.

Florida deserves to celebrate into the night, but in six days they need to figure out how to fix the offense. Their first opponent in Omaha will be the No. 6 seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders (44-18), who eliminated Florida from the CWS back in 2016. It will be just the second meeting between these two schools on the diamond.

The Red Raiders are a good ball club, and no amount of good pitching on Florida's end can make up for the lack of run production. If the Gators wish to repeat, they need to get the bats rolling again and quickly.

First pitch for Florida/Texas Tech will be at 7 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on ESPN2. The Gators will probably go with junior right-hander Brady Singer (12-1, 2.30 ERA) while Tech will most likely counter with either junior right-hander Davis Martin (7-5, 4.56 ERA), sophomore right-hander John McMillon (5-3, 4.14 ERA), or sophomore right-hander Caleb Kilian (9-3, 3.04 ERA).

As for the Auburn Tigers, my hat goes off to them and their head coach Butch Thompson. They fought hard throughout all of super regionals and came one win away from upsetting the defending champions. They have nothing to hang their heads about. They finish the season 43-23 and have a very bright future ahead of them as they will try to end a 21-year College World Series drought in the 2019 season.

*All stats accredited to FloridaGators.com

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UF Baseball: Auburn Walks Off Against No. 1 Florida in Game 2 of Super Regionals

The No. 1 Florida Gators (46-19) will be playing a winner-take-all game in super regionals as the Auburn Tigers (43-22) defeated them in a 3-2 walk-off victory.

Pitching
In his last start at the Mac, junior right-hander Jackson Kowar (9-5, 3.24 ERA) did all he could to give the Gators an opportunity to win. He tossed seven innings while allowing just one earned run on three hits, striking out six, and hitting just one batter.

At 94 pitches with the game tied at 1-1, Kowar was finished after the seventh inning. Out of the bullpen for the eighth inning came freshman left-hander Jordan Butler. He struck out a batter before giving up a single and a double that gave Auburn a 2-1 lead. He would get the next batter to pop up and then record a strikeout to limit the deficit to one, but the damage had already been done.

After the Gators rallied back in the ninth to tie the game, Butler again was back out there for the bottom of the frame. He would issue a leadoff walk and Gator skipper Kevin O'Sullivan wasted no time in pulling him for reliable closer Michael Byrne.

The junior right-hander struck out the first batter he faced for the first out, but this would be Florida's only out of the inning as Auburn strung together back-to-back singles to walk it off and force a Game 3. The loss and run would be pinned on Jordan Butler to give him just his second defeat of the season.

Batting
After teeing off in Game 1, the Gator offense cooled down tremendously today. They scored just one run in the fourth and ninth innings as a team banged out only seven hits.

Only one Gator had multiple hits in the contest and he was sophomore left fielder Austin Langworthy. Batting out of the five-hole, Langworthy went 2-4 with a double and the game-tying solo home run in the ninth inning.

Among the remaining Gators with base hits were junior shortstop Deacon Liput (1-4 with a stolen base), junior third baseman Jonathan India (1-3 with a walk), sophomore right fielder Wil Dalton (1-4), sophomore first baseman Keenan Bell (1-3), and senior center fielder Nick Horvath (1-4 with a double and an RBI).

Fielding
Florida had an errorless game while Auburn committed one error. The Tigers' lone miscue came on a wild throw from redshirt junior catcher Brett Wright as he tried to gun down Deacon Liput stealing second base in the eighth inning. Despite Liput advancing to third, this mistake would not hurt Auburn as he would not come in to score.

Final Takeaway
The No. 1 Florida Gators (46-19) have been in this situation time-and-time again so Gator fans really should not fret. Florida dropped their second game to Auburn in the regular season as well before crushing the Tigers 12-3 in the rubber match.

Before previewing the final game of this super regional, here are my final tidbits from Florida's Game 2 loss:

• This is the third consecutive season that Florida will be playing in a Game 3 of their super regional. Florida is 2-0 in these previous do-or-die matchups.
• Austin Langworthy's multi-hit game was his 14th of the season.
• Keenan Bell's double was his 11th of the year while Langworthy's two-bagger was his 10th of the 2018 campaign.
• Langworthy's long ball was just his third of the year.
• Deacon Liput's stolen base was his eighth of the season.
• Auburn's walk off hero was redshirt senior second baseman Luke Jarvis. It was his only hit of the game.
• Tiger freshman Tanner Burns (7-4, 3.01 ERA) turned in a good outing as he went six innings, allowed one earned run on five hits, struck out three, and walked four batters on 94 pitches thrown.
• Apart from Jarvis's game-winning hit, Auburn's other run production came from freshman right fielder Steven Williams (1-4 with a solo home run in the fourth inning) and sophomore shortstop Will Holland (1-4 with an RBI double in the eighth inning). 

In their second elimination game of this postseason, the Gators will again probably go with freshman right-hander Jack Leftwich (4-5, 4.50 ERA) for the start. Auburn may counter with either redshirt senior Andrew Mitchell (2-2, 4.30 ERA) or sophomore right-hander Davis Daniel (3-4, 5.28 ERA). My best bet is that Mitchell gets the nod.

First pitch is set for 8 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on ESPN. Winner goes to Omaha! Let's see which team will rise to the occasion!

*All stats accredited to FloridaGators.com

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UF Baseball: No. 1 Florida Defeats Auburn in Game 1 of Super Regionals

The No. 1 Florida Gators (46-18) are now one win away from the College World Series after defeating the Auburn Tigers (42-22) by a score of 8-2 in Game 1 of the Gainesville Super Regional. 

Pitching

This game featured a highly anticipated rematch between the No. 1 overall draft pick Casey Mize (10-6, 3.30 ERA) for Auburn and the No. 18 overall pick in Florida's Brady Singer (12-1, 2.30 ERA). Similar to their April 26th meeting in Gainesville, Singer was again the victor as he earned his 12th win of the season.

The junior right-hander was fantastic in his 6.2 innings of work. He allowed just two earned runs on four hits, struck out nine, walked two, and hit two batters. At 119 pitches with a runner on first and two outs in the top of the sixth inning, Singer was pulled in favor of freshman Jordan Butler with a 7-2 lead.

As Singer walked to the dugout, the Florida Faithful gave him a standing ovation. In his final start at the Mac, he had just out-dueled the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight time.

When play resumed, the left-handed Butler struck out his lone batter to snuff out any rally. In the eighth inning, junior closer Michael Byrne entered for the six-out save. He would work a perfect eighth and finished the inning with two strikeouts.

After getting an insurance run, Byrne returned for the ninth with now a 6-run cushion. He notched his third consecutive strikeout and induced a fly out before hitting a batter and giving up a double. Byrne would not get rattled, however, as he struck out the next batter for the final out of the game and a 1-0 series lead.

Batting

Despite an early 2-0 deficit and one of the best pitcher's in America on the mound, Florida's offense would answer the bell as they exploded for eight runs on 10 hits. The Gators put up a four-spot in the third inning, scored two in the fifth, and tacked on one additional run in both the sixth and seventh innings.

Five Gators had base hits with four of them having multi-hit games. At the top of the lineup, junior shortstop Deacon Liput went 3-5 with a solo home run in the seventh inning, two runs scored, and an RBI. Right behind Liput in the two-hole, junior designated hitter Nelson Maldonaldo went 2-5 with a solo home run in the eighth inning, two runs scored, and an RBI.

In the six-hole, junior second baseman Blake Reese went 2-4 with a stolen base. Rounding out the multi-hitters from the seven-hole, sophomore first baseman Keenan Bell went 2-3 with a double and a run scored.

Junior right fielder Wil Dalton was the only Gator without a pair of hits in the contest, but still contributed as he went 1-2 with two runs scored, two RBI's, and two walks.

Fielding

Neither squad was perfect in the field as Florida committed one error and Auburn made two. The Gators' lone error came on a misfire from Brady Singer when he bobbled a ball hit back to him and then fired it down the right field line on his throw to first base. Auburn would not score a run off of this, however.

Auburn's pair of errors both came in the fifth inning and allowed two runs scored. The first was a throwing error from sophomore shortstop Will Holland that allowed Austin Langworthy and Wil Dalton to advance to second and third.

The second error came on the very next play. After a single to first that brought Dalton home, Austin Langworthy came in to score as well on a errant throw from senior first baseman Josh Anthony.

Final Takeaway

The No. 1 Florida Gators (46-18) looked like the No. 1 overall seed today as their ace threw a gem and the lineup lit up the No. 1 overall draft pick. Before previewing Game 2, here are my final tidbits on today's victory:

• This was Keenan Bell's 6th, Deacon Liput's 14th,  Blake Reese's 16th, and Nelson Maldonaldo's 20th multi games of the season.
• Keenan Bell's double was his 11th of the year
• Deacon Liput's home run was his ninth of the season while Nelly's was his eighth of the year.
• Blake Reese's stolen base was his 11th of the season.
• Casey Mize's final stat line for his possible last collegiate game was five innings pitched, six earned runs on seven hits, a career-high four walks issued, and one hit batsmen. He tossed 94 pitches as Florida handed him his sixth lost of the season.
• Auburn's leading hitters were freshman designated hitter Eduoard Julien (1-3 with an RBI and a run scored) and Josh Anthony (2-3 with an RBI).

Now one win away from their fourth consecutive trip to Omaha, the Gators will go with junior right-hander Jackson Kowar (9-5, 3.37 ERA) to potentially close out the series. For Auburn, they will counter with freshman right-hander Tanner Burns (7-4, 3.12 ERA) to try and force a Game 3. 

First pitch for Game 2 will again be at 12 p.m. ET and it can be seen on ESPN.

*All stats accredited to FloridaGators.com

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UF Baseball: No. 1 Florida Edges Past Jacksonville Into Regional Final

The No. 1 Florida Gators (44-17) advanced to the Gainesville regional final with a narrow 3-2 victory over the Jacksonville Dolphins (40-20) this past Saturday night.

Pitching
Potential No. 1 overall draft pick Brady Singer (11-1, 2.27 ERA) was handed the ball and the junior right-hander did not disappoint. Tossing seven quality innings, Singer allowed just two earned runs on five hits while striking out six and walking only one. He did hit two batters, with one of them coming around to score Jacksonville's first run in the fifth inning.

At 99 pitches, Singer's night was over and he would have to watch the bullpen get the final six outs of the ballgame. With the Gators up 3-2, lockdown closer Michael Byrne entered in the eighth inning. The junior right-hander was greeted with a bang as Jacksonville's Ruben Someillan led off the inning with a triple.

With no outs and the tying run 90 feet away, Byrne would need to work some magic. The next batter for Jacksonville was two-hole Chris Lehane. He hit a fly ball out to Wil Dalton in right field, but it was not deep enough to score Someillan as Dalton threw a strike to the plate. One down, two to go.

Jacksonville's three-hole hitter, Scott Dubrule, hit a foul ball that was playable down the left field line. As junior third baseman Jonathan India, junior shortstop Deacon Liput, and sophomore Austin Langworthy converged on the ball, Liput dove in an attempt to make the catch.

Liput did indeed snag the ball before it hit the ground, but his (or maybe Jonathan India's) baseball IQ kicked in as he quickly dropped the ball right out of his glove. This prevented Someillan from tagging up to the tie the game as Liput was in no position whatsoever to throw him out after diving for the ball.

So with a second chance at life, Dubrule grounded out to sophomore first baseman Keenan Bell. He checked Someillan briefly at third base before flipping the ball to Blake Reese at first base for the second out. Two down one to go.

Byrne's final test of the inning would be Dolphin cleanup man Angel Camacho. Despite falling behind 2-0 in the count, Byrne induced a foul out to junior catcher Jonah Girand to end the inning and somehow preserve a one-run lead.

After escaping a chaotic eighth, Byrne settled down for the bottom of the ninth inning. He struck out five-hole Sam Armstrong on a 3-2 count and induced a fly out out to center field off the bat of designated hitter Chris Gau.

Now standing in the way of Florida and the 'W' was right fielder Cory Garraastazu, who had homered off of Brady Singer in the seventh inning to cut the deficit to 3-2. There would be no repeat fireworks this time around, as Byrne got Garraastazu to foul out to Keenan Bell to end the game and notch his 14th save of the season. In the process, Brady Singer would earn his 11th victory of the year.

Batting
The Gator offense relied solely on the long ball as they put up two runs in the fourth and tacked on one more in the seventh inning. Florida had only five hits, and more than half of them were dingers.

Leading off the fourth inning, Jonathan India and Wil Dalton hit back-to-back solo shots out to left field and left center field to give the Gators an early 2-0 advantage. With two outs in the seventh, Jonah Girand continued to stay hot as he hit the first pitch he saw over the left field fence to push the Florida lead to 3-1.

The remaining two Gators with hits were Austin Langworthy (1-3 with a walk) and senior center fielder Nick Horvath (1-3).

Final Takeaway
For the fourth consecutive season, the No. 1 Florida Gators (44-17) will enter the regional final with a 2-0 mark. Before previewing the final, here are my final tidbits on the close victory over Jacksonville:

• Jonathan India and Wil Dalton remain tied for the team-lead in long balls as they both now have 18 home runs on the season. For Jonah Girand, it was his second career home run in as many games at the Division 1 level.
• The Gators are now 56-32 all-time against Jacksonville.
• The Gators are now 23-5 in regional semifinals.
• Michael Byrne is the first-ever Gator pitcher to record at least 14 saves twice in his career! 

Florida now awaits as they play the winner of the Jacksonville/FAU elimination game on Sunday. This game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET and the winner will then have to turn around and play Florida at 6 p.m. ET later that night. Both games can be seen on ESPN3. The probable pitcher for the Gators has yet to be announced at this time.

*All stats accredited to FloridaGators.com

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