The Florida Gators needed just two games to take down No.6 Clemson in the Super Regionals, defeating the Tigers 11-10 after 13 thrilling innings inside a sold-out Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Florida advances to their 14th College World Series and 9th under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan. The Orange and Blue delivered their 19th come from behind win of the season and 4th of the postseason.
Emotions ran high for both teams as Clemson and Florida traded blows throughout the entirety of the game. After seven lead changes, a Willie Mays style catch in center field, four ejections, and over five hours of baseball, the final blow came off the bat of redshirt sophomore Michael Robertson, who belted a 1-0 pitch into left center with the bases loaded, plating Jaylen Guy and Tyler Shelnut to send Florida to Omaha.
“Looking for something up in the zone, a good pitch to hit,” Robertson said on his walk-off double. “It was there, I was able to put a good swing on it. I thought I got enough barrel for it to find a gap and it did. Obviously, none of that happens without the guys in front of me. Super proud of this group of guys, can’t wait to keep going.”
Michael Robertson over the last 10 games (starting with game 2 at Georgia) is hitting .350 with 11 RBI and seven runs. He’s been a huge part of Florida’s postseason success in the nine-hole.
WATCH: https://x.com/GatorsBB/status/1799951593225511356
Florida baseball snuck into the postseason after taking two of three games from Georgia in the last series of the regular season, finishing 28-26 (13-17 SEC). Since then, the Gators won the Stillwater Regional out of the losers bracket and knocked off No.6 Clemson in two road games in the Supers. Florida has won four straight road games against two top 16 teams.
“We never lost faith in our team,” O’Sullivan said postgame. “I just think we weren’t very consistent, but there’s a reason for it, our pitching was just really young. They just kind of hung in there and got better in better. When you do get into the tournament, everyone starts with a clean slate. That’s the message. Get in, and everyone has the same record. Just stay the course and keep trying to get better and better.”
“The last month of the year we’ve been playing playoff baseball,” O’Sullivan added. “Every game mattered, every Tuesday game mattered, midweek. Finished it off at Georgia, went two out of three there. Had to go on the road against an outstanding Oklahoma State team. Really tough place to play, and obviously this is a tough place to play. I think us going through those struggles and having every game matter the last two or three weeks of the year, probably helped toughen us up a little bit.”
Florida is playing their best baseball at the right time. They travel to Omaha as winners of four straight, a feat they accomplished just once in the regular season.
Notables
- Florida is headed to Omaha for the College World Series for the 14th time in program history and ninth time under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan (1988, 1991, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024).
- O’Sullivan has navigated the Gators to Omaha in nine of the last 14 postseasons.
- The Gators played in a Super Regional for the 12th time in program history and 10th time of the O’Sullivan era.
- This is Florida’s second-straight Supers berth.
- Florida delivered its 19th come-from-behind win of the campaign and fourth of the postseason.
- The Gators claimed their fourth walk-off victory.
- The Gators have won five-straight games, tying the team’s season high.
- Florida competed in its seventh extra-inning contest of the season.
- Today’s game was the longest of Florida’s season by innings (13).
- Shelton went 2-for-7 with a pair of run-scoring singles, finishing with a team-high three RBI.
- Caglianone extended his on-base streak to 48-straight contests.
- Caglianone has hit safely in 58 of 62 games while reaching safely in all but one contest.
- Caglianone hit his 33rd homer of the campaign and fourth of the postseason to tie his own single-season program home run record.
- Caglianone is one home run away (73) from tying Matt LaPorta’s all-time program record (74).
- In the 2024 postseason, Neely has made four appearances with 16 innings pitched, three runs allowed, 10 hits allowed and 23 strikeouts.
- Donay connected for his 12th homer of the campaign and first of the postseason with a two-run shot in the sixth inning.
- Wilson blasted his second homer of the year (both postseason) in the eighth and has now driven in nine runs this postseason.
- Florida’s scoring streak of 141-consecutive games is the third-longest in program history (May 27, 2022-present).
- The Gators are 135-86 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
- UF wields an 20-8 record across 12 NCAA Super Regional appearances.
- Florida has won a record nine-straight Super Regionals.
- Florida is now 20-12 all-time vs. Clemson (3-1 away).
- The Gators are 2-0 against the Tigers under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan.
- First baseman Jack Crighton was ejected following the final out of the top of the second inning.
- Sunday’s official attendance was 6,423.