Florida baseball is looking to claim their second National Championship in program history this weekend when the Gators face the LSU Tigers in a best of three championship series.
Gator Country provides three keys to victory for the Florida Gators.
TOP OF THE ORDER
Throughout the postseason, Cade Kurland, Wyatt Langford, and Jac Caglianone have struggled to produce at the top of the Gators’ order.
The trio is a combined 22-118 (.186) since the start of the NCAA Tournament and a combined 5-38 (.131) in the College World Series. These figures are shocking as Florida’s 1-3 hitters combined for a .324 batting average throughout 2023.
With a dangerous LSU offense in the other dugout, the Gators will need their star power to come though on the biggest stage.
WIN GAME ONE
The odds are stacked against you if you don’t win game one of the three game series. With LSU’s only other consistent weekend starter in Ty Floyd likely making the start on Saturday night, winning game one would put the Gators in a great position to take the series.
Furthermore, winning game one allows Florida the opportunity to put the series away in two games, potentially keeping LSU’s ace Paul Skeens off the mound for the entirety of the series.
However, it won’t be the end of the series if the Gators do lose game one, as Florida’s pitching staff shapes up much better than LSU’s as it stands. With the red-hot Hurston Waldrep projected to start on Sunday afternoon, I like the Gators chances to take game two.
LIMITING THE LONG BALL
With runs few and far between throughout the 2023 College World Series, the Gators need to keep LSU from scoring runs in a hurry.
LSU has loads of power in their lineup as they’ve blasted 138 home runs this season, the second most in college baseball (two more than Florida). The Tigers have nine batters with double digit home run totals this year, a scary statistic for a pitching staff that has allowed 66 home runs this season including 38 in conference play.
RHP Brandon Sproat has allowed 14 home runs in 2023, including two four multi home run starts. RHP Hurston Waldrep has allowed 12 home runs in three less innings pitched than Sproat. LHP Jac Caglianone is the best of the Gators’ weekend rotation at limiting the long ball, allowing just six home runs in 73.1 innings pitched.
The Gators’ pitching staff has shown the ability get out of high-pressure situations all season long, limiting damage with their swing and miss stuff. Florida averages 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings, the 7th highest mark in college baseball.
Leaving pitches over the heart of the plate is a recipe for disaster against this potent LSU offense. The Tigers have hit five home runs in the College World Series, the second most in the eight-team field (Florida, 7).