Florida Gators baseball eliminated from College World Series ending immense postseason run

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Image Credit: UAA

Florida Gators baseball’s thunderous rampage through the 2024 NCAA Tournament ended with a whimper Wednesday night. Just hours after destroying the No. 2-seed Kentucky Wildcats to stave off elimination for the second time in Omaha, Nebraska, Florida was shut out for the first time in two years, 6-0 by the No. 3-seed Texas A&M Aggies in the semifinals of the 2024 College World Series.

The Gators, which some argued never should have made the postseason given they barely finished the regular season over .500, proved their doubters wrong time and again as they dominated the NCAA Tournament eliminating four of the top 11 seeds on their warpath to the CWS semifinals.

Florida took down the No. 11-seed Oklahoma State Cowboys in the regional round (despite being the regional third seed) and swept the No. 6-seed Clemson Tigers in Super Regional action to advance to the CWS for the second straight year and ninth time in 17 seasons under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan.

That’s when UF got tripped up, both times by TAMU. The Gators dropped their opening game of the CWS to the Aggies, 3-2, never able to overcome an early deficit while going 1 of 11 with runners in scoring position. However, Florida rebounded with a 5-4 win send off the No. 10-seed NC State Wolfpack in their first elimination game before eviscerating eviscerating Kentucky, 15-4, to stave off elimination again Wednesday afternoon.

Meeting Texas A&M again in the evening, UF similarly found itself in an early hole aided by questionable officiating. Florida trailed 2-0 after the first inning as freshman right-handed pitcher Liam Peterson (0.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 BB, K) walked four batters, the first two of included some immensely questionable calls at the plate.

That was all the Aggies needed as the Gators again failed themselves at the plate all night, not only going 1 of 12 with runners in scoring position constantly chasing pitches and striking out. Florida was fanned on 14 of 27 outs in the game (52%).

In two CWS games against Texas A&M, Florida combined to go 2 of 23 RISP with 30 Ks.

Junior RHP Fisher Jameson (4.2 IP, 3 H, ER, 5 K) was exceptional in long relief entering with the bases loaded in the first, but junior RHP Brandon Nelly (3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 6 K), UF’s star of the postseason, gave up a two-run homer in the sixth that cemented the game for TAMU.

Neely and junior first baseman Jac Caglianone, who earlier Wednesday set the Gators program record for career home runs (75), will be the most notable departures this offseason. Caglianone (2/4), with a single in the eighth inning Wednesday night, tied the program record for most hits in a single season (104). He also reached base safely in 14 of 19 CWS plate appearances.

Despite the disappointment of the Gators not advancing to their second straight CWS Championship Series, Florida exceeded all expectations this postseason, perhaps even its own.

The Gators eliminated one third of the top NCAA Tournament seeds and proved they were one of the four best teams in the nation even though they struggled during the regular season going against one of the nation’s toughest schedules. O’Sullivan also learned a lot about his young team this postseason and will be confident going into 2024-25.