CWS Finals Liveblog: It All Comes Down To This

Game No. 71.

It all comes down to this.

The Florida Gators (54-16) are searching for the program’s second national championship and first since 2017.

Florida forced the winner-take-all game three with a 24-4 rout that saw numerous College World Series records fall.

Follow this liveblog of all the action as we get settled in from Gators Dockside in Gainesville, FL.

*Just like yesterday the latest updates on the liveblog will appear at the top of the post, rather than the bottom. Scroll all the way down to avoid spoilers. All times listed are eastern time zone.

— LIVEBLOG —

LSU are the National Champions

Bottom 9, Gators with work to do

• Heyman groundout to short
• Evans groundout to short
• (PH) Thomas singles to left
• Halter struck out swinging

Top 9

• Crews singles up the middle
• White RBI double
• Morgan RBI double
• Fisher Jameson coming to the mound for the Gators
• Dugas fly out to center
• Jobert hit two run homer
• Thompson flyout to center
• PH Jones singles up the middle
• Travinski stuck out looking
• 4 R, 5 H, 0 E, 1 LOB

End 8th, Gators trail LSU 14-4

Bottom 8

• Kurland goes opposite field for a home run, Gators trail 14-4.
• Langford fouls out to second baseman
• Caglianone strikes out swinging
• Rivera reaches on E6
• Riopelle grounds out to second
• 1 R, 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB

Top 8

• Crews triple to left center
• White RBI single
• Morgan singles to right just out of Kurland’s reach
• Dugas walks
• Jobert grounds into a fielder’s choice, RBI
• Thompson sacrifice fly
• Pearson HBP
• Travinski singles to short
• Beloso groundout to second
• 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB

End 7th, Gators trail LSU 11-3

Bottom 7

• Heyman lines out to center
• Ty Evans hits his fifth homer in Omaha, 11-3 LSU lead
• Shelnut flies out to center
• Halter grounds out to second
• 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB

Top 7

• Morgan singles on a ball that lands inside the foul line in no-man’s-land.
• Dugas walks
• Wild pitch advances the runners to second and third.
• Jobert struck out swinging
• Thompson struck out swinging
• Pearson walks, bases loaded
• Blake Purnell comes on for the Gators out of the bullpen.
• Travinski walks, Morgan scores
• Beloso lines out to short
• 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB

End 6th, Gators trail LSU 10-2

Bottom 6

• Langford lines out to short
• Caglianone strikes out swinging, was ahead 3-0 in the count
• Rivera walks on four pitches
• Riopelle flies out to center
• 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB

Top 6

• Nesbitt strikes out Pearson on three pitches.
• Travinski strikes out looking
• Beloso singles to right
• Crews singles to left
• White flies out to center
• 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB

End 5th, Gators trail LSU 10-2

Bottom 5

• Shelnut flies out to short
• Halter strikes out swinging
• Kurland strikes out looking
• 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB

Top 5

• White singles up the middle. Actually hit the second base umpire.
• Morgan flies out to left
• Dugas hit by first pitch of the at-bat
• Jobert grounded out to third but the throw was off line. Heyman makes the tag for the second out.
• Thompson flies out to center to end the inning.
• 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB

End 4th, Gators trail LSU 10-2

Bottom 4

• Riopelle robbed of a hit by Thompson (shortstop playing shallow right) due to shift.
• Heyman flies out to center
• Evans fouls out to third to end the inning.
• 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB

Top 4

• Morgan hits it off Slater and is retired at first. Slater looks ok to continue.
• During the first pitch of the at-bat, Slater steps off the mound (ball one). Trainer and O’Sullivan join him in the mound.
• Slater stays in the game and forces a foul out to first.
• Jobert doubles off the wall near the foul line in right.
• Thompson singles to left, misplayed by Halter, ends up at second, Jobert scores to extend LSU lead to 7-2.
• Pearson homers to right to make it 9-2.
• Milazzo singles to right to turn the lineup over again.
• Florida turns it over to Tyler Nesbitt out of the bullpen.
• Beloso singles to center, Milazzo scores but lands awkwardly while dodging Riopelle at the plate. He’s down. Travinski putting on the catching gear in the LSU dugout. 10-2 LSU.
• Crews grounds out to short to end the inning.
• 4 R, 5 H, 0 E, 1 LOB

End 3rd, Gators trail LSU 6-2

Bottom 3rd

• Halter lines it to the wall but Crews makes a catch while crashing into the outfield wall in center.
• Kurland pops the first pitch up to center where Crews makes the catch.
• Langford walks on four pitches. Hurd wanted no part of the Gators superstar outfielder.
• Caglianone is hit on a 1-2 pitch. Runners on first and second for the Gators.
• Rivera strikes out looking to end the inning.
• 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 2 LOB

Top 3rd

• Pearson fouls out to third.
• Milazzo walks to bring up the top of the order
• Beloso strikes out swinging
• Crews singles to right, runners on first and second for Tommy Tanks
• O’Sullivan makes the move to Ryan Slater with two down in the third.
• White grounds out to short to end the threat with no damage to the scoreboard.
• 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB

End 2nd: Gators trail LSU 6-2

Bottom 2nd

• Heyman strikes out swinging
• Evans flies out to short
• Shelnut strikes out looking
• 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB

Caglianone’s final line: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 6 ER, 2 K, 3 BB (46 pitches)

Top 2nd

• Dugas walks on four pitches
• Dugas advances to second on a wild pitch
• Jobert singles to left, Tigers with runners on the corners
• Thompson RBI single to left.
• Pearson grounds into fielder’s choice. Runners on the corners.
• Milazzo walks, bases loaded

• Kevin O’Sullivan with a mound visit. Caglianone up to 37 pitches. Top of the order coming up.
• Beloso HBP to score a run, tie ballgame.
• Crews walks, another run scores. LSU leads 3-2.
• Caglianone’s night is done. He lasts 1.1 innings. Cade Fisher coming on with the bases loaded.
• White singles to left to score another run, LSU leads 4-2.
• Morgan hits a sacrifice fly to center to make it a 5-2 ballgame.
• Dugas singles to the left side to score another. It’s 6-2 Tigers.
• Jobert singles to right to load the bases (again)
• Thompson flies out to center to stop the bleeding.
• 6 R, 5 H, 0 E, 3 LOB

End 1st: Gators lead LSU 2-0

WYATT LANGFORD IS LOCKED IN 🔒

Now 6 for his last 6 😱😱@GatorsBB x @langford_wyatt pic.twitter.com/dETJNg6zJy

— D1Baseball (@d1baseball) June 26, 2023

Bottom 1st

• Kurland singles to left, first hit of the game.
• Kurland reaches second on a wild pitch (2-2 count)
• Wyatt Langford goes yard down the left field line. Gators lead 2-0.
• Caglianone strikes out
• Rivera grounds it to the pitcher, but he’s called for interference. Gators are challenging. Call confirmed.
• Riopelle flies out to center.
• 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB

Top 1st

• Caglianone’s first pitch plunks Beloso. The Tigers have the first runner on base.
• Crews flies out to right
• White strikes out swinging
• Morgan strikes out swinging
• 0 R, 0 H, 0 H, 1 LOB

LSU changes up things in the order and will have Cade Beloso leadoff today. He’s been hot at the CWS.

7:02 PM: Florida will serve as the home team since they are the higher seed.

7:00 PM: Are you ready, Gator Nation?!?

6:50 PM: Just ten minutes away from the start of the College World Series, game three. Gators Dockside is packed and has been for the better part of an hour. I imagine that’s the case at most local places in / around Gainesville tonight.

6:05 PM: Possible Paul Skenes update from Leah Vann of the Baton Rouge Advocate:

Paul Skenes IS available.

We have NOT heard that he is NOT available is what I was told. #LSU

— Leah Vann (@LVann_Sports) June 26, 2023

5:50 PM: And the LSU lineup, featuring a new leadoff hitter:

Jay Johnson shook up the #LSU lineup. Cade Beloso is batting leadoff.

Beloso, DH
Crews, CF
White, 3B
Morgan, 1B
Dugas, 2B
Jobert, RF
Thompson, SS
Pearson, LF
Milazzo, C

— Wilson Alexander (@whalexander_) June 26, 2023

5:47 PM: Florida’s starting lineup, per 247Sports’ Jacob Rudner:

Florida lineup for the winner-take-all finale:

2B Cade Kurland
CF Wyatt Langford
P Jac Caglianone
SS Josh Rivera
C BT Riopelle
1B Luke Heyman
RF Ty Evans
LF Tyler Shelnut
3B Colby Halter

SP Caglianone

Evans slides up one spot in the order after a two-homer day yesterday.

— Jacob Rudner (@JacobRudner) June 26, 2023

5:45 PM: NCAA Baseball has released this trailer on social media:

Through all the drama, it all comes down to this!#MCWS pic.twitter.com/zsQ7nORDYE

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 26, 2023

5:05 PM: As Nick de la Torre of Gators Online shows, the wind is currently blowing out to right (good for Caglianone and Riopelle).

Wind check, not as strong as Sunday. Out to RF currently. pic.twitter.com/aanZRyuxmG

— Nick de la Torre (@delatorre) June 26, 2023

4:15 PM: The biggest debate coming into the game was easily the availability of RHP Paul Skenes, a likely top-three draft pick next month. Skenes has thrown more than 240 pitches in his last two outings and pitched the Tigers into the Finals with a dominant performance Thursday.

Skenes will not get the start for LSU. RHP Thatcher Hurd (7-2, 5.96 ERA) will open the game on the mound for the Tigers.

Thatcher Hurd is starting today #LSU

— Leah Vann (@LVann_Sports) June 26, 2023

He will be opposed by Florida’s Jac Caglianone (7-3, 3.68 ERA).