ChompTalk.com

This Florida Gators baseball team is nothing, if not resilient. And Florida’s superstar proved, once again, that he is the most important player on the field.

Soon-to-be first round pick, Jac Caglianone led the Gators to a win over North Carolina State in Monday’s elimination game despite not having his best stuff on the mound. In fact, Caglianone’s outing on the bump lasted exactly one inning and his team was trailing upon his exit.

But the John Olerud Award finalist would use his bat to make a difference in Florida’s 5-4 over the Wolfpack. 

Trailing, 1-0 in the top of the second, the bottom of the Gators’ lineup got things going, as they’ve done quite often since post-season play began. Dale Thomas and Brody Donay both drew walks before Michael Robertson delivered a clutch rip to left-center to load the bases for the top of the order.

Second baseman Cade Kurland evened the score with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Thomas. That brought Caglianone to the dish with a pair of runners on (first and second) with just one out. Surely, they weren’t going to throw him something he could hit …

They did…

Caglianone took an 0-1 pitch and crushed a no-doubt homer 404 feet to right-center to put Florida ahead 4-1. 

After taking the lead, head coach Kevin O’Sullivan made the move to lefty reliever Cade Fisher. While Fisher was, by no means, perfect. He did enough to keep the Gators ahead.

NC State got runs in the third (2-run HR) and fifth, but were never able to even the Gators.

Part of that was thanks to Tyler Shelnut who smacked a solo homer to right to make it 5-3 in the top of the fifth inning.

Freshman pitcher Jake Clemente walked the leadoff batter on four pitches in the seventh inning and that prompted O’Sullivan to go to his top arm out of the bullpen, Brandon Neely.

Neely responded with nine outs of one hit, one walk baseball and collected his fifth save of the year. Fisher (4-3) tossed four innings in recording the win on the mound.

In his single inning to open the game, Caglianone walked two batters, hit a batter, allowed one hit and one run, but his average fastball velocity was a season low, 89.5 mph. With just 33 pitches thrown, it’s likely Florida will have the ability to throw him sooner than later, if O’Sullivan and staff choose.

Florida will have little time to celebrate as they will be back on the field Tuesday evening with a berth into the national semifinals on the line. The Gators will take on the loser of the Kentucky – Texas A&M game at 7:00 PM Tuesday.