UF advances to SEC semifinals vs. Texas A&M

Florida baseball’s spectacular run within the SEC Match continued Saturday with an 11-6 defeat of No. 11-seed Alabama at Hoover Met Stadium, setting the Gators up with a rematch at roughly 5:30 p.m. with No. 2 seed Texas A&M within the semifinal spherical.

Florida’s return to the diamond will happen roughly half-hour after the conclusion of No. 12 Kentucky vs. LSU on Saturday afternoon. 

The Gators jumped out to a four-run lead within the first inning, with Wyatt Langford’s solo residence run to left middle subject opening the scoring. Freshman Jac Caglianone’s double with two outs added one other run, and Josh Rivera’s two-RBI single to left gave the Gators a 4-0 benefit earlier than the Crimson Tide had stepped to the plate. 

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Nick Ficarrotta spectacular for Gators

However UF couldn’t get comfy as Alabama managed 4 runs of its personal off three hits in opposition to Florida freshman starter Anthony Ursitti, erasing the Gators’ cushion. 

With the highest of the order again up, Langford added his second residence run in as many innings to place Florida again in entrance, 5-4, and Langford scored Mac Guscette within the third inning on a groundout to push the result in 6-4. Nevertheless, Alabama as soon as once more erased UF’s two-run lead within the backside half of the inning with a two-run residence run by Drew Williamson, and Ursitti quickly made approach for Nick Ficarrotta on the mound. 

After a pair of scoreless innings by every group, the Gators retook the lead within the sixth inning regardless of Riopelle grounding right into a double play; in the meantime, the Crimson Tide have been having much less success on the plate in opposition to Ficarrotta. 

Jud Fabian was walked with one out within the ninth, and a single by Caglianone despatched Fabian to 3rd, bringing Rivera to the plate. Rivera added his third RBI of the day on a fielder’s option to the shortstop, although not earlier than a replay problem by Alabama, which believed the tag got here in time. The Crimson Tide’s problem was unsuccessful, pushing UF’s result in 8-6. Guscette stepped to the plate and proceeded to ship a three-run blast over the left subject, placing the Crimson Tide in a five-run gap. 

“He advised me to place swing on the ball, and it simply went out,” Guscette stated within the postgame broadcast. “It occurs in baseball.” 

Ficarrotta remained on the mound within the ninth and secured the win for the Gators, establishing a rematch with the Aggies, who run-ruled UF, 10-0, in Thursday’s second spherical. 

“Fic, that was phenomenal,” Guscette stated. “Me and Fic have been shut all year long, and that was phenomenal, I do not even know what to say about it.”

Listed below are takeaways from the sport.

Wyatt Langford additionally inches nearer to report

Wyatt Langford added a pair of residence runs in Florida’s first contest of the day Saturday, bringing him to 23 residence runs on the season.

That places Langford atop the SEC in residence runs, and the Trenton native is now tied for second all-time with Ryan Shealy and Brad Wilkerson in single-season residence runs in UF program historical past.

Matt LaPorta’s report of 26 stays this system report, and Langford’s probabilities of catching — or exceeding — LaPorta’s report grew to become all of the extra sensible Saturday.

Mac Guscette will get first hit in 25 days, after which some

Mac Guscette hadn’t had a success since Florida’s contest in opposition to South Florida on Could 3, however the sophomore made probably the most of his insertion again into UF’s lineup.

Guscette began at catcher in opposition to the Crimson Tide instead of Riopelle, who moved to first base, and went 3-for-5 on the plate, together with the three-run residence run to left subject that in the end capped the scoring. He was a triple in need of hitting for the cycle.

Jud Fabian takes just a few for the group

Fabian was credited for only one at-bat in opposition to the Crimson Tide, however that doesn’t almost inform the complete story.  Fabian was hit by a pitch within the first, second and seventh innings, making him the primary participant in SEC Baseball Match historical past to be hit by a pitch 3 times or extra in a single recreation. 

Jac Caglianone has one other sturdy efficiency

Whereas the lineup modifications made Saturday are absolutely notable, they could not evaluate to the choice to insert 6-foot-5 freshman Jac Caglianone, who is predicted to be a pitcher on the subsequent degree, into the order.

Caglianone joined Guscette in having a three-hit day for the Gators, together with a double within the first inning that scored Riopelle for the second run of the day. Caglianone additionally reached base on a stroll, giving him 4 profitable plate appearances in opposition to the Crimson Tide.

His day ended after a single within the ninth inning as freshman Corey Robinson got here on to pinch run for Caglianone.