BT Riopelle assesses Florida's advantage in Game 2 with Hurston Waldrep on the mound

Florida couldn’t squeeze out a win in Game 1 of the College World Series finals against LSU. Nonetheless, the Gators feel confident in Game 2 with Hurston Waldrep on the mound.

Their confidence is warranted. The 6-foot-2 junior has been lights out in the NCAA Tournament. In 21 innings between three games, Waldrep has allowed just two runs while delivering 37 strikeouts. Florida catcher BT Riopelle has limitless faith in his fellow Gator.

“Anytime that guy gets on the mound is a great advantage for us. Ultimately we have to go out and execute. I think execution is the most important thing. You can throw out all the talent and throw out everything else. All that matters now is if you execute and make the pitch when it matters — or the at-bat when it matters or the defensive play when it matters,” Riopelle said following Florida’s 4-3 loss to LSU on Saturday.

Waldrep knows a thing or two about execution. The right-handed pitcher is 12-3 this season while boasting a 3.99 ERA. Further, Waldrep has 154 strikeouts this year, the third-most in the country. Understandably, Riopelle isn’t the only Gator who believes in Waldrep’s ability to save the Gators’ season.

“Any time Hurston gets on the mound we know we have a really good chance to win. Obviously we’re trying to flush tonight and come in tomorrow ready to play,” Florida star Wyatt Langford said.

Florida knows how important excellent pitching is in CWS. On Saturday, the Gators recorded just six hits on 38 at-bats (.157). Moreover, the Gators struck out 20 times in the loss, helping LSU pitcher Ty Floyd set a CWS finals record.

Now, it’s Waldrep’s turn. With the nation’s eyes on him, the Georgia native will have a chance to put on a show and increase his draft stock. Waldrep is currently listed as the 20th-best prospect in MLB.com’s 2023 Prospect Rankings.

No matter how Waldrep performs, Florida guarantees it won’t go down without a fight.

“Can’t dwell on tonight. It’s in the past. We’ve been in this position before where our back’s up against the wall and we’re taking some punches and we have to throw back,” Riopelle said on Saturday. “It’s a matter of going out and attacking and playing our best baseball. If we don’t then that’s just how it rolls. We’ll do everything in our power to play our best baseball tomorrow and force a Game 3 on Monday.”

Watch Waldrep take the mound as Florida squares off against LSU in Game 2 of the CWS finals at 3 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.