Michael Robertson reflects on College World Series journey after Florida secures spot in championship series

The Florida baseball team is riding high, with a win over TCU on Wednesday afternoon sending the Gators to the championship best-of-three series against either LSU or Wake Forest. And redshirt freshman Michael Robertson played a big role in getting the Gators there.

Robertson came on to pinch run in the top of the ninth after TCU knotted the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. A Cade Kurland infield hit would score him and give Florida a 3-2 lead that it didn’t relinquish. And Robertson finished it off in centerfield for Florida with an acrobatic catch running back to the wall for the final out of the game.

“At that point, it’s do or die. I’m going to run through the wall if I have to. I knew I was getting close to the wall, had to get up. So luckily, got in the glove and I was able to squeeze it,” Robertson said of tracking down the final out.

Getting to make an impactful play in a tight game was not lost on the redshirt freshman, either.

“I mean it’s an unbelievable feeling. Any time you get to do something like that for your team, it fills my heart up. Seriously. I’m excited to move on and I think everybody’s really pumped. We’re excited to get going,” Robertson said.

So far, the Gators have won all three games they’ve played in Omaha by one run.

Robertson thinks it just goes to show how tight-knit the Florida squad is.

“It just goes to show how tight we are. Seriously, the chemistry is off the charts, being able to rally at times like that when it’s close and get the job done. It’s just a testament to who we are as a team.”

And of course, Robertson was the go-ahead and game-winning run on Wednesday, a job he did not take for granted.

“I just, I think just getting the chance to do that is pretty special. Like I said, I was trying to whatever I could to get in position to score that run. And my guys behind me really got their job done. And it worked out for us in the end for sure,” Robertson said.

And he had praise for Kurland, the freshman who stepped into the batters box and put the Gators up for good.

“He’s a fighter. I think we all are. He’s down in the count but being able to put the ball in play, make something happen, that’s huge for a freshman,” Robertson said.