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OU head coach Skip Johnson on Florida heroics: I hate to say it was fun to watch

Alex Weberby:Alex Weber•06/06/22
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Photo by Samuel Lewis/Getty Images

The No. 13 overall seed Florida outlasted Central Michigan Sunday afternoon to keep their season alive in regional play. With the win, the Gators — who are hosting regional games in Gainesville — had to take down Oklahoma two times in a row to advance past the regional. They got the first on Sunday night.

Florida opened up a 2-0 advantage on the Sooners through five innings, but Oklahoma snapped back with two runs over their own in the sixth to even up the score. Florida proceeded to add another run in the seventh to regain the lead. But they really exploded in the eighth inning. Jud Fabian smacked a solo homer, then the Gators loaded the bases with the next few batters. All three of the guys on base managed to score before the inning was up and the Gators came away with a four-run turn to make it 7-2.

They silenced Oklahoma in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings to secure the first win. Now, Monday these teams face off again in a one-game playoff for the next round.

Oklahoma coach Skip Johnson seemed fairly upbeat after the defeat, though. He offered a peculiar frame of mind on the loss. “I hate to say it…” Johnson said, but “it was fun to watch,” in reference to the Gators efforts to save their season in the seventh and eighth innings.

Perhaps a fun game to watch for neutral observers. But “fun” for a coach who watched his team blow a chance at advancing to the super-regional? Seems more stressful than enjoyable to me, but to each their own.

Oklahoma and Florida will lock horns for a rubber match Monday at 1 p.m. ET after Oklahoma defeated the Gators in their first matchup, and Florida rebounded to win on Sunday. Winner to the super-regional, loser back to their bedrooms.

Wyatt Langford blasts back-to-back bombs to climb Florida’s single-season HR list

Florida baseball got off to a great start in its elimination game against Central Michigan. The Gators led 1-0 heading into the third inning, when Wyatt Langford stepped up to the plate to lead things off.

This bomb from him ensued:

You could call that swing and score by Langford revenge, as he was hit by a pitch his first time up to bad vs. Central Michigan. That homer was his 24th of the season. A few more and the Gator slugger could be rewriting the history books. He just moved into second place of all single season home run hitters.

A few innings later, he smashed another over the wall.

Langford now has 25 homers this year and is comfortably in second place for the single season home run record. Heading into the matchup with Central Michigan, Langford hits .350 overall with 85 hits and a .443 on base percentage. Heck of a hitter for the Florida Gators. One of the primary reasons for their strong offense throughout the 2022 season.