Every time Florida Baseball started 2-0 in the College World Series

OMAHA, Neb. — The only thing better than being at the College World Series this week is being 2-0 at the College World Series this week. The Florida baseball team currently sits 2-0 at the 2023 College World Series and awaits an opponent for a chance to make it to the CWS Final.

The Gators have been here before three times, advancing to the final series each time they started 2-0 in Omaha.

Florida baseball history in the college world series

2005 College World Series

This season had several milestones. The Gators won the SEC for the first time since 1998. Florida made its 23rd NCAA Regional appearance by virtue of its then-school-record sixth-consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament.

The Gators steamrolled through the Regional and Super Regional. Florida beat Stetson, North Carolina, and Notre Dame by a combined score of 36-8. They hosted rival Florida State and beat the Noles 8-1, 8-5 to end FSU’s season. In sweeping the best-of-three NCAA Super Regional series against the Seminoles, the Gators nailed down their first appearance at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium since 1998.

The Florida baseball team opened the CWS with Tennessee. The Gators scored five runs in the first six innings off All-American Luke Hochevar and held on to win 6-4. Florida would play nearby Nebraska in game two in front of 26,813 fans at Rosenblatt Stadium — the second-highest attendance in NCAA College World Series history at the time.

The Gators would fall to Arizona State in its third game but advanced to the College World Series Final against Texas. Florida would be no match for the Longhorns, falling 4-2 and 6-2.

2011 College World Series

The 2011 Florida baseball team was loaded. Mike Zunino was the SEC Player of the Year, and Brian Johnson and Preston Tucker joined Zunino as First-Team All-SEC selections. Florida shared the regular season SEC crown. The Gators became the first program to repeat as the SEC winner since LSU accomplished the feat in 1996-97. Florida would win the SEC Tournament and earn a National seed.

The Florida baseball team made quick work of Manhattan, 17-3, before a date with the Miami Hurricanes. Kevin O’Sullivan’s club weathered the Hurricanes in game one, Nolan Fontana’s walk off single in the ninth inning gave Florida a 5-4 win. Preston Tucker drove in five runs and junior left-hander Alex Panteliodis carried a shutout into the seventh inning in an 11-4 win that ended Miami’s campaign.

Florida would host Mississippi State for a Super Regional, the third straight Super Regional for Kevin O’Sullivan and the Gators.

Hudson Randall held the Bulldogs scoreless into the seventh inning and was supported by a balanced offense that plated four runs in the first, two in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth and one in the fifth to build a 10-run cushion. Over eight full innings, his longest stint in NCAA play, Randall registered a season-high eight strikeouts, scattered six hits, and allowed just one run.

Playing as the away team in the second game, Nick Vickerson shocked the Gators with a two-run walk-off home run in the ninth to lead the Bulldogs to a 4-3 win.

There was more drama in the third and final game. Trailing 6-4 in the seventh inning, Preston Tucker launched a three-run home run to help the Gators to an eventual 8-6 win and another trip to Omaha.

The Gators swept through its first three games beating Texas 8-4 and Vanderbilt 3-1 and 6-4 to advance to the College World Series Final against South Carolina.

The Gamecocks were looking for back-to-back championships while the Gators were playing in the CWS Final for the second time in school history and the first time under Kevin O’Sullivan.

The first game was heartbreaking for Florida. With Florida holding a 1-0 lead and two outs in the eighth, Scott Wingo brought home junior Peter Mooney with the tying run from third base by slicing a 2-2 pitch from sophomore Hudson Randall up the middle.

Florida loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning but two groundouts resulted in three outs and no runs to force extra innings. South Carolina capitalized on a pair of throwing errors by Florida (53-18) in the 11th inning to post a 2-1 victory.

The Gamecocks scored three runs in the third inning of the second game and that would be enough as South Carolina posted its second-straight National Championship.

2017 College World Series

You never forget your first time. The Gators’ 2017 National Championship team didn’t have the same offensive firepower that the 2023 team has but they had a pitching staff that featured future big leaguers in Alex Faedo, Brady Singer, Jackson Kowar, and the single-season saves record holder in Michael Byrne. Florida won 40 games in the regular season and went 21-9 in SEC play.

The postseason, however, was stressful. The Gators beat Marist College to open the Gainesville Regional but needed 12 innings to take down USF in the second game. Florida lost to Bethune-Cookman, forcing the if necessary game seven in the Regional.

A regional win brought Wake Forest to Gainesville for a Super Regional. Game one went into extra innings with Ryan Larson providing a walk-off single in the 11th inning after Wake Forest loaded the bases with a walk and two hit batters. It was Florida’s 18th one-run win on the season and the school set a record with 23 strikeouts — the most in a NCAA Tournament in program history. Florida needed three games to punch its ticket to Omaha.

Once at the College World Series, the Gators got off to a hot start thanks to its starting pitching. Alex Faedo fanned 11 over seven innings and Michael Byrne picked up his 17th save. Brandy Singer followed that up with seven innings and nine strikeouts of his own. With the Gators’ three-man staff of Faedo, Singer, and Jackson Kowar, the team looked poised to run through TCU again and straight to its first title. Jackson Kowar allowed four runs over six innings and lost his first game of the season.

The loss messed up Florida’s projected rotation for the CWS Final. Faedo had to throw on short rest against TCU, a 3-0 win, to advance to the final against LSU, rather than against the Tigers. Brady Singer allowed three runs but Florida’s offense was able to score four runs to hold on to a 4-3 win.

The Gators scored six runs in the final game and received an all-time performance from freshman Tyler Dyson. He allowed just three hits over six innings before handing the ball over to Michael Byrne and then Jackson Kowar, who earned the first save of his career and the final out of the 2017 season.