Florida baseball faces a similar opponent in College World Series final

OMAHA, Neb. — In February there were nearly 300 teams gearing up for the 2023 baseball season. Today, only two have games left on the schedule. The Florida baseball team is chasing its second National Championship while the LSU Tigers look for number seven.

Looking at the rosters, how the ballclubs are made up, and the gauntlet they’ve endured to get here makes sense that they are the last two standing in 2023.

“They’ve really relied on their Friday guy in (Paul) Skenes. And he’s provided a lot of really good and effective innings for them down the stretch. He’s done that here,” Gators catcher BT Riopelle said of Skenes. “Ty Floyd is a fantastic pitcher on Saturday. And they’ve looked to fill on Sunday. They’ve had a bunch of guys that stepped up out of the pen, different guys in different roles on Sundays, but they’ve pieced together and that’s why they’re here. We’ve had a whole year to scout them practically because it’s a team we like to watch. They play great baseball.”

Similarities between LSU and Florida baseball

Start with the pitching staff. At this point of the College World Series, you have been made aware of Paul Skenes. The transfer from Air Force has dominated college baseball this season to the tune of 12-2 record with 209 strikeouts to just 20 walks. It’s unlikely that Florida will see Skenes, but the Tigers have a solid second starter in Ty Hilton, who has a perfect 7-0 record on the season.

Does that sound familiar? Brandon Sproat and Hurston Waldrep have pitched to a 1.44 ERA in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers have a deep, albeit heavily worked, bullpen. The Gators’ bullpen has been great in the NCAA Tournament. Ryan Slater, Brandon Neely, and Cade Fisher have been nails for the team out of the bullpen.

Superstar Outfielders

Offensively, everything starts with two players who shared a jersey last summer playing for the USA Collegiate National team in Dylan Crews and Wyatt Langford. Crews edges Langford in average (.423 to .363). Langford leads in homeruns (19-18), doubles (25-16), slugging (.758 -.715).

There is a lot of mutual respect between the two USA teammates.

“He’s a great kid, great player, too. We have all the respect for him. Very special talent. I think he’s going to be a Big Leaguer for a very long time,” Crews said of Langford. “Some of the best bat-to-ball skills and power I’ve ever seen. Can really track the ball down in the outfield. I really like his game and going to hopefully play alongside of him one day. So it would be good.”

No easy outs from top to bottom

All season long the Gators have instilled fear in opposing pitching staffs. Cade Kurland, Wyatt Langford, Jac Caglianone, Josh Rivera, and BT Riopelle have combined to hit 102 home runs at the top of the order. LSU has a similar murder’s row.

Dylan Crews, Tommy White, Tre Morgan, Gavin Dougas, and Cade Beloso have homered 81 times at the top of LSU’s card.

It isn’t just the stars, either. Both teams have players from one to nine in the lineup that provide tough outs to opposing pitchers.

“Of course your star players, they perform over the course of the year for the majority part of the time. But there are going to come times when other guys have to step up. And it’s a collective group,” Kevin O’Sullivan said Friday. “The guys know their roles. So when Michael makes that catch, what an awesome story because he played most of the year but here he is getting loose in the dugout, knowing he’s going to go out in center field because we had a one-run lead. It’s a collective group. But people have to pick each other up. I think sometimes we focus, okay, well, Cade is this for his last 20 at-bats or Jac is this. But we’ve got Luke Heyman picks him up or Shelnut has had big at-bats. Colby Halter has had big at-bats.”

It’s not every year that the best baseball team, the most talented ballclub wins the final game. This year, the final three teams in the College World Series proved to be the best teams all season long. Now, Florida and LSU — two teams that are mirror images of one another will play for a National Championship.