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Florida Gators claim share of 2023 SEC Baseball Championship

Untitled designby:Nick de la Torre•05/20/23•

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Photo courtesy of UAA Communications

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For the sixth time under manager Kevin O’Sullivan, the Florida Gators are the SEC Champions. Florida will share the 2023 SEC crown with the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Gators finished the 2023 regular season with a 42-13, 20-10 SEC record. The 42 wins are the second-most in school history for the regular season. It is the 10th time Kevin O’Sullivan’s ballclub has won at least 40 games in a season. It’s also the sixth time the Gators have won 20 league games in a season.

Along with the share of the 2023 SEC Championship, the Gators have earned the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament.

The SEC crown came down to the final day of the regular season for the first time since 2017. That year the Gators won the SEC title over LSU. Florida beat Kentucky 6-4 on that Saturday at home. The Gators started SEC play 0-3 that season after being swept on the road at Auburn. Florida won 16 of their final 19 league games to finish 21-9 in conference play. LSU capped a sweep of Mississippi State on Saturday to also finish 21-9 in the SEC.

Gators celebrate

Taking care of business on Saturday

Florida used a dominant pitching performance from starter Jac Caglianone to take the series over Kentucky.
 
Caglianone was masterful in game three, firing seven shutout innings on just four hits and striking out eight. The seven innings marked a new career high for Caglianone. On the offensive end, Dale Thomas provided a clutch, two-run homer in the seventh inning for his first-ever blast as a Gator.
 
The Gators (42-13, 20-10 SEC) and Wildcats (36-17, 16-14 SEC) traded zeros through the first four innings, as Caglianone and UK starter Austin Strickland held the offenses in check. Caglianone registered six strikeouts through four, allowing just one hit and two walks.
 
Caglianone remained locked in during the middle innings, stranding two Wildcats in the fifth and retiring the side in order while notching his eighth strikeout to close out the sixth.
 
Florida broke through in the seventh, beginning with a leadoff walk and stolen base of second by Caglianone. After a sacrifice bunt from Josh Rivera moved him to third, Caglianone scored on a deep sacrifice fly to left field by BT Riopelle. Luke Heyman singled home Tyler Shelnut with two outs. Thomas blasted a two-out, two-run homer to right-center to create a 4-0 Gator lead.
 
Caglianone returned to the mound in the bottom of the seventh and worked a quick zero to hold the score. That marked the end of his day, as he ceded duties to left-hander Philip Abner in the eighth.
 
Kentucky and Florida exchanged solo homers in the bottom of the eighth and top of the ninth. Grant Smith left the yard for the Wildcats to eliminate the shutout while Luke Heyman mashed his ninth homer of the season to bring the score to 5-1.
 
Kentucky plated a late run in the ninth to bring the score to its final tally of 5-2, as Ryan Church drove in Devin Burkes with a sacrifice fly to right field.

Florida will play the night game in Hoover on Wednesday, May 24.

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