Three up, three down with Florida Baseball at the College World Series

OMAHA, Neb. — The Florida baseball team is 3-0 at the College World Series and awaits their opponent for a National Championship. With the Florida Gators getting an off day in Omaha, we answer your questions about the baseball team’s run in the College World Series and look at three key stats that have led to their success.

Three Questions about the Florida baseball team

Q: If someone would’ve told you, Florida would have only scored this many runs after three games, would you have thought it all possible the Gators would be 3-0 in Omaha?

This is a great question and one that most would say yes to, but it doesn’t really surprise me. The Gators have found different ways to win this season but, for the most part, the offense has been the strength. The Gators have set the school record for most home runs in a season. Florida has 652 hits through 68 games (9.6 hits/game) and has scored in 43.3% of batted innings (241 of 557).

The offense has been in sort of a weird place, relative to their success and capability. Florida struggled to hit but found ways to win games at the SEC Tournament. That happened again at times in the Regional. Florida was just 27-120 (.225) in the first four games of the Regional. They snapped out of it and slugged three home runs in a 6-0, game seven win over Texas Tech. Florida batted .264 as a team in the Super Regional as well.

[RELATED: Florida landed a major commitment from Freshman All-American Colby Shelton.]

The pitching staff is what has carried the Gators to the College World Series final. Florida’s pitching staff has allowed just 23 runs in the NCAA Tournament (2.56 a game). That kind of pitching is hard to beat and with the way the arms have been throwing, Florida’s offense hasn’t needed to score a ton of runs to this point of the NCAA Tournament.

Q: Of all the individual performances by a Gator in Omaha which one has surprised the most and why?

There might not be an obvious answer. Cade Fisher has thrown in all three games. Colby Halter is second on the team in batting during the NCAA Tournament and fourth in batting in Omaha. He was a foot away from being the hero in game three and he’s played an exceptional third base. Ty Evans has two home runs and is hitting .375 in Omaha.

I’ll note those players and then go with Luke Heyman. You never know how a freshman will handle a stage like this so late in the season. Heyman, like Cade Kurland, has played more games this season than he ever has in his life.

[RELATED: Cade Kurland comes up clutch for the Florida baseball team]

Heyman is batting .364 in three games. He has a home run, a game-winning sacrifice fly, four hits, a run scored, and three RBI. He’s been a stalwart in the middle of the lineup for the stretch run and he’s been an indispensable asset to the lineup.

Q: What would be the better matchup in the finals for Florida — LSU or Wake Forest — and why?

LSU would be the better matchup for the Gators. First and foremost, Florida set itself up perfectly by going 3-0 to advance to the finals. Going 3-0 has allowed the Gators to have multiple off days, including two right before the first CWS final game. Florida’s entire pitching staff will be rested and ready to go. They’ll start Brandon Sproat in the opening game and follow with Hurston Waldrep.

Meanwhile, Wake Forest dropped the ball with a loss to LSU on Wednesday. Now, the Demon Deacons are likely to use their star pitcher Rhett Lowder. The surefire first-round pick was the ACC Pitcher of the Year and an All-American. If Wake Forest would have advanced to play Florida with the same 3-0 record, they would have been able to throw him against the Gators. Now, Wake could still choose to save Lowder, but you run the risk of saving him for a game that never happens if you lose to LSU on Thursday.

Wake Forest also has a much deeper bullpen than LSU. The Tigers have Paul Skenes, who is the favorite to be taken No. 1 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. He’s thrown the ball as hard as 102 and has dominated all season to the tune of a 12-2 record, 1.80 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 114.2 innings pitched.

There are only three teams left playing baseball out of 299 Division I schools, so there isn’t an easy matchup. Given the status of the pitching for either of Florida’s opponents, the Gators would likely rather have the SEC matchup.

Three Stats from the College World Series and 2023 season

I: Florida has as many wins (53) as the 2017 National Championship UF team had home runs (53). The Gators’ 53 wins are already tied for the most in program history Florida (2011). The 2011 team was also the only other team to start 3-0 in the College World Series.

II: Since facing elimination in NCAA Regionals, Florida has gone 8-0 while outscoring opponents, 44-18. Florida has slugged 15 home runs while allowing just two.

III: Florida has struck out 698 batters in 584 innings – translating to 10.8 per nine innings, which would mark a new program record.