Florida outlasted Nebrasa 17-11 on Sunday with a score that sounded more like a football battle than a baseball game. By winning, Florida sets up a late Sunday showdown with Oklahoma State.
The Gators will have to best the Cowboys to bring about a Monday game between the teams to decide the region. Here’s what we learned from the Gators.
5 takeaways from Florida’s game against Nebraska
1.The bats were back.
After being held to just one run by Oklahoma State on Saturday, Florida’s offense certainly awakened on Sunday. With four homers and three doubles, the Gators cashed in on Nebraska pitching all afternoon. Every time Nebraska made a move, the Gatorsanswered at the plate. A 2-0 Nebraska lead became a 2-2 tie. A 4-2 Nebraska lead became 7-4 UF. A 7-6 edge became an 11-6 edge.
2. Jac is mashing the baseball.
All-everything talent Jac Caglianone is showing why he’s one of the top prospects in baseball. Cags was 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and a pair of walks. His batting average is now .414 for the season and the homer was his 31st.
When Caglianone is right, everyone else follows. He remains the one guy who it’s hard for anybody– OK State or otherwise– to match up with.
3. That bullpen was bad.
The Gators bullpen allowed seven runs in 4 2/3 innings pitched. Fortunately, the Gators kept mashing out big hits as quickly as their pitchers allowed them. But this doesn’t bode well against an Oklahoma State staff that just held the Gators to one run. The Gators simply can’t afford to give up 11 runs again.
4. Florida better be ready to hit.
After being two-hit on Saturday by Brian Holiday, the Gators don’t need to adopt a grinding approach. Oklahoma State’s pitchers throw strikes. The Cowboys have walked just 192 batters in 527 1/3 innings this season. Janzen Keisel is a likely starter, and his control has been iffy at times, but the .192 batting average allowed to opposing hitters is spectacular.
In any case, the Gators are facing an OK State team with a much deeper bullpen that didn’t throw a pitch on Saturday. The Gators need to get their rips early and see if they can create a lead they can hold.
5. Throwing strikes won’t be optional.
The Gators have walked 14 batters in their first two games in Stillwater. For an Oklahoma State team that’s hit 118 homers so far, keeping extra runners off base will be pivotal for the Gators. They walked six Nebraska hitters, some long after the game was out of reach.
The Gators need to protect their pitchers with solid defense and an aggressive approach at the plate. But those pitchers have to help themselves by doing a better job of finding home plate.
What did you learn from the Gators’ elimination win over Nebraska? We’d love to hear your comments below!
