ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF
The Gators baseball team is set to take on Florida A&M Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the second matchup of the Gainesville Regional. Texas Tech and UConn play in the first game of the regional at noon.
This will be Florida’s 12th hosted regional under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan.
Florida is set to host its 19th Regional including its 12th out of a possible 15 in the O'Sullivan era.
• Friday | 5:30 p.m. ET | ESPN+
𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 >>> https://t.co/wno8gyVyRH pic.twitter.com/vPBIQbsW8w
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) June 1, 2023
All Eyes on Caglianone
Although Jac Caglianone normally is the third starter in a series, he gets the ball to open the Gators’ NCAA Tournament. Despite the slightly unfamiliar territory of a regional start, Caglianone said he’s treating it like any other game.
The consistency from the bullpen late in the season has been a gamechanger for the Gators. The pitching success allowed Florida to earn the No. 2 national seed in this year’s tournament.
Caglianone will also be tasked with sparking the offense. He leads the team with 28 home runs on the year and along with Wyatt Langford, the duo looks to frustrate opposing pitchers at the plate. O’Sullivan attributes the success of his star two-way athlete to strength and athleticism.
Dealing with the Transfer Portal
Amidst the regional, coaches and players are having to juggle the expanding transfer portal. Florida is most-likely a prime target for many players due to the constant success. Caglianone said that multiple players have been reaching out to him throughout the week.
O’Sullivan will look at footage of players in the transfer portal, but the first order of business is to take care of the Gainesville Regional opponents.
Hoping for a Different Ending
After suffering a crushing loss to Oklahoma last year in a Game 7 at Condron Family Ballpark, the Gators look to advance to the Super Regional for the first time since 2018.
In media conferences, both Rivera and Caglianone commented about how special the group is.
After facing some adversity in the middle of the season, the Gators are ready to begin their road to the College World Series.
