The Florida Gators trailed in the first few innings of their Super Regional against Clemson on Saturday, but slugger Jac Caglianone came to their rescue in the fifth inning, blasting a three-run shot that would ignite the Gators’ offensive onslaught of seven runs. Now, they’re only one win away from punching their tickets to Omaha to the College World Series. Florida managed to come away with a 10-7 victory on Saturday, with the Game 1 win.
Shortly after the win, Jac Caglianone spoke with the ESPN crew about the game and his team’s mindset. What was going through his mind early when the Tigers had control of the game?
“Yeah, we just kinda just had to stick to our approach. You know, he was gonna throw a lot of heaters. So, we just really had to stay on that. And the guys did a great job of sticking with it. You know, that fifth inning was great. Because that gave us all the momentum we needed to finish this one out,” Caglianone explained.
The Gators broke things open in the fifth, jumping out to a 9-4 lead over the Tigers. Florida hammered Clemson for seven runs off of just four hits.
It was the third most runs the Gators have scored in an inning all season long. Jac Caglianone did what he’s done for the better part of the past few years — send a baseball deep into the bleachers. The superstar hit a three-run blast in the fifth inning, making it his 32nd home run of the 2024 campaign. It was a game-changing blast as he gave Florida a 5-4 edge, and the rest of the Gators’ offense piled on the runs from there.
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He had yet another home run against a left-handed pitcher on Saturday. Why does he do so well against left-handed pitchers?
“Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I can’t really tell ya. It’s just one of those things you get more comfortable with as the game goes on. Yeah, I dunno. Like I said, he just threw a lot of heaters, so I knew he was gonna try to get one by me and you know, it didn’t work out,” Caglianone smiled.
The slugger will take to the mound in Game 2 of the Super Regional against Clemson. How does his routine leave on a night where he’s going to pitch as opposed to just playing first base?
“Definitely in bed a lot earlier, that’s for sure. Other than that, nothing really changes. You know, it’s the same game we’ve played our whole life,” the Florida slugger noted.
Florida just won their 18th comeback win of the year, after trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the third inning. What’s made this team so special?
“Yeah, just having faith in each other is the biggest thing, to be honest with you. They’re a really good team. They’re never going to have any quit in them. You know, it was present tonight, for sure. So, really just leaning on one another knowing that we’re gonna help each other out when we need to,” the Gators superstar finished.
With the win, Florida improved their overall record to 33-28. Clemson’s overall record dropped to 44-15 overall.
Florida is looking to make their 14th appearance in the College World Series, and their second straight. Clemson, on the other hand, is looking to make their 13th appearance in the College World Series. It would be the Tigers’ first appearance since 2010.
Game 2 will be at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. Start time is set for 2:30 p.m. EST and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN. You can also stream it on FuboTV.
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