Florida survived and advanced in the College World Series on Monday, defeating NC State 5-4 to avoid elimination once again during the postseason. A skill the Gators have seemed to master even dating back to last year.
The odds were against the Gators entering the postseason, but game after game they’ve continued to defy them. And following yet another elimination game victory, a few of their players spoke about their ability to play the best when it matters most.
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“I mean, when you commit here, whether that be out of the portal or out of high school, you know what the standard is here,” Jac Caglianone said. “The end goal is to be here and to be the last team standing. Growing up watching Florida, every time I looked, it seemed like they were here.”
“So kind of the way Sully [Kevin O’Sullivan] has built this culture and this program to where it’s at now is probably the biggest drawing factor to everyone who wants to come here and everyone who is here. It’s nothing that we players kind of take for granted. We know what standards we’re held to and how we need to play. And thankfully we’re doing it at the right time in the postseason.”
Since O’Sullivan took over the Florida program in 2008 the Gators have made nine College World Series appearances. Thriving in Omaha with a national championship win in 2017 and three World Series runner ups, including one last season.
In the past two seasons Florida had to win three straight games in the Regionals to keep their road to the College World Series journey alive. With this year’s team also winning two straight must-win games against Georgia to have a chance at punching a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
“I think Jac nailed it,” Tyler Shelnut added. “It’s the standard around here, and it’s our responsibility to uphold that standard, to play winning baseball, and to get here to Omaha and be the last team standing.”
“Anytime we’re in a spot with our backs against the wall we’ve played our best baseball, hands down, without a doubt. I think knowing that we have confidence in ourselves going into these games, there’s never a moment where we panic or feel that pressure,” Shelnut explained. “We know we’re going to play our best when our backs are against the wall.”
There’s no doubt that the Gators have not lacked in confidence and belief in one another in the postseason, as they face yet another elimination game on Tuesday when they take on Kentucky at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN in Omaha.
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