Florida Gators Baseball Wrap Up: Despite flaws, this team is elite
![Florida's utility Wyatt Langford (36) with his second home run on the night against the Miami Hurricanes, Friday, March 3, 2023, at Condron Family Baseball Park in Gainesville, Florida. The Gators beat the Hurricanes 10-4 in Game 1. [Cyndi Chambers/ Gainesville Sun] 2023Gator Baseball March 3 2023 Condron Family Ballpark Miami Hurricanes](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F2147b37301c6647cab1f4d4a4fdc03b34dc852966f823798492f874a729f46a5.jpg "Florida's utility Wyatt Langford (36) with his second home run on the night against the Miami Hurricanes, Friday, March 3, 2023, at Condron Family Baseball Park in Gainesville, Florida. The Gators beat the Hurricanes 10-4 in Game 1. [Cyndi Chambers/ Gainesville Sun] 2023Gator Baseball March 3 2023 Condron Family Ballpark Miami Hurricanes")
Florida Gators baseball is a flawed team with a glaring weakness.
Rather than harp about the lack of a bullpen that cost Florida the chance at a sweep though, we are better off taking a look at what has made Superman find its cape again and is making the Road to Omaha probably go through Gainesville.
Florida Gators Baseball: Statement series win
Miami came into Gainesville ranked 22nd in the country. Based on their metrics, they could easily argue for a better ranking.
But those bats were held at bay on Friday as Brandon Sproat went six innings and held Miami to four runs, then Cade Fisher came in and threw three hitless innings to carry Florida home to the 10-4 win.
Wyatt Langford was 3-5, Jac Caglianone was 2-5, and BT Riopelle was 2-4.
Langford homered twice, while Riopelle, Cade Kurland, and Richie Schiekofer homered once.
https://twitter.com/GatorsBB/status/1631826294035058688?s=20
Saturday looked like it was going to be more of the same for Florida Gators baseball. Caglianone hit a home run, Hurston Waldrep struck out 14 batters, and by the time Caglianone hit his 2nd homerun in the fifth inning to make it 6-1, the party was on in Gainesville.
https://twitter.com/GatorsBB/status/1632139659735371777?s=20
But much like the Undertakes appearing behind AJ Stlyes meme, the party was cut short once Waldrep left the game. He pitched into the seventh inning but left the game after the first two Miami batters reached.
From there a conga line of Florida relievers came in and just couldn’t get any Hurricanes out. Miami scored more runs in the final three innings, 11, than they made outs, 9.
Miami 14, Florida 6.
The rubber match started much the same. Riopelle belted a grand slam in the 2nd inning that made it 8-0 and the party was back on.
With Caglianone on the mound, it was a quiet afternoon after the 2nd.
When he departed after the 6th inning and Brandon Neeley guided Florida through a scoreless 7th inning, it looked like the complete game we’ve all wanted was about to happen.
But then in the 8th Miami plated three runs to make it 9-4.
And with two runners on, they hit a line drive that was destined to clear Josh Rivera
Hello darkness my old friend. I’ve come to talk…
Wait, cancel that. Rivera leaped up, snagged it, threw to second, and the double play ended the inning.
https://twitter.com/GatorsBB/status/1632462507708391424?s=20
As it turned out, Florida didn’t even need to get the final three outs as the Gators put up five runs in the bottom of the 8th that ended the game with a 14-4 mercy rule.
The narrative coming out of this series is that the bullpen is still an issue, but this team hits at such veracity that come tournament time Kevin O’Sullivan can utilize some gimmicks in the bullpen to mask the lack of depth that is required in the regular season.
And if Florida Gators baseball can find one or two arms to close things down much like Michael Byrne did in 2017, the sky is the limit for this team.