Three keys for Florida Baseball to beat Clemson in Super Regionals

Coming off a run through the Stillwater Regional, Florida Baseball finds itself just two wins away from a return to the College World Series. To get their the Gators will need to win two-out-of-three games against Clemson in their Super Regional match up.

Much like they were in Stillwater, the Gators will be the underdog but a dangerous underdog. The following are three things that need to go right in order for the Gators to prevail.

I Believe In Ashton Wilson

Ashton Wilson spent the bulk of the 2024 season on the bench. As injuries ravaged Florida's outfield, Wilson was called into action during the Georgia series and had his breakout party during Regionals.

If Wilson can continue his hot hitting it can serve as massive protection for Jac Caglianone, who has started getting the Barry Bonds treatment and gets walked any chance opponents get.

Get Jac Back On The Mound

Speaking of Caglianone, his dominance on the mound has slowly drifted away. After his sixth start of the season against Mississippi State, Caglianone had a 2.18 ERA. That has now jumped to 4.57, and four of his last five starts have not been great. Against Oklahoma State, he gave up four home runs in a five-inning start.

It's unclear if he would start Sunday or potentially Monday, but the Gators are going to need one of his best outings of the season if they plan to take the series.

Can The Bullpen Do It Again?

Even if Caglianone has a great start, it's unlikely he throws a complete game. The single biggest reason Florida was able to escape Stillwater was they got outings from the bullpen they had not had all season long.

Brandon Neely, Jake Clemente, Frank Menendez, and Jameson Fisher all had great outings to hold down the fort for the Gators. And as we found out when we asked our friends over at Rubbing The Rock, Clemson has a tendency to come from behind, so it will put even more stress on Florida's bullpen.