Unselfish Florida Gators Excelling With ‘Backs Against the Wall’

The Gators will face Texas A&M in another elimination game at 7 pm on June 19.

The Florida Gators bench celebrate the win against the Kentucky Wildcats at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

The Florida Gators turned their season around during the final SEC series against Georgia. It was also the first instance of many where the Gators backs were against the wall.

Star player such as Jac Caglianone and Brandon Neely have fueled the remarkable postseason run for the Gators. Caglianone has passed Matt LaPorta as the program home run leader, and Neely has recorded one of the most impressive pitching performances in Gators postseason history. 

But the team’s unselfishness has been just as responsible for the Gators becoming one of the final four teams in the College World Series.

“It's why you come to Florida,” Caglianone said after a 15-4 win over Kentucky. “You have a great group of guys. You know there's talent top to bottom on the roster. And honestly, like the biggest thing is just playing for each other was kind of our motto and what we've been running with this postseason, despite all the ups and downs of the regular season. None of that matters now. And now it just kind of falls, next game, just leads into that.” 

The Gators are 5-0 this postseason when facing. They’re relentless. Despite not playing a single tournament game at Condron Family Ballpark, as Caglianoe described, they’ve fought for each other no matter the circumstances.

When faced with an early deficit, the Gators have found ways to respond or keep the game within striking distance. The frustrations and flaws highlighted in the regular season are nowhere to be found in Omaha. 

“I mean, when we play for this team, everyone's committed to the same goal and wanting to win,” Brody Donay said. “And everybody coming out and competing their butts off just means a lot. And kind of shows what we all want at the end of the day.”

Florida’s stars have shined during the postseason. Caglianone has led the offense and Neely the pitching. But the Gators are also getting clutch hits and innings from Luke Heyman, Ashton Wilson and Pierce Coppola. 

At times, it's the whole team coming through. Against Kentuckty on Wednesday, eight of the nine players in the starting lineup recorded a hit. 

To manager Kevin O’Sullivan, it's the individual stories of overcoming adversity that has brought the team together. 

“I think we've got some really good leadership. I do,” the head coach said. “... The whole goal is to play your best at the end of the year. And we've been fortunate enough to have been able to do that.”

Those stories include Ashton Wilson, who barely saw playing time in the regular season before being named the Stillwater Regional MVP. Neely started in the bullpen, transitioned to a starting role and then went back to the bullpen. Coppola came back from injuries that sidelined him for two years.

It's those stories that have helped the Gators get two wins away from advancing back to the CWS Final. 

However, their toughest test lies ahead. Florida will have to defeat Texas A&M twice to advance. But one loss will send them home. 

O’Sullivan won’t approach his players any differently in the team’s latest “backs against the wall” matchup. The team’s previous success in these situations gives the manager tremendous confidence.

“We'll be ready to play, and I know our players are excited they've got another chance to play another game,” O’Sullivan said. “We'll go home, get off our feet for a little bit and come back and look forward to playing again.”