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Florida Gators Close Out Oklahoma State Advance to Next Round of College World Series

The Florida Gators beat Oklahoma State twice in a row and will now play the Clemson Tigers Clemson Super Regional

Bennett Solomon

Florida Gators utility Jac Caglianone
Florida Gators utility Jac Caglianone / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA
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Florida Gators baseball closer Brandon Neely made things easy for head coach Kevin O’Sullivan Sunday, pitching the final 5 ⅔ innings to set up a win-or-go-home matchup with Oklahoma State in the Stillwater Regional Final on Monday. 

The head coach had multiple pitchers to go to in Monday’s Game 7, but many showed throughout the season they couldn’t be trusted. Nationally, the Gators were ranked 162nd in ERA entering Monday. 

But against Oklahoma State, in a must-win game for both teams Florida’s bullpen was outstanding. Behind Jake Clemente, Frank Menendez and Fisher Jameson, the trio only gave up two runs en route to a 4-2 win over the Cowboys. The Gators move on to the Super Regional for the second straight year and they’ll travel to Clemson, South Carolina, to face the Clemson Tigers in the supers. 

Ashton Wilson continued his strong Stillwater Regional performance early. In the bottom of the third, Wilson knocked a two-run single to put the Gators up 2-0. 

Clemente started on the mound for Florida, and gave O’Sullivan 3 ⅓ innings, giving up just three hits and one earned run. It was a solid outing for the freshman who had only started midweek games during the regular season. 

Up 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Michael Robertson ripped a RBI single into left field to extend the Gators’ lead to 3-1. Though, Oklahoma State answered in the top half fo the fifth, scoring one run. But it also could’ve been worse. 

Melendez had to manage a bases loaded jam with one out. He was able to escape the inning by only surrendering the one run on a sacrifice fly. 

Then in the bottom of the sixth, Tyler Shelnut led off the inning by demolishing a home run to left field. It padded Florida’s lead to 4-2, but all year a two-run lead was never comfortable with the way Florida’s bullpen oftentimes collapsed. 

But there was no collapse Monday. Jameson pitched the final 3 ⅓ innings to eliminate and upset Oklahoma State, sending UF to its second-straight super regional. 

Jameson didn’t surrender a hit during his outing and struck out four Cowboys. When O’Sullivan needed his staff to come through in the biggest moment, they did just that. 

And it seems Florida’s strength of schedule is helping them with its confidence. Shelnut said coming into the tournament the Gators felt they could beat anybody. They have. 

Florida’s pitching has come alive at the right time and the offense is getting the timely hits. Both the offense and defense are clicking, and the Gators are starting to look like a team ranked No. 4 in the country, where they started to begin the season. 

They knocked off the Big 12 and Big Ten champions twice to set up a date with the Clemson Tigers for the Clemson Super Regional. 

In 17 postseason appearances under O’Sullivan, the Gators have been to the Super Regional 10 times. And O’Sullivan was all smiles after the win. 

Now, the Florida head coach will return to where it all started. He spent nine seasons as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for the Tigers before taking over the program at Florida in 2008. 

Game times and dates have yet to be released.

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Bennett Solomon

BENNETT SOLOMON