Previewing Florida and Texas A&M’s rematch at College World Series

Florida came up just short against Texas A&M to open the College World Series. Now the Gators must beat the Aggies twice to advance.

Florida survived a win-or-go-home matchup against Kentucky this morning, but the Gators have to go 2-0 on the day to extend their season and force a Game 7 on their side of the College World Series bracket.

That means a win over Texas A&M is needed, and these two teams already have a bit of history with each other after a three-game regular season series and another tight game in Omaha that almost saw Florida comeback in the ninth.

The Gators made it clear that they are not ready to go home with a 15-4 rout over Kentucky, but they’ll have to keep that momentum up while watch Florida State and Tennessee play an elimination game.

Projected Lineup

Position Name AVG OBP SLG AB R H HR RBI
Catcher Luke Heyman .250 .347 .488 260 46 65 16 52
First Base Jac Caglianone .418 .545 .881 244 83 102 35 72
Second Base Cade Kurland .243 .340 .457 243 51 59 14 44
Third Base Dale Thomas .230 .350 .351 148 23 34 3 21
Shortstop Colby Shelton .254 .376 .552 252 60 64 20 56
Left Field Tyler Shelnut .264 .361 .537 246 45 65 16 52
Center Field Michael Robertson .259 .319 .365 170 27 44 2 26
Right Field Ashton Wilson .292 .420 .492 65 15 19 2 16
Designated Hitter Brody Donay .252 .330 .540 163 32 41 14 32

Florida moved [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] into the leadoff spot and [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] into the No. 2 hole last game. [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] also moved from third to sixth in the order, being replaced by [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag]. All of those changes should hold for the second half of the split doubleheader.

Probable Pitchers

TEAM PLAYER RECORD ERA
Florida RHP Liam Peterson 3-5 6.18
Texas A&M TBD TBD TBD

Liam Peterson threw around 50 pitches against Texas A&M on Saturday in the bracket opener. The Aggies are going to know what to expect, but Peterson shouldn’t be dealing with the same nerves he had.

A confident Peterson is a different beast entirely, one that could silence the Aggies bats for four innings. That’s what Florida needs to make it to the College World Series Finals.

Remember, the Gators not only need to win today, but they must beat the Aggies again tomorrow to advance.

Other Players to Watch

Texas A&M didn’t hit the ball that well against Florida the last time around, but Peterson needs to throw strikes. The No. 9 hitter, Travis Chestnut, drove in the first run of the day for the Aggies and scored on a wild pitch later in the second inning. Either of those runs were the difference in a 3-2 finish.

Of course, Jace LaViolette is one of the most dangerous bats in the country, so every one of his at-bats requires some caution.

Series History

OVERALL 14-17
HOME 9-4
ROAD 4-8
NEUTRAL 1-5

Prediction

It’s hard to predict a loss for this team after seeing a 15-run outburst. There’s also the recent history to consider. Florida feels like they should have won that first game.

Had LaViolette been an inch or two shorter, Cade Kurland’s flyout in the ninth might have been a go-ahead home run.

Revenge and momentum are a dangerous combination.

Prediction: Florida lives to see another game, 8-6.

Where to Watch

WEDNESDAY (~7 p.m. ET)

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