Texas A&M OF Jace LaViolette ‘got a little scared’ making game-saving play vs. Florida

“Off the bat I got a little scared. I took the total wrong route and then got myself back on the track. The wind knocked it down,” he said.

Texas A&M sophomore outfielder Jace LaViolette sealed a 3-2 win against Florida with a highlight play on Saturday night during the opening round of the College World Series at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.

In the top of the ninth inning with one out and the go-ahead run at the dish, Gators sophomore second baseman Cade Kurland crushed a pitch to right field where the 6-foot-6 superstar reached above the fence and robbed Kurland of the homer.

“Off the bat, I got a little scared. I took the total wrong route and then got myself back on track, found the wall, I looked up and thought, ‘I have a play on this.’ Luckily I had the wind that knocked it down,” LaViolette told Avarie Howard of Hurddat Sports on the field postgame. “I think on any other day with some help from the wind, it’s probably a homer. But the wind knocked it down and helped me be able to make a play.”

LaViolette drew two walks Saturday to set a new single-season program record for free passes with 59 thus far.

The No. 3 Aggies (50-13) play another SEC foe, No. 2 Kentucky (46-14), on Monday at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+.

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