The Florida Gators baseball team pulled off heroic victories in resilient fashion throughout its run to Omaha, and sophomore second baseman Cade Kurland stepped to the plate in the top of the ninth with one on and one out with a chance to add to this narrative.
Kurland took Texas A&M’s left-handed senior closer Evan Aschenbeck deep to right center field for what looked like would be the potential game-winning home run as Kurland and Florida’s dugout anxiously awaited for the ball to come down.
Texas A&M sophomore right fielder Jace Laviolette leaped over the wall and made a miraculous game-saving catch robbing Kurland of a heroic moment and eventually ending the Gators chances of victory.
Florida (34-29, 11-17 SEC) showed a desirable amount of fight in the later innings against Texas A&M (50-13, 19-11 SEC) but fell 3-2 in a thrilling low-scoring affair.
“Cade Kurland came within inches of taking the lead there,” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “Obviously a difficult one but another great game to be involved with and we’ll look forward to playing on Monday.”
The last time the Gators were in Omaha, it walked off the field for the last time in heartbreaking fashion after a blowout loss in Game 3 of the national championship series to LSU. But the Gators arrived at the Men’s College World Series this year on a hot streak and were seeking to continue their miracle run throughout the postseason.
Winning your first game has bode well for teams in the past at the MCWS. Only 12 teams in the history of the Greatest Show on Dirt have gone on to win the national championship after losing their opening game.
It didn’t take long for the Gators to dig themselves a hole in their pivotal first game largely in part to freshman pitcher Liam Peterson’s shaky start on the mound. It was a massive stage for the freshman and his nerves may have gotten the best of him.
Texas A&M freshman left fielder Caden Sorrel kickstarted the Aggies offensive spark in the bottom of the second with a one-out single up the middle. Peterson walked the next batter he faced, setting up sophomore second baseman Kaeden Kent’s single to right field to load the bases for the Aggies.
Peterson’s struggles continued when senior center fielder Travis Chestnut stepped to the dish and delivered an RBI-single to the left side. Florida’s senior third baseman Dale Thomas cleanly fielded the ball but seemed unsure if he should make the force out at third or throw out the runner at first. The defensive blunder cost Florida a run giving A&M an early 1-0 edge.
O’Sullivan used his first mound visit of the game to perhaps settle the nerves of Peterson who once again loaded the bases. Though, it didn’t seem to translate as a wild pitch with the bases loaded plated A&M’s second run of the game.
The Aggies carried their offensive momentum into the very next inning setting the stage for Sorrel to do damage at the dish for the second-straight frame. Following a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third by graduate student designated hitter Hayden Schott, Sorrel crushed a double off the center field wall extending A&M’s lead to 2-0.
Peterson’s day on the mound was done after just 2.1 innings allowing three runs on four hits while walking four Aggie batters.
Set to enter out of the bullpen was junior reliever Fisher Jameson who kept Texas A&M’s offense in check throughout the middle innings. Jameson was lights out in his outing keeping the Aggies scoreless for three straight innings allowing just one hit while striking out three batters.
Neither squad mustered a run through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and Florida’s inability to drive in runners in scoring position was a major factor. Midway through the game, the Gators were just 1-for-9 with runners on base and 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
“We had some opportunities and when you have those opportunities to score you’ve got to cash in,” O’Sulivan said. “One inning we had second and third with nobody out, we needed to at least get one and unfortunately we weren't able to do that.
UF has been resilient in the postseason stringing together multiple come-from-behind wins in the regional and super regional and the Gators were presented with another opportunity to fight back into the game in dramatic fashion.
In the top of the seventh inning, Florida was able to plate its first run of the game and apply some pressure on the Aggies down the stretch. Sophomore left fielder Tyler Shelnut stroked a leadoff double down the left field line and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Thomas then stepped to the dish with a chance to redeem himself after his defensive mishap. The senior came up huge for the Gators in a crucial moment of the game with a ground-rule double belted to deep left field scoring Shelnut.
Florida’s rally wasn’t over. UF was able to cut A&M’s lead to 3-2 later in the top of the seventh after Thomas reached third base safely on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a fielder’s choice to shortstop off the bat of sophomore center fielder Michael Robertson.
Both teams were unable to score in the eighth and the Gators were down to their final three outs.
Robertson has come up with a plethora of clutch hits including the walk-off double in the Clemson Super Regional sending Florida to Omaha.
The sophomore rose to the occasion once again in the top of the ninth with a single to the left side of the infield to put the tying runner on first for UF before Kurland was robbed of the potential go-ahead home run.
“I thought he [Kurland] got it,” O’Sullivan said. “Because he never reacts like that when he hits one he kinda just puts his head down and rounds the bases but he thought he got it, I thought he got it, the right fielder just made a heck of a play.”
Florida will have little time to hang their heads as a win-or-go-home elimination game awaits.
Florida will take on North Carolina State Monday at Charles Schwab Field. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. CST in Omaha, Nebraska.
Contact Max Tucker at mtucker@alligator.org. Follow him on X @Max_Tuckr1.
Max Tucker is a junior transfer student at UF. After obtaining his A.A. in Journalism from Santa Fe College in 2023, he chose further his education at Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. Max is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Journalism with a specialization in sports and media. He enjoys golfing and going to the beach with his friends in his free time.
