College World Series: Texas A&M 6, Gators 0 — Four Aggie Pitchers Combine for 4-Hit Shutout to End Gators’ Postseason Run – Florida Gators

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES at CHARLES SCHWAB FIELD
Texas A&M 6, Gators 0

WHAT HAPPENED: The postseason magic finally ran out for the Gators, who entered the NCAA Tournament a game over .500 and reeled off five consecutive wins in elimination games until losing to the Aggies on Wednesday night. Texas A&M starter Justin Lamkin dominated the Gators for the second time in the CWS, this time tossing five shutout innings. He allowed three hits and struck out nine. Meanwhile, Gators starter Liam Peterson could only retire one of the five batters he faced, walking four Aggies before being replaced by Fisher Jameson with one out and the bases loaded in the Aggies’ two-run first inning. Texas A&M (52-13) advanced to face Tennessee in the CWS championship series. The Gators close the season with a 36-30 record after winning eight of 11 games in the postseason.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Not a lot to choose from for the Gators, but when Jac Caglianone singled to lead off the bottom of the eighth, he recorded his 104th hit of the season. That ties the school’s single-season record, shared by former teammates Mark Kiger and Pat Osborn for the past 22 years. Kiger and Osborn accomplished the feat in the 2002 season.

KEY MOMENT: Texas A&M led 3-0 in the top of the sixth when Gators head coach Kevin O’Sullivan called on closer Brandon Neely to keep the game close with a runner on base and one out. Neely has been superb in the postseason and pitched well again on Wednesday night, but Caden Sorrell drilled a 3-2 pitch from Neely for a two-run homer to make it 5-0 and put the game out of reach on a night when the Gators struggled offensively.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Caglianone led off in both games Wednesday, the first time in his UF career that he hit at the top of the order. He went 2-for-2 with a single, three walks (one intentional), a stolen base and three runs scored in Florida’s 15-4 win over Kentucky. He went 2-for-4 in the nightcap, and reached base safely in 14 of 19 plate appearances in the CWS. That’s good for a whopping .737 on-base percentage.

STAGGERING STAT: The Gators went 10-for-18 with runners in scoring position in their wins over NC State and Kentucky. They finished 2-for-23 with runners in scoring position in the two CWS losses to the Aggies. UF was 1-for-11 in Saturday’s 3-2 loss, and 1-for-12 on Wednesday.

HE SAID IT: “We had a terrific year. There’s been a lot of ups and downs. Our players persevered through a lot of different tough moments. I’m awfully proud of our team. I know a lot of our guys are extremely disappointed, but speaking from my heart, I’m just awfully proud of them, of what they were able to accomplish and have this experience out here in Omaha.” — Gators head coach Kevin O’Sullivan

BY THE NUMBERS: 38 — NCAA-high strikeouts for Neely in the NCAA Tournament. 14.25 — Strikeouts per nine innings for Neely in seven NCAA Tournament appearances. 145 — Consecutive games the Gators had scored until being shut out by the Aggies. Florida had not been shut out since a 10-0 loss to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament on May 26, 2022.

UP NEXT: Florida will return home on Thursday. O’Sullivan and his staff will soon begin preparations for the 2025 season, which opens next February at Condron Family Ballpark.

NOTABLES

• The Gators reached the College World Series Semifinals for the second-straight season.

  • Florida finished tied for third in the NCAA Tournament field.

• Florida played in the College World Series for the 14th time in program history and ninth time under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan.

  • O’Sullivan navigated the Gators to Omaha in nine of the last 14 postseasons.

• The Gators went 8-3 in NCAA Tournament play highlighted by wins over No. 16 Oklahoma State (two), No. 3 Clemson (two), No. 11 NC State and No. 2 Kentucky.

  • Florida finished the season at 36-30 and went 10-4 down the stretch.

• Jac Caglianone’s 104 hits this year tied the single-season Florida program record alongside Mark Kiger (2002) and Pat Osborn (2002).

  • Caglianone finished 2-for-4 with two singles in his final collegiate game to post a .419 batting average on the year.
  • Caglianone set the all-time program record with his 75th-career home run and 35th big fly of the season earlier in the day in the win over No. 2 Kentucky.

• Caglianone concluded his collegiate career with an active on-base streak of 52-straight contests.

  • Caglianone hit safely in 62 of 66 games while reaching safely in all but one contest.

• Caglianone went 16-for-36 with six home runs, four doubles, 16 runs, 14 RBI, 17 walks and five strikeouts in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

  • He totaled 11 hits and four home runs all-time at the College World Series.

• The Florida bullpen went 1-0 in the 2024 College World Series with a 2.39 ERA, 26 1/3 innings pitched, 14 hits allowed, seven runs, 33 strikeouts and eight walks.
• Brandon Neely finished the 2024 NCAA Tournament with seven appearances for a 1.88 ERA, 24 innings pitched, five runs allowed, 15 hits, six walks and 38 strikeouts.

  • Neely pitched 23.5% of Florida’s postseason innings (24 of 102).

• Fisher Jameson faced the minimum of 11 batters before giving up a leadoff double in the fifth inning.

  • Jameson allowed just one run across 4 2/3 innings on three hits and five strikeouts.

• Florida’s scoring streak of 144-consecutive games – the third-longest in program history (May 27, 2022-June 19,2024) – was snapped in the final game of the 2024 season.
• The Gators are 137-88 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

  • Florida is 27-28 at the College World Series.

• Florida is now 14-18 all-time vs. Texas A&M (1-6 neutral).

  • The Gators are 13-12 against the Aggies under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan (0-2 CWS).

• Wednesday night’s official attendance was 25,429.

— Sullivan Bortner contributed to this report.