Top Seeded Gators Eliminated From CWS

OMAHA, Neb. – There wasn’t much sunshine for the sunshine state at the 2016 College World Series. The top seeded Florida baseball team’s season just did not end the way they had expected it to. The Gators quickly dropped into the losers bracket after Sunday’s loss to Coastal Carolina. Their only hope was to win four straight to put them back into a spot where they could win the National Championship. No. 5 Texas Tech, who also lost their first game, handed the Gators their plane ticket home by forcing them to go 0-2 in the CWS. The Gators fell to the Red Raiders by a score of 3-2 Tuesday evening.

Final from Omaha. #Gators fall 3-2 to Texas Tech. #CWS pic.twitter.com/i96eqiNz1D

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) June 21, 2016

Texas Tech had never won a CWS game before this one. In 2014, the schools first ever appearance in Omaha, the Red Raiders went 0-2. Now, in 2016, they are the only national seed left in the tournament after Miami went 0-2 and after knocking out Florida on Tuesday.

The game started off slow with zero runs put on the board in the first three innings. It was a pitchers duel between Gators Alex Faedo and Red Raiders Davis Martin until the fourth inning. The scoring started when Texas Tech’s DH Cory Raley reached base after a bunt single and then stole second with first basemen Eric Gutierrez up to bat. Gutierrez hit a two-run home run to left field to put the Red Raiders up 2-0.

After two quick outs, it looked like there would be a ray of sunshine for the Gators in the sixth inning. Jeremy Vasquez had a lead-off pinch hit after coming in for Nelson Maldonalo. This was Vaquez’s second consecutive game with a pinch-hit single. Next, Martin walked Dalton Guthrie to put two men on base. With no outs, Buddy Reed laid out a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third base. Up next was Peter Alonso, the Gators biggest hitting threat, who was intentionally walked to load the bases. Base loaded, with JJ Schwarz up to bat, seemed like the perfect scenario. After what would have been a ground out single, Texas Tech turned a 1-2-3 double play after Schwarz ran inside the base line to end the inning and get out of the jam.

The eighth inning was it for both of the starting pitchers. Scott Moss came in for Faedo after going 7.2 innings, with seven hits, two runs, no walks, and nine strikeouts. Red Raider’s Hayden Howard replaced Martin after seven innings, allowing three hits, no runs, three walks, with three strikeouts.

But the ninth inning was the breaking point. Dane Dunning came in the game, and after an error allowed the runner to reach base and a second error scored Neslony to put Texas Tech up 3-0.

In the bottom of the ninth, when all hope was thought to be lost, Reed singled to reach base. With one on, no outs and a 2-2 count, Peter Alonso launched one into left field for a two-run home run. After that powerful play, Schwarz struck out, Mike Rivera popped out and Jonathan India singled but was thrown out at second to end the Gators run at the CWS.

The No. 1 overall national seeded Gators were swept out of the CWS, and it is all too similar to the 2012 Gators who were also No. 1 and also went 0-2 in Omaha.

This season came up just one win shy of tying the school’s record of 53 wins. The Gators were Regional and Super Regional champions and had seven juniors drafted in the top 10 rounds in the MLB Draft. The future is still bright for the Gator program, especially on the mound as sophomore Alex Faedo recorded nine strikeouts in Tuesday’s loss, the most by any Gator in a CWS game.