GAINESVILLE – Behind three RBI apiece from junior Harrison Bader and freshman JJ Schwarz and a total of four homers, No. 3 Florida (49-16) punched its ticket to the NCAA College World Series with an 11-4 triumph over No. 10 Florida State (44-21) to complete a sweep of the NCAA Gainesville Super Regional on Saturday at McKethan Stadium. UF had defeated the Seminoles in Friday night’s opener by a 13-5 score.
The Gators have now posted a season-high nine wins in a row. Senior left-hander Bobby Poyner (5-2) twirled five shutout innings in his final home appearance to collect the victory.
The victory secured the Gators’ ninth trip to the CWS (1988, 1991, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015) and marks the program’s fourth trip to Omaha in the past six years under eighth-year head coach Kevin O’Sullivan. UF will face No. 8 Miami (49-15) at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha next Saturday in the opening round of the double-elimination event. The start time will be announced on Monday night by the NCAA following the completion of Super Regionals.
Florida State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning against sophomore A.J. Puk on three hits and a pair of Gator errors. Senior Josh Delph (3-for-5) led off with a single and took second on a throwing error by sophomore center fielder Buddy Reed. A sacrifice bunt by junior John Sansone advanced Delph and a fielder’s choice by junior DJ Stewart resulted in Delph being safe at home on an error by Schwarz. After Stewart stole second base, he scored on a double into right center by sophomore Quincy Nieporte (2-for-4). An infield hit by senior Chris Marconcini and a hit-by-pitch to freshman Taylor Walls loaded the bases with one out before Puk escaped further damage by striking out sophomore Ben DeLuzio and having a grounder by freshman Darren Miller force Marconcini at third base.
The Gators answered in the top of the second on a two-run homer by Schwarz, his first of two on the day, and a sacrifice fly by freshman Dalton Guthrie, to seize a 3-2 advantage. Senior Josh Tobias led off with a walk from redshirt junior Mike Compton (4-4) to reach base for the 27th consecutive game and Schwarz belted the next pitch over the left-field bleachers for his team-leading 17th homer to match Florida’s single-season freshman record held by Austin Maddox in 2010. Sophomore Peter Alonso’s grounder was misplayed by Miller at third base for a fielding error and then an errant throw by Miller enabled Alonso to take second on the play. Freshman Jeremy Vasquez (2-for-2) raised his hitting streak to seven games with a base-hit into center for runners on the corners and a grounder by freshman Mike Rivera pushed Vasquez to second base before Guthrie flew out to left to bring home Alonso.
UF tallied three runs on three hits in the third frame for a 6-2 margin. Junior Richie Martin (2-for-6) boosted the Gators’ lead to 4-2 with a leadoff homer to left field, his fifth big fly of the season and first since May 5 against USF. Schwarz (3-for-4, three runs) drew a two-out walk and came all the way around to score on a triple off of the fence in right center by Alonso, ending the afternoon for Compton (2.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 5 ER). Vasquez greeted junior reliever Dylan Silva with an RBI single through the right side to bring across Alonso.
Bader (2-for-5) belted his 15th homer to left field with Guthrie aboard in the fourth inning for an 8-2 count. Guthrie had started the stanza with an HBP and had taken second on a wild pitch. In the home part of the stanza, the Seminoles put their first two runners on base with walks but Puk had senior Danny De La Calle hit into a 5-4-3 double play and caught Delph looking on strikes.
Bader picked up his third RBI of the game with a bases-loaded walk from senior Bryant Holtmann to give the Gators a 9-2 advantage. Junior DJ Stewart pulled Florida State within 9-4 in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer off of Puk (4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 6 K), bringing Poyner into the contest.
Schwarz jacked his second homer of the afternoon with two down in the sixth to surpass Maddox’s mark for homers by a Florida freshman. It was the slugger’s third multiple-homer effort of the season (four vs. Stetson on April 7, two vs. South Carolina on April 12). The Gators added another run in the eighth when Tobias scored on a wild pitch. The senior had opened the frame with a single and went to third on a base-hit into right field by Schwarz before a wild pitch by Holtmann resulted in an 11-4 margin.
University of Florida
