NCAA GAINESVILLE REGIONAL   

FLORIDA 5, FAU 2

WHAT HAPPENED: The host Gators (45-18) clinched the regional title with a comeback victory against FAU. The Owls (43-19-1) forced a winner-take-all final after beating the Gators 7-3 in the first game Monday night. In the second game, FAU took another early lead with a pair of runs in the first inning off Gators starter Jack Leftwich, who walked three in the inning but escaped further damage by striking out the side. Jonathan India put the Gators on the board in the third inning with an RBI single. The Gators went ahead for the first time in the fourth on a two-run homer by catcher Jonah Girand. In the fifth, India and Wil Dalton homered back-to-back for the second time in the regional to give the Gators a 5-2 lead they held onto to advance to next weekend's super regional round.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Girand, who served primarily as the team's bullpen catcher in the regular season, drilled a 2-1 pitch from FAU lefty reliever Jordan Poore way over the left-field wall for this third home run in four games. Girand entered the regional with just nine at-bats and two hits on the season. It was the second straight Florida victory that a homer by Girand proved to be the game-winning hit, earning the junior transfer from Seminole State (Fla.) College the Gainesville Regional Most Outstanding Player award.



IN THE SPOTLIGHT: India was the fifth overall pick of the MLB amateur draft while playing in the first game Monday, selected by the Cincinnati Reds. India said he learned of his selection when a fan yelled toward the field about his selection. He became the highest-drafted player for the Gators since catcher Mike Zunino went to Seattle with the third overall pick in 2012. The Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, India flew out in his first at-bat of the second game, but as the game shifted in Florida's favor, India had an RBI single, a solo homer and a walk in his next three plate appearances to help keep the Gators' quest for a fourth consecutive trip to Omaha alive. He finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. India's special night did have a downside as he made a pair of throwing errors, continuing his recent struggles in the field.

STANDOUT STATS: 8 -- A freshman making his first NCAA Tournament start, Leftwich needed 42 pitches to get out of the first inning. However, once he settled in, Leftwich retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced in a 94-pitch outing. Leftwich allowed one hit, two runs, walked four and had a career-high eight strikeouts; 8 -- The Gators have advanced to the super regional round eight times in 11 seasons under head coach Kevin O'Sullivan.

FROM THE COACH: "We're excited about moving forward, but first I want to thank the fans that stayed around last night and today. It was a long day, and awfully hot and we had the rain issues. I want to thank the field crew, they were awesome. They worked long, long hours to get the field ready to play and once again thank you to our fans and field crew. First game didn't go quite the way we wanted it to, but we came back in the second game and did what we needed to do. We got some contributions on the mound from two young freshmen that I thought stepped up and probably grew up a lot. Michael [Byrne] did his thing for the last three innings. [Wil] Dalton and Jonathon [India] both had big days at the plate. What can you say about Jonah Girand's weekend. I think he was MVP of the regional. He hit another home run today, caught all 18 innings and probably is the biggest reason we won the regional this weekend and I'm awfully proud of him. We are excited about moving on to the Super Regionals next weekend and also want to congratulate FAU on a great season. They gave us everything we could handle today. John and his staff do a terrific job." -- Kevin O'Sullivan

UP NEXT: The Gators host SEC rival Auburn in the Gainesville Super Regional next weekend. The schedule is for the super regional will be released at approximately 8 a.m. Tuesday morning. The Tigers advanced to their first super regional in 19 years by sweeping the Raleigh (N.C.) Regional, defeating host N.C. State to advance. Auburn right-hander Casey Mize was the No. 1 overall pick of Monday night's MLB amateur draft.

2018 Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team
Catcher: Jonah Girand, Florida
First Base: Angel Camacho, Jacksonville
Second Base: Blake Reese, Florida
Shortstop: Deacon Liput, Florida
Third Base: Jonathan India, Florida
Outfield: Wil Dalton, Florida
Outfield: Cody Wilson, FAU
Outfield: David Miranda, FAU
Designated Hitter: Jared DeSantolo, FAU
Pitcher: Brady Singer, Florida
Pitcher: Drew Peden, FAU
Most Outstanding Player: Jonah Girand, Florida