OMAHA, Neb. — With the roar of the crowd quieted and emotions settled following Friday night's stunning 6-5 win against Virginia, the Gators woke up Saturday and returned to practice for Sunday night's game against Oral Roberts in the College World Series.
Gators head coach Kevin O'Sullivan understands the roller-coaster ride that Omaha can become. He also knows that to add more memories like their come-from-behind shocker against the Cavaliers, the Gators must continue to get contributions from players such as Ty Evans, a starter-turned-reserve who came off the bench and went 2-for-2 on Friday, including a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth that jump-started UF's three-run rally.
"What can you say? This guy has hung in there, he's battled,'' O'Sullivan said. "Probably a little disappointed with the amount of playing time he's had this year, but had a big double and big home run tonight."
Evans entered the game in the bottom of the seventh as a pinch-hitter for Richie Schiekofer. He stroked a one-out double to right that put runners on first and third for second baseman Cade Kurland, who drove home a run on a grounder to provide the Gators some momentum after the Cavaliers erased a 1-0 deficit in the top of the seventh with four runs.
Evans entered the CWS hitting .217 with four home runs and 34 RBI, with the bulk of his production coming in the first half of the season. When Evans produces, it's usually big. Of his 33 hits, 15 are for extra bases.
However, a midseason slump cost him his regular spot in the lineup and he has played behind Schiekofer and Tyler Shelnut in the postseason.
His teammates have watched Evans stay engaged and when called upon against the Cavaliers, he delivered on the big stage.
"Being a pitcher, a guy looking outside-in, I noticed Ty," said Brandon Sproat, who started Friday's game. "He's put his head down and grinding. Even when he's not playing, he's been being one of the best teammates in the dugout. That swing there gave us so much momentum."
Evans' performance comes on the heels of a pair of strong outings for emergency starters Cade Fisher and Ryan Slater in the Gainesville Regional to help the Gators keep their season alive in elimination games. Several other role players have stepped up during the season, a trademark for teams that win it all in Omaha.
"You have to have special performances from people you don't expect," O'Sullivan said. "It happens all the time in any sport."
For a closer look at the Gators-Golden Eagles matchup, here is our CWS Primer:
***** FLORIDA
Record: 51-15 Regular Season: 42-13 (Co-SEC champions) Record vs. CWS Field: 3-1 (2-1 vs. Tennessee, 1-0 vs. Virginia) Coach:Kevin O'Sullivan, 16th year (678-317, .681) All-Time CWS Record: 22-24 CWS Appearances: 13 (1988, '91, '96, '98, 2005, '10, '11, '12, '15, '16, '17, '18, '23) CWS Titles: 1 (2017) Road to Omaha: Gainesville Regional — W vs. Florida A&M 3-0; L vs. Texas Tech 5-4; W vs. Connecticut 8-2; W vs. Texas Tech 7-1; W vs. Texas Tech 6-0; NCAAGainesville Super Regional — W vs. South Carolina, 5-4; W vs. South Carolina 4-0; College World Series — W 6-5 vs. Virginia.
Hurston Waldrep will make his third start of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night against Oral Roberts in the College World Series. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
NOTEWORTHY: The Gators have won six consecutive games since a loss to Texas Tech in the Gainesville Regional, matching their second-longest streak of the season behind a nine-game winning streak in March ... Florida matched the program record for most home runs in a season (132 in 1998) with three in the comeback victory over Virginia as BT Riopelle, Ty Evans and Wyatt Langford each homered off Cavaliers lefty reliever Jack Berry ... Right-hander Hurston Waldrep gets the start Sunday for the Gators. Waldrep has been spectacular in the NCAA Tournament, winning a pair of starts while striking out 25 in 15 innings. He allowed only eight hits and walked four over the two outings. Waldrep helped clinch the Gators' berth in the CWS by striking out 13 over eight innings in a 4-0 victory over South Carolina in Game 2 of the super regional. Waldrep has 142 strikeouts on the season, third on the school's single-season list behind Alex Faedo (157 in 2017) and Rob Bonanno (148 in 1994) ... Friday's win over Virginia was Florida's 21st comeback victory of the season and fourth walk-off win. Meanwhile, in the program's 46th all-time CWS game, Luke Heyman's game-winning RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth was UF's first walk-off win in Omaha ... Freshman 2B Cade Kurland is hitless in his last 10 at-bats after going 0-for-5 on Friday ... Langford snapped a 2-for-23 slump with his towering blast to tie Friday's game in the bottom of the ninth ... Florida's starting pitching has been superb in the NCAA Tournament. UF has won seven of eight games and the starters have pitched 51 1/3 innings with a collective 1.92 ERA (38 H, 11 ER, 15 BB, 61 SO).
QUOTE OF NOTE: "That's one of the things I think we really do well as a ballclub. We communicate with each other whenever it comes to listening or talking about what a pitcher has or how he looks and what he's throwing. We've done a good job all year and it's kind of shown, and that's why we're here. We've been productive whenever it matters." — Gators OF Wyatt Langford on the team's ability to adjust at plate
*****
ORAL ROBERTS
Record: 52-12 Regular Season: 43-11 (Summit League champions) Record vs. CWS Field: 1-0 (vs. TCU) Coach: Ryan Folmar, 11th year (371-222, .626) All-Time CWS Record: 2-2 CWS Appearances: 2 (1978, 2023) CWS Titles: 0 Road to Omaha: StillwaterRegional — W vs. Oklahoma State 6-4; W vs. Washington 15-12; W vs. Dallas Baptist 6-5; NCAA Eugene Super Regional — L vs. Oregon 9-8; W vs. Oregon 8-7; W vs. Oregon 11-6; College World Series — W vs. TCU 6-5.
Oral Roberts center fielder Jonah Cox makes a catch in Friday's CWS game against TCU. Cox is a player to watch in Sunday's Florida-Oral Roberts matchup at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb. (Photo: Dylan Widger/USA TODAY Sports)
NOTEWORTHY: Oral Roberts continued its thrilling postseason run with a comeback win over TCU in the opening game of the CWS on Friday afternoon. The Golden Eagles rallied from three runs down in the ninth (sound familiar?) for its first CWS victory in 45 years ... The last time the Golden Eagles advanced to Omaha Jimmy Carter was in the White House ... Blaze Brothers hit a three-run homer in the top of the ninth to give Oral Roberts the lead Friday in the Golden Eagles' seventh consecutive win in games in which they trailed by three or more runs ... The Golden Eagles have won 24 of their last 25 games, the only loss coming to Oregon in the opening game of the NCAA Eugene (Ore.) Super Regional ... Senior left-hander Harley Gollert is scheduled to start Sunday for the Golden Eagles. Gollert is 10-1 with a 4.30 ERA. He has pitched 88 innings and allowed 83 hits, walked 31 and struck out 88 ... CF Jonah Cox presents a challenge for Florida's pitching staff. Cox owned a 47-game hitting streak before going 0-for-5 on Friday. Cox's streak matched the run Phil Stephenson had for Wichita State in 1981 and trails only the 56-game streak by Garrett Wittels of Florida International in 2010-11 and Robin Ventura's 58-game streak at Oklahoma State in 1987 ... Closer Cade Denton is one of the college game's elite relievers. Denton was the NCBWA Stopper of the Year and has 15 saves and a 1.95 ERA. Denton recorded three saves in three days in the Stillwater (Okla.) Regional ... Oral Roberts is the first team from the Summit League to reach the CWS ... .
QUOTE OF NOTE: "I don't know what we felt, but, man, that's not the first time we've had to overcome some adversity in the postseason. We're down 8-0 in the second inning in the regional to Washington, a really good club. We blew an 8-0 lead and had to come back and win a series after Game 1 in Eugene. So been there, done that." — Oral Roberts coach Ryan Folmar on his club's resiliency
