Florida designated hitter Luke Heyman watches his flyball sail out of Charles Schwab Field on Sunday for his 12th home run of the season. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
CWS Spotlight: These Gators Dig Long Ball
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 | Baseball, Scott Carter
OMAHA, Neb. — They busted out with 19 runs in the season opener. They scored 32 runs in a single game. They crossed the plate 64 times in a three-game sweep of Kentucky.
They made it to the College World Series 25 years ago.
"You could tell that '98 team could hit in the fall by the way they crushed it off of me in inter-squad games — there were studs all over the field, several big leaguers," said Gators baseball radio announcer Jeff Cardozo, a starting pitcher on Florida's 1998 team. "And with those bats back then, things got out of control."
Cardozo was hardly alone in turning to watch one of his pitches fly over the fence that season against Florida's lineup, a team that featured future major leaguers Brad Wilkerson, David Ross, Mark Ellis, and pitcher Josh Fogg.
The Gators belted a school-record 132 home runs in 1998, led by Wilkerson's 23, followed by 19 from Ross. The record stood until a two-run homer by Ty Evans in the second inning of the Gators' 5-4 win over Oral Roberts on Sunday night. Evans, who homered in Friday's win against Virginia, became the first UF player to homer in each of the Gators' first two games of a CWS.
Evans' home run to right-center field was Florida's 133rd of the season. The Gators didn't stop there, with Josh Rivera leading off the fourth inning with a solo homer and Luke Heyman crushing a two-run homer later in the inning.
*Through Sunday's game
The Gators enter Wednesday afternoon's game against Texas Christian with 135 home runs, led by an NCAA-leading 31 from sophomore first baseman/pitcher Jac Caglianone. Wyatt Langford (19), Rivera (18), BT Riopelle (17), Cade Kurland (16) and Heyman (12) are all in double figures.
Cardozo has witnessed them all from the radio booth. College baseball is in a different era than 25 years ago, and with the improved pitching in today's game and less lively bats from the Gorilla Ball era, Cardozo did not expect the 2023 team to threaten the 1998 team's record.
And then the Gators started hitting balls out of the ballpark in a season in which home runs are up across the board due to what many believe is a more lively baseball.
"That's why this year's team was such a surprise to get to that number,'' Cardozo said. "I figured a full year with Cags, then Wyatt, and BT, balls would leave the yard a lot, but Rivera and Kurland up the middle did so much damage, and Heyman hammering balls lengthened the lineup, it got to the point that we expected a couple of homers a game from those guys."
Florida's penchant for the long ball has remained steady in Omaha. The Gators have 14 hits in two games in the CWS: six home runs, six singles and two doubles.
"It makes it tough, man,'' Oral Roberts coach Ryan Folmar said. "You know if you make one little mistake … they're going to get some. That's the bottom line. That's what their offense is kind of based around.
"That's a great lineup. Up and down, it's big. It's strong. It's physical with power from top to bottom."
In a 6-5 comeback win over Virginia on Friday night, Evans and Langford homered in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game. Heyman won it with a walk-off RBI sacrifice fly later in the inning.
However, early in the game, a stiff breeze blew in from center field at Charles Schwab Field, and the Gators had 12 fly-ball outs against Cavs starter Nick Parker.
"The ball wasn't flying and helping us to our advantage,'' Gators coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "It was a little frustrating, but all you can do is move on."
When the wind turned late in the game, Florida's fortunes turned.
"We're very aware of their aggressive offensive approach and their ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark,'' Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said. "They did a great job of that in the final three innings."
O'Connor's and Folmar's teams have been eliminated, partly because of Florida's power.
The Gators can drop a bunt and steal a base if they have to, but this team often digs the long ball.
"We have a lot of good hitters in that lineup," Riopelle said. "We know what we can do."
They made it to the College World Series 25 years ago.
"You could tell that '98 team could hit in the fall by the way they crushed it off of me in inter-squad games — there were studs all over the field, several big leaguers," said Gators baseball radio announcer Jeff Cardozo, a starting pitcher on Florida's 1998 team. "And with those bats back then, things got out of control."
Cardozo was hardly alone in turning to watch one of his pitches fly over the fence that season against Florida's lineup, a team that featured future major leaguers Brad Wilkerson, David Ross, Mark Ellis, and pitcher Josh Fogg.
The Gators belted a school-record 132 home runs in 1998, led by Wilkerson's 23, followed by 19 from Ross. The record stood until a two-run homer by Ty Evans in the second inning of the Gators' 5-4 win over Oral Roberts on Sunday night. Evans, who homered in Friday's win against Virginia, became the first UF player to homer in each of the Gators' first two games of a CWS.
Evans' home run to right-center field was Florida's 133rd of the season. The Gators didn't stop there, with Josh Rivera leading off the fourth inning with a solo homer and Luke Heyman crushing a two-run homer later in the inning.
| CATEGORY | 2023 GATORS* | 1998 GATORS |
| Record | 52-15 | 46-18 |
| Home Runs | 135 | 132 |
| Batting Avg. | .291 | .332 |
| Runs/game | 7.9 | 9.7 |
| Hits/game | 9.6 | 11.9 |
| Stolen bases | 69 | 84 |
The Gators enter Wednesday afternoon's game against Texas Christian with 135 home runs, led by an NCAA-leading 31 from sophomore first baseman/pitcher Jac Caglianone. Wyatt Langford (19), Rivera (18), BT Riopelle (17), Cade Kurland (16) and Heyman (12) are all in double figures.
Cardozo has witnessed them all from the radio booth. College baseball is in a different era than 25 years ago, and with the improved pitching in today's game and less lively bats from the Gorilla Ball era, Cardozo did not expect the 2023 team to threaten the 1998 team's record.
And then the Gators started hitting balls out of the ballpark in a season in which home runs are up across the board due to what many believe is a more lively baseball.
"That's why this year's team was such a surprise to get to that number,'' Cardozo said. "I figured a full year with Cags, then Wyatt, and BT, balls would leave the yard a lot, but Rivera and Kurland up the middle did so much damage, and Heyman hammering balls lengthened the lineup, it got to the point that we expected a couple of homers a game from those guys."
Florida's penchant for the long ball has remained steady in Omaha. The Gators have 14 hits in two games in the CWS: six home runs, six singles and two doubles.
"It makes it tough, man,'' Oral Roberts coach Ryan Folmar said. "You know if you make one little mistake … they're going to get some. That's the bottom line. That's what their offense is kind of based around.
"That's a great lineup. Up and down, it's big. It's strong. It's physical with power from top to bottom."
In a 6-5 comeback win over Virginia on Friday night, Evans and Langford homered in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game. Heyman won it with a walk-off RBI sacrifice fly later in the inning.
However, early in the game, a stiff breeze blew in from center field at Charles Schwab Field, and the Gators had 12 fly-ball outs against Cavs starter Nick Parker.
"The ball wasn't flying and helping us to our advantage,'' Gators coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "It was a little frustrating, but all you can do is move on."
When the wind turned late in the game, Florida's fortunes turned.
"We're very aware of their aggressive offensive approach and their ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark,'' Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said. "They did a great job of that in the final three innings."
O'Connor's and Folmar's teams have been eliminated, partly because of Florida's power.
The Gators can drop a bunt and steal a base if they have to, but this team often digs the long ball.
"We have a lot of good hitters in that lineup," Riopelle said. "We know what we can do."
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