The Gators face Kentucky on Tuesday night after their win over NC State on Monday. (Photo: John Paternoster/UAA Communications)
CWS Notebook: Neely's Dominant Postseason, Caglianone Draws Attention, Gators-Kentucky Primer
Tuesday, June 18, 2024 | Baseball, Scott Carter
OMAHA, Neb. — If there is one aspect of talking to baseball players that you quickly learn, it's that getting them to discuss in-depth sudden changes in performance is often like trying to get a 2-year-old to be quiet at a wedding or funeral.
They tend to talk about mechanics, minor tweaks or seeing the ball better, inside-the-game minutiae that doesn't exactly move the needle on the hype meter. When Gators closer Brandon Neely was asked Monday to explain his turnaround in the postseason, he defaulted immediately to teamwork and his defense.
Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan offered a more headline-worthy take.
"He's just been outstanding for us,'' O'Sullivan said after the Gators' 5-4 victory against Texas A&M. "It takes a different person to close out games. And they're hard to find at this level, even at the big-league level. But for whatever reason, he takes to that role."
Neely's dominant postseason continued Monday when he pitched two scoreless innings to earn his fifth save and help the Gators keep their season alive and advance to face Kentucky in a College World Series elimination game Tuesday night (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
When Neely last faced the Wildcats — a May 12 extra-inning loss at Condron Ballpark — he left the mound after allowing four hits and four runs in 2 1/3 innings, getting shelled when Kentucky scored four runs in the top of the 10th inning for a 7-5 win. Afterward, his record stood at 1-4 and his ERA (6.97), nowhere in the same neighborhood of an elite closer.
Neely bounced back five days later to earn the win in Florida's 7-4 victory at Georgia on May 17. Neely limited the Bulldogs to two hits and a run over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out six in a must-win game for the Gators to boost their shot of making the NCAA Tournament.
Since the NCAA Tournament started, Neely has entered another dimension. He has pitched a team-high 21 innings (1-0, 2 saves, 1.29 ERA) and struck out 13.7 per nine innings. He finished off the Wolfpack on Monday by striking out four of the last five hitters.
"Neely was unbelievable. There's no tomorrow. He's our guy, everybody knows it," Gators assistant coach Chuck Jeroloman said on the postgame radio show. "He's a super competitive kid. There is nobody you would rather have in those spots and the game on the line than him. He's pitched in these environments for a long time now. And he doesn't get spooked when it comes calling."
Neely entered the game in the bottom of the seventh after reliever Jake Clemente walked NC State leadoff hitter Eli Serrano III to start the inning and the Gators nursing a 5-4 lead. He allowed onto two baserunners over the next three innings and struck out six.
Neely has appeared in six of Florida's nine NCAA Tournament games and the only runs he has allowed came in Florida's extra-inning Game 2 win over Clemson on June 9 to advance to Omaha.
"He went out there and attacked," O'Sullivan said Monday. "That says a lot about his mentality."
Neely's ERA has shrunk from 6.97 after that loss to Kentucky to 5.09 after his five scoreless innings in Florida's first two games in the CWS. He can't pitch every game, but if given the opportunity, Neely would take the ball.
He did a quick TV interview after Monday's outing.
"This win sums up how tough we are,'' he said.
Neely has been the toughest of them all in the postseason.
BIG JAC DRAWS PRAISE
With one swing of the bat Monday, Gators junior Jac Caglianone proved why he is the most-feared hitter in the CWS.
Caglianone crushed a pitch from NC State starter Dominic Fritton into a stiff wind for a three-run homer and 4-1 UF lead in the top of the second inning. The Gators never trailed after Cagliaonone's 34th home run of the season and 74th of his career, matching Matt LaPorta for the most in school history.
"It was a special moment for sure,'' Caglianone said. "Mr. LaPorta has reached out countless times throughout the year. He's here with his kids and family, watching that."
Veteran NC State coach Elliott Avent, in his 28th season, has seen the best of the best over his years in the dugout. After Caglianone struck out in the first inning against Fritton, he decided to pitch to him in the second. The Wolfpack intentionally walked Caglianone in two of his final three at-bats.
"He's a free swinger. And we know Fritton can be very dominant. That's why we chose to go with him."
It worked once, but not twice, leaving Avent to contemplate where Caglianone fits among the best he's seen.
"I mean, you're looking at a future big leaguer,'' he said. "I've been here and seen [Kyle] Schwarber and Bryce Harper and all these guys growing up and playing baseball, whether you're recruiting them or facing them in college.
"He's a big-league hitter, I can tell you that."
CALL TO COPPOLA
O'Sullivan said after Monday's game the Gators plan to start left-hander Pierce Coppola on Tuesday night against the Wildcats.
"That's going to be the message,'' he said. "We're going to need some help."
Coppola returned to the mound April 13 after missing the majority of two seasons due to back and arm injuries. In seven starts, Coppola is 0-4 with a 9.16 ERA. In his only outing against the Wildcats on May 10, he allowed four hits and one run in 2 2/3 innings.
GATORS-WILDCATS PRIMER
FLORIDA
Record: 35-29
Regular Season: 28-27 (13-17 SEC)
Record vs. CWS Field: 5-9 (2-2 vs. Texas A&M, 1-2 vs. Kentucky, 1-2 vs. Tennessee, 0-3 vs. Florida State, 1-0 vs. NC State)
Coach: Kevin O'Sullivan, 17th year (716-348, .673)
All-Time CWS Record: 26-27
CWS Appearances: 14 (1988, '91, '96, '98, 2005, '10, '11, '12, '15, '16, '17, '18, '23, '24)
CWS Titles: 1 (2017)
Road to Omaha: Stillwater (Okla.) Regional — W vs. Nebraska 5-2; L vs. Oklahoma State 7-1; W vs. Nebraska 17-11; W vs. Oklahoma State 5-2; W vs. Oklahoma State 4-2. Clemson (S.C.) Super Regional — W vs. Clemson 10-7; W vs. Clemson 11-10 (13).
QUOTE OF NOTE: "Anytime we're in a spot with our backs against the wall we've played our best baseball, hands down. I think that knowing we have confidence in ourselves going into these games, there's never a moment where we panic or feel that pressure. We know we're going to play our best when our backs are against the wall." — Gators outfielder Tyler Shelnut
*****
KENTUCKY
Record: 46-15
Regular Season: 40-14 (22-8 in SEC)
Record vs. CWS Field: 4-4 (2-1 vs. Florida, 1-0 vs. NC State, 1-2 vs. Tennessee, 0-1 vs. Texas A&M)
Coach: Nick Mingione, 8th year (262-165, .614)
All-Time CWS Record: 1-1
CWS Appearances: 1 (2024)
CWS Titles: 0
Road to Omaha: Lexington (Ky.) Regional — W vs. Western Michigan 10-8; W vs. Illinois 6-1; W vs. Indiana State 5-0. Lexington (Ky.) Super Regional — W vs. Oregon State 10-0, W vs. Oregon State 3-2.
QUOTE OF NOTE: "I think if we got down on ourselves we wouldn't be in this spot. There's going to be no sour faces in the locker room. We're going to come out ready to go." — Wildcats center fielder Nolan McCarthy on bouncing back following Monday night's loss to Texas A&M
They tend to talk about mechanics, minor tweaks or seeing the ball better, inside-the-game minutiae that doesn't exactly move the needle on the hype meter. When Gators closer Brandon Neely was asked Monday to explain his turnaround in the postseason, he defaulted immediately to teamwork and his defense.
Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan offered a more headline-worthy take.
"He's just been outstanding for us,'' O'Sullivan said after the Gators' 5-4 victory against Texas A&M. "It takes a different person to close out games. And they're hard to find at this level, even at the big-league level. But for whatever reason, he takes to that role."
.@GatorsBB righty Brandon Neely has thrown a quarter of Florida's innings this NCAA Tournament.
— Friday Starters (@fridaystarters) June 17, 2024
1.29 ERA with a 13.7 K/9 and one win alongside a trio of saves. Consistently dominant in high-leverage situations. pic.twitter.com/bioOHlrjol
Neely's dominant postseason continued Monday when he pitched two scoreless innings to earn his fifth save and help the Gators keep their season alive and advance to face Kentucky in a College World Series elimination game Tuesday night (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
When Neely last faced the Wildcats — a May 12 extra-inning loss at Condron Ballpark — he left the mound after allowing four hits and four runs in 2 1/3 innings, getting shelled when Kentucky scored four runs in the top of the 10th inning for a 7-5 win. Afterward, his record stood at 1-4 and his ERA (6.97), nowhere in the same neighborhood of an elite closer.
Neely bounced back five days later to earn the win in Florida's 7-4 victory at Georgia on May 17. Neely limited the Bulldogs to two hits and a run over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out six in a must-win game for the Gators to boost their shot of making the NCAA Tournament.
Since the NCAA Tournament started, Neely has entered another dimension. He has pitched a team-high 21 innings (1-0, 2 saves, 1.29 ERA) and struck out 13.7 per nine innings. He finished off the Wolfpack on Monday by striking out four of the last five hitters.
"Neely was unbelievable. There's no tomorrow. He's our guy, everybody knows it," Gators assistant coach Chuck Jeroloman said on the postgame radio show. "He's a super competitive kid. There is nobody you would rather have in those spots and the game on the line than him. He's pitched in these environments for a long time now. And he doesn't get spooked when it comes calling."
Neely entered the game in the bottom of the seventh after reliever Jake Clemente walked NC State leadoff hitter Eli Serrano III to start the inning and the Gators nursing a 5-4 lead. He allowed onto two baserunners over the next three innings and struck out six.
Neely has appeared in six of Florida's nine NCAA Tournament games and the only runs he has allowed came in Florida's extra-inning Game 2 win over Clemson on June 9 to advance to Omaha.
"He went out there and attacked," O'Sullivan said Monday. "That says a lot about his mentality."
Neely's ERA has shrunk from 6.97 after that loss to Kentucky to 5.09 after his five scoreless innings in Florida's first two games in the CWS. He can't pitch every game, but if given the opportunity, Neely would take the ball.
He did a quick TV interview after Monday's outing.
"This win sums up how tough we are,'' he said.
Neely has been the toughest of them all in the postseason.
BIG JAC DRAWS PRAISE
With one swing of the bat Monday, Gators junior Jac Caglianone proved why he is the most-feared hitter in the CWS.
Caglianone crushed a pitch from NC State starter Dominic Fritton into a stiff wind for a three-run homer and 4-1 UF lead in the top of the second inning. The Gators never trailed after Cagliaonone's 34th home run of the season and 74th of his career, matching Matt LaPorta for the most in school history.
"It was a special moment for sure,'' Caglianone said. "Mr. LaPorta has reached out countless times throughout the year. He's here with his kids and family, watching that."
Veteran NC State coach Elliott Avent, in his 28th season, has seen the best of the best over his years in the dugout. After Caglianone struck out in the first inning against Fritton, he decided to pitch to him in the second. The Wolfpack intentionally walked Caglianone in two of his final three at-bats.
"He's a free swinger. And we know Fritton can be very dominant. That's why we chose to go with him."
It worked once, but not twice, leaving Avent to contemplate where Caglianone fits among the best he's seen.
"I mean, you're looking at a future big leaguer,'' he said. "I've been here and seen [Kyle] Schwarber and Bryce Harper and all these guys growing up and playing baseball, whether you're recruiting them or facing them in college.
"He's a big-league hitter, I can tell you that."
CALL TO COPPOLA
O'Sullivan said after Monday's game the Gators plan to start left-hander Pierce Coppola on Tuesday night against the Wildcats.
"That's going to be the message,'' he said. "We're going to need some help."
Coppola returned to the mound April 13 after missing the majority of two seasons due to back and arm injuries. In seven starts, Coppola is 0-4 with a 9.16 ERA. In his only outing against the Wildcats on May 10, he allowed four hits and one run in 2 2/3 innings.
GATORS-WILDCATS PRIMER
FLORIDA
Record: 35-29
Regular Season: 28-27 (13-17 SEC)
Record vs. CWS Field: 5-9 (2-2 vs. Texas A&M, 1-2 vs. Kentucky, 1-2 vs. Tennessee, 0-3 vs. Florida State, 1-0 vs. NC State)
Coach: Kevin O'Sullivan, 17th year (716-348, .673)
All-Time CWS Record: 26-27
CWS Appearances: 14 (1988, '91, '96, '98, 2005, '10, '11, '12, '15, '16, '17, '18, '23, '24)
CWS Titles: 1 (2017)
Road to Omaha: Stillwater (Okla.) Regional — W vs. Nebraska 5-2; L vs. Oklahoma State 7-1; W vs. Nebraska 17-11; W vs. Oklahoma State 5-2; W vs. Oklahoma State 4-2. Clemson (S.C.) Super Regional — W vs. Clemson 10-7; W vs. Clemson 11-10 (13).
QUOTE OF NOTE: "Anytime we're in a spot with our backs against the wall we've played our best baseball, hands down. I think that knowing we have confidence in ourselves going into these games, there's never a moment where we panic or feel that pressure. We know we're going to play our best when our backs are against the wall." — Gators outfielder Tyler Shelnut
*****
KENTUCKY
Record: 46-15
Regular Season: 40-14 (22-8 in SEC)
Record vs. CWS Field: 4-4 (2-1 vs. Florida, 1-0 vs. NC State, 1-2 vs. Tennessee, 0-1 vs. Texas A&M)
Coach: Nick Mingione, 8th year (262-165, .614)
All-Time CWS Record: 1-1
CWS Appearances: 1 (2024)
CWS Titles: 0
Road to Omaha: Lexington (Ky.) Regional — W vs. Western Michigan 10-8; W vs. Illinois 6-1; W vs. Indiana State 5-0. Lexington (Ky.) Super Regional — W vs. Oregon State 10-0, W vs. Oregon State 3-2.
QUOTE OF NOTE: "I think if we got down on ourselves we wouldn't be in this spot. There's going to be no sour faces in the locker room. We're going to come out ready to go." — Wildcats center fielder Nolan McCarthy on bouncing back following Monday night's loss to Texas A&M
Players Mentioned
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