Preview: LSU and Florida set to square off in Game One of the CWS Finals Saturday night

In just Jay Johnson’s second season at LSU, he and his Tigers have made it to the College World Series (CWS) finals.

LSU hasn’t made it to the CWS since 2017, and while Johnson wasn’t the coach at the time, the stage looked the same. It was an all-SEC matchup between LSU and Florida. It was two heavyweights slugging it out for the ultimate title of national champions.

After six years, the Tigers and Gators meet at the top once again. 

“It’s just two really good programs just recently and in the past,” Florida’s Wyatt Langford said. “We both expected to be here and be in this moment.”

LSU and Florida will square off in Game One of the CWS Finals on Saturday at 6 p.m. C.T. from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. The game will be televised on ESPN.

The Tigers are coming off arguably one of the most thrilling games in program history. A walk-off, two-run home run by Tommy White in the 11th inning will certainly be something Tiger fans remember for a long time.

LSU has the most momentum it’s had all season. Wake Forest was the No. 1 team in the country and hadn’t lost back-to-back games all season prior to its losses to LSU.

“This is where you want to be,” Johnson said. “Now it’s about moving forward.”

Just as Wake Forest was a giant in college baseball, Florida is a giant just as big. The Gators are rested, as they haven’t played since Wednesday. They defeated TCU 3-2 to advance to the CWS Finals.

From top to bottom, Florida could arguably be the most complete team in baseball, playing its best baseball of the season. Since it lost to Texas Tech in a winner’s bracket matchup of the Gainesville Regional, the Gators have gone on to win their last eight postseason games.

“It’s hard to sit back and reflect right now,” Florida head coach, Kevin O’Sullivan, said. “We have the opportunity to win a national championship, and that’s really the main focus within the players and the coaches right now.”

Brandon Sproat will be the starter for Florida on Saturday night. Sproat holds a 4.66 ERA and an 8-3 record through 18 starts. In 102.1 innings pitched, he’s struck out 127. 

Against Virginia, Sproat started on the mound and went for 6.1 innings. He struck out seven and gave up three runs on five hits. All three runs came in the seventh inning, so going deep into games is something Sproat has no problem with, and the fact he has rested for a week will only work in his favor. He primarily works with a fastball-slider combo, and his fastball sits around 96 miles per hour.

But just as Florida’s pitching has been dominant, their offense has arguably been even more powerful. 

Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes are both 2023 Golden Spikes Award Finalists, but the third finalist is Florida’s Jac Caglianone. Caglianone has been Florida’s “do it all” guy this season, as he has a .325 batting average at the plate and a 3.68 ERA on the mound.

While he likely wouldn’t start on the mound until Monday, if the game is necessary, he will be in the batter’s box each game. Caglianone leads the country in home runs with 31, and also has 84 RBIs.

Wyatt Langford leads the team with a .363 batting average. The projected top 10 pick in this year’s MLB Draft has hit 19 home runs on the season, including a 456-foot blast against Virginia. He also leads the team in doubles with 25.

Josh Rivera is right behind Langford with a .361 batting average. He’s also hit 19 home runs on the season, and he’s homered in back-to-back games against Oral Roberts and TCU. Rivera has 71 RBIs on the season.

The Langford, Caglianone, Rivera trio has packed a punch for Florida all season, as they hit in the two, three and four spots in the lineup (in the order listed). But the power in Florida’s lineup doesn’t stop there. 

Luke Heyman currently has a .330 batting average with 12 home runs, and B.T. Riopelle has a .249 batting average with 17 home runs and 66 RBIs. Both Heyman and Riopelle homered against Oral Roberts, and in the SEC Tournament, Riopelle homered three times in three games. Cade Kurland also hits .290 with 16 home runs on the season from the lead-off spot in the order. 

This all being said, Ty Floyd, LSU’s starting pitcher, will have to execute his pitches from the start of the game. Especially in Omaha, Florida has been known to get off to quick starts. It’s been able to build momentum early in games and gain control of the game quickly. For that not to happen, Floyd will need to keep Florida’s hitters off-balance.

Floyd is coming off one of his best performances of the season. Against Wake Forest on Monday, Floyd pitched 5.0 innings, struck out 10 and gave up two runs on just two hits.

It’s safe to say LSU will need a performance similar to that from Floyd on Saturday night. With Thatcher Hurd only having thrown 47 pitches on Thursday night, there is a small possibility he will be available to relieve on Saturday, but Tiger fans shouldn’t count on it. 

Riley Cooper and Gavin Guidry are two possible relief candidates for Saturday night. Nate Ackenhausen is a possibility as well, but after his impressive performance in his first start of the season against Tennessee on Tuesday, there’s a good chance Johnson will give him the start for Sunday’s game. Hurd is also a possible starter for Sunday’s game. 

Both teams head into the CWS Finals with different advantages. Florida is well rested and has its best available, but LSU has the type of momentum that is difficult to replicate. 

But the big names, projected draft picks, rankings, records and more can be thrown out the window for this finals series. Obviously both teams had the talent to get here. But as Johnson said on Friday, “In baseball, it’s not always the team with the best players that play the best that day.”

The Tigers and the Gators are ready to compete for the ultimate prize, and with competitors and elite talent on both sides, the series should be a battle to the end.