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OMAHA, Neb. — By design or by fate, it had to come down to this.
South Carolina and Florida played for last year’s national championship. By fantastic coincidence or conniving selection committee, the Gamecocks received the eighth national seed and the Gators received the first.
Both advanced through their NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals to arrive at the College World Series. At 9 p.m. Saturday, the teams throw down one more time.
“I don’t know if rivalry is the right word,” Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan said Thursday. “I think there is mutual respect on both sides. Last year when South Carolina beat us, they beat us fair and square.”
Yes, but that doesn’t mean it sat particularly well with the Gators, a supremely talented team that is also on its third straight trip to Omaha — but doesn’t have the national championship that has resided in Columbia for the past two years.
The pressure has been on Florida (47-18) all season, to not only get back, but to get the one prize missing from its case. The group of players that has made up the past three seasons — including catcher Mike Zunino, recipient of the Dick Howser Trophy (considered to be college baseball’s Heisman Trophy, given annually to the top player in the nation) on Friday — will mostly be gone after this season.
Florida’s last mission begins Saturday. Standing in the way is defending champion South Carolina (45-17).
“Right now, I think they’re swinging the bats pretty well,” starting pitcher Michael Roth said. “Got to go in and try to keep them off-balance.”
Roth, the Omaha hero over the past two years, will start opposite Florida’s Brian Johnson, who threw a complete game against South Carolina to knock the Gamecocks out of the SEC tournament on May 25. He also won a game over South Carolina during the regular season.
Roth didn’t get a decision when he pitched against Florida on March 22, but that was the only game of four this year where the Gamecocks beat the Gators. Those were important at the time, but ultimately didn’t mean anything — while Saturday’s loser won’t be eliminated, Saturday’s winner has a big step forward toward the national championship series.
“You would think that if both guys are really, really sharp, it will be low-scoring,” South Carolina coach Ray Tanner said. “That’s when a play comes into frame. A bunt, a good play in the alley somewhere.”
TD Ameritrade Park plays big, with only a handful of home runs leaving the yard last year, and Roth is a control pitcher who works ground balls. Johnson is simply a masterful pitcher and hitter — South Carolina will have to keep its scratch-something-across mentality in place and hang in against a guy who may be so pumped full of adrenaline that he may be difficult to handle — or easy to jump on.
The Gators succumbed to the pressure last year, Zunino’s uncharacteristic error delivering South Carolina a Game 1 win and the Gamecocks making every play they had to make. The biggest X-factor in the game is how Florida can handle it this year, knowing that it’s the favorite.
The Gamecocks, veterans of the game’s biggest stage, are loose and comfortable.
“We’re just going to go out and try to play good baseball,” Roth said. “Brian Johnson was pounding the zone last time we faced him, I’m sure that’s what he’s going to try to do now. Our hitters will have a plan against him.
“As far as pitching, we’re going to go out there and just try to keep them off-balance and hopefully limit base-runners, limit runs.”
OMAHA, Neb. — By design or by fate, it had to come down to this.
South Carolina and Florida played for last year’s national championship. By fantastic coincidence or conniving selection committee, the Gamecocks received the eighth national seed and the Gators received the first.
Both advanced through their NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals to arrive at the College World Series. At 9 p.m. Saturday, the teams throw down one more time.
“I don’t know if rivalry is the right word,” Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan said Thursday. “I think there is mutual respect on both sides. Last year when South Carolina beat us, they beat us fair and square.”
Yes, but that doesn’t mean it sat particularly well with the Gators, a supremely talented team that is also on its third straight trip to Omaha — but doesn’t have the national championship that has resided in Columbia for the past two years.
The pressure has been on Florida (47-18) all season, to not only get back, but to get the one prize missing from its case. The group of players that has made up the past three seasons — including catcher Mike Zunino, recipient of the Dick Howser Trophy (considered to be college baseball’s Heisman Trophy, given annually to the top player in the nation) on Friday — will mostly be gone after this season.
Florida’s last mission begins Saturday. Standing in the way is defending champion South Carolina (45-17).
“Right now, I think they’re swinging the bats pretty well,” starting pitcher Michael Roth said. “Got to go in and try to keep them off-balance.”
Roth, the Omaha hero over the past two years, will start opposite Florida’s Brian Johnson, who threw a complete game against South Carolina to knock the Gamecocks out of the SEC tournament on May 25. He also won a game over South Carolina during the regular season.
Roth didn’t get a decision when he pitched against Florida on March 22, but that was the only game of four this year where the Gamecocks beat the Gators. Those were important at the time, but ultimately didn’t mean anything — while Saturday’s loser won’t be eliminated, Saturday’s winner has a big step forward toward the national championship series.
“You would think that if both guys are really, really sharp, it will be low-scoring,” South Carolina coach Ray Tanner said. “That’s when a play comes into frame. A bunt, a good play in the alley somewhere.”
TD Ameritrade Park plays big, with only a handful of home runs leaving the yard last year, and Roth is a control pitcher who works ground balls. Johnson is simply a masterful pitcher and hitter — South Carolina will have to keep its scratch-something-across mentality in place and hang in against a guy who may be so pumped full of adrenaline that he may be difficult to handle — or easy to jump on.
The Gators succumbed to the pressure last year, Zunino’s uncharacteristic error delivering South Carolina a Game 1 win and the Gamecocks making every play they had to make. The biggest X-factor in the game is how Florida can handle it this year, knowing that it’s the favorite.
The Gamecocks, veterans of the game’s biggest stage, are loose and comfortable.
“We’re just going to go out and try to play good baseball,” Roth said. “Brian Johnson was pounding the zone last time we faced him, I’m sure that’s what he’s going to try to do now. Our hitters will have a plan against him.
“As far as pitching, we’re going to go out there and just try to keep them off-balance and hopefully limit base-runners, limit runs.”
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