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The Florida Gators' 10-7 win over No. 6 Clemson in Game 1 of the 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament super regional on Saturday drew mixed reactions from college baseball fans on social media. The Gators, who finished runner-up to 2023 national champion LSU, played like contenders again as they moved within one win from securing a College World Series berth.
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Two-way player Jac Caglianone ignited a seven-run fifth inning with a three-run home run that turned a 2-4 deficit into a 9-4 cushion.
Caglianone's heroics and the bullpen's solid resolve at the crucial innings sparked varying comments from college fans on X, with one fan admiring the Gators' sudden power surge.
One fan gave out a hilarious season-long assessment of the Florida team, who were selected to compete in the NCAA Tournament despite a 28-27 record.
"Florida is an elite squad they were just drunk the whole season," a fan wrote.
Other college baseball fans emphasized how others wanted the Gators out of the NCAA Tournament picture due to their lackluster record.
"For a team that “didn’t belong”, now everyone is silent," one user pointed out.
"I hate Florida. But seeing all the people a week and a half ago say they shouldn’t be in the tournament was hilarious," another fan tweeted.
Other fans show a lot of respect for Florida, reminding everyone that the Gators are still an elite team.
"I wouldn’t call this an upset, yeah Florida was bad this season, but they’re still elite," a user wrote.
"Not really an upset when they've taken a series from four of the top eleven this season," another fan added.
"They certainly are good enough. It’s can they play together for a couple of weeks and get it done? Stranger things have happened in baseball. Look at ole miss in 2022," a college baseball enthusiast posted.
"After the regular season they had, if they make it to Omaha…wow," one user wrote.
Florida pounds higher-ranked Clemson as Jac Caglianone nears Matt Laporta mark
Florida finished with 10 hits and turned those into runs. Jac Caglianone led the Gators with a 2-of-4 outing with three RBI. Luke Heyman had two RBIs for the 2023 runners-up, while five other players ended up with one RBI each.
Caglianone's home run landed into the left-field seats. It was his 32nd of the season and 72nd overall. The junior is two homers shy of tying Matt Laporta's record of 74 homers.
Brandon Neely shut out the Tigers with four innings of one-hit ball. He struck out seven. Fisher Jameson took the win for Florida as he pitched for four innings, allowing three runs and four hits. Tristan Smith took the loss for Clemson.
Game 2 is set on Sunday, 2:30 PM ET with ESPNU and ESPN+ airing the match on live television and livestream, respectively.
Will Florida win Game 2 and make the College World Series? Let's know your views in the comments section:
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