College World Series: Gators 15, Kentucky 4 — Donay Delivers, Cags Sets HR Record, Coppola Gets First Career Win - Florida Gators (2024)

John Paternoster

• Box Score

Game Recap: Baseball | Wednesday, June 19, 2024 | Scott Carter, Senior Writer

COLLEGE WORLD SERIESat CHARLES SCHWAB FIELD
Florida 15, Kentucky 4

WHAT HAPPENED:Florida had no trouble waking up for Wednesday morning's elimination game against SEC rival Kentucky in the College World Series. The Gators erupted for seven runs in the first inning on the way to crushing the Wildcats 15-4. Florida chased UK starter Dominic Niman six batters into the game. Florida's No. 8 batter, designated hitter Brody Donay, went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and five RBI to lead the offensive explosion. The seven-run first inning is the second-most runs the Gators have scored in a CWS inning,trailing only an 11-run inning against Miami in 2015.

PLAY OF THE GAME:With the Gators leading 3-1, and after Dale Thomas greeted Kentucky reliever Cameron O'Brien with a single to load the bases in the bottom of the first, Donay launched a deep drive over the right-field wall for a grand slam and 7-1 Florida lead. Donay's blast provided a huge dose of momentum early in the game for the Gators, and they never let up to improve to 8-2 in the NCAA Tournament.

KEY MOMENT: Florida owned a comfortable 10-run lead in the bottom of the sixth when Jac Caglianone came to bat with two outs and nobody on. Facing Wildcats reliever Johnny Hummel, Caglianone smashed Hummel's full-count pitch into the right-field seats for his 35th homer of the season. But that's not what had former Gators slugger Matt LaPorta standing and cheering from his seat at Charles Schwab Field. The solo homer was Caglianone's 75th career home run, snapping a tie with LaPorta to become the program's all-time home run king. LaPorta had held the title since finishing his Gators career in 2007 with 74 career homers.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT:Left-hander Pierce Coppola made his first career start in the CWS and delivered exactly what the Gators needed. Coppola earned his first career victory by limiting the Wildcats to four hits and four runs over a career-high five innings. Coppola walked three and struck out a career-high nine in his 98-pitch outing.

STAGGERING STAT:Caglianone has reached base in 12 of 15 plate appearances at the CWS. He has walked three times, been intentionally walked three times, hit two home runs, a pair of singles and a double. He has also been hit by a pitch. Caglianone reached base in each of his five trips to the plate on Wednesday.

BY THE NUMBERS: 102—Hits this season for Caglianone, tying David Eckstein for fourth on the program's single-season list. 20 —Gators to reach base against the Wildcats. 51 — Consecutive games Caglianone has reached base safely.

HE SAID IT: "Obviously, we got off to a quick start. We strung together a bunch of good at-bats there in the first. I thought this is the best Pierce has thrown all year long. He stuff looked really crisp. We're looking forward to the opportunity to play Texas A&M again." — Gators head coach Kevin O'Sullivan on Wednesday's win

HE SAID IT: "I just tried to get a swing off early, and a great thing happened." — Gators DH Brody Donay on his grand slam

UP NEXT:Florida faces SEC rival Texas A&M in another elimination game on Wednesday at approximately 8 p.m. ET. The Aggies beat the Gators 5-4 on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

NOTABLES

• The Gators have reached the College World Series Semifinals for the second straight season.
• Florida is playing in the College World Series for the 14th time in program history and ninth time under head coach Kevin O'Sullivan.
  • O'Sullivan has navigated the Gators to Omaha in nine of the 14 trips to the CWS.
• The Gators have now won nine of their last 10 NCAA Tournament elimination games dating back to last season (5-0 in 2024).
• Florida won its 21st come-from-behind game of the campaign and sixth comeback victory of the postseason.
• Jac Caglianone hit his 75th career home run to moveinto a tie for eighth all-time in NCAA homers and tied for third in SEC history.
• Caglianone has hit safely in 61 of 65 games while reaching safely in all but one contest.
• • Caglianone is 14-for-32 with six home runs, four doubles, 15 runs, 14 RBI, 17 walks and five strikeouts in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
    • He owns nine hits and four home runs all-time at the College World Series.
    • Caglianone drew three walks in the win over Kentucky.
• Caglianone was intentionally walked once to increase his season total to 31 on Wednesday.
• Florida batted around and plated seven runs on five hits in the first inning.
  • The Gators scored their second-most runs in an inning at the CWS – since scoring 11 vs. Miami in the fourth on June 13, 2015.
  • Florida became the eighth team in the CWS history to score at least seven runs in the first inning.
• Pierce Coppola's start is the third-longest by a Gators starting pitcher this postseason.
• Brody Donay hit his 13th and 14th home runs, marking his second multi-homer game of the season while his five RBI marked a new Gators career high.
  • Donay's performance was the 14th multi-homer game by a Gator this season.
• Luke Heyman singled home two runs in the first and doubled home one in the fifth to finish 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored.
• Tyler Shelnut picked up a 10-game hitting streak with an RBI bunt single in the fifth inning.
• Heyman threw out his third runner of the NCAA Tournament and his 11th of the season in the top of the first inning.
  • He is the second Florida backstop to catch a baserunner in the 2024 CWS, joining Brody Donay against NC State.
• Jake Clemente and Alex Philpott both threw two shutout innings of relief with the latter retiring all six batters he faced.
• Colby Shelton collected the first CWS hit of his collegiate career, an RBI double in the bottom of the first, while finishing 2-for-4 with two runs.
• Florida's scoring streak of 144 consecutive games is the third-longest in program history (May 27, 2022-present).
• The Gators are 137-87 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
  • Florida is 27-27 at the College World Series.
• Florida is now 151-74-1 all-time vs. Kentucky (7-3 neutral).
  • The Gators are 29-23 against the Wildcats under head coach Kevin O'Sullivan (3-1 neutral)
  • Florida is 1-0 vs. Kentucky at the College World Series.
• Wednesday's official attendance was 23,687.

— Sullivan Bortner contributed to this report.