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Florida Baseball: Four Keys To Win in 2023 CWS Finals

By Elliot Reeder

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - MAY 12: Jac Caglianone #14 of the Florida Gators runs to first base during a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Condron Family Ballpark on May 12, 2023 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - MAY 12: Jac Caglianone #14 of the Florida Gators runs to first base during a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Condron Family Ballpark on May 12, 2023 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) /
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2023 CWS Finals
Florida Gators right-handed pitcher Hurston Waldrep (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) /

As we head into a highly anticipated 2023 CWS Finals series between two SEC foes, I decided to look at a couple of keys to victory for the No. 2 Florida Gators (53-15). The Gators will open up the best-of-3 championship series against the No. 5 LSU Tigers (52-16) on Saturday night. Game 2 will be Sunday, and the If Necessary Game 3 will be Monday night.

This almost feels like a clash of Titans. Two teams that were ranked highly all season with tons of future MLB talent. The 2023 CWS Finals will also feature all three of this year’s Golden Spikes Award Finalists, and could also feature what will be the top 3 picks of the 2023 MLB draft (plus arguably the current top 2024 prospect). At the beginning of the tournament, LSU and Florida were probably two of the three or four most popular champion predictions.

I expect a highly competitive series, and either team will need to do numerous key things to pull out a victory. With that being said, here are four keys to victory for Florida in the 2023 CWS Finals against LSU:

4 keys for Florida to defeat LSU in the 2023 CWS Finals

Waldrep and Sproat do their thing

Florida has one of the best pitching staffs in the nation. Based on what they have shown in the NCAA tournament so far, one would believe that Brandon Sproat and Hurston Waldrep will go Games 1 and 2, and then if needed Jac Caglianone will throw the If Necessary Game 3 on Monday (they could also throw Cags either Game 1 or 2, or use him out of pen depending on how things go).

Waldrep has been fantastic in the NCAA tournament so far. Against UConn he went 7 innings with 1 earned run allowed, 12 K’s, 5 hits, and 2 BB. Then against South Carolina in Super Regionals, he was even better throwing 8 scoreless innings with 13 K’s, 3 H, and 2 BB. Against Oral Roberts in his lone start earlier in Omaha he went 6 innings with 1 ER, 12 K’s, 7 H, and 3 BB. Through his first three starts of the tournament, he has a sparkling 0.86 ERA across 21 IP with 37 K’s to just 15 hits allowed and 7 walks. Overall for the season he has a 3.99 ERA across 99 1/3 IP with a 154:51` K/BB ratio and a 10-3 record.

Sproat has been very consistent so far in the NCAA tournament. Against Texas Tech he went 6 Innings with 3 ER, 7 K’s, 4 hits allowed, and 2 BB. Then in Supers against South Carolina he went 6 innings with 3 ER, 7 K’s, 9 hits, and 2 BB. In the opening game of the CWS, he went 6 1/3 IP with 3 ER, 7 K’s, 5 hits, and 3 BB. You can see the model of consistency he has been. So far in the NCAA tournament, Sproat has thrown 18 1/3 IP with a 4.42 ERA and 21 K’s. While those numbers won’t blow you away, Sproat has been very consistent, put Florida in a place to win, and has done so facing three strong opponents.

With those two at the helm and presumably getting two starts, Florida has to feel good. Oh, and Florida’s third starter is a Golden Spikes Finalist and the top two-way player in the nation in Jac Calgianone (3.68 ERA and 7-3 record across 73 1/3 IP on the mound this season).

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