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Baseball Climbing Mountain of History in Clemson Super Regional & CWS

Discussion in 'GatorGrowl's Diamond Gators' started by ETGator1, Jun 9, 2024.

  1. ETGator1

    ETGator1 GC Hall of Fame

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    Presuming UF wins the Clemson Regional either today or in the if necessary game to earn a berth in the CWS, the Gators will have overcome a mountain of history to get there with a record of 34-28 or 34-29.

    Since 1999 when college baseball went to the regional and super regional format, no team will have earned their way to the CWS with a winning record as low as UF's. Teams from 1999 - 2023 (2020 cancelled) with the lowest winning records:

    1999 College World Series - BR Bullpen (baseball-reference.com)

    2004: Arizona 35-25-1

    2018: Mississippi State 37-27; Washington 35-24

    2021: Virginia 35-25

    No team in the 64-team era of regional and super regionals will have had fewer wins or a lower winning percentage than UF 2024.

    Going back to 1975 when 8 regionals replaced 8 districts to advance to the CWS, the teams with the lowest wins/winning percentage:

    1992: California 35-26

    That's it.

    None of the above 5 teams with better records than UF 2024 went on to win the CWS.

    What the Gators stands to accomplish by winning the Clemson Regional is truly overcoming a mountain of college baseball history.
     
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  2. iowagator

    iowagator VIP Member

    No better time to make history than 2024!
     
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  3. ETGator1

    ETGator1 GC Hall of Fame

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    Hopefully today.
     
  4. gatorbreeder

    gatorbreeder Junior

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    Go Gators, shame I won't be able to make this one. My son and I made the broadcast for all of the Gator home runs yesterday. I'm thinking of making it a poster. I came damn close to getting the Cags HR.
     
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  5. Kirby

    Kirby GC Legend

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    Let’s extend that history when we make the CWS by sending the moles home with another empty trip.
     
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  6. RealGatorFan

    RealGatorFan Premium Member

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    The way I see it, we are 6-1 in the post-season.
     
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  7. Matherly87

    Matherly87 GC Hall of Fame

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    This is as good a thread as any, and sorry for the length.

    I wanted to recognize the whole team for this run thru the region. But what's so important here is the timely production we got out of everyone in the lineup. From the big wins last week, to both games at Clemson, everyone got key hits in key innings for lots of crooked numbers. From all the hits and runs that Ashton Wilson gave us, all the times Kurland got on base yesterday and today, Heyman's blast, Shelnut's blast, Shelton's RBIs early on today, Donay's 2 run blast, the find a way thru hits by Thomas, can't forget Donay's sac bunt RBI that was the winning run on Saturday, Robertson's key 2 out run scoring hit to extend the lead on Saturday, and most of all Robertson's game winning gapper to the wall to seal the trip to Omaha. Oh, did I forget to mention Cags, well you know.

    And we can't forget the pitching from last weekend. Whoever would have thought the Gators advanced from OSU because of the great pitching we saw. So many of our relievers had some of their best innings of the year. Before the season you could see another power hitting team type season but so many freshmen pitchers were an unknown. But you had to wonder, if Sully could find a way to bring them together in SEC play, we might have a chance. A month ago I figured we were to late in the season and this team was just another injury away from the breaking point. Then Evans goes down, followed by Yost. I thought some guys had started making plans to leave. But here we are.

    And one more comment about Mikey Robertson. All year long we fans heard over and over his bizarre walkup song "Awesome God" originally written by the late Rich Mullins, sung by a high pitched children's choir. I for one would yell out when it stopped playing, "Do something Awesome Mikey!". Today Mikey was awesome and that makes me feel good to know it all mattered.

    So here's to all our Gators and all the fans who wouldn't back down.
     
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  8. ETGator1

    ETGator1 GC Hall of Fame

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    H I S T O R Y !

    34-28 & CWS Bound, Baby!

    UF has done what no other team in college baseball history has ever accomplished advancing to the CWS with the fewest wins and the lowest winning percentage in regional history from 1975-1998 and regional & super regional history from 1998-2024.

    All the Gators had to do was go 6-1 beating teams ranked 6,11, and 25.

    Congratulations Gators on becoming the most remarkable story in 2024 and in college baseball history.

    Go Gators!
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2024
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  9. headg8r

    headg8r VIP Member

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    Great coaching job by Sully, maybe one of the best. Never give up!!
     
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  10. ETGator1

    ETGator1 GC Hall of Fame

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    I don't think anyone outside of those reading and posting in this thread knows yet just how good of a job Sully has done coaching the Gators to the 2024 CWS.
     
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  11. ETGator1

    ETGator1 GC Hall of Fame

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    In the game thread today, someone mentioned what Ole Miss accomplished in 2022 by being one of the last teams in that went on to win the CWS. A look at the 2022 CWS:

    2022 College World Series - BR Bullpen (baseball-reference.com)

    There are similarities between Ole Miss 2022 and UF 2024:

    Both Ole Miss and UF were 3 seeds in their opening regionals.

    Ole Miss started in the Miami regional where Miami was the 6 seed. Ole Miss won the regional 3-0 and then went on the road and swept 11 seed Southern Mississippi.

    UF started in the Stillwater regional where Oklahoma State was the 11 seed. UF won the regional 4-1 and then went on the road and swept 6 seed Clemson.

    The difference between Ole Miss and UF is UF's historical record for advancing to the CWS based on both number of wins and winning percentage. Going into the CWS, Ole Miss's 2022 record was 37-22, 32-22 prior to the tournament, and 14-16 in the SEC compared to UF's record of 34-28, 28-27 prior to the tournament, and 13-17 in the SEC. UF's record going into the CWS is what sets UF apart from Ole Miss on an historical basis.

    Just getting to the CWS with UF's record is the historical accomplishment. To join Ole Miss in the discussion of special CWS winners, UF will need to continue to make history by actually winning the CWS, would put UF historically at the top of any list from 1975-2024. With this said, I have not done the research to see what other CWS winners are similar to Ole Miss's run to the national championship as a 3 seed. I'll happily do that bit of research if UF wins the 2024 CWS.
     
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  12. KSAGator

    KSAGator Premium Member

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    An equally significant difference with Ole Miss is that they got hot at the end of their regular season (albeit 0-1 in S.E.C. Tourney). They won 7 of their last 9 S.E.C. games and beat a ranked Southern Miss team (8 wins last 10 regular season games). While talented, we’ve come more out of nowhere.
     
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  13. gatorranger7

    gatorranger7 All American

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    Also, Donay’s absolute hose to pick off the runner in the 13th meant it was a solo shot. If not, Mikey only ties the game with his double and we are still playing baseball.
     
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  14. ETGator1

    ETGator1 GC Hall of Fame

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    Fresno State won the 2008 national championship as a 4 seed and is the only team to have done so. The Bulldogs ended up with a 47-31 record.

    UF can't match the number of wins at 47 but could match the number of losses coming out of the loser's bracket to make and then lose the championship series. Bottom line, if UF wins the CWS, I'd have to rank it 1T UF and 1T Fresno State, can't argue with a 4 seed winning the CWS.

    The team most like 2022 Ole Miss in record is 2015 Virginia coming out of a 3 seed to win the CWS with a final record of 44-24. Ole Miss was 42-23 in 2022.
     
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2024
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  15. apkgator

    apkgator GC Hall of Fame

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    I was thinking about that too....would have been runners on 2nd and 3rd with Kurland up and one out. Would have been even more tension if that's possible.
    BUT, would they have even walked Donay if they were up two runs and they are putting the go ahead run on base? Given his propensity to K I would have gone after him (I would have gone after him anyway)....we'll never know, what makes baseball so fascinating
     
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  16. gatorranger7

    gatorranger7 All American

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    How about Dale Thomas' PERFECT bunt to advance the runners before they walked Donay to load 'em up? We have seen some misplayed bunts in other team games pop into a glove, go the wrong way, etc in other games this post season. DT came up BIG in that moment, and many here have lamented our inability to play small ball as a team weakness. Maybe not so much.
     
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  17. apkgator

    apkgator GC Hall of Fame

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    It was huge, heck a little more speed and he beats it out. Funny, he went up 2-0 in the count and I was thinking lets be greedy and see if he can draw a walk....maybe at least take pitches until the guy throws a strike. Would have upped the pressure to get a bunt down with a strike, so no wrong answer
     
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  18. Gatorhead

    Gatorhead GC Hall of Fame

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    I know I'm a "johnny come Lately" to the Diamond Board, but I'm all Gator in every sport!
    WOW, O, WOW, O WOW! Hot diggity dang!

    Y'all believing this?????

    What a rebound in the Post Season!!!!!!

    Things were a wee bit "touchy" between the clubs, how cool to knock a very good Clemson team out, at their place, 2 straight!

    Congrats to the players, coach Sully and Diamond Nation!!!!

    Home Runs ain't all bad ya know!!! lol

    Wooo Hoooo
     
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  19. GatorPlanet

    GatorPlanet GC Hall of Fame

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    That was amazing. I don't watch nearly as much baseball as probably anyone else here, but I NEVER see guys get picked off at first base. It always has struck me as wasted effort. This one was HUGE.
     
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  20. Gatorhead

    Gatorhead GC Hall of Fame

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    I'm learning...........lol

    Gee, I'm almost beggining to like his game.....lol
    Way to go Gators!
     
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