Winner-Take-All Game 3 Between Florida, LSU Promises Fitting End To An All-Time Men’s College World Series

Image credit: Florida

OMAHA—The 2023 College World Series has been an all-timer. For 10 days, the eight teams in Omaha have played tight, tense games full of unforgettable performances from some of the best players in the country. Even Sunday’s 24-4 blowout win for Florida against LSU in game 2 of the championship series was historic, as the Gators scored more runs than any team has ever scored in a CWS game.

Now, after that rout evened the best-of-three championship series between Florida and LSU at one game apiece, a tournament that has been widely hailed as one of the best in at last recent memory will have a fitting end: a winner-take-all game 3.

It is the only way this tournament could have ended. For a CWS that has included nine one-run games and two extra-inning games, a finals sweep wouldn’t have felt right.

All the more so because of the two teams involved. There’s never been much of a gap between LSU and Florida this season. The Tigers and Gators were ranked Nos. 1 and 3, respectively, in the Preseason Top 25. Florida edged LSU for the SEC title by just a half game. A full, three-game series is what’s needed to separate them.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to play tomorrow,” Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “Obviously, we can’t take any of these runs into tomorrow. We’ll have to reset, reboot. But awfully proud of the way they responded from last night’s tough loss.”

“I’m really excited about tomorrow night, and I believe the players are, too,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said.

As has been the case for nearly two weeks, Monday’s game promises to be a thrilling night of baseball in Omaha. Florida and LSU have two of the most talented rosters in college baseball. Any fans tuning in to watch the winner-take-all title game will also get to see the top two position players in the draft class in LSU’s Dylan Crews and Florida’s Wyatt Langford. The game will feature two of the best power hitters in the country in Florida’s Jac Caglianone, who on Sunday hit his 33rd home run of the season, matching the 21st century single-season record, and LSU’s Tommy White.

Caglianone will also take the mound for Florida, showcasing his two-way talent. The biggest question of the day is who will oppose Caglianone for LSU. Because the Tigers came through the loser’s bracket to reach the finals, they had to throw ace Paul Skenes on Thursday against Wake Forest. The All-American threw 120 pitches to help LSU reach this point. But how much, if at all, can he throw on three days of rest Monday?

Both bullpens will be relatively rested after Sunday’s blowout. Florida was able to stay away from lefthander Cade Fisherand closer Brandon Neely, who both threw Saturday. Similarly, LSU avoided going to Omaha bullpen ace Riley Cooper, who has thrown 8.2 scoreless innings over four games in the CWS.

The momentum of the series now lies with Florida, which has proven to be significant since the format of the championship was changed 20 years ago. Previously, the CWS came down to a winner-take-all championship game instead of a best-of-three series. Since that was changed in 2003, this is the 11th time the finals has gone to three games. In seven of the previous 10 instances when a game 3 has been required, the team that won game 2 has gone on to win game 3 and the national title. That’s been true in each of the last five instances, a stretch that dates to 2015.

But these teams are used to playing rubber games throughout the season and both teams have already been forced into must-win games in the NCAA Tournament. LSU had to win three straight games in Omaha to advance to the finals. Sunday was a must-win game for Florida and the Gators also had to win three straight games during regionals.

The 2023 CWS has already been the best attended, with 368,068 fans filling Charles Schwab Field over the last two weeks. It’s been one of the most watched on ESPN, with multiple games drawing more than 2 million viewers. Monday’s game 3 will only further juice those numbers, adding to the magnitude of the moment.

The stakes don’t get any higher than they will be Monday at Charles Schwab Field. The talent level doesn’t get any better. After an all-time tournament in Omaha, college baseball couldn’t ask for a better way to finish the 2023 season.