Florida earns final spot in CWS
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — JJ Schwarz hit a towering, two-run homer, and Tyler Dyson followed with five scoreless innings of relief as Florida beat Wake Forest 3-0 Monday night to earn the final spot in the College World Series.
Righthanded ace Alex Faedo, selected by Detroit with the 18th overall pick in the MLB draft early in the game, tossed the final two innings for his first career save. Faedo had made 43 starts since his previous relief appearance in April 2015.
But with four weather delays totaling nearly 10 hours during the bestof-three series, Faedo was in the bullpen for the decisive game. And he delivered, helping the Gators (47-18) return to Omaha, Neb., for the third consecutive season and for the sixth time in the past eight years.
Wake Forest (43-20), which hit five home runs in a Game 2 victory, was held to four hits and shut out for the fourth time this season.
LSU ‘TRAIN IS ROLLING’
Kramer Robertson’s three-hit game and Caleb Gilbert’s five-plus innings of scoreless middle relief helped LSU clinch its 18th College World Series berth with a 14-4 victory over Mississippi State late Sunday night in the Baton Rouge super regional.
LSU (48-17), winners of 16 straight and 21-of23, seized control of the game with a six-run fifth. Michael Papierski’s basesloaded double plated the first two runs of the decisive rally. Robertson added an RBI double, stole third and scored on Hunter Stovall’s two-out throwing error to make it 9-4.
“The train is rolling. I anticipate those guys are going to go to Omaha and win a national championship,” said Mississippi State coach Andy Cannizaro, a former LSU assistant. “They have the most dynamic lineup in the country. Everyone is playing at a high level right now.”
Gilbert (6-1), who entered the game in the third inning, struck out six while allowing two hits and a walk over 52⁄3 innings.
Denver McQuary (3-4), the fourth pitcher of the game for Mississippi State (40-27), took the loss after giving up four runs in the fifth.