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In the title hunt: Texas A&M beats Florida, advances to the MCWS finals for the first time

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Led by a dominant pitching staff, the Texas A&M Aggies have surged into the finals of the Men’s College World Series for the first time. They clinched a spot in the title round after they eliminated the Florida Gators, 6-0, on Wednesday night at Charles Schwab Stadium in Omaha, Neb.

With the victory, the third-seeded Aggies will now focus on trying to capture their first national title in baseball. They’ll have a tough test in the top-seeded Tennessee Volunteers. The best-of-three set will commence on Saturday.

Coming into the game against the Gators, the Aggies’ pitching had been the story. They beat the Gators last Saturday, 3-2. They followed up with a 5-1 victory against the Kentucky Wildcats on Monday.

As it turned out, the rematch against the Gators turned into much the same narrative as A&M pitchers, with starter Justin Lamkin leading the way, allowed only four hits. Going back to late Saturday night, the Aggies have now strung zeroes on the scoreboard in 19 of their last 20 innings.

“Great ball game,” A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle told reporters later. “Lamkin was obviously outstanding. The decision was just how long to leave him in there and win the game but still give us a chance over the weekend since we’re down a pitcher.”

Lamkin, a 6-foot-4 lefty from Corpus Christi Calallen, made his second start of the MCWS and made it count with nine strikeouts in five innings. He allowed only three hits and was threatened seriously with runners in scoring position only once.

In the third inning, the Gators loaded the bases with one out. First, Michael Robertson drew a walk. Next, Jac Caglianone beat an infield shift by punching a single through the left side. Cade Kurland then smashed a ball back at Lamkin for an infield single.

At that point, Lamkin struck out Tyler Shelnut. The inning ended when shortstop Ali Camarillo raced into foul territory to catch a pop up off the bat of Colby Shelton.

When Lamkin was replaced to open the sixth, the Aggies went through a bit of uncertainty when Chris Cortez walked two straight. But Josh Stewart entered and used a sweeping curveball to pitch two scoreless frames. Evan Aschenbeck, the stopper of the year in college baseball, finished with the last two innings.

“Stewy made big pitches,” Schlossnagle said. “Got us out of a jam. Cortez will be better next time, I have no doubt.”

Caden Sorrell led the way offensively with a team-high three RBI, one coming on a sacrifice fly and the others on a two-run homer. It was his 11th of the season and his third in the NCAA playoffs. Gavin Grahovac and Kaeden Kent both had two hits and an RBI.

Jace LaViolette, who tweaked a hamstring Monday night against Kentucky, started and played right field but clearly wasn’t 100 percent physically. He went zero for four at the plate and struck out twice.

In the first inning, he was on third base when Sorrell hit his sac fly to center. LaViolette scored on the play but didn’t look smooth as he tried to accelerate. In the field, a fly ball that might have been caught on another night got past him for a double.

Given the circumstances, it’s remarkable that the Aggies are in position to win it all.

They lost star outfielder Braden Montgomery and front-line starting pitcher Shane Sdao for the season with injuries in the Super Regional round. Now, they’re playing with a less-than-100 percent LaViolette, and they’re two wins away from holding up the trophy. One of the big reasons for their success in Omaha is Lamkin, who has pitched eight scoreless innings.

“I think the big part of it is just having self confidence in myself, knowing that I can go out there and compete and play at this level,” Lamkin said. “I think just getting ahead of hitters and having true confidence in all my pitches really helped me out.”

Asked how it feels to become a part of Texas A&M history as the first baseball team to play for a national title, Sorrell talked about how he had always followed the program when he was younger.

“It’s definitely an amazing feeling,” Sorrell said. “I remember coming to these games when I was like 10 years old and always wanting to be a part of this. You know, finally being here and making it this far, it’s been an amazing feeling. But, obviously, the job is not finished yet.”

A&M’s 8-0 ride through the NCAA tournament has not been without a few hiccups. Namely, the injuries and the accompanying decisions on what to do with personnel. Kent, who stepped into the lineup in Game 1 of the Super Regionals when Montgomery went out, has been the most visible of players coming off the bench to perform well.

The son of former major league infielder Jeff Kent has produced five hits in three games in the MCWS, including two against Kentucky and two against Florida. Another player rising to the occasion has been Stewart, who didn’t pitch in either NCAA regional or the super regional round.

For the first time since May 23, he got into a game on Monday against Kentucky and pitched 2 and 1/3 innings, giving up a run (on a solo homer) and three hits. Against Florida, his emergence was a key in steadying the team after Cortez faltered. Stewart said

“It wasn’t too big of a deal with the break (between games),” Stewart said. “Got work in on the off days, and whatnot, and didn’t try to rise to the occasion, or whatever. Just got back to what we do every single day and just (went) one day at a time, really. Didn’t try to make it bigger than it is.”

Records

Florida: 36-30
In the MCWS: 2-2
In the NCAA tournament: 8-3

Texas A&M 52-13
In the MCWS: 3-0
In the NCAA tournament: 8-0

Notable

The Gators entered the game with one loss, having dropped their opener to the Aggies before rebounding to eliminate both North Carolina State, 5-4, and second-seeded Kentucky, 15-4.

The Gators rolled the dice with the use of freshman Liam Peterson as their starter. Peterson was ineffective against A&M in the opener and once again didn’t have it, walking four of the first five batters that he faced. He was charged with two runs and the loss and fell to 3-6 on the season. Lamkin was the winner and improved to 3-2.

Florida star Jac Caglianone finished his night two for four at the plate. But, fortunately for A&M, he didn’t homer. He had hit home runs in four of five NCAA tournament games coming in.

Once a .500 team in April, Florida reaches the MCWS semifinals against Texas A&M

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The Florida Gators once looked nothing like a national-title contender. They were once 17-17 on the season and 6-8 in the Southeastern Conference at the end of a season-long, six-game losing streak.

That was in April. By May, at the SEC tournament, the perennial national power had shown some progress with a few victories against highly-ranked opponents but had once again found themselves in trouble. Beaten in the SEC tournament by Vanderbilt, they fell to 28-27 entering a week during which the NCAA tournament selection committee would decide whether the Gators deserved a chance to play again.

Fortunately for the Gators, they survived the cut into the 64-team field, and they were designated as a No. 3 seed out of four teams in the Stillwater Regional. In Stillwater they came alive, winning four out of five games and beating the home-team Oklahoma State Cowboys twice. On their way to the Clemson Super Regional, the Gators stayed hot, winning 10-7 and then 11-10 in 13 innings for a berth in the eight-team Men’s College World Series.

Now they’re in the MCWS semifinals, taking a modest 36-29 record into tonight’s game against the third-seeded and 51-13 Texas A&M Aggies. Once again, the Gators fell down before they rose up and played their best baseball. They lost to the Aggies 3-2 to fall into the losers bracket. Adversity? Florida didn’t flinch, eliminating North Carolina State 5-4 on Monday. On Wednesday, they erupted for seven runs in the first inning and advanced with a 15-4 victory.

As usual, the Gators had plenty of offense. Brody Donay hit two home runs, including a first-inning grand slam. All-American Jac Caglianone hit a solo homer in the sixth inning to give him four homers in his last five games and 35 for the season. Caglianone has 75 for his career to become Florida’s all-time leader. He is also tied for eighth all-time in the NCAA and tied for third in the SEC history books.

Coming up

MCWS semifinals

Wednesday: Florida State vs. Tennessee, in progress
Wednesday: Florida vs. Texas A&M
x-Tennessee and Texas A&M need one win to advance to the finals
x-Florida State and Florida need two wins to advance
x-play in semifinals will be completed Thursday if necessary

Records

Florida State 49-16
In the NCAA tournament: 7-1
In the MCWS: Lost to Tennessee, 12-11; defeated Virginia, 7-3; defeated North Carolina, 9-5.

Tennessee 57-12
In the NCAA tournament: 7-1
In the MCWS: Defeated Florida State, 12-11; defeated North Carolina, 6-1.

Florida 36-29
In the NCAA tournament: 8-2
In the MCWS: Lost to Texas A&M, 3-2; defeated NC State, 5-4; defeated Kentucky, 15-4.

Texas A&M 51-13
In the NCAA tournament: 7-0
In the MCWS: Defeated Florida, 3-2; defeated Kentucky, 5-1.

Pitching, defense shine as A&M wins its MCWS opener, 3-2, over Florida

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The Texas A&M Aggies executed a few clutch, highlight-worthy defensive plays in the last few innings to back a pitching staff that struck out 16 in a riveting 3-2 victory Saturday night over the Florida Gators at the Men’s College World Series.

In a game that started more than four hours late after a weather delay, the third-seeded Aggies scored two runs in the second inning and one in the third and made it stand up for their 50th win of the season. Florida rallied for two runs in the seventh to make it close.

But the Aggies closed the door, thanks to reliever Evan Aschenbeck and defensive gems authored by second baseman Kaeden Kent and rightfielder Jace LaViolette.

In the eighth inning, the Gators had loaded the bases with two outs when Dale Thomas poked a ball that rolled slowly out to the right side. Kent hustled in to pick it up but didn’t have time to throw over-handed or side-armed to first. Instead, he under-handed it, with the ball barely beating Thomas.

Florida asked for a review on the call, but it was upheld, ending the threat and the inning. In the ninth, more drama ensued. With one out, Michael Robertson reached on an infield single. Cade Kurland stepped up and drove a pitch high and deep to right.

LaViolette leaped and caught it as it was coming down, robbing Kurland of extra bases, if not a go-ahead two-run homer. Florida star Jac Caglianone, the next batter, worked a 3-2 count and Aschenbeck walked him to put runners at first and second.

Aschenbeck, regarded as perhaps the best reliever in the nation, immediately put Ashton Wilson on the defensive. He dropped a sharp-breaking curve into the zone for strike two. On a 1-2 count, he threw another ball way wide of the strike zone. Wilson swung and missed to end the game.

The Aggies surged into a 2-0 lead in the second inning against Gators starter Liam Peterson. Caden Sorrell led off with a single and Ali Camarillo drew a walk. Kent followed with a single of his own to load the bases.

At that point, Travis Chestnut chopped a high-bouncer to third for an RBI infield single. The play seemed to rattle Peterson, as he threw a wild pitch that allowed the second run to cross.

In the third inning, Hayden Schott led off with a walk and Sorrell, a freshman from Flower Mound Marcus, sent an RBI double soaring over the center fielder’s head.

The Gators, who scored 21 runs combined in two Super Regional wins last week, failed to score until the seventh inning. Justin Lamkin pitched the first three and Chris Cortez the next three. Both notched six strikeouts.

Cortez was charged with yielding two runs in the seventh before Aschenbeck entered to end the threat. Aschenbeck pitched the remainder of the seventh, the eighth and the ninth, yielding three hits and fanning four.

Records

Florida 34-29
Texas A&M 50-13

Coming up

Sunday: Virginia vs. Florida State, 1 p.m., elimination game. North Carolina vs. Tennessee, 6 p.m., winners bracket.

Monday: North Carolina State vs. Florida, 1 p.m., elimination game. Kentucky vs. Texas A&M, 6 p.m., winners bracket.

Florida downs Texas Tech 6-0 and wins the Gainesville Regional

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By Jerry Briggs
For the JB Replay

Ryan Slater pitched five shutout innings, BT Riopelle crushed a couple of two-run homers and the host Florida Gators won the NCAA Gainesville Regional title with a 6-0 victory over the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Slater allowed three hits and walked two but kept the Red Raiders off balance in key moments and off the scoreboard completely, setting the tone for the Gators, who qualified for the Super Regional round of the playoffs.

Riopelle hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning that boosted the Gators into a 3-0 lead. A few minutes later, he added another two-run shot in a three-run fifth. After Riopelle’s fireworks display, Florida was on top 6-0 and cruising.

NCAA regionals
How the Texas teams have fared

Texas: (41-20) Beat host Miami for the title on Sunday in Coral Gables, Fla.
Texas Tech: (41-23) Lost to host Florida in the title game Monday in Gainesville, Fla.
TCU: (39-22) Scheduled to meet host Arkansas in the finals at Fayetteville on Monday afternoon.
Texas A&M: (38-26) Scheduled to play in California against host Stanford in the title game Monday night.
Dallas Baptist (47-16) Lost to Oral Roberts in the finals Sunday at Stillwater, Okla.
Sam Houston State: (39-25) Eliminated after three games at Baton Rouge, La.

Texas Tech knocks off national No. 2 seed Florida at NCAA Gainesville Regional

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By Jerry Briggs
For The JB Replay

Gavin Kash homered twice and San Antonio’s Brandon Beckel earned a two-out save, propelling the Texas Tech Red Raiders to a 5-4 victory Saturday over the national No. 2-seeded Florida Gators in the NCAA Gainesville Regional.

Beckel, from Antonian High School, faced a stressful situation in the ninth inning with Tech leading by the eventual final score, with a runner on first base and with Florida star Jac Caglianone at the plate.

Caglianone entered the at bat with 29 home runs on the season, including a two-run shot in the sixth inning, but Beckel got him to pop up to the infield for the last out of the game.

With the victory, the Red Raiders improved to 2-0 in the regional and moved into the finals with high hopes of advancing to next week’s Super Regional round.

On Sunday afternoon, Florida will take on Connecticut in a battle of once-beaten teams. The loser is out, and the winner will play Texas Tech in the finals Sunday night. Tech needs to win only once for the regional title. Its opponent would need to win Sunday and Monday to advance.

“It’s definitely a lot easier to win (a regional) when winning the first two than losing the second or first one,” Texas Tech coach Tim Tadlock said in comments published on the school’s athletics website. “It’s very hard to do it the other way. Definitely puts you in a good spot.

“At the same time, I think we got a group that has the utmost respect for the other teams and the game. We’ll go eat dinner. Enjoy it for a little bit, and then get ready to go tomorrow.”

For Texas Tech, Austin Green hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Kash, a transfer from Texas, hit a solo shot in the fifth inning and a two-run blast in the eighth.

In the eighth-inning uprising, San Antonio’s Zac Vooletich from Brandeis High School singled to center. Kash followed by smashing a ball to center that made it 5-3.

The top of the ninth was tense, with Florida fans on edge. Tech reliever Derek Bridges got the first out, getting Colby Halter on a ground ball. The next batter up, pinch hitter Dale Thomas, tripled into the gap in right center. At that point, Texas Tech brought in Beckel, who had pitched two innings of scoreless relief in Friday’s victory over Connecticut.

Cade Kurland, Florida’s leadoff man, grounded to second base on a play that brought Thomas home. Trailing by one, Florida needed only a few more positive things to happen to pull off the comeback.

Florida fans got one of the two. Wyatt Langford beat out an infield single, but Caglianone popped up on an 0-1 count for the final out. With the victory secured, Beckel earned his seventh save of the season.

Kyle Robinson, Ryan Free, Ethan Coombes (the winner, who improved to 4-0), Bridges and Beckel combined to hold the Gators to eight hits. Tech pitching struck out 10 and walked three. Langford led the Gators with two hits and two runs scored.

Caglianone was one for five with the two-run homer off Free, which tied the game, 3-3.

In the day’s earlier game, Connecticut eliminated Florida A&M, 9-6.

Florida wins; Texas Tech ousted from College World Series

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Senior JJ Schwarz hit the 50th home run of his college career Thursday night as the top-seeded Florida Gators scored a 9-6 victory over Texas Tech, eliminating the Red Raiders from the College World Series.

Freshman Jack Leftwich pitched into the seventh inning to carry Florida to its second straight win in the tournament after losing 6-3 in its opener against Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders of the Big 12 Conference bowed out with a 1-2 record in the CWS after losing on consecutive days to Arkansas and Florida, two powerhouses from the Southeastern Conference.

The Gators advanced to play Arkansas in the bracket finals, which are set to open Friday night. Arkansas needs one win to wrap up a berth in the CWS title round. Florida needs to win two.

A key sequence between Florida and Texas Tech started in the bottom of the seventh, when the Red Raiders had scored their first three runs of the game to pull within 5-3.

Florida reliever Jordan Butler entered the game with the bases loaded and one out, and he delivered by fanning Tech slugger Zach Rheams. Butler then retired Michael Davis on a liner to right field.

The Gators continued to press the issue when they came to the plate in the eighth, scoring three runs for an 8-3 lead. The big blow was an RBI triple by Brady Smith.

Undaunted, the Red Raiders rallied in their half of the inning with three runs on three hits to pull within 8-6. Included in the outburst was an RBI single by sophomore Josh Jung.

Jung, from San Antonio’s MacArthur High School, finished 3 for 5 with 2 RBI.

In the ninth, Florida scored one run to account for the final margin. All-American Jonathan India singled, stole second — for his third steal of the day — and made it all the way around to score on an infield error.

Florida relief ace Michael Byrne retired Texas Tech 1-2-3 in the ninth to end it.

In the early going

As Leftwich shut down the Red Raiders’ offense, the Gators scored one in the fourth and two each in the fifth and sixth to make it 5-0.

Schwarz, who missed the first two rounds of the NCAA playoffs with a hand injury, turned it into a five-run game in the sixth with a two-run shot — his 13th home run of the season.

Texas Tech got it going in the seventh with four hits and an error by Florida shortstop Deacon Liput that allowed the third run of the inning to score.

Notable

Jung finished his sophomore year at Texas Tech with a team-leading .392 batting average. He had 103 hits in 263 at bats. Included in the totals were 12 home runs, six triples and 17 doubles. He also finished with 80 RBI.

Records

Texas Tech 45-20
Florida 49-20

Texas Tech-Florida to meet in elimination game

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The Texas Tech Red Raiders will need to beat the No. 1-seeded team in the NCAA baseball tournament for the second time in five days Thursday night to stay alive at the College World Series.

Tech plays Florida at 7 p.m. at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. The winner advances to meet Arkansas on Friday but must beat the Razorbacks twice to reach the best-of-three CWS finals, which start Monday.

The Red Raiders opened the tournament Sunday with a 6-3 victory over the Gators. Since then, the Gators stayed alive by knocking off the Texas Longhorns. Texas Tech lost, falling 7-4 to Arkansas Wednesday afternoo.

On the other side of the bracket, only two teams remain. The Oregon State Beavers and undefeated Mississippi State Bulldogs play Friday with the Bulldogs needing just one win to advance and the Beavers two.

Oregon State remained in contention, knocking off North Carolina 11-6 late Wednesday night.

The Beavers trailed 6-3 after seven innings, but scored four runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth to take control.

Teams already eliminated from the CWS include Washington, Texas and North Carolina.

In Thursday’s game, Texas Tech is expected to start Caleb Kilian (9-2, 3.04) against Florida.

Red Raiders sophomore Josh Jung, who played his high school ball in San Antonio at MacArthur, has produced three hits in nine at bats in the CWS.

Texas Tech’s batting leader was 1 for 4 on Wednesday to give him 100 hits on the season.

It is the first time a Texas Tech player has had a 100-hit season since Josh Bard in 1998, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

For the season, Jung has produced 100 hits in 258 at bats for a .388 average.

Schedule

Thursday

Bracket 2: Texas Tech (1-1) vs. Florida (1-1), 7 p.m.

Friday

Bracket 1: Oregon State (2-1) vs. Mississippi State (2-0), 2 p.m.

Bracket 2: Arkansas (2-0) vs. Florida/Texas Tech, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Bracket 1: If necessary, 2 p.m.

Bracket 2: If necessary, 7 p.m.

Monday

Championship round: Bracket 1 vs. Bracket 2 winners, 6 p.m.

Tuesday

Championship round: Bracket 1 vs. Bracket 2 winners, 6 p.m.

Wednesday

Championship round: Bracket 1 vs. Bracket 2 winners, 6 p.m. (if necessary)

Florida wins 6-1 to eliminate Texas from the CWS

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Jonathan India and Nick Horvath both smashed home runs Tuesday afternoon to support a strong pitching effort as the Florida Gators defeated Texas, 6-1, ousting the Longhorns from the College World Series.

With the victory, the defending national champion Gators bounced back from a CWS-opening loss to Texas Tech and improved to 1-1 in Bracket 2.

Texas’ tournament run is over after an 0-2 showing in losses to Arkansas and Florida.

Texas Tech and Arkansas were scheduled to play later Tuesday in a winners’ bracket showdown, but the game was postponed because of weather concerns in Omaha, Nebraska.

It is now scheduled to be played at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Florida starter Jackson Kowar and relievers Jordan Butler and Michael Byrne combined to strike out 15 Longhorns. Kowar fanned 13 in 6 and 2/3 scoreless innings.

India slammed a three-run homer in a four-run sixth inning as the Gators built a 5-0 lead. Horvath added a solo shot to lead off the eighth.

Despite the loss, Texas enjoyed a strong season with 42 victories, a Big 12 regular-season title and its first trip to Omaha in four years.

Kody Clemens slammed five of his team-high 24 home runs as Texas advanced through the regional and super regional playoffs with a 5-1 combined record.

Starting pitching also had been a strength of the Longhorns on the first two weekends of the playoffs.

In Omaha, however, UT’s starting pitching was rocked in both games.

Nolan Kingham gave up five runs on nine hits in five innings against Arkansas, in an eventual 11-5 loss. Blair Henley lasted only 2 and 2/3 innings against Florida.

The Gators punched four hits against Henley, who also walked four before he was pulled in the third, trailing 1-0.

Chase Shugart pitched well in relief until the sixth inning, when the Gators erupted for four runs. The big blow was India’s 21st homer of the season.

Shugart yielded five runs on six hits in 4 and 1/3 innings. He struck out six.

Clemens also struggled in two CWS games.

He went 1 for 4 against the Gators and flied out to end the game with two runners on base. In Omaha, the son of UT legend Roger Clemens was 2 for 9 and did not drive in a run.

Records

Florida 48-20
Texas 42-23

Texas Tech downs No. 1 Florida in College World Series

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The Texas Tech Red Raiders broke through in the middle innings with five unanswered runs off Florida ace Brady Singer en route to a 6-3 victory Sunday night at the College World Series.

In the CWS opener for both teams, the Red Raiders scored a run in the fourth inning and two each in the fifth and the sixth to erase an early one-run deficit and open a 5-1 lead on the top-seeded team in the NCAA tournament.

Florida rallied on a two-run homer in the seventh by Nelson Maldonado, drawing the defending national champions to within two.

But Texas Tech added one run for insurance in the ninth when Gabe Holt produced an RBI single, making it 6-3. Holt led Tech at the plate with two hits and three RBI.

Red Raiders pitchers Dylan Dusek, Ryan Shetter and Ty Harpenau combined to hold the Gators to five hits.

Texas Tech will advance in the winners’ bracket to meet the Arkansas Razorbacks Tuesday night. Florida and Texas will play in an elimination game on Tuesday afternoon.

Arkansas beat Texas 11-5 in an earlier game Sunday. The series is being played at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska.

Quotable

Texas Tech coach Tim Tadlock:

“First of all, great atmosphere. Great crowd. City of Omaha does a great job. It’s the best place in the world to play baseball in June. Brady Singer’s a handful. So is (Jordan) Butler and (Michael) Byrne. Those guys are really good. Florida’s got a really good baseball team.

“That’s one game. I’m proud of our guys, the way we went out and competed. We were going to have to do that each inning to come out on the right side of it. And also have some good fortune. I thnk we had that.”

Notable

As Texas Tech plays in Omaha for the third time in five years, Tadlock’s team will experience something new — the winners’ bracket.

In 2014, the Red Raiders were ousted after losing two straight games in the double-elimination format. In 2016, they lost the opener, beat Florida and then lost again.

Beating Bsrady Singer

Singer, the Dick Howser Award Winner as the player of the year in college baseball, was most effective early in the game.

But once the Red Raiders measured him, they started to produce some good swings and made good contact even on balls that turned into outs. It also helped Tech that Florida’s defense faltered at key moments.

In the top of the fourth, San Antonio’s Josh Jung led off with a single to right field. He took second on a balk by Singer, got to third on a passed ball and scored on Grant Little’s sacrifice fly to make it 1-1.

Texas Tech took a 3-1 lead in the fifth courtesy of a few mistakes by Florida’s defense.

Cody Farhat laced a two-out single to center. A throwing error by Florida shortstop Deacon Liput allowed Braxton Fulfort to reach base, while Farhat made it all the way to third.

Holt followed with a two-run single through the right side on a ball that skipped past first baseman JJ Schulz and into the outfield. The ball appeared to be playable, but it was ruled a hit.

In the sixth inning, Zach Rheams belted an RBI double and Michael Davis and RBI single to make it 5-1.

Singer (12-2) pitched 6 and 1/3 innings. He allowed nine hits and five runs, only two of them earned.

The best pitcher of the night may have been Shetter, who was credited with the win after allowing three hits and a run in 4 and 1/3 innings. Shetter (6-0) struck out seven and walked one.

Records

Texas Tech 45-18
Florida 47-20

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Mississippi State on a roll heading into SEC tournament

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The Mississippi State Bulldogs surged into the Baseball America Top 25 with a sweep of top-ranked Florida last weekend, according to the poll released Monday.

The Bulldogs, playing at home, downed the Gators 6-3, 12-4 and 13-6 in the biggest surprise of the week in the Southeastern Conference.

Despite the three losses, Florida remained No. 1 in the national rankings leading into the SEC tournament that starts Tuesday at Hoover, Ala.

The Bulldogs open play in the tournament ranked 25th.

Baseball America
Top 25 – May 21

1. Florida 41-15 SEC
2. Oregon State 42-9-1 Pac-12
3. Stanford 43-8 Pac-12
4. Ole Miss 42-14 SEC
5. North Carolina 37-17 ACC
6. Clemson 43-13 ACC
7. Texas Tech 38-15 Big 12
8. Georgia 37-17 SEC
9. Arkansas 37-17 SEC
10. N.C. State 40-14 ACC
11. Minnesota 37-13 Big Ten
12. Duke 39-14 ACC
13. Florida State 39-17 ACC
14. Texas 37-18 Big 12
15. Coastal Carolina 38-17 Sun Belt
16. UCLA 35-17 Pac-12
17. Southern Miss 39-15 Conference USA
18. Houston 33-21 American
19. East Carolina 39-15 American
20. Stetson 41-11 Atlantic Sun
21. Tennessee Tech 46-7 Ohio Valley
22. South Carolina 32-22 SEC
23. Auburn 37-19 SEC
24. Missouri State 35-15 Missouri Valley
25. Mississippi State 31-24 SEC

Conference tournaments

SEC — at Hoover, Ala., Tuesday – Sunday
Big 12 — at Oklahoma City, Wednesday – Sunday
Big Ten — at Omaha, Neb., Wednesday – Sunday
ACC — at Durham, N.C., Tuesday – Sunday
Pac-12 — No tournament
American — at Clearwater, Fla., Tuesday – Sunday
Big East — at Mason, Ohio, Thursday – Sunday
Conference USA — at Biloxi, Miss., Wednesday – Sunday
Sun Belt — at Lafayette, La., Tuesday – Sunday
Southland — at Sugar Land, Wednesday – Saturday

NCAA projections

D1 Baseball, in its weekly projections of the 64-team NCAA tournament, listed four teams from both the SEC and from the Atlantic Coast Conference as No. 1 seeds hosting first-roud regionals.

The website projected that Florida, Georgia, Arkansas and Ole Miss from the SEC and North Carolina, North Carolina State, Florida State and Clemson from the ACC all would host.

Two teams from the Big 12 — both Texas Tech and Texas — are also projected as No. 1s hosting on the first weekend.

Texas won the Big 12 regular-season title last weekend after sweeping a three-game series against TCU.

Other teams from the state projected to make it into the NCAA field include Houston (a No. 2 seed), Texas A&M, Baylor, Dallas Baptist and Sam Houston State (all No. 3s) and Texas Southern (as a No. 4).

Sam Houston State claimed the Southland Conference title in San Antonio last week with a sweep of Incarnate Word.

Incarnate Word head baseball coach Patrick Hallmark (right) talks things over with Sam Houston State coach Matt Deggs during Thursday night's game. - photo by Joe Alexander

Incarnate Word head baseball coach Patrick Hallmark (right) talks things over with Sam Houston State coach Matt Deggs during Thursday night’s game. – photo by Joe Alexander