OMAHA, Neb. – There will be a first-time baseball national champion in 2024.
Justin Lamkin tossed five scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and Caden Sorrell homered with three RBI as third-seeded Texas A&M blanked Florida 6-0 on Wednesday evening to advance to the Championship Series of the 2024 College World Series.
“Great ball game,” A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “I thought we played really, really well. Lamkin was obviously outstanding. The decision was just trying to figure out how long to leave him in there to win the game but still give us a chance over the weekend since we’re down a pitcher.”
The Aggies (52-13) will face top-seeded Tennessee in the best-of-three Championship Series beginning on Saturday, June 22, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The Gators finished at 36-30.
UF starter Liam Peterson struggled with his control, walking four of the five batters he faced before exiting. Ted Burton picked up an RBI with a bases-loaded walk as A&M went up 1-0. Caden Sorrell followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
The Gators looked to break through in the third. Michael Robertson drew a one-out walk and went to second when Jac Caglianone singled the other way against the shift. Cade Kurland hit a chopper up the middle that was a potential double play. The ball deflected off the glove of Lamkin for an infield single to load the bases. Lamkin struck out Tyler Shelnut and coaxed Colby Shelton to pop out in foul territory to end the threat.
Kaeden Kent had a leadoff double in the fifth for the Aggies and scored on a two-bagger by Gavin Grahovac as A&M went up 3-0.
Lamkin (3-2) left after five innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out nine.
Hayden Schott drew a leadoff walk in the sixth and Sorrell smacked a homer to right center, his 11th of the season, to push the Aggie lead to 5-0.
“My approach was just sitting fastball,” Sorrell said. “I know he’s pretty fastball heavy. Luckily, he threw a fastball pretty much middle middle and I was sitting fastball and I got it.”
Chris Cortez took over on the mound and walked the first two hitters in the bottom of the sixth. Josh Stewart came in and got a groundout and a pair of strikeouts to keep the shutout intact.
Stewart worked 2.0 innings with one hit and four strikeouts. Evan Ashenbeck pitched two hitless innings with two walks and one punchout.
Grahovac and Kent both went 2 for 4 with a double, one run and one RBI for the Aggies.
Caglianone finished with two hits, tying the school-record with 104 hits on the season.
“Somebody who gave it their all,” Caglianone said when asked how he would want to be remembered. “Day-in and day-out I just wanted to fight for these guys next to me.”
“We had a terrific year,” UF head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs. Our players persevered through a lot of different tough moments. Awfully proud of our team. But this time of year it’s difficult. It’s like you’re going full speed in a sprint and all of a sudden it just comes to an end just like that.”
Notes
Texas A&M and Tennessee will both be looking for their first baseball national championship.
This year’s champion will be the fifth straight from the SEC and the fifth different team, joining LSU in 2023, Ole Miss in 2022, Mississippi State in 2021 and Vanderbilt in 2019.
Texas A&M is the only remaining unbeaten team in the NCAA Tournament, starting 8-0.
The Aggies have thrown 12 shutouts this season, five more than any other Division I team.
Texas A&M is 38-0 when leading after eight innings.
The Aggies lead the nation with 413 walks. A&M had five against the Gators, including four in the first inning.
Jac Caglianone extended his on-base streak to 52 straight games.