IN PHOTOS: Florida pitcher Jac Caglianone shares victory moments from Clemson Super Regional as Gators prep for Omaha showdown
Despite all the doubts, the Florida Gators are going to the College World Series. The Gators ended in penultimate spot in the Eastern division of the SEC and had a negative conference mark. They were the most lambasted of the teams to be selected by the committee to participate in the NCAA Baseball Tournament.
On Monday, pitcher Jac Caglianone posted a series of pictures with his teammates celebrating their Clemson Super Regional win.
The Gators, who last year were runners-up in the College World Series, defeated the No. 3 national-seeded Clemson Tigers in two games.
The Florida Gators' iconic victory over the Clemson Tigers
Jac Caglianone had a tough time in his start during the second game of the Clemson Super Regional. Caglianone threw five innings, allowing five hits, two walks and four runs. He struck out six batters and left the Gators up 7-4.
However, the game was far from over. Clemson's Cam Cannarella came to the rescue of the Tigers in the top of the ninth, providing a three-run homer to tie the game 9-9 and further avoided a Florida three-run home run of their own at the bottom of the 10th with a spectacular catch of the wall that gave the Tigers the third out for the inning.
In the 13th inning, after a game of back-and-forth and unexpected turns, an unlikely hero came forth for Florida: Outfielder Michael Robertson. Roberston, who was 0-7 in the season when stepping into the plate with bases loaded, provided a two-run double with the bases loaded, which gave Florida the win.
Another hero of the day was catcher Brody Donay, who caught pinch-runner Devin Parks on a pick-off in the 13th inning preventing him from being on base when Alden Mathes hit a solo homer in the same inning.
The Florida Gators next face fellow SEC school and No. 4 national seed, Texas A&M, in their first game of the College World Series. The game is set for June 15 at 7 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN.