WATCH: Florida star Jac Caglianone has perfect home run celebration against NC State
Jac Caglianone was the hero for the Florida Gators in their do-or-die clash against the NC State Wolfpack in the College World Series on Monday. The two-way sensation scored a school record-breaking 34th home run of the season to lead last year's runners-up to a narrow 5-4 victory over the 10th national seed and keep their hopes alive of avoiding the pain of last year's agonizing defeat to the LSU Tigers.
Soon after the 404-foot homer gave UF a 4-1 lead in the top of the second, Caglianone's teammates rushed to the plate to celebrate his monstrous hit. He then moved towards the bench and after exchanging high-fives with other teammates, jumped straight into the dugout.
Once he got there, he dropped his helmet and picked it up, performing a small dance in the dugout while his teammates and Gators staff watched it in joy.
Jac Caglianone achieves rare College World Series feat
While he broke his own program record for home runs in a single season, Caglianone also achieved another rare feat with his three-run homer. He became the first starting pitcher to hit a home run since 1997, when the Auburn Tigers' Tim Hudson did it against the Rice Owls.
The junior made amends after conceding a run in the first inning to the Wolfpack with his three-run homer that followed Cade Kurland's sac-fly RBI.
Although the Wolfpack responded through Alec Makarewicz's two-run home run in the third, Tyler Shelnut's solo home run in the fifth gave the Gators their fifth run. The Wolfpack came close with Brandon Butterworth's RBI in the bottom of the inning, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Gators.
After eliminating the Wolfpack from the College World Series, the Gators will face the Kentucky Wildcats, who lost 5-1 to the Texas A&M Aggies on Monday, on Tuesday. The No. 3 MLB draft prospect, Caglianone will try to keep the Gators alive in the tournament. However, the No. 2 national seed poses a legitimate threat to the Gators given UK's incredible season.