Caglianone makes up for short outing with record HR in Florida’s 5-4 CWS win over NC State
Associated Press— Two-way star Jac Caglianone broke the Florida single-season home run record to give his team the lead an inning after he struggled on the mound and got pulled, and the Gators eliminated North Carolina State from the College World Series with a 5-4 victory Monday. “That’s the standard around here and it’s our responsibility to uphold that standard, to play winning baseball and get here to Omaha and be the last team standing,” Florida’s Tyler Shelnut said. “Any time we’re in a spot where our backs are against the wall we honestly play our best baseball, hands down without a doubt.” Caglianone, a projected top-five pick in next month’s amateur draft because of his bat, not his arm, looked like anything but his best as he labored through a 33-pitch first inning. NC State starter Dominic Fritton struck him out on three pitches in the first inning, but in the second Caglianone drilled his low fastball over the right-center fence for a three-run homer and 4-1 lead.