Gators’ season ends with early NCAA Tournament exit against Troy

GAINESVILLE — Florida’s baseball season did not just come to an unceremonious conclusion against Troy, it unraveled amid a collapse of the Gators’ pitching staff and an offensive no-show during Monday night’s deciding game in the NCAA Regionals.

>Kevin O’Sullivan’s team entered the tournament as the No. 8 national seed and positioned to host the school’s first Super Regional since 2023 in the Gators’ bid for their third College World Series appearance in four seasons. Instead, Florida (41-21) fell for the fourth time during a regional since 2021.

>A night after Troy recorded five home runs and 17 hits during a 16-11 rout to force a winner-take-all rematch, O’Sullivan sent out Cooper Walls, with the Gators pitching options limited after three games in three days.

>Walls, a 6-foot-5 right-hander and Hawaii transfer, immediately struggled, managing just one strike on his first seven pitches.

>Josh Pyne connected on his eighth pitch for a single. Two batters later, Troy star catcher Jimmy Janicki ripped a double down the right-field line to score two runners before Walls struck out the next two batters.

>After Walls walked the first batter he faced in the top of the second inning, O’Sullivan sent in Caden McDonald, the team’s designated hitter and one of Florida’s better relievers. Troy’s Jabe Boroff hit into a double play, and Houston Markham flew out to end the inning, beginning a scoreless four-inning stretch by the sophomore right-hander from Tampa.

>Trailing 2-0, the Gators got on the board after Cade Kurland opened the bottom of the fifth inning with a double down the left-field line against reliever Benjamin Stubbs. Florida’s veteran second baseman scored two batters later on a single by Kyle Jones.

>A regional featuring dozens of home runs — and each of the six previous games featuring no fewer than 15 combined runs — was shaping up to be a low-scoring, old-school affair.

>But O’Sullivan then made another pitching change.

>The longtime Florida coach swapped a tiring McDonald for Russell Sandefer with one out in the top of the sixth inning. The UCF transfer walked the three batters he faced to load the bases and lead O’Sullivan to turn to senior left-hander Ernesto Lugo-Canchola.

>Lugo-Canchola, who struggled Sunday night in limited action, gave up five runs. A two-run single by left fielder Drew Nelson and a two-RBI double by Boroff book-ended a squeeze bunt RBI single where no one covered first base for Florida.

>Troy ended the inning ahead 7-1, with the game effectively out of reach.

>Florida did manage a run in the top of the seventh inning on a single by leadoff hitter Jones, scoring Landon Stripling. But with runners on first and second and facing a full count, Florida home-run leader Brendan Lawson hit an infield pop-up to second base to end the inning.

>Troy added to its lead in the top of the eight inning on a three-run home run by Boroff, who broke open Sunday night’s game with a grand slam.

>Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com