Florida versus LSU, a rematch of the 2023 College World Series Championship where LSU came back from the loser’s bracket and won a best of 3 series for the title in a game 3, winner-take-all. That was an incredible World Series, one in which I covered and produced highlights for ESPN and SportsCenter.

This rematch lived up to the hype and was a fantastic series. As we look back at the series, we look at the takeaways from it for both the LSU Tigers and the Florida Gators perspectives.

Did the Gators get their revenge? No. Nothing will make up for the 2023 World Series except winning it this season, with beating LSU in Omaha being a cherry on top.

For Kevin O’Sullivan and the Florida Gators, the takeaways are overwhelmingly positive. After dropping a very competitive and close game one 6-1, the Gators won the next two, 6-4 on Saturday in front of the largest home crowd in LSU program history, then via run-rule 12-2 in 8 innings. The Gators have one of the best lineups in the SEC top to bottom with power all throughout, recording 13 extra base hits in the series, 8 of them homers.

That lineup is headlined by two-way sensation, Jac Caglianone, who went 3-12 with 3RBI, 2HR, 2BB, 1K in the box and then 7IP, 3H, 2R, 1ER, 5K, 5BB on 103 pitches on the mound sunday. He continues to play both ways at an insanely high level. There’s a reason he was a Unanimous First Team All-American in 2023, the 2024 Preseason John Olrud Two-Way Player of the Year, and Preseason First Team All-American.

Florida pitching coach, David Kopp, has to be excited with how his bullpen pitched and absolutely shut down this high profile LSU lineup, compiling 10.2IP, 6H, 0ER, 7K, 5BB. A bullpen that can do this is deadly and one that will take you very far into the postseason. Combined this with Cade Fischer pitching a little better and longer in outings, even though his statline doesn’t look like it.

Staying on the topic of pitching, first year pitching coach Nate Yeskie and LSU have some issues to figure out and resolve quickly. Luke Holman had an incredible bounceback game going 6IP, 1H, 1ER, 13K, 3BB on 104 pitches with Griffin Herring slamming the door behind him in game one going 3IP, 3H, 0ER, 3K, 0BB on 54 pitches. Gage Jump had a really strong start as well, going 5.2IP, 2H, 2ER, 8K, 4BB on 104 pitches. Outside of them, the Tigers staff really struggled, combining for 7.2IP, 10H, 11ER, 9K, 4BB out of the bullpen.

Thatcher Hurd, is now in the Sunday role after I preached that Luke Holman needs to be the Friday night ace, continues to struggle and not give you any great starts or chance to go out and win the game. Sunday he went 4.2IP, 6H, 5ER, 5K, 2BB on 90 pitches for a season line of 26.2IP, 35H, 21ER, 34K, 12BB. Hurd has great  stuff and the tools to be a really good pitcher in the SEC but that just isn’t happening right now and it puts LSU in a tough spot on Sunday.

With the struggles on the mound outside of Holman, Jump, and Herring, the schedule doesn’t lighten up for LSU whatsoever. This week they have to travel to Fayetteville to face No. 1 Arkansas, then host No. 7 Vanderbilt, then travel to Knoxville to face No. 5 Tennessee.

The SEC is a gauntlet and give you little to no time to make adjustments throughout the season because of the elite and top tier talent in the conference and the fact that anyone can beat anyone any weekend. LSU witnessed that first hand to open conference play, losing and nearly getting swept by Mississippi State in Starkville. Granted, playing on the road in the SEC is incredibly tough and Mississippi State continues to play well, now ranked No. 21 in the week 6 rankings. LSU has fallen slightly to No. 8 and is 2-4 in SEC play with those three top 7 matchings back-to-back and two of them being on the road.

This LSU is a different team than last season's national championship season, led by Paul Skenes who produced one of the best seasons we’ve ever witnessed from a pitcher, but is still a fantastic team. I have a ton of faith in head coach Jay Johnson to right this ship. As for the Florida Gators, they are rolling and clicking on all cylinders after back-to-back top 5 series wins, at home then away, to begin SEC play at 4-2.

These are two very elite, evenly matched teams I believe, however, Florida has just been playing a bit better and come out on top.