TCU vs. Florida final score, results: Florida advances to College World Series behind late heroics from Michael Robertson

Abraham Smith

The TCU Horned Frogs experienced a unique form of heartbreak Wednesday against the Florida Gators, losing 3-2 and ending their College World Series run. The Gators, meanwhile, advanced to their first College World Series since 2017 behind some unlikely heroics from a player who didn’t get in the game until the ninth inning.

That player was Michael Robertson, the defense-first centerfielder who came on to pinch run in the top of the ninth half an inning after Florida closer Brandon Neely gave up the game-tying run to a TCU team that seemed primed to send Florida to a winner-take-all match Thursday.

Indeed, when Tre Richardson was plated by Anthony Silva, it appeared everything was going Texas Christian’s way until Florida’s Tyler Shelnut doubled to lead off the ninth. Robertson pinch ran for Shelnut and scored on a Cade Kurland infield single after advancing to third on a Colby Halter flyout to right.

Robertson then made the game-clinching catch in center, a charged 407-foot drive from Brayden Taylor that ultimately came up just short. One team’s just short, however, is another team’s just right, and it was Robertson’s incredible jump and tracking ability that sealed a College World Series appearance for Florida.

The game being 3-2 is a bit of a shock given how it started. Josh Rivera opened the scoring for Florida in the first inning with a two-run home run off Kole Klecker. Klecker, however, settled in, cruising through the next four innings before handing the ball to the TCU bullpen.

MORE: College World Series bracket 2023: Schedule, times, channels for Omaha

For Florida, Jac Caglianone was everywhere but the strike zone most of the day, but he still gave up just one run in 4 1/3 before being taken off the mound. He walked three batters and hit three more, but he was able to weave in and out of jams throughout the game to turn in what was ultimately a productive outing.

In the end, Florida did just enough to win as TCU came up just short. The Sporting News was tracking the action live. Look below to recap what was a wild semifinal matchup in Omaha.

TCU vs. Florida baseball score

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 F
Florida 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3
TCU 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2

TCU vs. Florida results, highlights from College World Series

(All times Eastern)

Final: Florida 3, TCU 2

4:58 p.m.: It doesn’t get better than that! Taylor put a charge in one to dead center, and Robertson — who replaced Langford in center this inning after pinch running last inning — tracks it down against the wall to give Florida the win. The Gators are going to the Men’s College World Series.

4:57 p.m.: It comes down to Neely vs. Taylor. Taylor is looking to do something amazing, but he’s down 0-2.

4:56 p.m.: Neely gets Nunez to strike out for the first out of the inning. What was going to be a save opportunity is now a chance for a win. Bowen grounds out to short for the second out, and TCU is down to its last strike.

Bottom 9: Florida 3, TCU 2

4:52 p.m.: Wright gets rid of Langford himself with a killer slider, but not before Florida grabs the lead. It’s going to be on Nunez-Bowen-Taylor to keep TCU alive here in the bottom of the ninth.

4:50 p.m.: Brutal break for TCU, as Florida takes the lead! Kurland hit one deep into the hole and Silva slipped going to first allowing Kurland to beat out the throw. Robertson scores, and it’s 3-2 Florida here in the top of the ninth.

4:49 p.m.: Some of these balls are really carrying it appears. Halter drives one the opposite way and Davis catches it right at the wall for the second out of the inning. Robertson does advance, and Kurland is up with two down. Scary moment there for TCU.

4:46 p.m.: Dale Thomas is pinch-hitting for Florida and he went to square up. Wright, however, went to second and nearly picked off Robertson. Count moves to 1-1 thereafter as Wright tries to push through this dicey spot. Thomas bunts and Fontenelle catches it for the first out. Huge moment for TCU.

4:42 p.m.: Things are going to get dicey for TCU here! Shelnut drives one the other way into the wall for a leadoff Gator double. Runner on second and nobody out, and Shelnut comes out in favor of Michael Robertson. Saarloos comes out to get Abeldt and Garrett Wright will try to get TCU out of a jam.

4:40 p.m.: TCU is sticking with Abeldt going up the bottom of the Florida order. Not your traditional reliever to be sure. No fear from Saarloos going through the order the second time.

Top 9: Florida 2, TCU 2

4:37 p.m.: Neely thought he had Davis on three pitches but that pitch was just off the plate. He gets him with the next pitch, however, and Davis goes down looking. We head to the top of the ninth with a 2-2 game. Silva is the hero for now. Who’s next?

4:35 p.m.: We have a TCU chant breaking out, and this Omaha crowd is alive. Logan Maxwell gets plunked by Neely, and that will bring up Austin Davis with a big opportunity for the Horned Frogs.

4:33 p.m.: What a turnaround! Four outs left for TCU, and Anthony Silva hits a double out to left center on a breaking ball from Neely to plate Richardson with two down. Langford very nearly hunted it down, but it’s a new ballgame in the bottom of the eighth. Beyond clutch from Silva.

4:29 p.m.: There’s something. Richardson yanks one between Halter and Rivera to get the tying run on with one out. Kurtis Byrne is looking to do something huge after what’s been a tough day.

4:28 p.m.: Richardson steps up for TCU here looking to spark something down a run. Neely will be trying to keep things simple for the Gators and Kevin O’Sullivan.

4:25 p.m.: Fisher faces one TCU batter here in the bottom of the eighth, and Florida is bringing on its closer Brandon Neely for a potential five-out save. Big ask, but the All-American is up to the task.

Bottom 8: Florida 2, TCU 1

4:23 p.m.: Solid contact from Heyman there but it’s right to Nunez in center for the third out of the inning. 6.5 frames without a run since getting three in the first. Great pitching since then on both sides.

4:22 p.m.: Abeldt’s delivery is just crazy. He gets yet another Florida hitter looking as Riopelle becomes the second out of the inning. Really interesting seeing what a deceiving delivery can do. Heyman comes up next after Heyman got the better of Abeldt earlier.

4:19 p.m.: After Caglianone flies out, Josh Rivera continues his big day with a gapper to left center for a double. His third hit of the day. Awesome game for who has been Florida’s best hitter today.

Top 8: Florida 2, TCU 1

4:15 p.m.: A quick inning there for Fisher, as Riopelle makes a nifty catch behind the plate to retire the Horned Frogs side. We’re through seven, and there hasn’t been scoring since the first.

4:14 p.m.: Bowen with a good swing but he grounds out to short for the second out of the inning. Florida pitching has been on cruise control for a while now.

4:12 p.m.: Freshman Cade Fisher, a lefty, comes on now to take on the top of the TCU order. Pivotal inning here for the Gators as they try to slam the door on the Horned Frogs and Nunez strikes out.

Bottom 7: Florida 2, TCU 1

4:09 p.m.: Scary moment there for TCU. Langford worked the count full and looked like he hammered one to left center, but it died harmlessly before the track. A 1-2-3 inning for Abeldt against a tough part of the Florida order, and now Kirk Saarloos has some flexibility against the lefty Caglianone to start next inning.

4:08 p.m.: Another backwards K for Abeldt, who gets Kurland looking on the inside corner. That will bring up Langford, who doubled his last time up, with Caglianone on deck.

4:04 p.m.: Abeldt absolutely paints the bottom of the zone against Halter for the first out of the inning, and Kurland steps up next. Pitching has really come on after an inauspicious start.

Top 7: Florida 2, TCU 1

4:01 p.m.: Really good swing there from Maxwell but he flies out to center for the second out. Sometimes things just don’t quite break your way. Austin Davis then comes up and Colby Halter makes a nifty diving play to throw Davis out to bring us to the seventh. Defense ruling the day in Omaha for now.

3:59 p.m.: Yet another full count there from Silva, but it ends in him chopping out to third for the first out of the inning. We’re in a bullpen game now, and Slater is looking to make an impact. Maxwell comes up now in the eight spot.

Bottom 6: Florida 2, TCU 1

3:56 p.m.: Abeldt jams up Evans with a pitch on the hands, and he softly grounds out to third to end the inning. Solid pitching there from the left-handed freshman to get TCU out of another inning clean.

3:54 p.m.: Abeldt bounces back with a breaking ball to get Shelnut for the second out of the inning. Good pitching there from the southpaw, and that brings up Evans with two on and two out.

3:52 p.m.: Heyman making life difficult for TCU pitching. He barrels up a pitch bending outside and gets runners on first and second with one down. Good piece of hitting from the freshman. Shelnut comes up with one down and runners on first and second.

3:49 p.m.: Abeldt gets Riopelle swinging to end the at-bat, and there’s one down. Good start for the lefty as Heyman digs in.

3:48 p.m.: Riopelle has worked Abeldt to a full count in Abedlt’s first batter faced, and he fouls one off. Tough at-bat here from the lefty.

3:43 p.m.: Klecker gets the hook after five strong innings. Really strong outing for him with six hits and two runs allowed, and the Horned Frogs to to the lefty freshman Ben Abeldt. 3.63 ERA through 52 innings of work.

3:42 p.m.: Florida has a lot of power, but what’s stood out today is how willing the Gators are to go the other way. Klecker is living high and his fastball has a lot of life, and Florida’s right-handed bats look happy to slap it to right.

Top 6: Florida 2, TCU 1

3:36 p.m.: Ryan Slater does a tremendous job to work out of it. After getting Richardson swinging, he gets Byrne to pop out  to end the inning. Clutch job there to preserve the Florida lead after a scare.

3:35 p.m.: Fontenelle has the count full, and whew. He takes ball four low and that was CLOSE. Richardson will now come up with one out and the bases loaded. Dicey territory here for Florida.

3:31 p.m.: TCU is threatening now as Taylor find a hole in the infield to put runners on first and second with one out. Cole Fontenelle comes up with his incredible series thus far looming large.

3:27 p.m.: Caglianone retires the first hitter and Bowen goes the other way on the next hitter to drive Caglianone out after 4 1/3 innings. He allows just one run despite hitting three and walking three, and leaves with a 2-1 lead responsible for the runner on first. As a reminder: He will continue to hit as he is separately the DH.

Bottom 5: Florida 2, TCU 1

3:23 p.m.: Good piece of hitting by Langford here, as he gaps one to right center and then stretches it into a double. Caglianone grounds into the shift for the third out of the inning, and we go to the bottom of the fifth.

3:22 p.m.: Byrne got wrapped up in the dugout after being tagged out at the plate with a cut up arm. Meanwhile Kurland flies out to Nunez in center to bring Langford up with one down, and Klecker airmails the first pitch for ball one and misses just outside for 2-0.

Top 5: Florida 2, TCU 1

3:18 p.m.: Richardson skies one to left and it’s hauled in by Shelnut to put TCU away for the inning. Once again, Caglianone works out of a tough spot, this time after catching a break.

3:15 p.m.: Brutal break here for TCU. Maxwell singles into the gap in right center and Byrne gets gunned down at the plate. Bizarre for Byrne to not score there, who hesitated off the bat and never fully recovered. Maxwell does move to second.

3:12 p.m.: Kirk Saarloos takes responsibility for Klecker’s home run allowed for calling back to back breaking balls as Silva grounds out to second, advancing Byrne to second.

3:11 p.m.: Caglianone hits another here to get the leadoff hitter on. 

Bottom 4: Florida 2, TCU 1

3:07 p.m.: Silva then stabs a liner from Ty Evans at short for the third out of the inning. Humming right along in Omaha.

3:06 p.m.: After a lot of offense early, both pitchers seem to be slowing things down a bit here. Klecker induces a few quick outs on Florida, though Heyman did make solid contact. That brings up Shelnut, who right on cue turns on a breaking ball for a single.

Top 4: Florida 2, TCU 1

3:02 p.m.: The call is confirmed, and Florida is out of the inning.

3 p.m.: Richardson now grounds into a 4-6-3 double play that is going to be reviewed but very likely upheld. It looks like Caglianone will face the minimum, even if he didn’t retire the side in order yet.

2:59 p.m.: Fontenelle now takes a walk on a fastball way high, and TCU has one on with one out. TCU is really sticking with its approach against Caglianone.

2:57 pm.: If Caglianone manages to get his breaking ball going for real, he could really work well into this game. He threw a few good pitches to Brayden Taylor, who flew out to left for the first out of the inning.

Bottom 3: Florida 2, TCU 1

2:54 p.m.: Rivera grounds out to short, and that’s a 1-2-3 eight-pitch inning for Fontenelle. His first clean inning of the game.

2:53 p.m.: Caglianone then quickly grounds out to first for the second out of the inning after scorching one foul. That brings up Rivera, who homered back in the first.

2:52 p.m.: Tracking balls going out of play is tough, but Fontenelle makes it look easy. He hunts down a pop-up from Langford and catches it for the first out of the inning.

Top 3: Florida 2, TCU 1

2:47 p.m.: Nunez chops one back to the mound and Maxwell advances to third with two out. Caglianone gets the all-important strikes one and two on Karson Bowen, and he gets him swinging. Clutch work there.

2:44 p.m.: A bit of small ball! TCU bunts the runner ahead to put a runner in scoring position with one out. That brings up the leadoff hitter Nunez.

2:42 p.m.: Caglianone plunks another TCU hitter to get the leadoff runner on. His control struggles continue.

Bottom 2: Florida 2, TCU 1

2:40 p.m.: Florida is going to strand two after a single with a force out to short. Ultimately a quiet half inning.

2:36 p.m.: Two very different approaches here early. TCU is taking everything at the plate, making Caglianone fill the zone. Florida is jumping all over Klecker early in the count. Should be interesting to see who wins out, as Ty Evans grounds into a force out for the second out of the inning.

2:35 p.m.: The offensive barrage continues, as Luke Heyman goes the other way off Klecker for a leadoff single. The pitch was elevated and he stayed with it. Tyler Shelnut then quickly flies out to right.

Top 2: Florida 2, TCU 1

2:32 p.m.: After all of that, TCU ends up with just one run. Caglianone strikes out Anthony Silva to get out of the jam. With that being said, that’s a lot of pitches in an inning.

2:30 p.m.: It didn’t work. Kurtis Byrne gets plunked to load the bases up. 2-1 Florida. Bottom of the first but this batter already feels huge.

2:28 p.m.: Kevin O’Sullivan is going to take a visit to the mound to calm Caglianone down after he walks Richardson and a wild pitch advances the runner to third. Runners at the corners with two out.

2:25 p.m. Cole Fontenelle has been unbelievable for TCU in the College World Series thus far, but Caglianone is doing well in the power-vs.-power matchup. He gets Fontenelle chasing twice in the at-bat for the second strikeout and second out of the inning. That brings up Tre Richardson with two out and a runner on first, who advances after what should be a passed ball.

2:23 p.m.: A pretty swing by Brayden Taylor drives in Bowen to bring the Horned Frogs within one. Taylor took five straight pitches before seeing one he liked. Tremendous at-bat by a potential first rounder with a 1.066 OPS on the year.

2:22 p.m.: This is great work by TCU. They’re squeezing the zone on Caglianone and he’s struggling to find it. The first batter striking out looking in a full count was apparently a feature, not a bug. 

2:20 p.m.: And now this is the worst-case scenario! The push and pull of baseball. Caglianone walks Bowen to put a runner on. Need to reel it in.

2:19 p.m.: That’s what Florida needs out of Caglianone. The count gets full, but he caught Nunez resting the bat on his shoulder. He now comes back with a fastball to Karson Bowen to get to 0-1. If you’re a Florida fan, this is what you need to see.

2:17 p.m.: As the broadcast mentioned, the book is out on the lefty Caglianone. He’s known to have some control issues, but he can really reach back and sling it. Elijah Nunez leads off for TCU.

Bottom 1: Florida 2, TCU 0

2:15 p.m.: Klecker gets Riopelle swinging to end the inning. Good job to calm down and get out of it after the homer.

2:14 p.m.: Josh Rivera blasts one to left and homers to plate two! Florida takes a 2-0 lead thanks to Rivera, and Klecker looked frustrated after that one.

2:12 p.m.: Caglianone scorches it 112 mph off the bat and it ricochets off Cole Fontenelle to second for a 3-4-3 putout at first. Langford advances to second with two out.

2:11 p.m.: Langford works the count full on Klecker and takes a breaking ball high for a walk. Good at-bat there for the star, and Caglianone steps up in the DH spot.

2:08 p.m.: And we’re underway in Omaha. Cade Kurland leads off for Florida and takes a strike and a ball to get to 1-1. He then grounds out to short for a quick out.

1:48 p.m.: Quite possibly the most important warmup of Klecker’s college career.

1:40 p.m.: Florida comes into this game favored, per BetMGM. The spread favors the Gators by 1.5 runs, and they’re -200 moneyline favorites a little under an hour before first pitch.

1:36 p.m.: Caglianone getting ready for his game. This is a big game for him as he looks to make an impact on both sides with a lot of eyes on him.

1 p.m.: Florida has not played TCU this season, so this is a new matchup for the teams involved.

12:50 p.m.: Florida will have Jac Caglianone on the mound for today’s game, and he will DH in the No. 3 spot. Wyatt Langford is hitting second for the Gators. For TCU, Kole Klecker is dealing. Tre Richardson is batting in the No. 5 hole.

12:45 p.m.: Welcome to TCU vs. Florida! Florida is seeking a trip to the Men’s College World Series finals with a win Wednesday, whereas TCU is hoping to force a winner-take-all game Thursday by winning.

How to watch TCU vs. Florida

  • Start time: 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT)
  • TV channel: ESPN
  • Live stream: ESPN+, Fubo

TCU vs. Florida will be broadcast on ESPN. The game will also be available on ESPN+ or Fubo, which offers a free trial — for cord cutters that want to enjoy the action. 

How to watch 2023 College World Series

  • Date: June 16-25 or 26
  • Location: Charles Schwab Field Omaha, Omaha, Neb.
  • TV channels: ESPN, ESPN2
  • Live stream: ESPN+, Fubo

ESPN will continue its coverage of the NCAA Division I baseball tournament with the 2023 College World Series. Games will be shown on ESPN and ESPN2.

Fans will also be able to stream the games on ESPN+ or on Fubo, which offers a free trial.

College World Series schedule

Wednesday, June 21

Game Time (ET)  Channel
Game 11: Florida vs. TCU 2 p.m. ESPN, Fubo
Game 12: Wake Forest vs. Game 10 winner 7 p.m. ESPN, Fubo

Thursday, June 22

Game Time (ET)  Channel
Game 11 rematch (if Florida loses) 2 p.m. ESPN or ESPN2, Fubo
Game 12 rematch (if Game 8 winner loses) 7 p.m. ESPN2, Fubo

Saturday, June 24: College World Series finals Game 1

Game Time (ET)  Channel
Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner 7 p.m. ESPN, Fubo

Sunday, June 25: College World Series finals Game 2

Game Time (ET)  Channel
Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner 3 p.m. ESPN, Fubo

Monday, June 27: College World Series finals Game 3*

Game Time (ET)  Channel
Bracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winner 7 p.m. ESPN, Fubo

* – If necessary 

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