Florida Advances to Semifinals in Men’s College World Series With Brody Donay’s 2 Home Runs against Kentucky

Florida catcher Brody Donay (29) celebrated his exciting home run during an NCAA College World Series baseball elimination game against Kentucky in Omaha, Nebraska. The Florida Gators were set to play two games in one day after eliminating the Kentucky Wildcats in their first game of the day. The team’s impressive performance was powered by Pierce Coppola on the mound and Brody Donay at the plate, propelling them to the College World Series semifinals against Texas A&M.

In a commanding 15-4 victory over Kentucky, Florida took an early lead with a seven-run first inning. Dominic Niman, Kentucky’s starting pitcher, was quickly pulled from the game after allowing five runs on three hits in just one out. Brody Donay’s grand slam in the first inning gave Florida a substantial 7-1 advantage. The Gators continued to build on their lead with two more runs in the third inning and five more in the fifth.

Despite Kentucky’s efforts, they struggled to break through Florida’s pitcher Pierce Coppola, who struck out nine batters over five innings. While Émilien Pitre hit a two-run home run off Coppola in the fifth inning, it was the last time Kentucky would score in the game.

Brody Donay’s stellar performance included him being the fifth Gator in the College World Series to have a multi-home run game. His 415-foot, 117.6 mph exit velocity home run was the hardest-hit ball in the tournament. Donay finished the game with three hits and five RBIs.

The Gators dominated early in the game, with Donay hitting an opposite-field grand slam to kick off the scoring. Donay’s performance continued in the fifth inning with his 14th home run of the season, further solidifying Florida’s lead. Jac Caglianone also made history with his 35th home run of the season, surpassing Matt LaPorta for the most in program history.

Looking ahead, Tennessee and Florida State were scheduled to face off in the afternoon semifinal. If Tennessee emerged victorious, they would advance to the College World Series championship starting on Saturday. In a scenario where Tennessee loses to Florida State, the two teams would battle it out once more on Thursday for a spot in the championship series.

Meanwhile, Florida was set to take on Texas A&M in the Bracket 2 semifinal later in the day. A win by Texas A&M would eliminate the Gators from the series.