Clemson vs. Florida: Who will advance to the College World Series?

Starting today in South Carolina, the Clemson Tigers and Florida Gators will begin their three-game super regional series. Each team has taken a different path from one another in order to get to this point, but they still ended up here regardless.

Clemson went 44-14, including a 20-10 record in the ACC. It was good enough for them to host their regional games, which they won handily. Now, they are hosting the super regional, giving them another instance of home-field advantage. However, their opponents know a little something about winning on the road.

The Gators went through a bit of an up-and-down season, yet coach Kevin O'Sullivan's squad is laden with veterans who have been here before. The most notable of which is two-way star Jac Caglianone, a potential top 10 draft pick in the upcoming MLB draft. Will they have enough to win another road series and get to Omaha?

Gators are heating up at the right time

UF finished 32-28 on the season, including a 13-17 mark in the SEC. So their performance in conference play wasn't the best, but that speaks more to the difficulty of the SEC than anything. One could argue that their conference was the best thing to prepare them to make a run in the postseason.

On the mound and in the lineup, they are led by Caglianone. Pitching-wise, he pitched a team-high 67.0 innings, going 5-2 with a 4.57 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. It's not the greatest of numbers, but he started in all 14 of his mound appearances.

At the plate, the potential MLB first-rounder was even better. He led the team in all three triple-crown categories, hitting .410 with 31 home runs and 63 RBIs. His OPS (1.373) and SLG percentage (.847) were also team highs as well.

Another standout arm for the Gators was junior Fisher Jameson, who went 4-0 with a 4.18 ERA in 31 appearances. He also finished fourth in innings pitched with 56 and tied Brandon Neely (who was second on the team with 63 innings pitched) in saves with three.

On offense, multiple players stood out. They include Ty Evans (.316 BA with 13 HRs and 43 RBIs), Colby Shelton (.261 BA with 20 HRs and 52 RBIs) and Cade Kurland (.251 BA with 14 HRs and 41 RBIs). The Gators had seven players hit over ten homers and six with over 40 RBIs.

If Florida can get the type of pitching they received in the regional round, along with the offensive performance they've had year-round, another run to Omaha is definitely within their grasp.

Tigers riding high after dominant regional display

Clemson senior Blake Wright helped lead the Tigers to the super regional round.

The Tigers had a successful season, and this run to the super regional doesn't question that at all. Even though they didn't win their conference (Duke beat Florida State for that honor), they've been to the College World Series quite a few times. 12 times, in fact, even though they haven't been since 2010.

Clemson has also never won the CWS, something they hope to change this year. First, they will need their offense to step up and produce like Florida's has for them. It shouldn't be too much of a problem for coach Erik Bakich's squad.

They are led by senior Blake Wright, who finished first on the team in two of the three triple crown categories (21 home runs and 72 RBIs), and third in batting average with a .333 clip. Cam Cannarella was first in that category with a .343 BA and one of four Tigers (including Wright, Jimmy Obertop and Jacob Hinderleider) to hit over ten home runs on the season.

They also feature some solid pitching talent as well. Aidan Knaak started in all 14 appearances, leading the team in innings pitched with 79. He also went 5-1 with a 2.96 ERA. If anyone could help shut down the Gators' lineup, it's him. Austin Gordon led the team with 11 saves and should be able to nail down any leads that Clemson has at the end of a game.

So who will advance to the CWS?

Playing in front of their home crowd, Clemson will have the advantage there. Home crowds can create a hostile environment for any visiting team, including Florida.

However, this version of the Gators have been here a few times. Kevin O'Sullivan knows how to prepare his program for this type of situation. They will be going to Clemson ready for the environment, which they've seen countless times before. Whether it's in their conference or past postseason games, Florida will be prepared.

That experience will lead them to an eventual 2-1 series win. As good as Clemson has been this year, the Gators' knowledge and ability to win in tough environments will allow them to continue their longshot run and punch another ticket to Omaha.