Nelson Maldonado stepped into the box down a run but with a runner on base in the eighth inning. The senior, playing in his last series at McKethan Stadium jumped on the first pitch he saw and crushed it into the left field bleachers to give the Gators a 10-9 lead. That’s the last thing he remembers.
“It was a changeup up and I just put a good swing on it,” Maldonado said. “At that point the adrenaline takes over. I don’t really remember running the bases.”
The Florida Gators have been to the College World Series four straight seasons but have put themselves in a position where even making the NCAA Tournament isn’t a guarantee in 2019.