Florida avoids late scare to beat TCU, sets sights on 1st CWS title

After dropping a 9-2 decision to TCU on Friday, Florida sent their ace, Alex Faedo, to the mound in a must-win game Saturday and the 21-year-old right-hander didn't disappoint, as the Gators shut out their opponents 3-0, advancing to the College World Series finals.

Faedo - a first-round selection of the Detroit Tigers in this past MLB Draft - carried a two-hit shutout into the eighth inning and retired the first batter he faced on a groundout. After allowing a one-out single to TCU leadoff hitter Austen Wade on his 113th pitch though, Florida turned it over to Michael Byrne to shut the door.

In a brief moment of intrigue, TCU's Zack Humphreys singled to left field off Byrne, who was already dealing with an inherited runner, to bring the tying run to the plate in the eight inning with just one away. After Byrne retired the Horned Frog's No. 3 hitter, Evan Skoug, the right-hander got Cam Warner - the cleanup man - to fly-out and extinguish the late-game threat.

With the victory, Florida advances to the national championship where they will play the first of a three-game series against LSU on Monday.

For Florida, this will be the program's first appearance in the finals since 2011, when they lost to South Carolina in two straight games. Despite making 11 appearances in the College World Series - including a pair of finals berths - Florida has never won the national championship.