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The College World Series championship continues on Sunday with another intriguing pitching matchup.
Florida is set to start Hurston Waldrep, who was a regular part of the Gators’ rotation this season. He made 18 starts and went 10-3 with a 3.99 ERA this season in 99.1 innings of work. Waldrep also led Florida with 154 strikeouts in 2023.
LSU, however, will turn toward Nate Ackenhausen, who will be making just his 2nd start of the season. He primarily pitched out of the bullpen this year and threw 28.1 innings across 16 appearances.
Pitching matchup in Game 2: #Gators right-hander Hurston Waldrep (10-3, 3.99 ERA) vs. LSU lefty Nate Ackenhausen (3-0, 2.86 ERA) … Wind blowing out this morning at 20 mph, gusts up to 30 … LSU with 141 HRs, UF with 137 … High-scoring game this afternoon? We'll see.
— Scott Carter (@GatorsScott) June 25, 2023
Ackenhausen pitched 6 shutout innings against Tennessee in an elimination game at the College World Series last week.
LSU’s top 2 starters, Paul Skenes and Ty Floyd, are unavailable for this game. Skenes pitched against Wake Forest on Thursday and Floyd threw an 8-inning gem against the Gators on Saturday night.
Waldrep has faced LSU before. While pitching for Southern Miss last season, he tossed 6.2 innings and gave up just 2 earned runs while striking out 11 in a Hattiesburg Regional matchup against the Tigers.
The Tigers just need one victory to clinch their first National Championship since 2009. Florida is trying to win its first national title since 2017.
First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
