Baseball Wraps Up Another Outstanding Season

Sunday, June 5

Gainesville, FL

1 p.m.

Central Michigan University

43-19

#13 Florida

41-23

Florida Gators

Central Michigan

Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw

6/5/2022 9:22:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – An emotional end to another spectacular season.

Central Michigan's season came to a close on Sunday as the Chippewas fell, 6-5, to No. 13 national seed Florida in the NCAA Regionals at the Gators' Condron Ballpark.

With their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, the Chippewas finished 43-19 overall under fourth-year coach Jordan Bischel, who has led CMU to become one of the top programs in the Midwest.

"Really special," said Bischel in describing his team and its season. "We were 4-8 at one point, what's interesting to those that have not followed us much is, we had no ability to come from behind early in the season; this was the fourth time we were in an elimination game, down by five or more, and came back to tie.

"The progress they've made as competitors, I mean, there's a lot more than that off the field, but a really, really remarkable job by these guys."

The Gators utilized a pair of solo home runs from lead-off batter Wyatt Langford and a steal of home in the fifth inning to pull out to a 5-0 lead over the Chippewas.

Robby Morgan IV kickstarted the CMU offense in the fifth inning with a solo blast over the right field fence, foreshadowing an electrifying sixth inning. Florida walked three, allowing Garrett Navarra an RBI walk, as Danny Wuestenfeld and Morgan singled to make it a 5-4 ball game.

Jacob Donahue reached on a fielder's choice which scored Aidan Shepardson to tie the game at 5-5.

"From an outside perspective, if you're down 5-0 to Florida in the fifth or sixth (inning) and you're Central Michigan, probably people are wondering if there needs to be a run-rule in place in a couple of innings," Bischel said. "Once you get into game four, pitching is thin, our guys don't blink. That's a lot to be proud of, for sure."

In relief of Chippewa starter Logan Buczkowski and Ryan Palmblad, Navarra (10-3) stepped to the task in the top of the seventh. He struck out two and walked two in the final innings, allowing no hits.

Florida's go-ahead run came on a ninth-inning sacrifice fly.

Adam Proctor hit a lead-off single in the ninth with Zach Lechnir entering as a pinch runner. With two outs, Marsee singled and Wuestenfeld was walked. Unfortunately, a pop out to third ended CMU's season.

Buczkowski, a senior righty, went 4.0 innings, allowing five hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out six and walking three. Palmblad went two innings in relief, giving up three hits and a run.

Marsee led the Chippewas' 10-hit attack with four hits while Morgan finished with two.

"There are two teams in the entire country that have won 42 games three years in a row now," Bischel said. "These guys are one of those two teams, I know we don't play in the (Southeastern Conference), but no matter who you play, it's hard to win and there's some other pretty big superlatives there.

"What's amazing is that it's not the number of wins, it's what they put into it, it's what's behind it … (this group of seniors are) just a special group, it really is. I don't know how to put it into words, but they're special."