Baseball's future will be on full display this weekend as LSU takes on Florida for the Men's College World Series title.
It's a matchup destined to impress: SEC foes taking on each other in Omaha with championship glory on the line. Both teams are brimming with talent — Tigers stars Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes and Gators slugger Wyatt Langford are top-three picks according to TSN's Edward Sutelan's latest MLB Mock Draft.
They may have not earned top seeding in this year's tournament, but there's little doubt as to whether the two sides are among the best in the country, especially after emerging from the gauntlet of conference play and the postseason.
MORE: Meet Jack Marucci, the man arming LSU baseball's College World Series run
So, which side has the edge heading into the biggest series of the season? The Sporting News goes through the numbers to figure out how the teams match up with one another.
LSU vs. Florida baseball, by the numbers
Record: Advantage, Florida
The Gators (53-15) are a game better than the Tigers (52-16) heading into the College World Series finals. Florida and LSU are the only two SEC teams to reach the 50-win plateau in 2023.
If you're looking for a more illustrative statistic, LSU (12-5) and Florida (11-7) were the only teams in the SEC to post a road record above .500. It's no surprise that they've been doing so well away from home in this year's postseason.
The Gators (20-10) were also a win better than the Tigers (19-10) in conference play. Florida tied with Arkansas for the best mark in the SEC.
Despite all of that, neither the Gators nor the Tigers reeled in the conference's ultimate prize: the SEC Tournament championship. That went to 42-20 Vanderbilt.
MORE: Will Paul Skenes pitch vs. Florida in the CWS finals?
Conference stats: Advantage, LSU
The Tigers are brimming with offensive firepower, spearheaded by Crews and semifinal hero Tommy White. The Gators can counter with Langford and two-way star Jac Caglianone. Winds are expected to be high in Omaha over the weekend. That could play right into the Tigers' hands.
| School | R (rank) | HR (rank) | BA (rank) | OBP (rank) | SLG (rank) |
| Florida | 204 (T-4th) | 58 (2nd) | .267 (8th) | .366 (T-9th) | .504 (2nd) |
| LSU | 236 (1st) | 61 (1st) | .280 (3rd) | .412 (1st) | .517 (1st) |
Neither pitching staff was dominant in conference play, even with Skenes as the anchor of LSU's staff. Florida has better depth with Caglianone, Hurston Waldrep and Brandon Sproat.
| School | ERA (rank) | SO (rank) | BB (rank) | HRA (rank) |
| Florida | 5.33 (7th) | 296 (2nd) | 150 (9th) | 38 (T-4th) |
| LSU | 6.17 (T-8th) | 330 (1st) | 135 (6th) | 37 (3rd) |
Head-to-head: N/A
Despite competing in the same conference, the Tigers and Gators have not faced off against one another this campaign. That adds a bit of mystery to a matchup of programs that played each other in the 2017 CWS finals. Florida was the victor then as it captured its first national championship.
College World Series performances: Advantage, Florida
The Gators are rolling into the CWS finals having won eight games in a row. There isn't a team that has looked more like a national champion in this year's tournament.
MORE: Where is Florida slugger Jac Caglianone from?
That's not to say the Tigers are bad. They won six in a row prior to an opening defeat to No. 1-seed Wake Forest. LSU came back to win three elimination games, including an 11-inning classic against the Demon Deacons, and reach the finals.
Still, the Gators have been a buzzsaw in the postseason and it all could have ended for LSU had Wake scored a run in the top of the 10th inning on Thursday.
Hard to bet against Florida when it comes to momentum.
