Braden River grad makes history with Florida Gators

When Braden River High graduate Tyler Dyson started his college career at the University of Florida last fall, he knew.

“We’re going to be the first to win it,” he remembered thinking.

In this case, “it” means the College World Series.

With the breadth of talent on the roster, which included junior pitcher Alex Faedo, a 2017 first-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers, confidence was high among the University of Florida players.

What Dyson didn’t know was just how big a part he would play in the Gators’ College World Series championship journey.

Before the College World Series, Dyson was just another freshman pitcher struggling to get innings. Florida chose to use him as a middle reliever, and he had ups and downs in the role, posting a regular season ERA of 4.43.

His senior year at Braden River, Dyson allowed zero earned runs in the regular season, so being challenged was a new experience. Dyson, whose fastball has been clocked a touch under 100 mph, had to figure things out at the college baseball level, and in the Southeastern Conference to boot. The SEC has won 11 College World Series titles, second only to the Pac-12’s 17.

“That’s why you come to Florida,” he said.

Dyson said there’s no real difference between entering a game as a starter or reliever, aside from the time you have to prepare.

“It’s the same mindset,” Dyson said. “You still have to know all the hitters, and you still have to get them out.”

On June 26, the night of the Gators’ College World Series Finals Game 2 against Louisiana State University in Omaha, Neb., Gators head coach Kevin O’Sullivan needed a starter. The grind of the tournament had forced O’Sullivan to move a reliever into the starting lineup.

Dyson had been pitching well in the tournament, including five shutout innings and a win in a rare start against Wake Forest. O’Sullivan gave Dyson the ball.

“Let’s win this thing in two,” Dyson remembered thinking.

The result was domination. Dyson pitched into the seventh inning against LSU, allowing three hits and a run. He left the game with a 2-0 lead, and Florida eventually won 6-1.

Dyson was one of the first Gators to rush the field as a College World Series champion.

“I tried to start the dog pile on (pitcher Jackson) Kowar and (catcher Alex) Rivera, but they were hard to bring down,” he said. “It was an unreal feeling.”

He doesn’t remember any particular texts from that night because they all blur together, but seeing the support from his family meant a lot, as did the messages from his Braden River High brethren.

His Braden River coach, Craig Page, offered a story about his prized former player.

Dyson was humble, Page said, and always offered to go the extra mile. At a cookout at Page’s house before Dyson’s senior season, Dyson was the last player to leave, making sure all the other players cleaned their messes.

He even asked Page’s wife, Chelsea Page, if she needed any help cleaning before he headed home. It’s Page’s favorite memory of Dyson, because it paints a perfect picture of the man he is.

The championship  hasn’t fully hit Dyson, and he imagines it won’t until he returns to Gainesville in the fall and receives his championship ring.

“Next year, we have to work even harder,” he said. “We have a target on our backs. As a competitor, you want everybody’s best. It’s more fun that way.”