Bethune-Cookman stuck with the number one Florida until the very end. Preston Tucker delivered the winning RBI single in the home half of the eighth as the Gators beat the Wildcats, 8-6. Freshman Johnny Magliozzi started his first game in the orange and blue and lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts. UF stretched their unbeaten streak against Bethune Cookman to 26 straight, having never lost to the Wildcats.
No. 16 Cal State Fullerton (1-2) used two four-run innings to do its damage against top-ranked Florida (2-1) to salvage the series finale, 8-5, on Sunday.
For the first time all series, the Gators started out with a lead, but the Titans posted four runs in the fifth and sixth innings to salvage the series. Freshman reliever Koby Gauna (1-0) got the win for CSF while allowing one run and six hits over five innings. Gators starter Brian Johnson, working on a pitch count, threw four shutout innings with five strikeouts, but the bullpen gave up the lead with Jonathon Crawford (0-1) taking the loss.
Florida baseball picked up its second win of 2012 on Saturday, as Karsten Whitson (1-0) and Austin Maddox (1 save) combined to hold the Cal State Fullerton Titans to two runs in a 5-2 matinee victory. Whitson gave up two runs on five hits, two walks, and two strikeouts in five innings, while Maddox picked up the save, showing off his new very effective slider, while throwing four innings of one hit, shutout baseball.
The win ensures the Gators will take the series from perennial powerhouse and 16th-ranked Cal State Fullerton and moves top-ranked Florida to 2-0 on the young season. Freshman continued to impact the game for the Gators, as head coach Kevin O'Sullivan started four rookies in game two. And Taylor Gushue is proving he belongs in the lineup.
For a team with six, or seven preseason All-Americans, one wouldn't think Florida's underclassmen would be asked to do much in the 2012 baseball season. But they contributed greatly to the No. 1 Gators' season-opening 7-3 win over No. 16 and college baseball powerhouse Cal State Fullerton on Friday night.
The Gators got contributions from three freshmen in the lineup, including a home run from early enrollee/designated hitter Taylor Gushue on his first swing in an Florida unform. Fellow freshman Casey Turgeon hit an RBI double and Josh Tobias beat out an infield single to start a rally in the seventh-inning to help Florida to the win.
Gators reliever Steven Rodriguez picked up the win and Greg Larson pitched a perfect ninth to seal the Florida win. The crowd at McKethan Stadium set an opening day record, with 5,356 in attendance, and head coach Kevin O'Sullivan improved to 5-0 in his season openers.
It's a new season, but the same beginning for the Gators baseball team. Three major polls have Florida on top as preseason number one. Collegiate Baseball's Fabulous 40 released their rankings earlier, and the two major polls, Baseball America and the ESPN/USA Today polls were released this week. The lofty preseason ranking marks the second time in school history UF's baseball team has been ranked preseason number one and second consecutive season. Quite a feat for Kevin O'Sullivan going into his fifth year with the University of Florida.
Coming off a season which Florida made it to the College World Series Finals only to lose to SEC East rival South Carolina, Florida returns their entire weekend rotation, as well as the bulk of their lineup. Six Gators earned Perfect Game's Preseason All-American nods Friday. Two pitchers, Karsten Whitson and Hudson Randall, as well as two "hybrid players," pitcher/first baseman Brian Johnson and pitcher/infielder Austin Maddox, join shortstop Nolan Fontana and catcher Mike Zunino on the list. Zunino, last season's SEC Player of the Year and an All-American, is Perfect Game's preseason player of the year.
Florida will be tested early and often. The Gators kick off the season February 17th, hosting 16th-ranked collegiate baseball powerhouse Cal State Fullerton Titans at McKethan Stadium for a three game series.
The Florida baseball team should be preseason number one, but they will be tested early and often. Thursday morning, the Gators released their schedule for the 2012 schedule. It's going to be a tough one, with exactly half of their 56 game schedule against teams who made it to the NCAA Tournament last year. Florida will host 35 games in the friendly confines of McKethan Stadium. The Gators went 34-7 last year at the Mac. UF head coach and 2011 Coach of the Year Kevin O'Sullivan on this years schedule (via GatorZone):
We've put together a very challenging 2012 schedule. This schedule should hopefully prepare us for another postseason run. We are looking forward to the upcoming season and are counting on our Gator fans' continued support.
The Florida Gators baseball team lost three players (so far) to professional baseball contracts. Starting second baseman Josh Adams (13th round) signed with the Florida Marlins and will be assigned to the Jamestown Jammers of the New York-Penn League. He was a second team All-SEC performer this year.
Pitcher Matt Campbell (24th round) signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and will be assigned to the Gulf Coast League. He was drafted last year by the Cincinnati Reds in the 43rd round but did not sign. His signing surprises me a little as he didn't have all that great a year, had a high ERA and averaged less than a strikeout an inning.
The third player to sign was pitcher Nick Maronde. He was a 3rd round pick by the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim and will be assigned to the Orem Owls of the Pioneer League. Maronde was the highest draft pick of any Gator baseball player this year. He was drafted as recently as 2008 (43rd round) by the Oakland A's but did not sign.
Congrats to all three of them, thanks for the memories and we wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.
I guess this is a recap? Basically, this just took me forever to write.
Florida's baseball team lost Tuesday night. It lost in a painful fashion, without ever leading, with faint and unsuccessful scrapping to get back into a game that we were never likely to win. It lost two games in a row to a team that beat it four out of five times in the most successful season in school history, a team that was summitting Everest for a second time while we were topping out on K2 again.
It sucked. I'm not gonna lie about that. But I think this is the sort of pain that makes things sweeter at the end.
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