Florida freshman Brady Singer picked up the win in his first collegiate outing. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA)
Singer, fellow freshmen Liput and India shine for Gators
Saturday, February 20, 2016 | Baseball, Scott Carter
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Gators freshman Brady Singer pitches three hitless innings in UF debut
By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The potential No. 1 pick in this summer's MLB amateur draft, Gators junior left-hander A.J. Puk, made his first start of the season with several big-league scouts in attendance.
Normally, that's enough to be the headliner. But not Saturday, not on this Florida team, one ranked No. 1 in the country and with more quality arms than a pair of octopuses.
Puk threw the ball well in Florida's 8-4 win over Florida Gulf Coast University and struck out six over four innings. However, a couple of errors – including one of his own – led to four unearned runs and an early deficit for the Gators.
Puk gave way to freshman Brady Singer to start the fifth and Singer put on a three-inning show to earn his first career win in his first career outing.
"That was some intense stuff,'' Gators junior outfielder Ryan Larson said. "I told Buddy [Reed] after Brady's first inning [as we were] running in, I said, 'He's going to be a dude.' He really showed it."
A dude indeed.
As soon as Singer, a freshman drafted in the second round by Toronto in the 2015 draft, took the mound, all eyes turned to No. 51. He didn't disappoint, pitching three hitless innings while striking out three.
Singer threw 32 pitches – many in the low to mid-90s – and retired nine of the 11 batters he faced. The only two Eagles to reach were hit by a pitch.
Singer had not pitched in a game since last spring's state playoffs while at Eustis (Fla.) High. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound right-hander opted to attend college rather than sign a professional contract straight out of high school.
He impressed his teammates and head coach Kevin O'Sullivan throughout fall and spring practice. Nothing changed in Saturday's outing.
"He attacked hitters,'' O'Sullivan said. "He's different. I'm just going to be honest with you. He's different in terms of his mental makeup. He's not a normal freshman. I've seen him pitch since his sophomore year of high school. I'd love to tell you differently, but I've seen this just about every time I've seen him pitch. He just attacks the strike zone. And he's gifted with a really good arm."
The Gators trailed 4-3 when Singer took the mound in the top of the fifth. In the sixth, Singer was the beneficiary of a three-run inning that started when Jeremy Vasquez led off with a double. Vasquez moved to third on Larson's single and both scored on freshman second baseman Deacon Liput's triple to put Florida ahead 5-4. The Gators added another run on freshman third baseman Jonathan India's RBI groundout.
Freshman third baseman Deacon Liput went 2-for-4 with three RBI on Saturday. (Photo: Tim Casey)Liput and India, the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, combined for six RBI, and Larson, a junior who bats seventh, finished with a career-high four hits. The bottom of Florida's lineup went 7-for-10 with seven RBI.
"We like hitting,'' Larson said. "They're freshmen but they don't look like freshmen, that's for sure. It's good to see them have early success."
Florida's veterans provided most of the production in Friday's season-opening 4-2 win. Saturday it was mostly members of the top-ranked freshman class in the country who delivered in the clutch.
"Coming into a stage like this is just surreal. It's such a great feeling,'' said Liput, who was playing at Oviedo (Fla.) High this time a year ago. "It's a really humbling experience. When you first step on the field and you look around the crowd, it's such as amazing feeling. Yeah, you have a lot of nerves, a lot of anxiousness, by now I've really settled down. I'm having a lot of fun."
Singer said he felt some jitters when he took the mound, but if so, they didn't show.
He struck out FGCU shortstop Nick Blasucci to lead of the inning and followed that by striking out designated hitter Nick Rivera looking. Singer retired the first four batters he faced.
"He's been throwing the ball like that in intersquad and brought it to the game,'' Puk said. "Really good outing for him."
O'Sullivan said you never really know how a freshman is going to perform in his first game, but in Singer's case, he wasn't as concerned as usual. Singer was the 56th overall pick in the draft because of his mid-90s fastball, heavy sinker and an above-average slider. Oh, and his change-up is getting better, too.
"He's an imposing kid. I've tried to stay as reserved as I can with these new guys. But he's good. I'm glad he's here. I've seen it many, many times. I would expect him to jump right in and really help us this year."
Singer was ready after not getting a chance to pitch on Friday.
"Since summer I've been dying to get on a field and play a real game,'' he said. "I enjoyed it tonight. I think everyone did."
Count Larson among that group. Singer is already a dude in his mind.
Someone then asked Larson to define 'dude?'
"Someone who comes in and you know nothing is going to happen,'' he said. "You know he's got control of the game. He's calm. He doesn't have any jitters. He didn't have any freshman jitters and he hit his spots."
Singer definitely passed the 'dude' test Saturday. For that matter, so did Liput and India.
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