The Gators earned the No. 1 overall seed Monday in the NCAA Tournament and host the Gainesville Regional starting Friday. (Photo: Michael Wade for UAA)
Gainesville Regional Primer: Gators Open Against Familiar Foe
Monday, May 30, 2016 | Baseball, Scott Carter
Florida, Georgia Tech, UConn and Bethune-Cookman form the field
Florida Gators baseball postseason guide presented by CBS4 News-Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The UF baseball team failed to claim its second consecutive Southeastern Conference Tournament title on Sunday, but by Monday afternoon, the Gators were back on top.
Florida, ranked No. 1 for most of the season, enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall national seed for the second time in school history (2012). The Gators host the Gainesville Regional and face No. 4-seed Bethune-Cookman on Friday night. No. 2-seed Georgia Tech and No. 3 UConn are also in the regional and play in Friday's first game. (A look at the Gainesville Regional's complete schedule).
Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan has kept the Gators focused throughout a season that was met with great expectations from the first pitch. Florida (47-13) did not disappoint, setting a school record with 44 regular-season wins.
As the overall top seed, the Gators won't have to leave McKethan Stadium until a potential trip to Omaha for the College World Series. Florida has played 13 of its last 18 games on the road.
"We've gotten everybody's best effort throughout the year,'' O'Sullivan said this week. "We've played one of the top schedules in the country. Our guys handled it fine. I do think we're poised to make a run here in the postseason."
The Gators are seeking their fifth trip to the CWS in the past seven seasons. They finished third in Omaha a season ago and continue to chase the program's first national title.
"When the postseason comes around everyone gets a little more locked in,'' sophomore designated hitter/catcher JJ Schwarz said.
Here is an opening look at the Gainesville Regional:
*****
NO. 1 FLORIDA
Record: 47-13
Regular season: 44-11 (second in SEC East)
Coach: Kevin O'Sullivan, ninth year
Noteworthy: SEC Pitcher of the Year Logan Shore (10-0, 2.41 ERA) pitched only an inning in Sunday's loss to Texas A&M before O'Sullivan went to a pitcher-by-committee approach. Shore will have pitched just 3 1/3 innings (four hits, two runs, one walk) in 16 days entering the start of the regional on Friday … O'Sullivan said first baseman Peter Alonso (.352, 9 HR, 47 RBI) returned to practice this week and should be available in the regional. Alonso, batting .352 with nine home runs and 47 RBI, has been sidelined with a broken bone in his left hand since May 13 … JJ Schwarz took over the team lead with 51 RBI during a productive SEC Tournament … Florida's pitching depth (a team ERA of 3.08 and 593 strikeouts in 541 1/3 innings) is unmatched in the regional and makes the Gators the clear favorite.
*****
NO. 2 GEORGIA TECH
Record: 36-23
Regular season: 35-20 (fourth in ACC Coastal)
Coach: Danny Hall, 23rd season
Noteworthy: The Yellow Jackets are back in the postseason after missing the tournament in 2015 … Georgia Tech is no stranger to the Gainesville Regional, last here in 2012 when it lost back-to-back games to Florida … This is the 20th NCAA Tournament berth for Hall in his 23 seasons … Third baseman/outfielder Matt Gonzalez is the NCAA's active leader in career hits with 294, six shy of becoming the third Yellow Jacket to reach 300 hits in his career … No. 1 starter Brandon Gold, a junior right-hander, is 8-3 with a 2.38 ERA … If Georgia Tech has a late lead, closer Matthew Gorst is a shutdown artist; Gorst has 12 saves and set a school record with a 0.41 ERA (44 1/3 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 13 BB, 53 SO) ... Georgia Tech is 31-1 when taking a lead into the ninth inning ... The Yellow Jackets have turned 76 double plays, the most in the country. Second baseman Wade Bailey and shortstop Connor Justus have turned 44 of Tech's double plays.
*****
NO. 3 UCONN
Record: 37-23
Regular season: 33-22 (third in AAC)
Coach: Jim Penders, 13th season
Noteworthy: UConn returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013 thanks to winning the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Clearwater last week … Junior lefty Anthony Kay (9-2, 2.46 ERA) clinched the tournament title with a 7-2 win over Houston on three days' rest … Kay has 108 strikeouts in a team-high 113 1/3 innings … The Huskies have won 13 of 14 entering the regional … Senior designated hitter Joe DeRoche-Duffin is hitting .266 with a team-high 17 homers and 54 RBI … Shortstop Bryan Daniello earned a spot on the All-AAC Tournament team by going 13-for-22 … Closer Patrick Ruotolo has been dominant with 11 saves and 45 strikeouts in 36 innings ... UConn is 1-6 all-time against Georgia Tech and 2-6 against Florida; the Huskies have never faced Bethune-Cookman ... Senior first baseman Bobby Melley has 287 career hits, second among active NCAA players behind Georgia Tech's Matt Gonzalez.
*****
NO. 4 BETHUNE-COOKMAN
Record: 29-25
Regular season: 25-25 (second in MEAC's Southern Division)
Coach: Jason Beverlin, fifth year
Noteworthy: The Wildcats got hot at the right time to win four in a row and claim the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament championship … BCU outscored opponents 30-6 in the tournament … BCU is the only team in the field to play the Gators this season, losing 7-1 at McKethan Stadium on May 3 … This is BCU's fifth trip to the Gainesville Regional and first since 2012 when Florida's Jonathan Crawford threw a no-hitter against the Wildcats in UF's regional opener … Senior right-handers Tyler Norris (6-3, 4.16 ERA) and German Hernandez (4-5, 5.01 ERA) tied for the team lead with 13 starts … Designated hitter Michael Cruz leads the team with 16 homers, first baseman Danny Rodriguez has a team-high 46 RBIs and right fielder Nathan Bond a team-leading .358 batting average … Florida must be aware of left fielder Rakeem Quinn if he reaches; Quinn has 27 stolen bases in 30 attempts ... The Wildcats are 0-29 all-time in Gainesville.
*****
FINAL WORD
"We've played Bethune-Cookman, so we are somewhat familiar with them. UConn won their conference tournament, so they're obviously playing very well. We played them back in 2014 so we've got a little bit of information on them. As far as Georgia Tech's concerned, they play in one of the best conferences in the country so they'll be battle-tested. I don't think this is going to be a very easy regional in any stretch of the imagination. It will be challenging for us, but we're looking forward to playing at home." – Gators coach Kevin O'Sullivan on the Gainesville Regional
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The UF baseball team failed to claim its second consecutive Southeastern Conference Tournament title on Sunday, but by Monday afternoon, the Gators were back on top.
Florida, ranked No. 1 for most of the season, enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall national seed for the second time in school history (2012). The Gators host the Gainesville Regional and face No. 4-seed Bethune-Cookman on Friday night. No. 2-seed Georgia Tech and No. 3 UConn are also in the regional and play in Friday's first game. (A look at the Gainesville Regional's complete schedule).
Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan has kept the Gators focused throughout a season that was met with great expectations from the first pitch. Florida (47-13) did not disappoint, setting a school record with 44 regular-season wins.
As the overall top seed, the Gators won't have to leave McKethan Stadium until a potential trip to Omaha for the College World Series. Florida has played 13 of its last 18 games on the road.
"We've gotten everybody's best effort throughout the year,'' O'Sullivan said this week. "We've played one of the top schedules in the country. Our guys handled it fine. I do think we're poised to make a run here in the postseason."
The Gators are seeking their fifth trip to the CWS in the past seven seasons. They finished third in Omaha a season ago and continue to chase the program's first national title.
"When the postseason comes around everyone gets a little more locked in,'' sophomore designated hitter/catcher JJ Schwarz said.
Here is an opening look at the Gainesville Regional:
*****
NO. 1 FLORIDA
Record: 47-13
Regular season: 44-11 (second in SEC East)
Coach: Kevin O'Sullivan, ninth year
Noteworthy: SEC Pitcher of the Year Logan Shore (10-0, 2.41 ERA) pitched only an inning in Sunday's loss to Texas A&M before O'Sullivan went to a pitcher-by-committee approach. Shore will have pitched just 3 1/3 innings (four hits, two runs, one walk) in 16 days entering the start of the regional on Friday … O'Sullivan said first baseman Peter Alonso (.352, 9 HR, 47 RBI) returned to practice this week and should be available in the regional. Alonso, batting .352 with nine home runs and 47 RBI, has been sidelined with a broken bone in his left hand since May 13 … JJ Schwarz took over the team lead with 51 RBI during a productive SEC Tournament … Florida's pitching depth (a team ERA of 3.08 and 593 strikeouts in 541 1/3 innings) is unmatched in the regional and makes the Gators the clear favorite.
*****
NO. 2 GEORGIA TECH
Record: 36-23
Regular season: 35-20 (fourth in ACC Coastal)
Coach: Danny Hall, 23rd season
Noteworthy: The Yellow Jackets are back in the postseason after missing the tournament in 2015 … Georgia Tech is no stranger to the Gainesville Regional, last here in 2012 when it lost back-to-back games to Florida … This is the 20th NCAA Tournament berth for Hall in his 23 seasons … Third baseman/outfielder Matt Gonzalez is the NCAA's active leader in career hits with 294, six shy of becoming the third Yellow Jacket to reach 300 hits in his career … No. 1 starter Brandon Gold, a junior right-hander, is 8-3 with a 2.38 ERA … If Georgia Tech has a late lead, closer Matthew Gorst is a shutdown artist; Gorst has 12 saves and set a school record with a 0.41 ERA (44 1/3 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 13 BB, 53 SO) ... Georgia Tech is 31-1 when taking a lead into the ninth inning ... The Yellow Jackets have turned 76 double plays, the most in the country. Second baseman Wade Bailey and shortstop Connor Justus have turned 44 of Tech's double plays.
*****
NO. 3 UCONN
Record: 37-23
Regular season: 33-22 (third in AAC)
Coach: Jim Penders, 13th season
Noteworthy: UConn returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013 thanks to winning the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Clearwater last week … Junior lefty Anthony Kay (9-2, 2.46 ERA) clinched the tournament title with a 7-2 win over Houston on three days' rest … Kay has 108 strikeouts in a team-high 113 1/3 innings … The Huskies have won 13 of 14 entering the regional … Senior designated hitter Joe DeRoche-Duffin is hitting .266 with a team-high 17 homers and 54 RBI … Shortstop Bryan Daniello earned a spot on the All-AAC Tournament team by going 13-for-22 … Closer Patrick Ruotolo has been dominant with 11 saves and 45 strikeouts in 36 innings ... UConn is 1-6 all-time against Georgia Tech and 2-6 against Florida; the Huskies have never faced Bethune-Cookman ... Senior first baseman Bobby Melley has 287 career hits, second among active NCAA players behind Georgia Tech's Matt Gonzalez.
*****
NO. 4 BETHUNE-COOKMAN
Record: 29-25
Regular season: 25-25 (second in MEAC's Southern Division)
Coach: Jason Beverlin, fifth year
Noteworthy: The Wildcats got hot at the right time to win four in a row and claim the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament championship … BCU outscored opponents 30-6 in the tournament … BCU is the only team in the field to play the Gators this season, losing 7-1 at McKethan Stadium on May 3 … This is BCU's fifth trip to the Gainesville Regional and first since 2012 when Florida's Jonathan Crawford threw a no-hitter against the Wildcats in UF's regional opener … Senior right-handers Tyler Norris (6-3, 4.16 ERA) and German Hernandez (4-5, 5.01 ERA) tied for the team lead with 13 starts … Designated hitter Michael Cruz leads the team with 16 homers, first baseman Danny Rodriguez has a team-high 46 RBIs and right fielder Nathan Bond a team-leading .358 batting average … Florida must be aware of left fielder Rakeem Quinn if he reaches; Quinn has 27 stolen bases in 30 attempts ... The Wildcats are 0-29 all-time in Gainesville.
*****
FINAL WORD
"We've played Bethune-Cookman, so we are somewhat familiar with them. UConn won their conference tournament, so they're obviously playing very well. We played them back in 2014 so we've got a little bit of information on them. As far as Georgia Tech's concerned, they play in one of the best conferences in the country so they'll be battle-tested. I don't think this is going to be a very easy regional in any stretch of the imagination. It will be challenging for us, but we're looking forward to playing at home." – Gators coach Kevin O'Sullivan on the Gainesville Regional
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