GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Let's get the gaudy numbers out of the way.
The top-seeded
Florida Gators destroyed Florida A&M in Friday's opening round of their NCAA Tournament regional 9-0 in a game that lasted just five innings. Not a surprise. Heck, the pre-game rain delay of one hour and 46 minutes lasted longer than the game. UF's first batter hit a home run. The Gators scored seven in the third, thanks to a couple extra-base hits and three four-pitch walks. And, oh by the way, senior
Delanie Gourley threw a no-hitter — her second in NCAA play — while fanning eight on just 58 pitches.
"Good start for us," Coach
Tim Walton said.
More like a systematic one when when it comes to regional play. The Gators have now won 14 straight in regional games, dating to 2013, with the last 11 by shutout. Along the way, they've outscored opponents 96-2 and surrendered — get this — just 26 hits. So this was routine stuff.
Saturday won't be.
Fomer UF assistant Kenny Gajewski (foreground) hits infield at the WCWS, with Coach Tim Walton in the background.
Yes, Florida (51-6) will be a prohibitive favorite against Oklahoma State (36-23) when the two square off at noon in the winner's bracket at Seashole Stadium. But the moment won't be a favorite time for either Gators coach
Tim Walton or Cowgirls coach Kenny Gajewski.
Too much history between them. The good kind.
"It's one thing to look across the field and have a lot of respect for somebody," Walton said. "It's totally different when the guy you're coaching against is practically your brother. And it's not because they know all your secrets. It's not about that. It's about them being like family. It's tough."
The last two offseasons, Gajewski has lobbied to play the Gators in the regular season. Walton has declined.
"When [the pairing] popped up on TV, I was like, 'OK, now I understand.' Yeah, it's kind of awkward," Gajewski said. "One of us is going to be out."
Walton and Gajewski are best friends. They met at Cerritos (Calif.) Junior College in 1990, then went to the University of Oklahoma together and were teammates when the Sooners won the 1994 College World Series. Gajewski (pronounced GUY'-eh-ski') helped coax Walton from the baseball diamond to softball. Years later, Walton returned the favor when he called Gajewski, then director of baseball operations at Tennessee, and asked him to join his UF softball staff in 2012.
In their second season together, the two won a national championship together. In their third, they won another one.
That success caught the interest of Okie State, which hired Gajewski in 2015.
Walton (airborne) was the winning pitcher in the 1994 College World Series title game with Oklahoma. That's Gajewski (43) entering the dogpile.
Now, as luck, the aligned stars and probably some NCAA Selection Committee folk who got a good little chuckle will have it, the two must face off in the postseason. Maybe even again Sunday with Super Regional ramifications on the line.
"It feels awesome to be back," Gajewski said. "I have so many memories and had so many good times and got to know so many good people here. As soon as we got here, I knew right where to go and a couple of the short cuts to get around the traffic. This place will always have a special place in my heart."
But?
"We came here to win," he said.
So did Walton.
It's OK that the two got together with their families Wednesday night to hang out. Their youngest sons are besties and made a beeline for Dick Sporting Goods after the Cowgirls defeated Florida International 2-1 in the tournament opener. Things probably seemed pretty normal there for a while.
That'll change Saturday.
Billy Donovan used to say his hardest games to coach — the ones he hated most — were when he had to face John Pelphrey or Anthony Grant or Donnie Jones; not just his former assistants, but guys he loved. It just wasn't fun competing against them and talking about it later.
Gajewski
That's a place Walton is about to be.
"He and I are tight. Always have been, always will be," Walton said. "We've won a lot of games and lifted a lot of trophies together. I have a lot of admiration and respect for him. Proud of him. … Love him as a person. But this weekend, there will are no love for anybody else in the [other] dugout."
That's exactly how it has to be. On both sides.
It means nothing, however, in the really big picture. Come what may, they'll be best buds come Sunday night, as well.
But because they're both so good at what they do, a meeting like this probably was inevitable.
"What I learned here from Tim is a relentless pursuit of perfection," Gajewski said.
How will he fare against the very one who taught him?
"It's a game," Walton said. "Here we go."
