Baseball Continues Homestand Versus Florida A&M
Tuesday, February 13, 2007 | Baseball
After posting a 7-0 shutout victory over VMI on Sunday, the Gators (1-2) will continue their season-opening 11-game homestand by hosting Florida A&M (1-6) on Tuesday night at McKethan Stadium. Rookie southpaw Kevin Chapman (Coral Springs, Fla.) will make his collegiate debut for Florida, while the Rattlers are expected to counter with sophomore right-hander Chad Smith (0-2, 12.71 ERA, 5.2 IP, 4 K, 6 BB).
Florida dropped its first two games of the season to VMI, by scores of 5-3 and 7-4, to begin 0-2 for the first time since 1982. However, the hosts bounced back in the final game of the set with a 7-0 triumph, its first shutout since a 10-0 win over Cincinnati to kick off the 2006 season. Although UF batted .306 (34-for-111), out-scored the Keydets by a 14-12 margin, clubbed seven home runs and registered a 2.33 earned run average, leaving 27 runners on base and committing five errors contributed to winding up on the short end twice in the three meetings.
First baseman Matt LaPorta (Port Charlotte, Fla.) kicked off his senior campaign in impressive fashion by hitting .583 (7-for-12) with a 1.083 slugging percentage during the series. The slugger matched Brad Wilkerson's school-record total of 55 home runs on Saturday and then established a new mark with a solo shot to start the home part of the seventh inning on Sunday afternoon. LaPorta registered three multiple-hit outings, scored three runs, totaled three RBI and did not strike out in 14 plate appearances.
Freshman Billy Bullock (Valrico, Fla.) collected the Gators' first win of the season by hurling 5.2 scoreless innings in his initial action on Sunday. The 6'6” right-hander scattered four hits and notched four strikeouts. Bullock set down nine of the first 10 batters he faced and allowed just a pair of Keydets to reach second base.
Freshman 2B Cole Figueroa (Tallahassee, Fla.) was 2-for-5 in the season opener and finished 5-for-14 (.357) with a home run during the series. Meanwhile, junior college transfer Jon Townsend (London, Ky.) was 6-for-13 (.462) with two RBI, a stolen base and a homer playing shortstop and freshman outfielder Jonathan Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.) was 3-for-7 (.429).
Florida's bullpen enjoyed a strong opening weekend, yielding one unearned run in 11 innings of work. Over two appearances, junior Josh Edmondson (LaGrange, Ga.) scattered two hits and totaled four strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
Coached by Joe Durant, now in his 17th year at the helm, the Rattlers (1-6) dropped two of three games last weekend to Navy. The Midshipmen took the opener, 12-3, before FAMU evened the series with a 6-5 victory to snap a five-game drought. Navy won the rubber game, 5-1.
Rookie outfielder Darryl Evans paces the club with a .387 (12-for-31) batting average with six runs, five RBI and four stolen bases, while senior third baseman/designated hitter Anthony Mazzeo (.296) has a team-best three doubles and rookie infielder Jared Jeffries (.294) has five walks, three RBI and three thefts. The Rattlers are hitting .256 and have been out-scored, 57-33. The staff's earned run average is 4.77 and opponents boast a .278 clip against Florida A&M's hurlers.
The Gators lead the all-time series, 15-0. In the clubs' most recent meeting, Feb. 22 of last season, UF used a balanced offensive attack to defeat Florida A&M, 15-5, in Gainesville. Eight of UF's nine starters contributed at least one hit and a six-run second inning by the hosts snapped a 2-2 deadlock. LaPorta cranked his third career grand slam, Gavin Dickey (2-for-4) matched his career high with four RBI and Adam Davis (2-for-3) notched season-highs in runs (three) and walks (three) from the leadoff spot. Florida used six different pitchers against the Rattlers, with Edmondson (2-0) proving to be the most effective with a career-high four strikeouts over two scoreless frames.
--UF--
