No. 4 UF Baseball Visits Eastern Division Rival Tennessee For Weekend Series
Thursday, April 12, 2012 | Baseball
After a 6-3 victory over No. 1 Florida State on Tuesday night, No. 4 Florida (26-7/7-5 SEC) continues its road trip by heading to Lindsey Nelson Stadium for a weekend series against East rival Tennessee (20-13/6-6 SEC). The Vols fell to East Tennessee State on Wednesday night in Johnson City, 4-3. Game times this weekend will be at 6 p.m. on Friday, 3 p.m. on Saturday (live on Fox Sports Florida/SEC-TV) and 2 p.m. on Sunday and all three games can be heard on Country 103.7 The Gator with Jeff Cardozo and Steve Russell.
The Gators have split their four SEC series, sweeping Vanderbilt and taking two of three games at No. 6 South Carolina, while falling twice in the three meetings with No. 16 Ole Miss and No. 7 LSU. The Vols have a 1-3 series record but have posted single victories over No. 18 Georgia, No. 2 Kentucky and No. 10 South Carolina, as well as a sweep of Alabama. UT ended the Wildcats' season-opening 22-game winning streak in the series opener (4-1) and also captured the first matchup with the Gamecocks last Friday (5-4).
In a meeting of right-handers, sophomore Jonathon Crawford (Okeechobee, Fla.) (3-1, 4.37) will face UT junior Zack Godley (4-1, 3.81) in Friday's series opener. Crawford tossed a career-high six scoreless innings and yielded just three hits as the Gators blanked LSU, 7-0, last Friday. Sophomore right-hander Karsten Whitson (Chipley, Fla.) (1-0, 4.70) will oppose Vol senior lefty T.J. Thornton (0-0, 4.26) on Saturday afternoon, while a Gator pitcher to be announced will meet Tennessee sophomore RHP Nick Williams (2-3, 2.02) to wrap up the set.
Florida took all three games from Tennessee in Gainesville from April 1-3, 2011, by scores of 3-0, 11-2 and 9-1. UF's 7-2 beginning to league play matched the 2008 club for the best start in head coach Kevin O'Sullivan's tenure. Florida allowed just three runs in the series and limited the Vols to a .160 (15-for-94) batting average, while hitting .361 (35-for-97) and totaling 23 runs. The Gators have now taken eight of the last nine meetings, including consecutive sweeps in Gainesville. Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) went 3-for-10 (.300) with a team-high five runs in the series and extended his hitting streak to a career-high 17 games. Nolan Fontana (Winter Garden, Fla.) went 6-for-11 (.545) in the series, with a team-high eight RBI, including six on Saturday, while Josh Adams was 6-for-9 (.667) and Austin Maddox (Jacksonville, Fla.) was 5-for-10 (.500) with four RBI and three runs.
In Sunday's finale, the Gators broke open a 1-0 game with three runs in the sixth and five in the seventh to post a 9-1 victory. Whitson picked up his first SEC win with five scoreless innings in which he permitted five hits, registered six strikeouts and issued three walks. Tommy Toledo came in with runners on second and third and none out with UF clinging to a 1-0 lead in the sixth and kept Tennessee off the scoreboard. UF reached double-digits in hits for the third-straight contest, using a 12-hit attack to subdue the Vols. Maddox was 3-for-3 and delivered a bases-loaded two-run single in the seventh, Fontana went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs out of the leadoff spot and Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) went 2-for-4 and scored twice. Fontana went 3-for-4 and matched his career high by driving in six runs as Florida the series with an 11-2 win on Saturday afternoon. Fontana opened the scoring in the fourth with an RBI single, snapped a 2-2 tie with a two-run single in the sixth and had a bases-clearing triple to highlight a seven-run seventh for the Gators, who took the series from the Vols for the third-straight year. Anthony DeSclafani retired all seven batters he faced over 2.2 innings after taking over for Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) with two runners on base and a 2-2 score in the sixth. DeSclafani induced an inning-ending double play and then set down the Vols in order in both the seventh and eighth innings before Keenan Kish (Worcester, Pa.) closed the game with a perfect ninth. After totaling 10 hits in Friday's opener, the Orange and Blue had 13 more hits and limited Tennessee to its season-low total of four hits for the second day in a row. Hudson Randall (Atlanta, Ga.) threw a four-hit shutout on 74 pitches as UF defeated Tennessee, 3-0, in the series opener. In improving his season ledger to 5-0, the righty gave up four singles and had four strikeouts. Randall was supported by a Gator offense that tallied 10 hits, highlighted by a two-run homer by Maddox in the second inning and a 3-for-4 outing by Adams.
In its last trip to Knoxville, Florida split its first two games against Tennessee before notching a decisive win in Sunday's finale that secured its first series success at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in eight years over the weekend of April 9-11, 2010. Alex Panteliodis worked a then-career-high eight innings to lead the Gators to a 4-2 victory in Friday's opener. The left-hander gave up six hits and two runs to pick up the win, while Kevin Chapman collected the save by registering the final three outs. Daniel Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.) drove in a pair of runs and had his first career triple as the Gators kicked off their eight-game road trip with their first series-opening win in Knoxville since April 12, 2002. Behind the strong pitching of Stephen McCray and an opportunistic offense that scored seven runs with two outs, UT evened the series with a 12-4 victory on Saturday. Maddox went 3-for-5 and had his first multiple-homer game with a pair of solo shots in the setback. Randall held Tennessee without a hit until the sixth inning and Florida erupted for a season-high seven runs in the sixth to cruise to a 9-1 victory on Sunday. Over eight innings, Randall limited the Vols to four singles and a run and matched his then-personal-best of six strikeouts. He was supported by an offense that banged out 13 hits, including a season-high seven doubles. Jerico Weitzel (3-for-4, two runs) had a career-high three doubles and Adams jacked a three-run homer in the sixth when the contest was scoreless. Weitzel's effort marked the first time that a Gator had three two-baggers in a game since Jeff Corsaletti accomplished the feat against Nebraska on June 19, 2005, at the NCAA College World Series. Weitzel entered the game with two career doubles. Jonathan Pigott hit .417 (5-for-12) at Tennessee, while Weitzel was 3-for-7 (.429) and Maddox was 5-for-14 (.357).
Series Tidbits
*The Gators hold a 139-77 advantage in the series.
*Florida has faced UT 100 times in Knoxville and has registered 58 wins.
*In the last 21 contests at Tennessee, the Gators hold an 11-10 (.524) advantage and have claimed four of the last seven series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
*UF has captured the last three regular-season series after the Vols had reeled off five-straight series wins.
*Florida is trying for its first back-to-back series wins in Knoxville since winning three in a row in 1998 (W, L, W), 2000 (L, W, W) and 2002 (W, W, L).
*Dating back to 1986, the winner of the opener between the Gators and Vols has gone on to take the regular-season series 23 of 26 times (exceptions: 2000, UF wins last two; 1995, UT wins last two; 1990, UF wins last two).
*The last extra-inning encounter occurred on April 13, 2002, when Florida used a two-run double in the 10th frame by David Klebonis to seize an 8-5 road win.
*Until Hudson Randall's 3-0 gem in game one last year, there had not been a shutout in the series since the Gators blanked the Vols, 7-0, in Knoxville on March 21, 1987.
*The last one-run contest was a 3-2 UF victory in the series opener on March 20, 2009, in Gainesville.
*The last three-game sweep in the series at Tennessee was accomplished by the Vols between May 13-15, 1994 (9-12, 4-10, 1-6). Florida's last road sweep of Vols occurred on May 9-10, 1992 (11-5, 4-2 (8), 8-3). The only times that UF has posted three-consecutive weekend wins at UT came in 1980, 1987, 1989 and 1992.
Gator Bytes
*Head coach Kevin O'Sullivan is 9-3 (.750) against Tennessee, 6-0 (1.000) at McKethan Stadium and 3-3 (.500) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
*Florida occupies the top spot in the Ratings Percentage Index released by the NCAA and the Strength of Schedule ratings compiled by Warren Nolan.
*UF is 13-6 (.684) against ranked teams and 13-1 (.929) versus unranked clubs in 2012. The Orange and Blue is an impressive 9-3 (.750) versus top-10 foes, including 6-1 (.857) on the road.
*The Gators are 8-4 (.667) away from Gainesville this season and are 7-4 (.636) on an opponent's home field.
*Until falling in the rubber game to No. 7 LSU, Florida had not lost back-to-back weekend series since 2008, when it dropped series at South Carolina (W, L, L from May 2-4) and Alabama (L, W, L from May 9-11).
*Florida starting pitchers are 13-2 with a 3.79 ERA and have 127 strikeouts and 31 walks in 147.1 innings.
*The Gator bullpen is 13-5 with 10 saves and a 2.59 ERA this season, with 137 strikeouts and 33 walks in 142.2 innings.
*Florida is 18-3 (.857) at home, 7-4 (.636) on the road and 1-0 (1.000) at neutral sites this season. The Gators have faced No. 8 Miami (FL) (3-0), No. 6 South Carolina (2-1), No. 16 Ole Miss (1-2), North Florida (0-1) and No. 1 Florida State (1-0) in true road games.
*UF has a .296 batting average at opposing parks and its earned run average is 4.44 with three saves.
*Twenty-seven of the club's 45 homers have come at McKethan Stadium.
*Junior Austin Maddox (2-2, 1.91) is 9-for-9 in save opportunities and has 38 strikeouts and seven walks in 33 innings. He had five saves last season and UF's mark for saves in a campaign is 13 by Danny Wheeler in 1994 and Josh Fogg in 1998. Leadoff hitters are 2-for-25 (.080) against Maddox, who is seventh on the school's career list with 14 saves after passing former teammates Billy Bullock (2007-09, 11 saves) and Kevin Chapman (2007-10, 11 saves) against Samford. Connor Falkenbach (2002-05) occupies the sixth spot with 16 saves.
*Florida holds a 224-117 scoring advantage and has out-scored foes, 70-24, over the final three innings.
*Sophomore Daniel Gibson has surrendered two runs in 16.1 innings of work covering 13 appearances. The southpaw has 12 strikeouts and five walks, while holding opponents to a .180 clip.
*Junior outfielder Vickash Ramjit tied for the team lead with a .364 (4-for-11) average against LSU and was 3-for-4 with career highs in RBI (4) and doubles (2) in the series opener. The left fielder is batting a team-best .400 (12-for-30) in SEC action.
*Fifteen of UF's 25 victories have been come-from-behind. Last season, 20 of the Gators' school-record 53 wins came after they were trailing.
*Senior Preston Tucker, who is second on the team with nine homers, joined Matt LaPorta (74, 2004-07) and Brad Wilkerson (55, 1996-98) as the only players at Florida in the 50-HR club with a solo shot in the seventh inning on April 1 at Ole Miss.
*The Gators have clubbed 45 homers in 33 games after totaling 69 HR in 72 games last season and lead the nation in round-trippers. Nine different players have left the yard, led by Zunino (10), Tucker (9), junior Nolan Fontana (7) and freshman Taylor Gushue (5). The Orange and Blue has multiple homers in 15 games and has at least one jack in 23 of 33 contests this season.
*Fontana has already set his career high for homers after having three as a freshman and five as a sophomore. He leads UF in stolen bases by going 7-for-7.
*Florida is batting .320 (107-for-334) with runners in scoring position, as Pigott is 13-for-32 (.406). Opponents are just 55-for-285 (.193).
*Tucker's double in the first inning versus LSU last Saturday was the 60th of his career, one shy of Mark Ellis' school-record total of 61 set between 1996-99.
*Sophomore Jonathon Crawford is 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA in four SEC starts, with 13 strikeouts and six walks in 17.2 innings. He tossed a career-high six scoreless innings in the 7-0 shutout of LSU last Friday, gave up three hits and induced a season-high three double plays turned by UF.
*Sophomore Karsten Whitson started the finale against Tennessee last year and picked up the win with five innings of scoreless ball (5 H, 6 K, 3 BB). The righty made his 2012 SEC starting debut last Saturday versus LSU (1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER).
*Freshman RHP Ryan Harris, who notched his first collegiate victory by retiring all nine Florida State batters he faced over a career-high three innings, has not allowed lefties a hit this year (0-for-9) and has not surrendered a hit with two outs (0-for-12).
*Leading off, Zunino is hitting .565 (13-for-23), freshman Casey Turgeon is 13-for-24 (.542), Tucker is at .483 (14-for-29), Pigott is batting .441 (15-for-34) and Fontana is 21-for-55 (.382).
*The Gators are 13-4 (.765) this year when opponents score first and are 22-1 (.957) when out-hitting their foe.
*After committing one error at FSU, Florida has 27 errors through 33 games for a .978 fielding percentage and has played error-free in 14 contests (12-2).
*The Gators' 26 sacrifice flies, rated second in the most recent NCAA stats, are over halfway to the school's single-season mark of 48 done in 2000. UF had 27 sac flies last year, led by a school-record-tying nine by Fontana.
*Florida's strikeout-to-walk ratio (264 K-65 BB = 4.06) is first in the country, just ahead of Ole Miss (269 K-67 BB = 4.01). In the most recent NCAA stats released on Monday afternoon, SEC teams occupied the top four spots, as LSU (3.65) and Kentucky (3.56) followed the Gators and Rebels.
*With 16 appearances this year, giving him 103 in his career, senior Greg Larson is now tied with Fogg for fourth on the Gators' career chart.
*In SEC games only, Florida is sixth in batting average (.270) and Tennessee is 12th (.239). The Vols are third in pitching with a 3.50 ERA, while the Gators are fifth (3.67). UF's fielding percentage of .980 matches Georgia for the top spot and UT's .975 clip is third.
*Through 12 league outings, the Gators rank first in slugging percentage (.447), total bases (182), runs scored (74), RBI (68), homers (15) and sacrifice flies (8).
*Ramjit is first in slugging percentage (.800), tied for third in both RBI (11) and homers (3) and is fourth in batting average (.400).
*Pigott is second in hits (20), tied for second in runs (13) and is tied for third in total bases (30).
*In two career starts against Tennessee, Randall is 2-0 with a 0.53 ERA, having allowed eight hits and one run over 17 innings. The righty has totaled 10 strikeouts without issuing any walks.
*Among the top Gator hitters against the Vols include: Maddox (.417 (10-for-24) in six games, with five RBI and six runs), Fontana (.364 (8-for-22), with nine RBI and two runs) and Tucker (.333 (10-for-30) in nine games, with five RBI and five runs).
*Tennessee is one of the four SEC teams that Tucker has not homered against, joining Auburn (three games, .333, 5-for-15, six RBI), LSU (13 games, .327, 16-for-49, four RBI) and South Carolina (14 games, .306, 15-for-49, seven RBI).
