Some final thoughts on Gators' early exit in Omaha
Thursday, June 21, 2012 | Baseball, Women's Basketball, Scott Carter
The Gators' stay in Omaha came to an end Monday with a 5-4 loss to Kent State.
The emails came pouring in after the Gators failed to stay in Omaha as long as most expected.
It was not the way the Florida baseball team wanted its trip to the College World Series to end. After last year's runner-up finish, the Gators were the No. 1 overall seed and looked primed to make a run at the program's first national championship.
Instead, back-to-back losses to South Carolina and Kent State forced the Gators to pack for home.
“I've been able to make it out here three times and all three times I've been just as disappointed,'' said Gators junior catcher Mike Zunino. “It's one of those things where you don't want it to end.”
Gator fans obviously felt the same way as Zunino.
So, let's get to those emails.
As is usually the case, when a team as talented and highly touted as this year's Gators baseball team comes up short, the immediate reaction ranges from rage to disgust to disbelief among fans and media.
We see it time and time again – LeBron James knows what I'm talking about – but perhaps more in college sports because of the close connection and passion of the fan bases to the schools they support.
In the dozens of emails and blog comments I received in the wake of the Gators' disappointing showing in Omaha, a few prevalent themes emerged. Here are the most common:
--The Gators showed up in Omaha and expected to breeze to the title: I don't think this was the case at all. The bulk of this year's team had been to Omaha twice already and knew that to win the CWS you have to play your best baseball from start to finish. They didn't do that and it cost them.
--The players drafted had already checked out mentally and were looking ahead: Again, I don't see this as being a factor in what transpired in Omaha. Having a chance to observe the team on and off the field during the trip, they arrived in town on a mission. This was a very professional-acting ballclub for a bunch of college players. They looked all-business in their approach.
--Gators coach Kevin O'Sullivan blew it by using Brian Johnson in Game 1 instead of Hudson Randall: Personally, I have no problem with Johnson starting Game 1 against the Gamecocks no more now than I did on Saturday. Johnson is a No. 1 draft pick who was 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA against South Carolina this season. Did he have an off night? Yes. Was it bad decision to go with him over Randall? No. I can think of 350 Division I coaches who would love to have a No. 1 draft pick to send to the mound in the opening game of the CWS.
--O'Sullivan kept Johnson in the game too long against South Carolina: This is one of those where hindsight is 20/20. There was some surprise when O'Sullivan, who specializes in management of the pitching staff and has drawn rave reviews for his work with UF pitchers over the years, left Johnson in to face South Carolina's Erik Payne with the bases loaded. But it was a sound baseball decision that a lot of coaches would have made under the same circumstances. Johnson is a fly ball pitcher, so if he could have gotten Payne to fly out or pop out, then left-handed hitter LB Dantzler was up next against the left-handed Johnson. Of course it didn't work out that way and the Gamecocks scored five runs in the inning.
--The Gators need to change directions after three consecutive trips to the CWS without a title: Yes, I actually received a couple of emails along these lines. They are laughable if you ask me. Consider this: Florida fielded 93 baseball teams prior to the 2008 season and five of them made it to the CWS. Since the 2008 season, the Gators have been to Omaha three times in five years. O'Sullivan's winning percentage over that time (.686, 223-102) is the best in school history for any coach who manned the dugout for 12 games or more. In 1917, Hugh Wicher posted an 8-3 record (.727 win percentage) during his brief stint as head coach.
--Bottom line: There is no sugarcoating the fact Florida underachieved in Omaha based on expectations. The Gators had the talent to win their first CWS. However, no game reduces an edge in talent more than baseball. Think South Carolina center fielder Evan Marzilli's great catch on Saturday. Think about Justin Shafer's bouncing ball up the middle that deflected off the glove of Kent State pitcher Ryan Bores and ended up a 1-4-6-3 double play on Monday. The Gators didn't get any breaks. They also weren't very sharp at their own game – pitching, defense and timely hitting – and quite frankly looked uptight in the two games. The win-it-all-or-bust mentality may have caught up to them finally when they stepped onto the field at TD Ameritrade Park and realized how close they were. You've got to have some fun, too, and the Gators didn't look like they were having as much fun as they should have been while in Omaha. Regardless, this was a special group of players and they elevated the UF baseball program to another level during their time here.
