Florida Baseball Weekly Report - Week 1
Monday, February 16, 2015 | Baseball
Florida Baseball Weekly Report – Feb. 15, 2015
(Games from Feb. 13-15)
Overall Record: 3-0 (3-0 at home)
SEC Record: 0-0
Record Last Week: 3-0 (3-0 at home)
Streak: Won 3
Last Week's Results (3-0):
Friday, Feb. 13 – Defeated Rhode Island, 9-1
Saturday, Feb. 14 – Defeated Rhode Island, 22-3
Sunday, Feb. 15 – Defeated Rhode Island, 5-1
This Week's Schedule (All Times Eastern)
Tuesday, Feb. 17 – host Florida A&M (1-2/MEAC), McKethan Stadium, 7 p.m. (SEC Network+)
Wednesday, Feb. 18 – at USF (2-1/American Athletic), USF Baseball Stadium, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 20 – host No. 9 Miami (4-0/ACC), McKethan Stadium, 7 p.m. (SEC Network+)
Saturday, Feb. 21 – host No. 9 Miami (4-0/ACC), McKethan Stadium, 7:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Sunday, Feb. 22 – host No. 9 Miami (4-0/ACC), McKethan Stadium, 1 p.m. (SEC Network+)
Team Notes
Florida (3-0) started the 2015 campaign by defeating Rhode Island at McKethan Stadium by scores of 9-1, 22-3 and 6-1…It marked the Gators' first season-opening sweep since 2011…UF batted .340 (36-for-106) over the three games, outscoring the Rams, 37-5, its highest run total in an opening series since 2006 (40 vs. Cincinnati)…The Orange and Blue totaled 16 extra-base hits - nine doubles, six homers and a triple - with 13 walks and 11 hit-by-pitches…Junior outfielder Harrison Bader powered the offense with a .583 (7-for-12) clip and 11 RBI in three games…Five of his seven hits went for extra bases, with three homers and two doubles, and he was 3-for-4 with single-game career bests in total bases (10), RBI (6), runs (4), hits (3) and homers (2) on Saturday…Freshman second baseman Dalton Guthrie began his collegiate career in fine fashion, going 6-for-13 (.462) with four runs and three doubles out of the leadoff spot…Over 27 innings, the Gator pitching staff gave up 18 hits and five runs for a 1.67 earned run average, totaling 25 strikeouts and permitting just four walks…UF used 12 different pitchers in the series and its trio of starters, sophomore RHP Logan Shore, sophomore RHP Dane Dunning and sophomore A.J. Puk, was a combined 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA and registered 13 strikeouts in 14 innings…Guthrie went 4-for-5 out of leadoff spot, with three runs and a pair of doubles, as Florida finished off the sweep on Sunday, 6-1…Junior Aaron Rhodes, senior Bobby Poyner and junior Taylor Lewis combined for 4.1 shutout frames to close the contest…On the strength of a pair of three-run homers and a career-high six RBI byBader, Florida clinched the series with a 22-3 rout on Saturday…Making his first career weekend start, Dunning collected the win while working 4.1 innings on a pre-determined pitch count…Trailing 1-0 in the first, freshman JJ Schwarz bashed a three-run homer to jump-start the hosts' offense…A seven-run explosion in the third, featuring three-run homers by sophomore Ryan Larson and Bader (3-for-4, four runs), as well as an RBI single by freshman Mike Rivera, ballooned the margin to 12-2…After a solo homer by URI in the top of the sixth, the Gators countered with nine more runs on seven hits in the bottom of the frame…Freshman Christian Hicks had two-run, pinch-hit double, freshman Taylor Lane had a pinch-hit RBI single, Bader cranked a three-run blast to left center, junior Mike Fahrman (2-for-2) had a pinch-hit RBI single and sophomore John Sternagel roped a two-run triple into right center…In the eighth, Sternagel drew a bases-loaded walk to complete the scoring, as the Gators plated their most runs since a 2013 win over Florida A&M…Shore hurled five scoreless innings on Friday night as Florida posted a 9-1 victory…The Gator pitching staff registered nine strikeouts with zero walks and Bader was 2-for-4 with three RBI…Three freshmen started on Opening Night: Guthrie (2B), Rivera (C) and Schwarz (DH) and the Gators used a total of seven freshmen in game one, also using RF Logan Browning, RHP Alex Faedo, Hicks and C Mark Kolozsvary…The Gators have five games against Sunshine State opponents this week, hosting Florida A&M (1-2) on Tuesday, traveling to USF (2-1) on Wednesday and then welcoming No. 9 Miami (4-0) to town over the weekend.
Top Performers Last Week
Harrison Bader, Junior, OF, Bronxville, N.Y.
*Batted a team-best .583 (7-for-12) with 11 RBI, five runs, three homers and two doubles as Florida swept its opening series for the first time since 2011
*Had multiple hits and multiple RBI in all three games of the weekend, to go along with a 1.500 slugging percentage and a couple of outfield assists
*Went 2-for-4 with three RBI on Opening Night, with a two-out RBI single in the first inning and a two-run homer in the fifth inning
*Belted a pair of three-run homers on Saturday for a career-high six RBI and became the first Gator with two homers in a game since Zack Powers (2/17/13 against Duke)
*Bader finished game two 3-for-4 and scored a career-high four runs, the first UF player to do so since Mike Zunino (5/21/11 against Kentucky)
*His 10 total bases were the most by a Gator since Tyler Thompson had 14 against Florida Atlantic on June 6, 2010
*Opened the scoring in the finale with an RBI double in the first inning and chipped in with a run-scoring single in the sixth inning as part of a 2-for-4 effort
*In 103 career games entering the season, Bader had three home runs – a total he matched in the first two games of the year
Dalton Guthrie, Freshman, 2B, Sarasota, FL
*Made collegiate debut in impressive fashion over the weekend, starting all three games at second base and batting out of the leadoff spot
*Went 6-for-13 (.462) with four runs, three doubles, an on-base percentage of .500 and at least one hit in each outing
*Helped Florida complete the sweep of Rhode Island by going 4-for-5 with three runs and a pair of doubles on Sunday afternoon
*Started UF's first inning with a single, stole second for his first career theft and scored the game's opening run
*Collected his first career RBI with a double in the sixth inning and later added another two-bagger in the eighth
*Became the first Gator second baseman since Adam Davis in 2005 to hit leadoff on Opening Night and went 1-for-5
Ryan Larson, Sophomore, OF, Orlando, FL
*Started the first two games in right field and was 3-for-4 (.750) during the series
*Totaled a career-high four RBI and belted his first career homer on Saturday with a three-run jack
*Went 2-for-3 in that contest and also stole a base
*Singled, walked and scored in Friday's 9-1 win
A.J. Puk, Sophomore, LHP/1B, Cedar Rapids, IA
*Gators' dual threat started the first two games of the series at first base and drew the start on Sunday
*Hit .400 (2-for-5), scored twice and drew a walk
*Picked up the win on Sunday by allowing one run and totaling four strikeouts
Mike Rivera, Freshman, C, Venice, FL
*Started all three games for the Gators, two at catcher (Friday & Sunday) and one at designated hitter (Saturday)
*First Florida freshman to start behind the plate on Opening Night since Mike Zunino in 2010
*Batted .375 (3-for-8) with four runs, three HBP and two RBI
*Threw out three of four base-runners attempting to steal on him
*Had a sacrifice fly in the season opener and scored a run
*Went 2-for-3 on Saturday, with an RBI single in the third inning, a base-hit in the sixth and also scored three runs
JJ Schwarz, Freshman, C, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
*Started all three games for the Gators, two at designated hitter (Friday & Sunday) and one at catcher (Saturday)
*Jump-started Florida's offense on Saturday with a three-run homer in the first inning after the Rams had taken a 1-0 lead
*Doubled down the right-field line for his first collegiate hit in the fifth inning on Friday night and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mike Rivera
Logan Shore, Sophomore, RHP, Coon Rapids, MN
*Tossed five shutout innings to lift the Gators to the victory on Opening Night
*Notched four strikeouts without issuing any walks
*Has worked at least five innings every start of his collegiate career
