Mike Zunino To Throw Out First Pitch Before Gators’ Season Opener
Monday, February 9, 2015 | Baseball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Former Gator Mike Zunino, now the starting catcher for the Seattle Mariners, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Friday as No. 5 Florida kicks off its 2015 season against Rhode Island at McKethan Stadium at 7 p.m.
Chosen in the first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft with the third overall pick, Zunino was the recipient of the 2012 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, the Dick Howser Trophy and the Johnny Bench Award after his final collegiate season. He was Florida's “Triple Crown” winner that year in helping the Gators to their third-consecutive NCAA College World Series appearance, leading the team in batting average (.322), RBI (67) and homers (19). The Cape Coral, Fla., native paced the Orange and Blue in total bases (164), doubles (28), sacrifice flies (11) and slugging percentage (.669).
Zunino was first nationally in sacrifice flies, third in doubles, fourth in round-trippers, fifth in total bases, ninth in doubles per game, 10th in RBI and 11th in slugging percentage in the final 2012 NCAA statistics. A two-time, first-team All-SEC recipient and two-time member of the league's All-Defensive Team, the three-year starter registered a .994 fielding percentage in his final campaign, with three errors in 510 chances, and threw out 20 runners who attempted to steal on him.
Zunino became the first Gator catcher to be voted as a first-team All-American twice. He batted .327 in 193 career games, including 188 starts. His total of 17 sacrifice flies is tied for the most by a UF player, he ranks fourth on the school's all-time list in both doubles (58) and homers (47), occupies sixth in slugging percentage (.620) and RBI (175) and rates seventh in total bases (425). Zunino also totaled 224 hits, scored 159 runs, drew 72 walks and was 24-of-30 on stolen-base attempts. His sterling fielding percentage of .995 is second on the school's career chart, as well as his 1,340 putouts. He committed just eight errors in 1,473 total chances. The Gators posted a 147-56 (.724) record over his three seasons, the top three-year performance in the program's existence.
Season tickets and the Complete Game Mini-Plans can be purchased online through GatorZone or by calling the Gator Ticket Office at 1-800-34-GATOR from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For all of the latest information on Florida baseball, log on to GatorZone or follow the team's Twitter account @GatorZoneBB.
