Florida Baseball Weekly Report -- March 22, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015 | Baseball
Florida Baseball Weekly Report -- March 22?, 2015
(Games from March 17-21)
Overall Record: 20-5 (17-2 at home, 2-3 on road, 1-0 neutral)
SEC Record: 3-3
Record Last Week: 2-2 (1-0 at home, 1-2 on road)
Streak: Won 1
Last Week's Results (2-2):
Tuesday, March 17 – Defeated No. 11 Florida State, 14-8
Friday, March 20 – Lost to Ole Miss, 4-1
Saturday, March 21 (Game 1) – Lost to Ole Miss, 5-2
Saturday, March 21 (Game 2) – Defeated Ole Miss, 8-4
This Week's Schedule (All Times Eastern)
Tuesday, March 24 – at Stetson (14-11, 0-0/A-Sun), Conrad Park, 6:30 p.m. (GatorVision/HatterVision)
Thursday, March 26 – host Alabama (14-8, 4-2/SEC), McKethan Stadium, 7:00 p.m. (SEC Network)
Friday, March 27 – host Alabama (14-8, 4-2/SEC), McKethan Stadium, 7:00 p.m. (SEC Network+)
Saturday, March 28 – host Alabama (14-8, 4-2/SEC), McKethan Stadium, 1:00 p.m. (SEC Network +)
Top Performers of the Week:
Mike Rivera, Freshman, Catcher/Designated Hitter, 5-10, 205, Venice, Fla.
· Led Florida at the plate the last week with a .471 clip (8-for-17), two doubles and team-best six RBI, a .588 slugging percentage and .471 OBP, both tops for the Gators
· Was UF's leader at the dish in the Gators' win over No. 11 Florida State with a 3-for-5 performance, two runs and one RBI in the St. Patrick's Day affair, where Florida's freshman class accounted for nine of 16 hits on the night
· Has a four-game hit streak going through the last week, and has at least one RBI in four straight games
· Helped UF to a win over Ole Miss in the series finale in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader with a career-best three RBI
· Gunned down his team-leading seventh base runner at Ole Miss Saturday night and ranks tied for fifth in conference play with his five RBI in SEC play
Dalton Guthrie, Freshman, Second Base, 5-11, 170, Sarasota, Fla.
· UF's leadoff hitter, ranked third for the Gators with his .353 batting average this week with two doubles, three RBI and a team-high three walks for UF
· Leads the Gators this season with 12 multiple-hit games, while his 11 two-baggers rank first in the SEC
· Behind Rivera, had Florida's second-best on-base percentage (.450) and hits (6) in the last four games
· Was 3-for-5 for with one run and a career-high three RBI in UF's series-finale victory at Ole Miss
· Tied a career-high six AB against FSU and had two of the freshman class' nine hits against the Seminoles
· Ranks first for UF with 38 hits this season, including a team-high 11 doubles, and third in batting average (.342); 38 hits rank third among league players
Buddy Reed, Sophomore, Center Field, 6-3, 200, Finksburg, Md.
· Extended his career-best 12-game hit streak with a base hit in is final at-bat (1-for-4) in UF's series finale at Ole Miss
· Went 4-for-13 (.308) at the plate against Ole Miss after sitting out the Gators' mid-week tilt vs. No. 11 FSU and had one of Florida's three hits in the series opener with the Rebels
· Ranks second for the Gators this season with 29 hits, while his two triples in SEC play are tops in the conference
Jeremy Vasquez, Freshman, Right Field/First Base, 5-11, 205, Palm City, Fla.
· Has started UF's last five games and hit .333 last week against FSU and Ole Miss
· Knocked a team-best three doubles on the week and ranked second with his .533 slugging percentage
· Swiped his first career stolen base against Ole Miss
Bobby Poyner, Senior, Left-Hander, 6-0, 205, Wellington, Fla.
· Came on for 3.1 innings of scoreless relief in UF's series finale against Ole Miss to pick up his first win of the season (1-1) and bring Florida to an even 3-3 in league play
· Fanned a team-high six Rebel batters Saturday, one shy of his career-high seven
· Now has the third-most appearances on the season for the Gators (8) and owns a 2.73 ERA, so far the best in his four-year career at Florida
Team Notes
Florida (20-5, 3-3 SEC) went 2-2 in the last week of play, started by a mid-week 14-8 victory in the first of three scheduled meetings with No. 11 Florida State March 17… Following the four-game week, UF has six double-digit run outputs, while the pitching staff has seven double-digit strikeout performances… The Gators put up 16 hits against FSU, their second-most this season, as the freshman class contributed nine to the tally, led by freshman catcher/designated hitter Mike Rivera's 3-for-5, two runs, one-RBI performance… Rivera led Florida at the plate the last week with a .471 clip (8-for-17), two doubles and team-best six RBI, a .588 slugging percentage and .471 OBP, all tops for the Gators… Florida's pitching staff combined for a season-tying 12 strikeouts against the Noles, while the offense helped with eight extra-base hits (5 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR) as UF put up its most runs against FSU since 2007… The Gators have now won five straight against the Seminoles and have claimed eight of the last 10 meetings… UF then hit the road for its first conference road swing in Oxford, Miss., at Ole Miss… The Rebels used 4-1 and 5-2 victories to win the series Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, respectively… Florida's freshmen shined again in Friday's series opener at Swayze Field, with Rivera and freshman first baseman Jeremy Vasquez accounting for two of Florida's three hits… The Gators salvaged the series in the second game of a weather-induced doubleheader Saturday night with a 12-hit, 8-4 win, combining their Friday and Saturday afternoon hit total… Florida's 12 hits gave the Gators double-digit hits in half of its SEC games so far this season and in seven of its last 10 games… Florida ended the week with one career-best hit streak in tact for sophomore centerfielder Buddy Reed, who made it 12 straight games with a hit, preserving the streak on his last at-bat in the series finale at Ole Miss (1-for-4)… Rivera, who knocked in a career-high three RBI Saturday, has strung together a four-game hit streak, one shy of his career-best five game strand… Rivera has had at least one RBI in each of UF's last four games… Freshman second baseman Dalton Guthrie paved the way offensively for UF in the win at Ole Miss with a 3-for-5 night and a career-high three RBI… Florida hit .277 as a team last week, paced by Rivera's .471 clip, and tallied 10 doubles, two triples and a homer… On the hill, Florida's pitching staff registered a 3.71 ERA… Florida used seven arms during the victory against FSU and sophomore righty Mike Vinson (1.50 ERA) picked up the win to improve to 2-0 on the season… Sophomore right-hander Dane Dunning twirled the first 4.1 innings in UF's win at Ole Miss and fanned a career-tying five Rebels before senior lefty Bobby Poyner came on for the next 3.1 innings of scoreless relief to pick up his first win this season (1-1), including six strikeouts… Dunning and Poyner again combined for 12 Ks, the Gators' most in conference play so far in 2015… Sophomore RHP Logan Shore (4-2, 2.17 ERA) and sophomore left-hander A.J. Puk (4-2, 4.72 ERA) shouldered Florida's Friday and Saturday losses at Ole Miss, respectively.
