No. 10 Florida Faces No. 21 South Carolina at McKethan Stadium in Pivotal SEC Series
Thursday, April 9, 2015 | Baseball
Florida vs. South Carolina Series Notes
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 10 Florida (25-9) welcomes SEC Eastern Division rival No. 21 South Carolina (23-11) to McKethan Stadium in another key league series. Both the Gators and Gamecocks are 6-6 in conference action and this weekend marks the halfway point of the SEC schedule. In mid-week action, UF overpowered Stetson, 22-2, while USC defeated Appalachian State (11-1) and The Citadel (4-2).
In a matchup of sophomore right-handers, Logan Shore (5-2, 1.76) will face Gamecock hurler Wil Crowe (3-3, 4.02) in Friday's series opener at 7 p.m., a Gator pitcher to be announced will oppose USC junior left-hander Jack Wynkoop (4-3, 2.19) in game two of the series on Saturday at 6 p.m. and neither club has announced a starter for Sunday's finale at 12 p.m.
All three games of the weekend series can be heard through GatorZone.com and on the Gator IMG Sports Network with the combination of Jeff Cardozo, Mick Hubert and Steve Russell. Friday's series opener will be carried on SEC Network+ with Nick Belmonte and Mick Hubert through participating TV providers only through WatchESPN and both Saturday and Sunday's games will be carried on the SEC Network with Gabe Gross and Tom Hart and viewed through WatchESPN. Live stats for each game will be available on GatorZone.com and fans can also follow updates of each game on @GatorZoneBB, the official Twitter account of the Gator baseball team.
QUICK HITS ABOUT THE GATORS
- Florida is 20-3 (.870) in the friendly confines of McKethan Stadium and is 5-6 (.455) away from Gainesville so far this spring.
- The Orange and Blue is 23-0 when out-hitting their opponent and is 19-2 (.905) when scoring first this season.
- The Gators have split their four SEC series, all by 2-1 margins, defeating Tennessee and Alabama at home but falling to Ole Miss and Missouri on the road.
- Freshman C/DH JJ Schwarz (.304, 40 RBI, 9 HR) set a school record and tied the SEC single-game mark with four homers on Tuesday against Stetson. He totaled 10 RBI, second-most by a Gator, and established a new standard with 18 total bases. Schwarz homered in the second (two-run), third (two-run), fourth (three-run) and the seventh (solo), and added a two-run double in the eighth.
- UF has ripped 34 homers in 34 games, surpassing last season's total of 26 round-trippers in 63 contests.
- Freshman 2B Dalton Guthrie (.318, 31 runs, 11 doubles) led off against the Hatters with his first career homer and added a solo shot in the fifth inning.
- The Orange and Blue leads the nation in fielding percentage (.984) and has played error-free in 18 of 34 contests this spring for a 15-3 (.833) mark.
- Sophomore first baseman Peter Alonso returned to the lineup last Friday night after missing the first 30 games of the year with a foot injury and went 2-for-4 with a two-run double in Florida's 5-1 win.
- Sophomore righty Logan Shore (5-2, 1.76) worked eight strong innings and retired the final 13 hitters he faced and the Gators used three runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to subdue Missouri in the opener of the weekend action.
- Last Friday night's triumph marked the first time in the Gators' four SEC series this spring that they emerged victorious in game one.
- Junior right-hander Taylor Lewis (1-1, 2.41) has six of the club's nine saves and has made a team-high 15 appearances, spanning 18.2 innings.
- Senior 3B Josh Tobias paces the Gators with a .398 overall average and is hitting .382 (13-for-34) in nine league contests.
- The freshman duo of Mike Rivera (.293, 23 RBI, 17 runs) and Schwarz has handled the catching duties for the Gators.
- Junior SS Richie Martin (.291, 33 runs, 18 RBI) has reached base in 11 straight games, the longest stretch by a UF player.
- The Gators are batting .327 as a team in home games and have out-scored opponents, 168-68. Bader (.429, 30 RBI), Tobias (.389, 12 RBI) and Schwarz (.378, 28 RBI) lead the offense, while freshman RHP Alex Faedo is 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA, Shore is 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA and sophomore righty Dane Dunning is 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA on their own turf.
- Martin (11-for-14) and Reed (11-for-16) are the Gators' top threats on the basepaths and the team is 47-of-65 (.723) in stolen base attempts.
- According to the most recent SEC statistics, Florida ranks No. 1 in fielding percentage (.984), No. 5 in team batting average (.302) and No. 6 in team ERA (3.41).
- Schwarz is first in the league in RBI (40) and tied for second in home runs (9), Tobias is second in batting average (.398) and fourth in slugging percentage (.663), while Bader is third in slugging (.682), tied for second in both RBI (37) and home runs (9).
SERIES NUGGETS
South Carolina holds a 43-38 (.531) advantage in the all-time series, but Florida has a 20-13 (.606) edge versus the Gamecocks in Gainesville. Florida claimed three of the four meetings last season (two out of three in Columbia and at the 2014 SEC Tournament) and has captured five of the last six regular-season series between the SEC East rivals (3-0 in 2009, 2-1 in 2010, 1-2 in 2011, 2-1 in 2012, 3-0 in 2013, 2-1 in 2014). UF is seeking its fourth consecutive series triumph over USC.
Kevin O'Sullivan is 16-11 (.593) against South Carolina, 7-2 (.778) in Gainesville, 7-5 (.583) in Columbia, 2-1 (.667) at the SEC Tourney and 0-3 (.000) at the NCAA Tourney (all in Omaha).
TICKETS
Single-game tickets, 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.
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
Friday, April 10 at 7 p.m.
- Presenting sponsor: Pavilion
- Food Truck Rally
- Several local food trucks will be in attendance selling food throughout the game. The first 200 students who show their ID cards at the marketing table down the left-field line receive a voucher good for discounted food truck item.
- Trucks will be open through entire game and include:
- Go Go Stuff Yourself
- Soup To Nuts
- Kona Ice
- Baseball Jersey Shirt Giveaway
- The first 500 fans in attendance receive a Florida Baseball replica jersey shirt.
- Pepsi Family Night
- Families can purchase 4 general admission tickets, 4 hot dogs, and 4 sodas for only $20.
- Rowdy Reptile Rewards Check-In
- UF students that check-in at the game receive 3 points towards their Rowdy Reptile Rewards points.
- Gator Booster Night
- All Gator Booster members with valid ID receive 2-for-1 reserved bleacher seating.
Saturday, April 11 at 6 p.m.
- Presenting sponsor: Gator Dugout Club
- All About That Base Tank Tops
- The first 250 students in attendance will receive an "All About That Base" Tank top up on Dizney Plaza.
- Seniors Night
- Fans, 55 and older, with valid ID receive 2-for-1 reserved bleacher seating.
- Military/First Responder Appreciation Night
- Military members, veterans and first responders with valid ID receive 2-for-1 reserved bleacher seating.
Sunday, April 12 at 12 p.m.
- Presenting sponsor: Domino's
- Saluting Those Who Serve Game
Military members, veterans, first responders and their families receive free general admission into the game. - Community National Anthem
Prior to the game, all veterans, first responders and military members can take the field with the Gators during the National Anthem. - American Flag Giveaway
First 250 fans receive miniature American flags
- Kids Korner
Coloring station with special themed items. - Family Sunday
All general admission tickets, popcorn, and 12 oz. sodas are $1. - The 10th Inning
Immediately following the game, Gator players will be available to sign autographs in Autograph Alley.
