Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The No. 1-ranked Gators baseball team clung to a one-run lead Sunday afternoon when Coach Kevin O'Sullivan made a move that cast a spotlight on the current state of Florida's pitching.

Following a two-out walk by lefty reliever Scott Moss to put runners at first and second in the top of the seventh inning, O'Sullivan summoned right-hander Dane Dunning from the bullpen. The same Dunning who started and earned a victory five days earlier over Florida State with 5 1/3 shutout innings.

Dunning stranded the tying run at second by striking out Missouri's Ryan Howard looking with a 94-mph fastball. In the eighth, once again with the tying run at second, Dunning struck out Brian Sharpe on a 95-mph fastball. Reliever Shaun Anderson took over in the ninth and finished off the Tigers in a 7-5 victory, Florida's 15th win in a row.

The victory clinched the best start in school history as Florida improved to 21-1, surpassing the 20-2 starts of 2011 and 2012, two seasons that ended with trips to the College World Series. The Gators host Florida Atlantic on Tuesday night looking to extend their winning streak.

And pitching dominance.

In the three-game sweep of Missouri to open Southeastern Conference play, Florida pitchers struck out 44 batters in 28 innings. The Gators lead the country in strikeouts behind a weekend starting rotation of Logan Shore, A.J. Puk and Alex Faedo. Shore struck out 10 Tigers on Friday, Puk 11 on Saturday, and Faedo fanned nine in 5 2/3 innings Sunday.
 "I get excited to watch them pitch,'' O'Sullivan said.

Meanwhile, Dunning is 2-0 with a 3.32 ERA in seven appearances, including four starts. He has struck out 29 and walked six in 21 2/3 innings. Dunning could easily be a weekend starter and has been in the past, and perhaps more than anyone else, the 6-foot-3 junior from Fleming Island symbolizes the depth of the Gators' staff.

"He came in in a different role,'' O'Sullivan said. "That can't go unnoticed. He's been starting the whole year … to buckle down and to make some pitches and to reach back on a few fastballs was real special. That's a huge weapon to have in your back pocket on either a Saturday or Sunday."

O'Sullivan has rolled out six starters in the first 22 games, with Shore, Puk and Faedo each starting five games, followed by Dunning's four, freshman Jackson Kowar's two, and one by Moss.

While Shore and Puk opened the season as potential first-round picks in the 2016 MLB amateur draft, Faedo has shown the greatest improvement. A sophomore from Tampa, Faedo is 5-0 with a 2.61 ERA in 31 innings. He has allowed 18 hits, walked just four and leads the club with 45 strikeouts.

He was cruising Sunday through five innings when Missouri's bats came alive in the sixth after Faedo hit Ian Nelson to lead off the inning. The Tigers scored four runs to trim a 6-1 deficit to 6-5 before O'Sullivan turned to the bullpen.

Relievers Kirby Snead, Moss, Dunning and Anderson polished off Florida's 23rd straight home win, one shy of the school record. Faedo is unfazed by the team's 15 consecutive victories, which is the second-longest streak in school history.

"Our team is so talented,'' Faedo said. "We have a really good team chemistry. I'm not surprised by it, honestly, because we're just a good group of core guys and having fun out there."

Florida's only loss came Feb. 27 in a 5-3 setback at Miami. There have been a few close calls, including a 10-inning victory Saturday night in which first baseman Peter Alonso capped with a walk-off RBI single. Still, due to their pitching prowess -- the Gators have allowed five runs or more in just six of their 22 games and have tossed four shutouts -- O'Sullivan hasn't had to reach for the Rolaids too often.

As for the strikeouts, there's no secret what's going on there in O'Sullivan's view.

"It just means we've got really good arms,'' he said. "As impressive, we're not walking guys, either. We're attacking the strike zone. We're making pitches when we need to. You've got to throw the ball across the plate to strike people out. You can't pitch to the edges of the plate regardless of how good your stuff is.

"We're throwing quality pitches early in the count to put ourselves in position to put guys away with strikeouts. And you have to be able to change speeds. That's where you get your strikeouts."

That's what Faedo did Sunday, mixing in his change-up more than usual. Dunning came in throwing heat, relying heavily on his fastball and slider.
It may have been a different role, but one he took on with the same approach.

"It felt really good out there,'' Dunning said. "It's the same mentality as when I start -- just try to go out there and pound strikes."

As impressive as Florida's pitching has been, the closer's role has remained up for grabs. Anderson perhaps changed that with two saves and a win in the three games against Missouri.

"It's funny how things how things work,'' O'Sullivan said. "You're still trying to figure out who's the guy at the end, and you play three games in a weekend and now you're thinking, 'boy, I think we found our guy.' I still feel like we've got multiple guys. Shaun was really, really special this weekend."

The rich keep getting richer.