Gators first baseman Pete Alonso and the dugout reacts to his first-inning home run. (Photo: Madison Schultz for UAA)
Carter's Corner: Gators Get Early Dose of Postseason Magic
Saturday, June 4, 2016 | Baseball, Scott Carter
Florida faces UConn tonight in Gainesville Regional
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Gators opened the door to the NCAA Tournament on Friday night and discovered a bit of magic.
As the tournament's No. 1 overall seed, Florida has enjoyed a charmed existence most of the season. But in the postseason, everything changes. The best teams over the long haul don't always win.
Who had Virginia, a .500 team in its own conference, winning the College World Series last year? Who had a one-legged Kurt Gibson and the Dodgers knocking off the mighty A's in the '88 Series?
That's what makes baseball the unique game it is. One pitch, one swing, one bad hop, one fan reaching over the wall can change the dynamic of a game and a series instantly.
Nothing that dramatic happened in Florida's 9-3 win over Bethune-Cookman on Friday night in the Gainesville Regional, but there was drama.
And it happened early.
In the bottom of the first inning, Gators junior first baseman Peter Alonso stepped to the plate with two outs and JJ Schwarz on base. The first pitch from BCU starter Tyler Norris was a strike. The second bounced off a tall pine tree more than 400 feet away beyond the left-center field wall.
Alonso had not played since he was hit by a pitch and suffered a broken bone in his left hand on May 13. Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan was uncertain of how he would reintroduce Alonso into the lineup early in the week when Alonso was cleared to return for the tournament.
Was it better to ease Alonso back into the batter's box, maybe bat him sixth or seventh? Or should he toss him right back into the cleanup spot and see what Alonso could do?
When Alonso had some quality at-bats during a scrimmage on Wednesday, O'Sullivan knew his answer.
"From that point I had confidence in him, the way he swung the bat against our own pitchers,'' O'Sullivan. "I didn't know he was going to hit two homers. Usually special things happen in the postseason."
Alonso hit another home run in the fourth inning and finished 3-for-4. Alonso's return wasn't the only sign Friday was the Gators' night.
Freshman left fielder Danny Reyes, who entered the lineup at the start of the SEC Tournament and hasn't left, went 2-for-2 with three RBIs, including a two-run triple in the third.
Starter Logan Shore, who had not pitched extensively since the night Alonso was hurt, battled his way through 6 1/3 innings for his 16th consecutive win. He wasn't in prime form, but he displayed the familiar bulldog tenacity Florida fans know well.
"I was OK. I definitely didn't pitch as well as I could of, but I haven't thrown much in three weeks, so I think it's a good steppingstone,'' Shore said. "I thought my stuff was alright."
The Gators jumped to a 6-0 lead to spoil any thoughts of BCU coming in and pulling off an improbable upset. Whether it was Buddy Reed's catch in the first inning to quiet a potential BCU rally, or the bullpen's work, or Reyes continuing to prove he belongs in the lineup, or Alonso's towering home runs, mojo was in Florida's dugout.
"If you are going to win a championship, there's things that have to happen that are kind of special,'' O'Sullivan said. "Danny is one of those stories so far, and getting back Pete and hitting two homers in his first game in regional is another one. You kind of have to have a little magic this time of year."
Florida faces UConn tonight in the winner's bracket. The Huskies have some magic of their own right now, winning 14 of their last 15 games, including an American Athletic Conference Tournament title and Friday's 7-6 victory over Georgia Tech.
A pair of talented left-handers will take the mound, Florida's A.J. Puk and UConn's Anthony Kay, who is 9-2 with a 2.46 ERA. Puk, Reed, Shore and Schwarz were teammates of Kay's last summer on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
The Gators know what they will face.
"He's very competitive. His teammates have a lot of confidence in him,'' O'Sullivan said. "He's got a good arm. He pitches to both sides of the plate. He's got a good pickoff mood. He fields his position fairly well. You don't pitch on the USA Team unless you are one of the elite in the country."
On paper, the Puk-Kay pitching matchup has potential to be special, perhaps even magical.
It is that time of year after all.
As the tournament's No. 1 overall seed, Florida has enjoyed a charmed existence most of the season. But in the postseason, everything changes. The best teams over the long haul don't always win.
Who had Virginia, a .500 team in its own conference, winning the College World Series last year? Who had a one-legged Kurt Gibson and the Dodgers knocking off the mighty A's in the '88 Series?
That's what makes baseball the unique game it is. One pitch, one swing, one bad hop, one fan reaching over the wall can change the dynamic of a game and a series instantly.
Nothing that dramatic happened in Florida's 9-3 win over Bethune-Cookman on Friday night in the Gainesville Regional, but there was drama.
And it happened early.
In the bottom of the first inning, Gators junior first baseman Peter Alonso stepped to the plate with two outs and JJ Schwarz on base. The first pitch from BCU starter Tyler Norris was a strike. The second bounced off a tall pine tree more than 400 feet away beyond the left-center field wall.
Alonso had not played since he was hit by a pitch and suffered a broken bone in his left hand on May 13. Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan was uncertain of how he would reintroduce Alonso into the lineup early in the week when Alonso was cleared to return for the tournament.
Was it better to ease Alonso back into the batter's box, maybe bat him sixth or seventh? Or should he toss him right back into the cleanup spot and see what Alonso could do?
When Alonso had some quality at-bats during a scrimmage on Wednesday, O'Sullivan knew his answer.
"From that point I had confidence in him, the way he swung the bat against our own pitchers,'' O'Sullivan. "I didn't know he was going to hit two homers. Usually special things happen in the postseason."
Alonso hit another home run in the fourth inning and finished 3-for-4. Alonso's return wasn't the only sign Friday was the Gators' night.
Freshman left fielder Danny Reyes, who entered the lineup at the start of the SEC Tournament and hasn't left, went 2-for-2 with three RBIs, including a two-run triple in the third.
Starter Logan Shore, who had not pitched extensively since the night Alonso was hurt, battled his way through 6 1/3 innings for his 16th consecutive win. He wasn't in prime form, but he displayed the familiar bulldog tenacity Florida fans know well.
"I was OK. I definitely didn't pitch as well as I could of, but I haven't thrown much in three weeks, so I think it's a good steppingstone,'' Shore said. "I thought my stuff was alright."
The Gators jumped to a 6-0 lead to spoil any thoughts of BCU coming in and pulling off an improbable upset. Whether it was Buddy Reed's catch in the first inning to quiet a potential BCU rally, or the bullpen's work, or Reyes continuing to prove he belongs in the lineup, or Alonso's towering home runs, mojo was in Florida's dugout.
"If you are going to win a championship, there's things that have to happen that are kind of special,'' O'Sullivan said. "Danny is one of those stories so far, and getting back Pete and hitting two homers in his first game in regional is another one. You kind of have to have a little magic this time of year."
Florida faces UConn tonight in the winner's bracket. The Huskies have some magic of their own right now, winning 14 of their last 15 games, including an American Athletic Conference Tournament title and Friday's 7-6 victory over Georgia Tech.
A pair of talented left-handers will take the mound, Florida's A.J. Puk and UConn's Anthony Kay, who is 9-2 with a 2.46 ERA. Puk, Reed, Shore and Schwarz were teammates of Kay's last summer on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
The Gators know what they will face.
"He's very competitive. His teammates have a lot of confidence in him,'' O'Sullivan said. "He's got a good arm. He pitches to both sides of the plate. He's got a good pickoff mood. He fields his position fairly well. You don't pitch on the USA Team unless you are one of the elite in the country."
On paper, the Puk-Kay pitching matchup has potential to be special, perhaps even magical.
It is that time of year after all.
Players Mentioned
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