UF starter Alex Faedo has visions of a return trip to Omaha as he enters his final home start for the Gators. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Faedo Out To Finish with Flourish at home
Friday, June 9, 2017 | Baseball, Scott Carter
The UF junior takes the mound Saturday in Game 1 against Wake Forest in the Gainesville Super Regional
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Over the past three seasons, he's done it 45 times. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, Gators right-hander Alex Faedo is easy to spot when he exits the dugout and heads for the mound.
The No. 21 jersey, the dark hair, the wide shoulders and lanky frame. Oh, and that intense expression.
"He is such a competitor," teammate Dalton Guthrie said.
Faedo has been a staple of Florida's starting rotation for three seasons, pitching on Sundays as a freshman and sophomore, and as the team's veteran starter this season, the Friday night guy as a junior.
The go-to guy when it really counts, such as Game 1 of the Gainesville Super Regional against Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon at McKethan Stadium, which will be the 46th start of Faedo's college career.
And last in front of the home fans.
Faedo is projected to go in the first round of the MLB amateur draft, which starts Monday, the same day as a potential Game 3 in the super regional.
While others may have concentration issues in such circumstances, Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan has no concerns about Faedo being distracted with a berth to the College World Series at stake.
"He's always won,'' O'Sullivan said. "And I think the thing that separates Alex from maybe most people in his position, is he's been able to handle all the expectations in the draft. He's been awesome."
Faedo was pegged as a first-rounder by the end of his sophomore season. He finished 13-3 and struck out 133 in 104 2/3 innings, helping the Gators advance to Omaha for the second consecutive season.
For the past year, he has pitched in front of scouts armed with radar guns and notepads, scrutinizing his every pitch. Faedo took business-like approach to the process and focused on pitching well, helping the Gators win, and working on ways to improve.
The approach worked.
"I wanted to be in a situation to go to Omaha and I think we're in that situation,'' he said. "As of right now, I think this has been a successful year. You've got no control over what happens [in the draft]. You're not pitching for them. You're pitching to win the game for the team and go to Omaha. That's the ultimate goal the whole year."
Faedo is 7-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 16 starts. He has struck out 123, walked 34 and allowed 85 hits in 103 1/3 innings. If the Gators keep advancing in the postseason, he could make a couple of starts in Omaha to cap his career.
First, he is interested in pitching well Saturday against a Demon Deacons lineup that leads the country with 100 home runs. It's Faedo's final start before Monday's draft.
"I don't think one game is going to decide any of that,'' Faedo said. "The biggest thing is getting the W, that's it."
Typical Faedo, the son of a coach and usually understated when talking about himself. He was a future star in O'Sullivan's eyes the first time he saw him pitch for Alonso High in Tampa.
Faedo had a fastball in the 90s and a wicked slider, plenty good enough to retire most prep hitters. Once he got to Florida, he began to work on a change-up.
"The summer going into his senior year he was outstanding,'' O'Sullivan said. "That's why he pitched on the weekend as a freshman. I did know he was going to be this good. It was just a matter of time."
In his last start on Saturday against USF in the regional, Faedo allowed only four hits over seven innings and struck out 10. O'Sullivan was impressed at Faedo's outing in the heart of the postseason.
"I think that speaks for his character and the kind of kid he is,'' O'Sullivan said. "He just always seems to rise to the occasion. Last time out was the best he's pitched all year long in my opinion. He was 94-95 [mph], his slider was 87-88, it was on point to both sides of the plate. His change-up was the best it's been since he's been here. He rose to the occasion. He's got that ability."
Faedo received recognition for his work when he was named a second-team All-American by Baseball America on Thursday. Faedo carries a 26-6 career record into his start against Wake Forest.
He is ready for his final test in the ballpark he's called home the past three years.
"It should be fun,'' Faedo said. "I'm always excited to pitch. I was excited for last week because I knew they [USF] could swing it, and I'm excited to pitch against Wake, too, because I heard they can swing it."
Faedo said he learned from former Gators pitcher Logan Shore how to approach big moments like these. Shore was Florida's No. 1 starter for three consecutive seasons. Faedo was a teammate for two of those.
Shore was all business when it was his turn in the rotation. Faedo watched and took notes, quickly noticing how deep into games Shore usually went to set the tone.
"I feel like if I don't put a great effort toward the first game of the series, I can tell the series doesn't go the way we want as a team,'' he said. "I feel that whenever I put the team in a good chance to win the first game, then usually we win the series or sweep."
Faedo will try to do it one more time at McKethan Stadium.
The No. 21 jersey, the dark hair, the wide shoulders and lanky frame. Oh, and that intense expression.
"He is such a competitor," teammate Dalton Guthrie said.
Faedo has been a staple of Florida's starting rotation for three seasons, pitching on Sundays as a freshman and sophomore, and as the team's veteran starter this season, the Friday night guy as a junior.
The go-to guy when it really counts, such as Game 1 of the Gainesville Super Regional against Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon at McKethan Stadium, which will be the 46th start of Faedo's college career.
And last in front of the home fans.
Faedo is projected to go in the first round of the MLB amateur draft, which starts Monday, the same day as a potential Game 3 in the super regional.
While others may have concentration issues in such circumstances, Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan has no concerns about Faedo being distracted with a berth to the College World Series at stake.
"He's always won,'' O'Sullivan said. "And I think the thing that separates Alex from maybe most people in his position, is he's been able to handle all the expectations in the draft. He's been awesome."
Faedo was pegged as a first-rounder by the end of his sophomore season. He finished 13-3 and struck out 133 in 104 2/3 innings, helping the Gators advance to Omaha for the second consecutive season.
For the past year, he has pitched in front of scouts armed with radar guns and notepads, scrutinizing his every pitch. Faedo took business-like approach to the process and focused on pitching well, helping the Gators win, and working on ways to improve.
The approach worked.
"I wanted to be in a situation to go to Omaha and I think we're in that situation,'' he said. "As of right now, I think this has been a successful year. You've got no control over what happens [in the draft]. You're not pitching for them. You're pitching to win the game for the team and go to Omaha. That's the ultimate goal the whole year."
Faedo is 7-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 16 starts. He has struck out 123, walked 34 and allowed 85 hits in 103 1/3 innings. If the Gators keep advancing in the postseason, he could make a couple of starts in Omaha to cap his career.
First, he is interested in pitching well Saturday against a Demon Deacons lineup that leads the country with 100 home runs. It's Faedo's final start before Monday's draft.
"I don't think one game is going to decide any of that,'' Faedo said. "The biggest thing is getting the W, that's it."
Typical Faedo, the son of a coach and usually understated when talking about himself. He was a future star in O'Sullivan's eyes the first time he saw him pitch for Alonso High in Tampa.
Faedo had a fastball in the 90s and a wicked slider, plenty good enough to retire most prep hitters. Once he got to Florida, he began to work on a change-up.
"The summer going into his senior year he was outstanding,'' O'Sullivan said. "That's why he pitched on the weekend as a freshman. I did know he was going to be this good. It was just a matter of time."
In his last start on Saturday against USF in the regional, Faedo allowed only four hits over seven innings and struck out 10. O'Sullivan was impressed at Faedo's outing in the heart of the postseason.
"I think that speaks for his character and the kind of kid he is,'' O'Sullivan said. "He just always seems to rise to the occasion. Last time out was the best he's pitched all year long in my opinion. He was 94-95 [mph], his slider was 87-88, it was on point to both sides of the plate. His change-up was the best it's been since he's been here. He rose to the occasion. He's got that ability."
Faedo received recognition for his work when he was named a second-team All-American by Baseball America on Thursday. Faedo carries a 26-6 career record into his start against Wake Forest.
He is ready for his final test in the ballpark he's called home the past three years.
"It should be fun,'' Faedo said. "I'm always excited to pitch. I was excited for last week because I knew they [USF] could swing it, and I'm excited to pitch against Wake, too, because I heard they can swing it."
Faedo said he learned from former Gators pitcher Logan Shore how to approach big moments like these. Shore was Florida's No. 1 starter for three consecutive seasons. Faedo was a teammate for two of those.
Shore was all business when it was his turn in the rotation. Faedo watched and took notes, quickly noticing how deep into games Shore usually went to set the tone.
"I feel like if I don't put a great effort toward the first game of the series, I can tell the series doesn't go the way we want as a team,'' he said. "I feel that whenever I put the team in a good chance to win the first game, then usually we win the series or sweep."
Faedo will try to do it one more time at McKethan Stadium.
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