Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Jeff Cardozo is better known these days as the radio analyst for the Florida baseball team and ubiquitous local pitchman, whether as host of his weekday radio show "The Tailgate" or on TV stations throughout North Central Florida.

Regardless of which hat he is wearing -- Cardozo's day job is managing Gainesville's Ironwood Golf Course -- his passion for the UF baseball program is never far from reach. Cardozo pitched for the Gators from 1997-2000 and if you listen to his broadcasts, the former right-hander had the nastiest stuff this side of Nolan Ryan.

While Cardozo isn't shy about poking fun at himself on air, he is very serious about his affection for the 1998 Gators that became the first team in school history to earn the No. 1 overall seed at the College World Series. The '98 Gators featured future big leaguers Brad Wilkerson, Josh Fogg, Mark Ellis and David Ross. They were coached by Andy Lopez, a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

"It was a special team and a collection of special guys who have remained close over the years,'' Cardozo said.

Cardozo's devotion to one of the best teams in UF history remains strong, which prompted him and others to spearhead a 20-year reunion weekend that opened Friday morning with the group gathering at Ironwood for a round of golf and endless rounds of stories.

Cardozo invited several members of the team onto his radio show Thursday afternoon for a trip down memory lane, including Ross, now an ESPN baseball analyst who gained fame in recent years as the lovable veteran of World Series-winning teams in Boston and Chicago.

"I remember that year and the resiliency of that team,'' Ross said. "That was one of my better years. I think that might be the highest I ever batted my whole career. That team was so much fun. Two or three of our best players didn't even get drafted. We had just a star-studded lineup."
 

Led by National Player of the Year Brad Wilkerson, the Gators took fans for a memorable ride all the way to Omaha, where despite scoring 23 runs in two games, they were two-and-done at Rosenblatt Stadium following a 14-13 loss to Mississippi State and 12-10 defeat to eventual national champion Southern Cal. USC defeated Arizona State, 21-14, in the title game in what is now known in college baseball history as the gorilla ball era.

To advance to the CWS, the Gators won one of the most memorable games in school history, coming back three times to defeat Illinois, 7-6, in 11 innings in the regional championship at McKethan Stadium. Derek Nicholson's bases-loaded single in the 11th scored Wilkerson with the game-winning run.

"It kind of sunk in when I was in the pile that we're going to Omaha,'' Nicholson said at the time. "There it is, a dream come true."

Ross, who went on to play 15 years in the majors, forced extra innings with an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth. Ellis was named regional MVP by going 14-for-28 with 10 RBIs to help UF earn the No. 1 overall seed in Omaha ahead of No. 2 Miami and No. 3 Florida State.

Lopez, in his third season and with one trip to Omaha (1996) already in the books at UF, basked in the moment.

"When they hired me, the administration told me they wanted to start competing with Miami and Florida State – not just in our state, but also in Omaha,'' he told reporters afterward.

While Wilkerson (10-5, 4.98 ERA) and Fogg (7-2, 2.03, 13 saves) starred on the mound, the Gators were a team built for the era. The '98 team remains the school-record holder in home runs (132), doubles (159), slugging percentage (.591) and total bases (1,353), and second in batting average (.332) and runs (618).

Pitcher Tommy Bond once benefited from a 32-run outburst in a victory at Kentucky, a series the Gators swept by scoring 64 runs in three games.

"You love those games,'' Bond said Thursday. "That was one of the craziest games I think I ever played in. It makes it easy to pitch on those days when you get that kind of run support."

Outfielder Greg Cattalanotte hit .360 with 13 home runs and 61 RBIs in '98. Wilkerson crushed 23 homers and drove in 70 runs as the top two-way player in the country.

A transfer from an Arizona junior college, Cattalanotte stayed in Gainesville after his playing days and is playing host to many of his former teammates this weekend.

"I haven't seen some of these guys in 20 years,'' he said. "We did some special things that year, there's no question about it. What a hell of a team to be a part of."

At the center of it all was Lopez, who was let go after the 2001 season and found later success at Arizona, leading the Wildcats to the 2012 national championship. Lopez has not been back to Gainesville since his departure.

"He was a father figure who wanted to mold us and make us into men. Having him come back here is probably the most special thing,'' Cattalanotte said. "It's going to be special."

"One of the greatest coaches I've ever played for,'' Ross added. "It was such a different feel, the way Andy Lopez ran his practices. That has always stuck with me. If you practice as hard as you can, the games are easy."

The '98 Gators definitely made most of them look easy, finishing 46-18 and staking their place in history as one of the greatest teams in program history.

They will be recognized at Friday night's game against Auburn.

Players/coaches/staff scheduled to attend: Lopez, Cardozo, Cattalanotte, Bond, Ross, Fogg, Wilkerson, Nicholson, Keith Brice, Bret Cornett, Jason Dill, Mike Floyd, Ryan Gleichowski, Michael Gray, Ben Gezloski, John Grieco, Danny Heard, Delvis Jimeniz, Todd Johannes, Tim Johnson, Kevin Keen, Coury Knowles, Stuart McFarland, Sergio Rodriguez, Tommy Rose, Steve Shaff, Casey Smith, Dave Werner, K.O. Wiegandt and Spencer Williams.