Schwarz and Horvath Honored Prior to Gators' Loss Sunday

Seniors JJ Schwarz, right, and Nick Horvath were honored prior to Sunday's regular-season finale at McKethan Stadium. (Photo: Adler Garfield/UAA Communications(

Schwarz and Horvath Honored Prior to Gators' Loss Sunday

Sunday, May 13, 2018 | Baseball

Seniors JJ Schwarz and Nick Horvath are the first two players in program history to have won a national championship at UF prior to their Senior Day ceremony.

By: Ethan Hughes, FloridaGators.com correspondent

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A day after the Florida Gators clinched a share of the Southeastern Conference regular-season title, emotions stirred Sunday at McKethan Stadium. The Gators had the opportunity to sweep rival Georgia.

There was more than that, of course. Catcher JJ Schwarz and center fielder Nick Horvath were honored on Senior Day.

The Senior Day festivities began with highlight videos of Schwarz and Horvath, featuring some of the most memorable and significant plays in Florida baseball history.

"Looking at those highlights, JJ had the great play with [former Gators catcher Mike Rivera] on the 3-2 play to nail [former LSU shortstop Kramer Robertson] at the plate," UF head coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "Nick, in the first game against LSU, made the throw to second in the eighth. Both have had some really great memories, and both were instrumental in our run last year."

Next, Schwarz, Horvath and their families were welcomed onto the field, where the players were presented with their framed white jerseys. Photos were taken, smiles abounded, and everyone reminisced on the careers of the senior class that finally delivered the baseball program its first national championship.

Schwarz, who passed former UF outfielder Preston Tucker on Sunday as the school record-holder for games started (260), and Horvath have time left in a Gators uniform. Still, in the regular-season finale Sunday, it was their turn to momentarily share center stage. They are the first players in program history to have won a national championship at UF prior to their Senior Day ceremony.

"It can be a bit emotional," O'Sullivan said. "You spend four years with the seniors, and you recruit them two to three years out. Nick and JJ are from my hometown, so I've known them for a long time. JJ's had an unbelievable career."

Pamela Horvath and Kara Schwarz, in a Mother's Day tribute, threw out ceremonial first pitches to their sons. An appreciate crowd of 4,135 roared with gratitude and celebration throughout the ceremony.

Then the game started, and they didn't have much more to cheer about in Florida's 4-1 loss.

Behind a stellar pitching performance from junior left-hander Kevin Smith (7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 6 SO), the Bulldogs (35-16, 16-11 SEC) salvaged the final game of the series against the Gators (41-12, 20-7). Sophomore righty Aaron Schunk picked up his eighth save by tossing a scoreless ninth.

No Gator had multiple hits, and only three different players reached base for UF. Junior third baseman Jonathan India, junior right fielder Wil Dalton and sophomore left fielder Austin Langworthy each singled and walked. O'Sullivan says Smith located his pitches well and kept the Gators off balance.

"We were rolling over on a lot of breaking balls to the left side of the infield," O'Sullivan said. "We had eight or nine ground-ball outs. His fastball had tail the other way. It really looked like early on [Smith] might have some command issues. I think he walked two of the first five hitters or so, and we jumped on the board early there in the second. Credit to him, he settled in, and it didn't seem like he threw very many balls in the middle of the plate. His slider moved five or six inches to the right."

On the other side, Gators freshman right-hander Jack Leftwich, making his third consecutive weekend start, pitched decently, but one inning ended up being the difference in the game. After retiring the first two Bulldogs he faced in the third, Leftwich (4 2/3 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO), surrendered back-to-back singles to C.J. Smith and Schunk, who started the game at third base. Georgia's leading hitter, left fielder Keegan McGovern (.326, 14 HR, 43 RBI) made Leftwich pay by launching a three-run homer over the scoreboard in right-center field.

"I think it's a good learning experience for Jack," O'Sullivan said. "You just want to avoid the situation where your best hitter comes to the plate with a couple runners on. There's always one guy in a lineup you don't want to beat you, and that was McGovern. We hung a pitch, and he hit a three-run homer, and that was the difference."

One bright spot for Florida was sophomore lefty Andrew Baker. Baker took over for Leftwich with runners on the corners and two outs in the fifth inning. Baker escaped the jam by getting L.J. Talley to fly out to Horvath in center. Baker threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts and just one hit.

Baker has turned things around this season after a rough rookie campaign in 2017. O'Sullivan used Baker as the Gators' closer to start 2017, but after blowing a two-run lead in the fourth game of the year against Jacksonville, it went downhill quickly. With the emergence of then-sophomore Michael Byrne out of the bullpen, Baker's role greatly diminished. For the season, Baker posted an 8.03 ERA in 18 appearances.

In 2018, Baker has been one of Florida's most consistent relievers. He is 2-0 with a 2.36 ERA in 17 appearances. O'Sullivan says Baker and fellow left-hander freshman Jordan Butler have earned his trust to pitch against anybody, not just lefties.

"The thing I like about both Jordan and with Andrew is they're not just left-on-left specialists," O'Sullivan said. "They can come in and get right-handers. Their splits are pretty good both ways. If we get in trouble, regardless of if it's a left-hander or a right-hander, I have no issues leaving them in there."

Added Baker: "Last year, I think I only threw about six innings, so it's a big jump this year to about 20-30 innings so far, so I'm actually really happy I'm throwing a lot. I want to keep winning."

Baker says a year ago, bad outings would stick with him for a while and spiral into more bad outings. However, he says he has matured and is able to put struggles behind him quickly.

"It's just my attitude, changing it up a little bit," Baker said. "Last year, I used to get frustrated when anything happened differently – a ball, umpire calls, a bad pitch, or just someone getting a hit. So, I think really just my attitude changing and just realizing that as a pitcher, people are going to hit you. You just have to keep throwing strikes."

Although the Gators didn't get the result they were looking for Sunday, they honored the most accomplished senior class in program history and saw another step forward by Baker. Now it's on to Mississippi State and then the postseason, where Florida will get the opportunity to send out Schwarz and Horvath in style.

"I would expect us to be able to keep our edge," O'Sullivan said. "We're an older group. We've done it all year long. I don't see why we would change now. There's still a lot to play for. I don't think [maintaining our edge] should be an issue at all."

If Baker's words are any indication, O'Sullivan is right.

"Just because you're number one doesn't mean we can go in and just relax and think we have it in the bag," Baker said. "We have to keep fighting, keep working as hard as possible to get the win."