Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Freshman left-hander Hunter Barco took the mound on a splendid Sunday afternoon for his first career start at McKethan Stadium. It was the kind of day the local Chamber of Commerce could use in marketing brochures.

Not a cloud in the sky. Humidity banned from city limits. A gentle breeze sweeping across the infield.

And gripping a baseball to start the game, Barco, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound strapping young man whom a year ago many figured would be prepping for his first season in professional baseball around now. Instead, Barco signed with the Gators and instantly added an intriguing newcomer to the mix.

"You've seen all the publications,'' Gators head coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "He's ranked one of the higher prospects in the country coming in."

Barco dominated as a prep star at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, wooing scouts with his live arm, composure under pressure, 35-4 career record and 1.53 ERA. He made the varsity team as an eighth-grader and helped Bolles win a pair of state titles during his career. Barco was at his best in the state playoffs, posting a 12-0 record in the postseason.

Those in the amateur baseball community ranked Barco as one of the top 40 prospects available in last summer's MLB draft. Still, he was not selected until the 24th round by the Mets after shutting down on the mound due to a strained shoulder muscle late in his senior season and with a college offer already in his back pocket. Barco was in a win-win situation. He opted for an education at UF and the opportunity to further develop for the 2022 draft.

With the No. 1-ranked Gators set to play at Florida Atlantic on Tuesday night, Barco has done his part during Florida's 11-0 start, which matches the longest winning streak to start a season in school history. Only the 1989 and 2002 teams won their first 11 games. The 2020 Gators can surpass both with a victory over the Owls.

Barco will be watching from the dugout after throwing 93 pitches in Florida's 7-1 victory over Troy on Sunday. Barco struck out nine in five innings and allowed just four hits, one run and one walk. In four appearances, the last two as the Gators' Sunday starter, Barco is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA (13 1/3 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 19 SO).
 
Afterward, he spoke like a veteran in dissecting his outing. He watched the previous two games as the Trojans challenged UF starters Tommy Mace and Jack Leftwich with their aggressive approach at the plate. Barco quizzed them before taking his turn.

"They don't take many pitches. If it's a strike, they are most likely going to swing,'' Barco said. "My game plan going in was just to pound the zone and let them get themselves out. It definitely helps being pretty much the new guy, getting to watch Jack and Tommy over Friday and Saturday and seeing what they do and how they handle the hitters."

Sophomore outfielder Jacob Young is unfazed by Barco's smooth transition.

"He walks around like he kind of owns the place, which is I think what you need,'' Young said. "He has a little bit of that swag or that presence you want on the mound."

Young is from Ponte Vedra and played at Ponte Vedra High, which faced Bolles regularly during his high school career. He has known Barco since they started competing against each other as pre-teens in youth baseball leagues in the Jacksonville area.

Barco stood out even then.

"He's not fun to hit,'' Young said.

Only a true baseball novice could have walked off the street and into McKethan Stadium on Sunday and not noticed the business-like approach Barco took to the mound. Barco turned 19 in December but carries himself in a way that suggests he has been around much longer than he has.

His ability is obvious. He has a fastball that buzzes to the plate in the low 90s consistently and mixes in an assortment of off-speed pitches, including a "plus slider" in pitching parlance. Since arriving at UF in the fall, Barco has tried to refine his technique and expand his knowledge base.

He knows he is nowhere near a finished product.

"I came in and changed a lot of things,'' he said. "Glove position. Timing to the plate. Just a bunch of mechanical stuff. Nothing big, just small stuff, but it's definitely helped me."

Reliever Christian Scott, who tossed three scoreless innings in relief on Sunday, has watched Barco improve with each outing. Barco made his collegiate debut out of the bullpen, then took a midweek start in his hometown when the Gators played at Jacksonville University, and he has been UF's Sunday starter the past two weekends: on the road in Miami at then at home against Troy. He won both games.

"He is definitely more mature than a lot of kids,'' Scott said. "He's a big-bodied kid and he's definitely able to get out there and give us a lot of good innings on Sunday. Very blessed to have him on staff."

In his 13th season, highly touted pitching prospects are nothing new to O'Sullivan. The Gators have produced nine starting pitchers who have been selected in the first or second round during his tenure. Names such as Brian Johnson, A.J. Puk, Alex Faedo and Brady Singer.

If Barco fulfills his potential, he could join the club. But for now, he is only in the first inning.

"He's got some stuff to work on too, the finer points of the pitching part,'' O'Sullivan said. "He's got a great arm. We've got to be a little more consistent with the third pitch. He can work on holding runners on base. We've got some things to work on there, but he's certainly talented.

"The thing that has surprised me probably more than anything is he really listens. He's not like one of those kids who has had a lot of success in the past and has all the answers. He is extremely coachable and extremely hard-working, which you don't get that a lot of kids who are that highly touted coming out of high school. He has been very receptive to some things we have asked him to do with his delivery. It's been really encouraging from my standpoint."

Same goes for Gators fans.