Graphic: Scott MacCord/UAA Communications
Pumping Pitchers to Big Leagues, More Gators Tidbits
Monday, June 14, 2021 | General, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The MLB amateur draft is scheduled July 11-13 and based on the latest projections, the Gators are expected to have at least four players selected and perhaps as many as six or seven.
While third-year sophomore outfielder Jud Fabian is considered Florida's top prospect available in the 2021 draft, a trio of pitchers forms the backbone of the Gators' potential draft class.
Right-handers Tommy Mace, Franco Aleman and Jack Leftwich are draft eligible, and armed with fastballs in the mid-to-high 90s, there is plenty of interest in the latest batch of pitching prospects developed under the tutelage of UF head coach Kevin O'Sullivan.
O'Sullivan's knack for signing and developing pitchers was on display once more last week when Jackson Kowar made his major league debut for the Kansas City Royals. The Royals selected Kowar with the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 draft, 15 picks after taking Kowar's UF teammate, right-hander Brady Singer.
Singer made his MLB debut a season ago and is 7-10 with a 4.45 ERA in his first 25 career starts. Meanwhile, Kowar is off to a rocky start in the big leagues. In his first two starts, he has pitched just two innings while giving up eight hits, eight runs and walking five.
Kowar became the 14th Gators pitcher (chart below) to make his MLB debut since O'Sullivan took over the program in 2008.
In his brief time in the majors, Kowar has found it difficult to duplicate the success he had at Triple-A Omaha to start the season. He was called up by the Royals after going 5-0 in six starts, limiting opponents to 18 hits in 31 2/3 innings with 41 strikeouts and 10 walks.
"We talk a lot about trusting your stuff," Royals manager Mike Matheny told MLB.com this week after Kowar's loss at Oakland. "It's just a conversation about taking a breath here, slow things down. To encourage him -- from the side, stuff looks good. We just want him to get comfortable and trust his stuff. Which right now, is easier said than done."
As Kowar adjusts to the majors, he did have one highlight from his start against the A's.
FATHER TEBOW
Long before his son become a Gators legend, Bob Tebow attended the University of Florida. It's where Bob met his wife, Pam. Years later, the couple had a boy. You may have heard of him.
Hint: he played quarterback for the Gators. If you need more, he wore No. 15. Yes, that guy, Tim Tebow.
As a tribute to his dad with Father's Day on the calendar Sunday, Tebow recorded a message to his father through the University of Florida Foundation.
"I can tell you that my dad is my biggest hero, my biggest role model, the greatest leader in my life, someone that has put everybody around him, their needs, as more important than his own," Tebow said. "The University of Florida has been such a big part of our life. Being a Gator was something that has been part of my life, since literally my first images, because it was something my mom and dad love. Because they did, I did.
"I think that's what made my time at Florida so special; it was more than a game. It was sort of way of life."
You can watch Tebow's heartfelt message to his father in the video below:
ACE ACADEMIC
Former Gators gymnast Ann Woods Smith has added another honor to a career full of achievements. In a virtual ceremony hosted by ESPN's Rece Davis last week, Woods Smith was among a four-person group inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
Former Florida State football player Myron Rolle, longtime NFL kicker Adam Vinatieri and former McDaniel (Md.) College softball/volleyball player Dr. Nicki Pesik were the other inductees. Woods Smith, who led the Gators to the AIAW national championship, was inducted into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.
In discussing her latest honor, Woods Smith recalled how after finishing her gymnastics career, she worked for a time as UF's interim women's sports SID. She typed play-by-play at football games, promoted the school's women's athletic programs, and edited her name in the gymnastic team's media guide.
One morning after a UF gymnastics meet, her new job hit home. Updating the record book, she blurted out to herself in what she thought was an empty office: "It really stinks whiting out your own records." A straggler poked his head into the room. "That's going into print."
In case the quip never made it into the newspaper, at least it's now on record. One more note to add to Wood Smith's decorated life and career.
You can watch the ceremony below:
EXTRA, EXTRA
Ex-Gators swimmer Caeleb Dressel is one of the stars at U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha writes Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times; Dressel was once a 15-year-old watching Olympic hero Michael Phelps at the trials writes Reece Ristau of the Omaha World Herald:
Gators right-side hitter Haley Warner, a reserve on the 2020 UF team, announced on social media Sunday that she has transferred to Kansas State. Warner joined ex-Gators teammates Paula Cerame (Indiana) and Riley Fischer (Ole Miss) in the transfer portal after last season ...
Gators junior cornerback Kaiir Elam is a cover boy for those college football preseason magazines that hit the newsstands this time of year ...
Former Gators running back Ran Carthon continues to climb the ladder in the NFL ...
A couple of NBA-hopeful former Gators on the radar at league's premier predraft event ...
While third-year sophomore outfielder Jud Fabian is considered Florida's top prospect available in the 2021 draft, a trio of pitchers forms the backbone of the Gators' potential draft class.
Right-handers Tommy Mace, Franco Aleman and Jack Leftwich are draft eligible, and armed with fastballs in the mid-to-high 90s, there is plenty of interest in the latest batch of pitching prospects developed under the tutelage of UF head coach Kevin O'Sullivan.
O'Sullivan's knack for signing and developing pitchers was on display once more last week when Jackson Kowar made his major league debut for the Kansas City Royals. The Royals selected Kowar with the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 draft, 15 picks after taking Kowar's UF teammate, right-hander Brady Singer.
Singer made his MLB debut a season ago and is 7-10 with a 4.45 ERA in his first 25 career starts. Meanwhile, Kowar is off to a rocky start in the big leagues. In his first two starts, he has pitched just two innings while giving up eight hits, eight runs and walking five.
Kowar became the 14th Gators pitcher (chart below) to make his MLB debut since O'Sullivan took over the program in 2008.
| PITCHER | DRAFTED | TEAM | MLB DEBUT -- TEAM |
| Kevin Chapman | 2010 | Kansas City | 2016 -- Houston |
| Nick Maronde | 2011 | Anaheim | 2012 -- Anaheim |
| Anthony DeSclafani | 2011 | Toronto | 2014 -- Miami |
| Brian Johnson | 2012 | Boston | 2015 -- Boston |
| Paco Rodriguez | 2012 | Los Angeles | 2012 -- Los Angeles |
| Austin Maddox | 2012 | Boston | 2017 -- Boston |
| Justin Shafer | 2014 | Toronto | 2018 -- Toronto |
| Bobby Poyner | 2015 | Boston | 2018 -- Boston |
| Eric Hanhold | 2015 | Milwaukee | 2018 -- New York Mets |
| A.J. Puk | 2016 | Oakland | 2019 -- Oakland |
| Dane Dunning | 2016 | Washington | 2020 -- Chicago White Sox |
| Shaun Anderson | 2016 | Boston | 2019 -- San Francisco |
| Brady Singer | 2018 | Kansas City | 2020 -- Kansas City |
| Jackson Kowar | 2018 | Kansas City | 2021 -- Kansas City |
In his brief time in the majors, Kowar has found it difficult to duplicate the success he had at Triple-A Omaha to start the season. He was called up by the Royals after going 5-0 in six starts, limiting opponents to 18 hits in 31 2/3 innings with 41 strikeouts and 10 walks.
"We talk a lot about trusting your stuff," Royals manager Mike Matheny told MLB.com this week after Kowar's loss at Oakland. "It's just a conversation about taking a breath here, slow things down. To encourage him -- from the side, stuff looks good. We just want him to get comfortable and trust his stuff. Which right now, is easier said than done."
As Kowar adjusts to the majors, he did have one highlight from his start against the A's.
Career strikeout No. 1! Congratulations, Jackson!#TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/wSEZqtDiMJ
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 12, 2021
Long before his son become a Gators legend, Bob Tebow attended the University of Florida. It's where Bob met his wife, Pam. Years later, the couple had a boy. You may have heard of him.
Hint: he played quarterback for the Gators. If you need more, he wore No. 15. Yes, that guy, Tim Tebow.
As a tribute to his dad with Father's Day on the calendar Sunday, Tebow recorded a message to his father through the University of Florida Foundation.
"I can tell you that my dad is my biggest hero, my biggest role model, the greatest leader in my life, someone that has put everybody around him, their needs, as more important than his own," Tebow said. "The University of Florida has been such a big part of our life. Being a Gator was something that has been part of my life, since literally my first images, because it was something my mom and dad love. Because they did, I did.
"I think that's what made my time at Florida so special; it was more than a game. It was sort of way of life."
You can watch Tebow's heartfelt message to his father in the video below:
ACE ACADEMIC
Former Gators gymnast Ann Woods Smith has added another honor to a career full of achievements. In a virtual ceremony hosted by ESPN's Rece Davis last week, Woods Smith was among a four-person group inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
Former Florida State football player Myron Rolle, longtime NFL kicker Adam Vinatieri and former McDaniel (Md.) College softball/volleyball player Dr. Nicki Pesik were the other inductees. Woods Smith, who led the Gators to the AIAW national championship, was inducted into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.
In discussing her latest honor, Woods Smith recalled how after finishing her gymnastics career, she worked for a time as UF's interim women's sports SID. She typed play-by-play at football games, promoted the school's women's athletic programs, and edited her name in the gymnastic team's media guide.
One morning after a UF gymnastics meet, her new job hit home. Updating the record book, she blurted out to herself in what she thought was an empty office: "It really stinks whiting out your own records." A straggler poked his head into the room. "That's going into print."
In case the quip never made it into the newspaper, at least it's now on record. One more note to add to Wood Smith's decorated life and career.
You can watch the ceremony below:
EXTRA, EXTRA
Ex-Gators swimmer Caeleb Dressel is one of the stars at U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha writes Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times; Dressel was once a 15-year-old watching Olympic hero Michael Phelps at the trials writes Reece Ristau of the Omaha World Herald:
Caeleb Dressel appears poised to rise into the void left by the world's biggest swimming star, Michael Phelps. The Florida sprinter holds multiple world records and has won two Olympic gold medals.
— Omaha World-Herald (@OWHnews) June 13, 2021
Get the story from @reecereports: https://t.co/DhMgfYpN4D
Gators right-side hitter Haley Warner, a reserve on the 2020 UF team, announced on social media Sunday that she has transferred to Kansas State. Warner joined ex-Gators teammates Paula Cerame (Indiana) and Riley Fischer (Ole Miss) in the transfer portal after last season ...
Second times a charm #GoWildcats pic.twitter.com/OHgjo6pf5E
— HaleyWarner32 (@haleywarner32) June 14, 2021
Gators junior cornerback Kaiir Elam is a cover boy for those college football preseason magazines that hit the newsstands this time of year ...
The college football preseason magazines so far...#teamsideline pic.twitter.com/EpY9gaoo6h
— Brent Beaird (@brentbeaird) May 30, 2021
Former Gators running back Ran Carthon continues to climb the ladder in the NFL ...
Among the key promotions:
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 14, 2021
— New Director of Player Personnel Ran Carthon, who now directs pro and college scouting.
— VP of Player Personnel Ethan Waugh, who oversees the college and pro scouting staff and their daily operations. https://t.co/su4WJayBIa
A couple of NBA-hopeful former Gators on the radar at league's premier predraft event ...
Tre Mann and Scottie Lewis have both been invited to the 2021 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago (June 21-27) #Gators
— Jake Winderman (@jakewinderman) June 15, 2021
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