It didn’t take the Gators long to put a run on the board Sunday night. And as it turned out, starter Alex Faedo didn’t need much more than one run.
But that didn’t stop Florida’s offense from exploding on Georgia Tech for 10 runs in its 10-1 rout of the Yellow Jackets in UF’s final game of the Gainesville Regional at McKethan Stadium.
With the win, Florida advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals.
“There was a lot of focus,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said of his team’s offense. “There were good adjustments made throughout the game… I really thought the at-bats Saturday and tonight were really, really good.”
Florida’s first run came courtesy of catcher Mike Rivera, who drove in Peter Alonso on a hard-hit grounder to left in the top of the first inning.
From there, Alonso took over.
After hitting three homers in the first two games combined, Alonso didn’t get one over the fence on Sunday. But he drove in three runs and picked up three more hits. On the series, he went 8-for-14 with eight RBIs en route to earning Regional MVP honors.
“Pete had an unbelievable weekend,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “I’m not quite sure what to make of it.
“I anticipated him having some good at-bats, but I certainly didn’t expect him to have the weekend he did.”
The regional was Alonso’s first appearance since he fractured his hand against Vanderbilt on May 13. It was also the junior’s last appearance before Thursday’s MLB Draft, where Alonso is expected to be selected in the first few rounds.
And while he gave MLB scouts plenty of reasons to take him early, one of his teammates did the opposite.
Junior Buddy Reed, who could be a first-round pick on Thursday, struggled mightily in the game and the Regional. While Reed’s speed, athleticism, size and arm made him one of the most highly regarded outfielders in the Draft at the beginning of the season, his hitting ability was in question. And lately, he’s shown why.
Reed is just eight for his last 52. In the Regional, the junior went 1-for-12 with a blooper-reel drop in center field. And in his last game before the Draft, he went 0-for-4.
Meanwhile, Alex Faedo was electric in his eight shutout innings, fanning 10 and allowing just four hits and a walk.
“His breaking stuff was unbelievable,” Georgia Tech shortstop Connor Justus said of Faedo.
“He’s obviously gonna do very well for himself next year.”
All weekend long, it was Florida’s underclassmen who carried the team.
Freshman Jonathan India, who hit the go-ahead homer in Florida’s win over UConn on Saturday, was perhaps the most impressive of the bunch. The Coral Springs native went 2-for-3 while driving in a run on Sunday and was 6-for-10 in the series.
Next up for Florida is the Super Regionals, where the Gators will host rival Florida State in Gainesville next weekend. The winner of the series will advance to the College World Series.
Contact Ethan Bauer at ebauer@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @ebaueri
Alex Faedo pitches during Florida's 10-4 loss to Mississippi State on April 9, 2016, at McKethan Stadium.
