Last Tuesday, the Gators’ panda finally looked comfortable.
Alex Panteliodis, nicknamed “Panda” by fans and teammates alike, reverted to his old form against Bethune-Cookman, an 11-0 UF win. After laboring through a painful injury last season, the junior may have finally turned the corner.
A doughy southpaw armed with a deep repertoire, Panteliodis was No. 8 Florida’s preeminent starter in 2010. He led the team in wins, innings pitched and strike outs, but the junior pitched most of the season with a frayed labrum, requiring offseason hip surgery.
“I had some days where I couldn’t walk,” Panteliodis said earlier this season. “It just hurt to walk. I took some cortisone shots, had a Toradol shot and basically just muscled it up and went out there.”
But healthy now in 2011, Panteliodis has again dealt with adversity since his return to the mound. He was bumped from the weekend rotation without ever throwing a pitch. The junior didn’t make a start until March 9, and for much of UF’s dominant season, the lefty has been reserved to jockeying for spot starts in midweek contests.
The left-hander has particularly struggled in relief appearances, getting shelled in back-to-back outings before Tuesday’s start. In 6.2 innings of relief, Panteliodis has allowed 10 runs and 14 hits. But in seven sporadic starts, the junior has tossed 27 innings, yielding seven runs.
Against the Wildcats, Panteliodis flaunted his former stuff, commanding the fastball like he did so consistently during the 2010 season.
“I felt really good,” he said. “Everything was working. I was able to move the fastball inside, outside. My slider, breaking ball was working well.”
Panteliodis tossed 4.1 scoreless innings and scattered three hits while matching a season-high five punch-outs.
The junior said his start was a major confidence booster going forward, and that hopefully he can solidify a spot for the Gators stretch run.
Coach Kevin O’Sullivan praised his veteran afterwards, saying, “We’re going to need him. It was a really important start for him. I don’t think we’re going to win a championship without him. He’s certainly not the forgotten guy.”
Despite rolling along, O’Sullivan relieved Panteliodis early because the lefty was on a pitch count in case he was needed against No. 23 Arkansas.
On Wednesday night, UF hosts UNF at 7, and although it has yet to be announced, Panteliodis is likely slated to make his second consecutive start. The Gators (36-12, 18-6 Southeastern Conference) have won seven straight games at McKethan Stadium and are 8-2 in their last 10 games overall. The Ospreys (25-21, 13-14 Atlantic Sun) are 4-6 in their last 10 games, including an extra-innings win at home against Bethune-Cookman.
