Bobby Poyner watched most of Sunday’s finale from the dugout railing next to coach Kevin O’Sullivan and hitting coach Brad Weitzel. He was a day removed from striking out a career-high seven batters in four innings of relief.
It’s been 67 days since he toed the rubber to open the 2014 season. Since he left the weekend rotation on March 7, the junior left-hander has embraced the bullpen role that has him third on the team in innings pitched with 38.1. Poyner (3-3, 3.99) is just one roster move that has reaped dividends in Florida’s (27-13, 12-6 Southeastern Conference) climb to No. 6 in the latest Baseball America poll.
“I had no idea. Things change. Roles change,” Poyner said. “I’m enjoying relieving. I’m having a great time. It’s helping us, so it’s been good.”
Right-hander Karsten Whitson (1-0, 4.29), another pitcher who moved from the rotation to the bullpen, looks to extend Florida’s six-game winning streak Tuesday night against Jacksonville (13-25, 7-10 Atlantic Sun Conference) when he makes his first start since facing Florida Atlantic on April 1.
Whitson hasn’t pitched as well as expected 40 games into his fourth season with UF, but the emergence of right-hander Aaron Rhodes (4-2, 2.51) has given the Gators a long reliever and now-consistent Saturday starter.
Freshman Friday-night starter Logan Shore (4-2, 1.83) and Rhodes make for an unlikely one-two punch at the top of Florida’s rotation.
Shore entered the season as a talented signee from Coon Rapids, Minn., who hadn’t thrown a collegiate pitch. Rhodes began 2014 as an unknown to those outside the team after tossing just 18.1 innings a year ago.
The rotation stability coupled with a steady bullpen — led by Poyner — has coincided with the return of center fielder Harrison Bader, who missed the first 18 games of the season due to a suspension stemming from a scooter accident before the season began.
O’Sullivan used five different combinations to fill out his first four lineup spots before Bader returned to the lineup. He has tried two in the past 20 games, with Bader manning the third spot day in and day out. Richie Martin and Casey Turgeon flip-flopped at the top of the order on March 20.
Bader reached base in all five at-bats in the series finale against Georgia.
“Getting him back is huge. You can’t replace such a good player on and off the field. He’s always working hard,” freshman third baseman John Sternagel said of Bader. “He’s a good leader by example, too.”
Sternagel has taken hold of Florida’s starting spot at third base. He made his first start at third base on March 25 in the Florida-Florida State matchup in Jacksonville. He garnered 15 at-bats before the start. He’s tripled that in the month since.
As Poyner said, roles change. Those roles have started figuring themselves out. A steady stream of winning has resulted, including a 10-3 win on Sunday that showed there’s no letting up from the Gators no matter how well they’re playing. Florida took two games from Georgia on Saturday in a day-night doubleheader.
“We talked about it [Sunday] morning. You can’t be satisfied in this league with just two wins. Georgia is a very good team,” O’Sullivan said. “They weren’t going to give up. They weren’t going to quit. They were going to come out ready to go and they did.”
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Bobby Poyner pitches during Florida’s 3-2 victory against Georgia on Saturday at McKethan Stadium. Poyner has a 3.99 ERA in 19 appearances in 2014.
