It certainly won’t carry the hype that surrounded their football teams, but make no mistake: The Florida-LSU rivalry on the baseball diamond is alive and well.
Last season, the Tigers created a whole campaign based off an unusual critter: the rally possum.
It began when a possum ran on the field during a game against Arkansas, one the Tigers were losing 9-4 at the time. Somehow, LSU pulled off a remarkable comeback and thus a legendary marsupial was born.
LSU players and fans ran with the #RallyPossum craze.
That is, until it met its match: Florida’s rally owl.
In last year’s SEC Tournament, UF players brought a stuffed owl into the dugout to oppose the possum. While the Gators ultimately lost that 14-inning affair, the owl regrouped and pounced a few days later as UF ousted LSU from the tournament in a 1-0 thriller.
Though it’s unknown if either animal will make an appearance in Gainesville this weekend as the two teams converge, Florida players are eager to face the Tigers.
“With the rally owl and rally opossum last year, it was really interesting in the SEC Tournament and the postseason and everything else,” sophomore Brady Singer said. “It’s really, really exciting.”
What is guaranteed is a showcase of great talent from both sides.
Florida ace Alex Faedo will take the mound against Alex Lange tonight. The two right-handers played together for the U.S. Collegiate National Team and are good bets to be first-round picks in the upcoming MLB Draft.
And the Saturday matchup figures to be just as good.
Singer and senior left-hander Jared Poche will square off. The two have completely different styles — Singer being more of a hard-throwing, here-it-is-try-to-hit-it type pitcher, while Poche is a crafty southpaw who doesn’t overpower but mixes up his pitches well.
Despite being labeled the Saturday guy, Poche’s season has been one of the best in the SEC. It includes a no-hitter and a league-best 0.25 ERA and 5-0 record.
“Obviously his numbers speak for themselves,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “He’s had a really good start to the year.”
The offensive numbers for both sides tell a different story.
LSU enters hitting .317 as a team, good for second in the SEC. Leading the way for the Tigers is Cole Freeman and his .400 average, and Greg Deichmann’s league-leading eight home runs.
Florida, on the other hand, has struggled to the tune of a .243 average, next to last in the conference.
But UF's players are hoping to bounce back against the No. 4 team in the country and forget about a slow start to conference play that saw them get swept by Auburn last weekend.
Third baseman Jonathan India, who hit a team-best .350 vs LSU last year, said there’s no need to worry about his team.
In time, the Gators will hit, he reassured.
“Once we start clicking, we’ll be a scary team,” India said. “We’ll be fine. We’re all right.”
Contact Patrick Pinak at ppinak@alligator.org or follow him on Twitter @pinakk12.
UF pitcher Alex Faedo throws a pitch during Florida's 5-4 win against William & Mary on Feb. 17, 2017, at McKethan Stadium.
