The pitcher who has made the most pronounced impact for the UF baseball team is, perhaps, its most soft-spoken individual.
Patrick Keating rarely raises his voice above a whisper unless he's effusively praising the Gators' new coaching staff.
The junior sports a team-low 2.45 ERA and remains undefeated (6-0) entering UF's (24-13, 9-6 Southeastern Conference) three-game set at Kentucky (28-8, 7-8 SEC) this weekend. The series opens Friday night at 6:30.
Keating, the Gators No. 2 starter, has been the most consistent player in UF's pitching staff, but it wasn't that long ago that Keating's college career appeared to be headed in the wrong direction. While he had a respectable 3-2 record in 21 appearances last season, Keating's sophomore season left a lot to be desired. His 5.79 ERA made him one of seven UF pitchers with an ERA over 5.00 in 2007.
Like he has done for Keating's teammates, coach Kevin O'Sullivan's influence has been vital to turning around a pitching staff that had a combined ERA of 5.27 last season.
"Sully and I worked on my delivery a lot," Keating said. "And his fast-paced, aggressive philosophy really suits me well. Most importantly, he helped me get some more sink in my fastball. I was leaving it up; a lot more hitters were making contact on it. Getting my fastball lower is keeping guys from getting that early contact."
Keating has been one of the few bright spots in the Gators' pitching staff during their recent 9-10 stretch, and the key to his success has been his ability to keep the opponents' leadoff hitter off base.
"That's extremely important," O'Sullivan said. "Anytime you get the leadoff man on, whether it be because of a hit or a walk, the (chance) of him scoring is awfully great. He's done a nice job of that."
Keating's confidence has grown exponentially as the season has progressed, and that holds true with his coach. Not only does O'Sullivan feel confident that a Keating start will lead to a victory, but he says Keating is one of his favorite players to watch, which is saying something for a man who made his name as a pitching coach at Clemson.
"Personally, I enjoy seeing him on the mound," O'Sullivan said. "You know what you're going to get, and he's competitive. He doesn't give in, and win or lose, you know he's going to give you his best effort."
Keating appreciates O'Sullivan's vote of confidence, but he won't allow it to make him complacent as the Gators enter a tough stretch that may define their season.
"It's great to hear that from him, but that means I have to keep it going," Keating said. "We've all got work to do, and we're going to need everyone if we're going to be successful. We can't let up now."
Keating is quick to defuse any inclination that there's growing frustration as the Gators have fallen from the Baseball America Top 25 and their perch atop the SEC East.
"Everyone still feels pretty good," he said. "It's important how we come back from it. Sometimes we're pitching well and not hitting well, or hitting well and not pitching well, but we'll bounce back."
