This isn’t your typical Florida baseball team.
Gone are the home runs. Small ball is in.
Catcher Mike Zunino, the nation’s fourth-best home-run hitter, is heading to spring training with the Seattle Mariners. Right fielder Preston Tucker, Florida’s all-time RBI leader, is with the Houston Astros.
Nine players left UF for the Major Leagues in 2012. A young team with a freshman shortstop in Richie Martin and an 18-year-old catcher in Taylor Gushue is left.
Second baseman Casey Turgeon returns after a stellar freshman season.
Starting pitchers Jonathon Crawford and Karsten Whitson give the Gators reliable starting pitchers every Friday and Saturday.
“Everything as far as recruiting is concerned has always been pitching and defense,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “I do feel good about that. I do feel good about our offense, but there is going to be some ups and downs. There’s going to be a learning curve. We certainly have the personnel to be OK.”
After leading the nation in home runs last year, the long ball will be hard to come by in 2013.
With a power-filled lineup last season, running wasn’t a priority. Florida ranked fifth in the Southeastern Conference with 66 stolen bases.
“Last year, you came up to the plate, and everybody could probably hit it out whenever they wanted,” Turgeon said. “This year, it is going to be different.”
Turgeon, who said this is the fastest team he’s been on, has no problem with the change of pace.
Florida will place a greater emphasis on stealing bases after losing its top five home run hitters during the offseason.
“It is going to be small ball,” Turgeon said. “A lot of moving the runners. We are not going to hit the ball out a lot. We will still get our fair share, but this year, there will be a lot of guys running; a lot of guys bunting. We’ll do it all.”
Vickash Ramjit will step up to fill the leadership void left by the nine departing Gators.
In addition to serving as team captain, Florida will rely on Ramjit to help anchor the lineup.
After facing mostly lefties in platoon roles earlier in his career, Ramjit will play every day either at first base or in the outfield and bat in the middle of the order.
O’Sullivan would rather have Ramjit at first, saying Friday that he believes the senior has the potential to be one of the best defensive first baseman in the nation.
“We obviously are going to play our game,” Ramjit said. “We are not going to try and go out of our element. Stay within our element and that will make us more successful.”
Ramjit, one of two seniors on the team, does not know what to expect from the 16 new players.
Neither does the rest of the country. Florida opens the season ranked 17th by Baseball America and 24th by Collegiate Baseball.
When Florida hosts Duke on Feb. 15 at McKethan Stadium, there will be several new faces in the batting order and a new Friday night starter.
“We have had some great players come through here that have moved on,” O’Sullivan said.
“Now it’s time for these players to make a name for themselves. They’ve worked extremely hard and we’re anxious to get started.”
Contact Adam Pincus at apincus@alligator.org.
UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan watches from outside the dugout during the Gators' 9-7 loss to Southern Miss. in game one of NCAA Super Regional play in McKethan stadium Saturday, June 6, 2009. O'Sullivan and the Gators were eliminated from the 2014 NCAA Tournament in the regional round on Saturday.
