Three weeks before his team’s season opener, Kevin O’Sullivan sat on the bench inside the first base dugout at McKethan Stadium and spoke to reporters.
UF’s coach addressed pressing topics such as his weekend starters, the bullpen and the positional battle at first base.
What wasn’t mentioned, however, was how Florida would adjust to playing midweek games behind someone other than Jackson Kowar or Scott Moss. The two hurlers were a main reason UF went a perfect 14-0 in midweek battles last year.
That someone is right-hander Michael Byrne.
After earning his first career win by holding William & Mary scoreless for three innings on Friday, the sophomore will garner another first tonight against the Jacksonville University Dolphins: his first career start.
But it’s not as if Byrne is inexperienced.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder flashed streaks of his capabilities as a freshman last season.
O’Sullivan called on Byrne’s number 13 times out of the ‘pen last year, and he delivered a serviceable 3.94 ERA in 16 relief innings.
Though he pitched in the shadows of recently drafted teammates like Shaun Anderson, Kirby Snead and Dane Dunning in 2016, Byrne’s start tonight marks an opportunity to solidify his role as the Gators’ top midweek starter.
Byrne’s outing may be brief, however, as O’Sullivan will likely throw a number of arms at the Dolphins to help get a feel for his bullpen before a top-25 matchup with Miami this coming weekend.
“I’m very, very optimistic about our bullpen,” O’Sullivan said in a release after Sunday’s game. “It’s going to be good. It’s just a matter of when those guys have the light come on and it clicks for them.”
For O’Sullivan, tonight’s contest could also mean more than another win that prepares the Gators for teams like Miami and many SEC opponents.
It could become a career highlight of his own.
O’Sullivan is seeking to become UF’s fastest head coach to reach 400 career wins. He needs one more victory to etch his name in Florida’s record books.
A win would also make O’Sullivan the third coach in program history with 400 or more career wins. He owns a higher winning percentage (.679) than the two names ahead of him — Joe Arnold (.640) and Dave Fuller (.611).
Contact Patrick Pinak at ppinak@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @pinakk12.
UF head coach Kevin O'Sullivan speaks with pitcher Brady Singer and catcher Mike Rivera during Florida's 8-1 win against William & Mary on Feb. 18, 2017, at McKethan Stadium.
