To Kevin O’Sullivan, Southeastern Conference play is a grind.
Florida’s ninth-year coach said he has trouble explaining it to teams outside the league.
“You use that word grind, and people don’t understand it,” he said. “It can get to be exhausting because you’re constantly playing high quality opponents.”
Simply put, there’s no time for a break.
SEC play is what O’Sullivan likes to call “big-boy baseball.”
Every pitching staff has arms that throw in the low- to mid-90s.
Every lineup is dynamic and features a potential MLB first-rounder.
Last weekend, it was Tennessee’s Nick Senzel. This weekend, it’ll be Vanderbilt’s Jeren Kendall, as the No. 1 Gators (41-8, 16-7 SEC) host the No. 12 Commodores at McKethan Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. to open a three-game series.
Vanderbilt (36-13, 14-10 SEC) has skidded as of late, dropping three of its last four games including being no-hit by Texas A&M over the weekend in a series loss to the No. 2 Aggies.
But make no mistake — VU is still an elite team.
Florida will face two of the top pitchers in the SEC in Kyle Wright and Jordan Sheffield. Wright’s 1.89 ERA leads the SEC, while Sheffield’s 2.09 ERA ranks third.
“You’re gonna see some elite arms from Vanderbilt,” O’Sullivan said. “We’re gonna have to be locked in.”
Fortunately for the Gators, they can match the Commodores on the mound.
Friday night starter Logan Shore has been consistent. The junior sports a 2.32 ERA and hasn’t earned a loss in nearly a year.
Shore and teammate Alex Faedo, pave the way in the win column with nine. Faedo has been particularly impressive as of late, as he’s allowed just two runs and struck out 26 over his last three starts.
And then there’s the pitcher scouts have flocked to see: left-hander A.J. Puk, who has pitched better than his 2-2 record suggests.
Despite coming off a career-high six walks in his last start against Tennessee, Puk enters the weekend with a 3.04 ERA and has held opponents to a .195 average, which ranks third in the SEC.
But Puk, along with UF’s other pitchers, will have to contain a pair of Vanderbilt hitters to have success.
The aforementioned Kendall can hurt Florida in many ways. The sophomore outfielder is hitting a team-leading .349 with eight home runs and 23 stolen bases.
Kendall’s outfield counterpart, junior Bryan Reynolds, is hitting .331 and has blasted 10 homers this year, which is tied for the second-most in the conference.
While the matchup with the Commodores won’t be easy, O’Sullivan said it’ll only make his team better as postseason play approaches.
“It hardens you up a little bit, because it’s not gonna be easy,” he said. “That’s one of those reasons why you want to play in this league. It challenges you.”
Contact Patrick Pinak at ppinak@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @Pinakk12
Coach Kevin O'Sullivan and the Gators dropped their first home game since March 23 in an 8-4 loss against Jacksonville Tuesday night. “We’ve gotta clean up some mistakes,” O'Sullivan said.
