The blazing Florida sun finally warmed up the bats of a couple slumping Gators on Saturday afternoon.
Empty seats, wet bleachers and dampened ponchos of anxious Gators fans surrounded the tarp-covered infield at McKethan Stadium. At 6:30, when second-ranked Florida was supposed to begin its first contest of a three-game set against the No. 8 Vanderbilt Commodores, not one player for either team could be seen on the field.
It wasn’t long ago that Florida’s offense was smacking hits and spitting homers at the same rate you’d see in a video game. It wasn’t long ago that five Gators were hitting over .300. It wasn’t long ago that UF’s entire offense was feared as a national menace.
Right fielder Wil Dalton took a modest lead off of second base in the bottom of the fourth inning. After smacking a ball down the left-field line and into the corner, the precious scoring opportunity could’ve been the only one Florida would have for the rest of the game, for all he knew.
After winning a three-game series over then-No. 4 Arkansas this past weekend in Gainesville, the No. 2 Gators (21-5, 4-2 SEC) are preparing to face No. 7 Florida State on Tuesday night at 6 in Jacksonville.
William Shakespeare once compared his beloved to a summer’s day. Michael Byrne’s 2018 season could be compared to something more like a sturdy dam.
At the end of the seventh inning, Arkansas starter Blaine Knight was the first to meet his teammates at the mouth of the Razorbacks’ dugout. After being removed from the game just one out away from completing seven innings of work, his defense got the job done, as it ended Florida’s one-run inning and shut the door on a potential Gators comeback.
If Deacon Liput had any doubts hanging over his head coming into Wednesday night’s game against Jacksonville, he let them all blow away with the gusty winds at McKethan Stadium.
The ball seemed to pause in the air, as if painted onto the Carolina-blue, jet exhaust-scarred sky. Then it descended.
Bright rays of sunshine, a nice breeze and a partly cloudy sky engulfed Gainesville on Tuesday evening, right around the time Florida’s baseball team was supposed to have its first pitch. But a horrendous forecast earlier in the day forced UF to postpone its game against the Jacksonville Dolphins.
The No. 2 Gators baseball team went 3-1 over the past week, and the games couldn’t have been much more different from one another.
The ball rocketed off Jacob Olson’s bat like a satellite designed for orbit.
Gamecocks designated hitter Noah Campbell stared down the barrel of a 6-foot-6 human cannon and didn’t blink. On a 2-2 pitch to lead off the first inning, Campbell took a 94-mph fastball from Florida starting pitcher Jackson Kowar deep to right-center field.
Graham Lawson didn’t even look up.
Andrew Baker leaned forward with his hands on his knees. He oozed a confidence and swagger that would have made Muhammad Ali blush.
During the beginning of his career at UF, Gators center fielder Nick Horvath struggled in the batter's box. His average at the plate was below .200.
Nick Horvath stood tall on second base with his hand on his belt buckle. After the Gators center fielder sent a double to left center field that scored two Gator runners, he whipped out some familiar dance moves.
When Jordan Butler hit a grounder to the right side of the infield that scored Deacon Liput for the game-winning run, the freshman was mobbed by his teammates down the first-base line.
Florida starter Tyler Dyson recorded six strikeouts and gave up one unearned run in 6.1 innings pitched on Saturday in UF's 9-2 win over Rhode Island.
Brady Singer put on a show.
Solutions by The State News
