Richie Martin will get one of his best friends back in the lineup on Sunday.
The Gators erased any doubt they would have to play their fourth straight extra-inning game in a big way Wednesday night.
Several of the Gators’ key offensive veterans have gotten off to slow starts in the 2014 campaign.
Casey Turgeon handed Florida (8-6) a 1-0 walk-off victory in its series opener against Connecticut (4-6) on Friday night at McKethan Stadium.
Florida (7-6) won its first home-away-from-home game 4-2 against Southern Mississippi (6-7) at Bayfront Stadium in Pensacola on Tuesday night.
Florida’s offense continued to struggle bringing in runs in the final game of its home tournament on Sunday.
Florida bunted its way to its first victory since its series finale against Miami last Sunday, which, after two lifeless performances since, seemed like an eternity ago.
Six hundred twenty nine days separated Karsten Whitson’s last two victories.
The Gators, upbeat and alive at the start, grew more and more silent with each ring of baseball hell they managed to find themselves in Friday night.
Although Florida might not face a better starting rotation than it did against Miami, it held its own in its first road series this season — even though the team dropped the series.
CORAL GABLES — Karsten Whitson arrived at Florida as the crown jewel of Kevin O’Sullivan’s recruiting class four years ago. The 225-pound right-hander had the golden arm and the tree-trunk legs to match it. In basketball terms, he was a slam dunk.
CORAL GABLES — Karsten Whitson is the perfect pitcher for this young Florida team — both are works in progress.
CORAL GABLES, Fla.—Florida dug its own grave on Saturday against Miami. Early miscues led to an early two-run deficit. One mistake in the sixth inning killed any chances of a comeback.
CORAL GABLES, Fla.—The hum of the Miami-Dade Metrorail whizzed behind Mark Light Stadium. The crack of Miami's bats rocked the bleachers inside. The 3,481 fans in attendance, mostly wearing the home colors, acted accordingly for a raucous series-opening win for No. 16 Miami (3-2).
Kevin O’Sullivan went against the grain recruiting center fielder Buddy Reed and right-hander Logan Shore. The two freshmen, from Rhode Island and Minnesota, respectively, aren’t the typical Gators.
The clock read 9:13 p.m. when the second-ranked Gators basketball team finished off the Tigers on the hardwood. Cheers coming from Auburn’s implosion at the O’Connell Center drowned out the 2,740 fans that turned down the air conditioning for the brisk Gainesville night.
Florida struggled to score runs throughout the 2013 season, but in its opening series against Maryland, the bats showed that 2014 would not be a repeat.
Karsten Whitson waited nearly two years to get back on the mound, but his return did not last long.
What a difference a year makes. No. 23 Florida yearned for consistent innings in 2013. Ace Jonathon Crawford had a down year by his standards. Karsten Whitson never saw the field, and Bobby Poyner occasionally saw the mound as a midweek guy or middle reliever.
You don’t know what you have till it’s gone.
Solutions by The State News
