I, for one, am shocked that Florida has never won a national championship in baseball. The Gators seem to manufacture title trophies in every other sport. They finished second in the 2005 College World Series, losing 4-2 and 6-2 to the Texas Longhorns (the Gators’ first opponent in the 2011 CWS). But no Florida team has hoisted the championship hardware in Omaha.
Gators fans thought they had a chance last season, but UF left Omaha quickly after going two-and-‘que. Kevin O’Sullivan brings the Blue and Orange back for the program’s first back-to-back CWS appearances in history, fresh off one of the most emotionally charged Super Regions in recent NCAA Tournament history.
We caught up with Rachel George (@osgators on Twitter) of the Orlando Sentinel to learn more about this year’s Gators baseball team.
Florida's Brian Johnson is cleared to play in the 2011 CWS (Adam Streur/WBR)
White & Blue Review: Florida went 0-2 in last year’s CWS. What did the coaches and players learn from that experience, and carry with them into the 2011 season?
Rachel George: They all spoke at length this week about changing their approach. By their own admission, last year was overwhelming and they were just glad to be there. Kevin O’Sullivan said as soon as they were out, he started scribbling about two pages of notes on hotel stationery of things he’d do differently. And he’s been doing that this week. The players all said it’s more of a business-like approach rather than enjoying the spectacle of everything that goes on around it. Given the expectations they’ve handled this year, both internally and externally, they feel much more prepared this time around.
WBR: How would you describe the 2011 Gators baseball season thus far, for someone not too familiar with the Florida program?
RG: It’s got all the pieces would be the best way to describe them. The pitching staff not only has talent in the rotation of Hudson Randall, Brian Johnson and Karsten Whitson, but it also has a deep bullpen. They have been a consistent hitting team and have maintained some good power numbers despite the bat changes this year. And the defense has been good most of the season and has been solidified by Cody Dent at third this postseason. Baseball’s a funny game sometimes and the best team does not always win, but Florida has the pieces it needs to do it.
WBR: The Gators offense is one of the nation’s best. What makes it tick? Who are the key cogs in coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s lineup?
RG: Consistency and depth would be the easy answer. Hitting slumps are going to happen, but they’ve been relatively short for the Gators this year. And Florida is getting production throughout the lineup. Just as an example, the Gators’ Super Regional game three win showed what the offense can do. Mike Zunino had his team-leading 18th home run of the year. Clean-up hitter Preston Tucker hit a three-run home run to take the lead back for UF. Although they finished with five home runs, three came from the bottom of the order. Daniel Pigott, the MVP of the SEC Tournament, had two. And Vickash Ramjit hit his first of the year. Tyler Thompson has started in just 24 games this season, but he’s 10-for-26 with five RBI in the NCAA Tournament. Dent, the No. 9 hitter (and, yes, son of Bucky Dent), has 14 walks in 17 games this season with four coming this postseason. Once one part of the lineup gets going, UF has been carrying it through.
WBR: Just how tense was the atmosphere surrounding the Florida-Mississippi State Super Regional at McKethan Stadium? Explain the atmosphere surrounding those games, and just how much energy the Gators expended to get to Omaha.
RG: Game two of that series was pretty surreal, and it was easy to see what a sucker punch it was for Florida. UF was up 3-2 in the game before Nick Vickerson’s two-run walk-off homer ended the game. As you can imagine, the players were pretty deflated in the dugout. They still had that ‘What just happened?’ look in their eye in the postgame press conference, and going into Sunday we really had no idea how they would respond. In game three, they were up 4-0 before MSU got three runs in the fourth and three runs in the top of the seventh. Down 6-4 with nine outs to go, they really responded. Tucker’s homer gave them the lead and they got an insurance run later on Pigott’s second HR of the day. You could see the emotional swings of the series, and they all seemed drained by the end. They all said it was like another week in the SEC, and it truly was. Mississippi State was a team that finished below .500 in the conference and had lost 11-1 but still came out and made a series of it.
WBR: How important is it for Brian Johnson to return to action for the Gators? What does he bring to the team?
RG: Now that he’s been cleared, Brian Johnson’s return would be pretty big for Florida provided he can play at the level he was before the concussion. He’s 8-3 and has been a key member of the rotation, but he’s also the DH on his off days and adds another big bat to the lineup.
WBR: The Gators return to Omaha for the second straight year, still looking for the school’s first national championship in baseball. What will it take for Florida to win the 2011 College World Series?
RG: I think if they handle the stage of it well and avoid distractions, they’ll have a shot. They have the pieces — good pitching with a deep pen, good defense and great hitting. If they can keep that focus they seemed to have, look for them to make a run at the championship.