Sunday, August 7, 2016

UF Baseball: Sully's Guys, Where Are They Now? '14 - '16

Concluding my three-part series, here are the Gator baseball players who were drafted in these past three years of the Kevin O'Sullivan era between 2014 and 2016.

2014

Taylor Gushue (131st Overall in the 4th Round)

From Boca Raton, Florida, Taylor Gushue was a guy I played against in high school when he was at Calvary Christian Academy. Halfway through his senior year, Gushue graduated early so he could enroll at the University of Florida for the 2012 season. It was a brilliant decision. In his first ever collegiate at-bat, he hit the first pitch he saw over the fence against Cal State Fullerton.

This would set the tone for a decent three-year collegiate career for Florida's next great catcher, as Gushue slashed .273/.360/.430 with 158 hits, 16 home runs, 103 RBI's, 78 runs scored, and five stolen bases.

Gushue's accolades include:

  • 2014 Louisville Slugger Second-team All-American
  • 2014 Johnny Bench Award Semifinalist
  • 2014 First-team All-SEC
  • 2014 SEC Player of the Week on May 19th
  • 2013 SEC Academic Honor Roll
  • 2012 SEC Freshman of the Week twice on February 20th and May 5th

After his junior season, Gushue entered the 2014 MLB Draft and was selected 131st overall in the fourth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Just two years removed from college, Gushue is currently in High-A ball with the Bradenton Marauders. He has slashed .232/.299/.362 with 190 hits, 16 home runs, 109 RBI's, 92 runs scored, and one stolen base.

Casey Turgeon (735th Overall in the 24th Round)


Hailing from Palm Harbor, Florida, Casey Turgeon spent his three years at the University Florida as a reliable infielder for Kevin O'Sullivan's ball club. In addition to his fantastic .983 career fielding percentage, Turgeon handled himself well at the plate as he slashed .268/.365/.372 with 188 hits, 13 home runs, 94 RBI's, 111 runs scored and 23 stolen bases.

Some of Turgeon's collegiate awards and honors include:

  • 2014 Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team
  • 2014 NCBWA National Player of the Week & SEC Player of the Week on May 6
  • 2012 Perfect Game First-team All-American
  • 2012 Baseball America Second-team All-American
  • 2012 Gainesville Regional Most Outstanding Player
  • 2012 SEC All-Tournament Team
  • 2012 SEC Freshman of the Week on May 7th

Forgoing his senior year, Turgeon entered the 2014 MLB Draft and was selected in the 24th round by the St. Louis Cardinals. He has made some progress in the minors, as he is currently playing for the Cards' AA affiliate the Springfield Cardinals. Turgeon has slashed .261/.379/.373 with 173 hits, eight home runs, 68 RBI's, 114 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases as he looks to keep climbing the ranks towards the pros.

Ryan Harris (794th Overall in the 26th Round)


Out of Jupiter, Florida, Ryan Harris was a bullpen guy for Sully during his three years at the University of Florida. In 80 appearances spanning that time, Harris posted a career ERA of 3.08 with a 10-6 record, five saves, 111 innings pitched, 82 strikeouts, and 31 walks.

After his junior season, Harris was picked up by the Boston Red Sox in the 26th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. After two seasons in the Red Sox's system, Harris was released from the Class A Greenville Drive at the beginning of 2016. He finishes his minor league career with 34 games played, a 3.17 ERA, a 4-4 record, four saves, 54 innings pitched, 41 strikeouts, and 21 walks.

Keenan Kish (1025th Overall in the 34th Round)














An outer-stater Gator from Worcester, Pennsylvania, Keenan Kish played three years for Sully before missing all of 2014 with a hip injury. While healthy, Kish pitched in 28 games and recorded no wins or losses. However, he did have one save to go along with his 47 innings, 47 strikeouts, and 15 walks. 

A member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll all three seasons as a Telecommunications (Media & Society) major, Kish would not have to rely completely on his degree after college as the Cincinnati Reds came calling his name in the 34th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. 

Kish is currently beginning his rehab assignment for the Arizona Reds in the rookie league, as injuries have continued to plague him past college. He should return to the Dayton Dragons once the assignment is completed. Hopefully Kish can remain healthy and begin to pad his lofty stat sheet of one inning pitched and one strikeout.

2015

Richie Martin (20th Overall in the 1st Round)


Coming to UF from Brandon, Florida, Richie Martin held down the position of shortstop during all three of his college seasons. He boasted a career fielding percentage of .956 and at the dish he slashed .284/.375/.374 with 194 hits, seven home runs, 81 RBI's, 136 runs scored and 45 stolen bases.

A wiz on the field and in the classroom, Martin garnered many awards in his collegiate career like:
  • 2015 Brooks Wallace Award Finalist
  • 2015 Academic All-District 4 Team
  • 2015, 2014, & 2013 SEC Academic Honor Roll

Projected to be a high pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, Martin forewent his senior year and was drafted 20th overall in the first round by the Oakland Athletics. With his selection, Martin became the first Gator since 2013 to be taken in the first round.

Battling injury his first season, Martin is currently in High-A ball with the Stockton Ports. In two minor league seasons he has slashed .215/.319/.293 with 94 hits, three home runs, 37 RBI's, 65 runs scored and 16 stolen bases.


Harrison Bader (100th Overall in the 3rd Round)


A spark plug for Sully during his three seasons in Orange and Blue, Harrison Bader came to Florida from Bronxville, New York. A near impeccable defender in the outfielder, Bader left Florida with a .985 fielding percentage! With a bat, he was even deadlier as he slashed .313/.393/.466 with 202 hits, 20 home runs, 112 RBI's, 117 runs scored and 36 stolen bases.

The heart and soul of the 2015 squad during his junior year, Bader brought home numerous awards which included:

  • 2015 Dick Howser Award Semifinalist
  • 2015 Perfect Game Second-team All-American
  • 2015 NCBWA Third-team All-American
  • 2015 NCAA College World Series All-Tournament Team
  • 2015 NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team
  • 2015 Louisville Slugger Player of the Week on February 16th
  • 2015 SEC Player of the Week on February 16th
  • 2014 Second-team All-SEC
  • 2014 NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team
  • 2014 SEC All-Tournament Team
  • 2013 SEC All-Freshman Team

After an incredible three seasons at Florida, Bader entered the 2015 MLB Draft and was selected 100th overall in the third round by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Since his selection, Bader has FLOWN up the minor league ranks as he is currently in AAA playing for the Memphis Redbirds. Bader's minor league numbers are stellar, as he has slashed .289/.354/.481 with 177 hits, 25 home runs, 74 RBI's, 99 runs scored and 26 stolen bases. It is highly possible in this upcoming September that Bader could get called up to the big leagues with the Cardinals, making him the first on this list to make it to the show!

Eric Hanhold (181st Overall in the 6th Round)


From Tarpon Springs, Florida, Hanhold worked out of the bullpen for most of his career with spot starts sprinkled in the mix. In a three-year career that featured 53 appearances, Hanhold maintained a career ERA of 4.74 with a 5-7 record, three saves, 108.1 innings pitched, 83 strikeouts, and 40 walks.

Once his junior season concluded Hanhold entered the 2015 MLB Draft and was taken 181st overall in the sixth round by the Milwaukee Brewers. In two minor league seasons, he has made it to High-A ball with the Brevard County Manatees and has been converted into a starter.

As of now, Hanhold resides on the 7-day disabled list. When he returns, he can build off of his 30 appearances that feature a 5.52 ERA, a 2-17 record, 137 innings pitched, 87 strikeouts, and 41 walks.

Danny Young (242th Overall in the 8th Round)


Hailing from Boca Raton, Florida, Danny Young was a viable bullpen option in his three seasons at Florida. Appearing in 67 games, Young sported a fine ERA of 2.91 with a 10-4 record, three saves, 117.2 innings pitched, 83 strikeouts, and 40 walks. All of his accolades are academic as he made the SEC Honor Roll in 2013 and 2014.

Entering the 2015 MLB Draft after his junior year, Young was chosen 242nd overall in the eighth round by the Toronto Blue Jays. Retaining his role as a reliever, Young has had some rough outings with the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts. In 29 appearances over two minor league seasons, his ERA sits at 5.85 with a 1-2 record, 40 innings pitched, 22 strikeouts, and 19 walks.

Taylor Lewis (270th Overall in the 9th Round)














Transferring to UF from Chipola College, this Claxton, Georgia, product served as a shutdown closer for Sully's team in 2015. In his lone season as a Gator, Lewis appeared in 31 games and maintained an incredible ERA of 1.33 with a 6-2 record, seven saves, 54 innings pitched, 32 strikeouts, and 15 walks. His lone accolade was making the 2015 SEC All-Tournament Team.

Lewis's strategy of playing JUCO ball for a couple of years before transferring to a D-1 school worked out perfectly as he entered the 2015 MLB Draft and was selected 270th overall by the Atlanta Braves in the ninth round.

In two minor league seasons, Lewis had made a swift climb as he now plays in AA for the Mississippi Braves. In 48 appearances out of the pen, Lewis holds a 2.04 ERA with a 6-6 record, three saves, 75 innings pitched, 70 strikeouts, and 18 walks. With the current disarrayed state of the Atlanta Braves, Lewis may not have to wait much longer before he sees some playing time in the big leagues.

Josh Tobias (294th Overall in the 10th Round)


Another out-of-stater Gator in this draft class, Josh Tobias came to UF from Greensboro, North Carolina. He was a four-year letterman who saw substantial action every season, but saved his best performance for last. In his senior season, Tobias led the team in batting average with a .355 clip after not even touching .300 in his three previous campaigns.

Tobias's senior season did him well as it boosted his career numbers and increased his draft stock tremendously. For his stats, Tobias finished with a career slash line of .301/.378/.424 with 188 hits, 11 home runs, 82 RBI's, 122 runs scored and 22 stolen bases.

Being a four-year starter, Tobias of course brought home some awards like:

  • 2015 ABCA Second-team All-American
  • 2015 D1Baseball Second-team All-American
  • 2015 Baseball America Third-team All-American
  • 2015 NCBWA Third-team All-American
  • 2015 Perfect Game Third-team All-American
  • 2015 Second-team All-SEC
  • 2015 Senior CLASS Award Finalist
  • 2015 & 2014 SEC Community Service Team
  • 2014 SEC All-Tournament Team
  • 2014, 2013, & 2012 SEC Academic Honor Roll
  • 2012 SEC All-Freshman Team

When the 2015 MLB Draft rolled around, Tobias's improvement was recognized as he was selected 294th overall in the 10th round by the Philadelphia Phillies.

In two minor league seasons, he has made it to High-A ball with the Clearwater Threshers. He owns a slash line of .314/.376/.460 with 202 hits, 12 home runs, 97 RBI's, 84 runs scored and 19 stolen bases. Clearly, Tobias has carried the offensive production of his senior year onto the next level.

Bobby Poyner (411th Overall in the 14th Round)


Joining Tobias as the other Gator senior in this draft class, Bobby Poyner grew up in Wellington, Florida, before coming to UF. Mainly a bullpen guy who gave Sully spot starts when needed, Poyner appeared in 89 games throughout his four-year career with an ERA of 3.10, a 14-10 record, eight saves, 180 innings pitched, 136 strikeouts, and 27 walks.

A finance major, Poyner also took care of business in the classroom as he made the SEC Academic Honor Roll every year from 2012 to 2015. Upon graduation, Poyner was chosen by the Boston Red Sox in the 14th round of the 2015 MLB Draft.

He is currently in High-A ball with the Salem Red Sox after two minor league seasons. In 49 appearances, Poyner sports a 2.96 ERA with a 3-3 record, 24 saves, 76 innings pitched, 73 strikeouts, and 13 walks. These are very good numbers for the 23-year old.

Mike Vinson (730th Overall in the 24th Round)













From Miami, Florida, Mike Vinson threw just two seasons for Sully after missing all of 2014 with an injury. Appearing in 24 games, Vinson left Florida with an ERA of 4.39, a 3-0 record, 26.2 innings pitched, 23 strikeouts, and nine walks. His lone collegiate award was making the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll in 2013.

Despite seeing action in only seven games in 2015, Vinson was selected in the 24th round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers. He last played in Low-A ball with the Connecticut Tigers before being released on July 26th. With his playing days possibly over, Vinson's minor league stats sit at a 6.75 ERA, a 2-4 record, two saves, 40 innings pitched, 43 strikeouts, and 26 walks in two seasons of minor league ball.

Aaron Rhodes (855th in the 28th Round)


The final member of the 2015 draft class, Aaron Rhodes came to UF from the baseball-rich area of Venice, Florida. As a reliever during his three-year career, Rhodes appeared in 50 games and maintained an ERA of 3.20 with an 8-2 record, three saves, 104 innings pitched, 96 strikeouts, and 39 walks. Rhode's lone collegiate accomplishment was being named the 2014 SEC Pitcher of the Week and Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week for April 29th.

Foregoing his senior season, Rhodes entered the 2015 MLB Draft and was selected in the 28th round by the Los Angeles Angels. Baseball would not be Rhodes's calling, however, as he retired after one season with the Orem Owlz in rookie ball. He finishes his minor league career with a 6.86 ERA, an 0-2 record, 21 innings pitched, 23 strikeouts, and four walks.

2016

A.J. Puk (6th Overall in the 1st Round)


From Cedar Rapids, Iowa, A.J. Puk is an intimidating figure on the mound at 6'7. If that wasn't enough, he's also a lefty who touches 97 mph consistently. Many thought that he could be the No. 1 pick in this past draft, but Top 10 is nothing to scoff at.

In his three years as a starter for Sully, Puk maintained a 3.39 ERA, a 16-9 record, one save, 194 innings pitched, 251 strikeouts, and 90 walks. Despite his control issues and inability to work deep into games sometimes, Puk was the victim of poor run support in his junior season at Florida as he notched 11 no decisions.

Though it's clear that Puk did regress a tad this past year, his career as a whole should be remembered in a positive light. Here are the awards and honors Puk accumulated while he was a Gator:

  • 2015 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team
  • 2015 NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team
  • 2015 SEC All-Tournament Team
  • 2015 Louisville Slugger Player of the Week on May 11th
  • 2015 & 2014 SEC Academic Honor Roll

As expected, Puk was selected high in the 2016 MLB Draft as the Oakland Athletics nabbed him with the sixth overall pick in the first round. Since being drafted, Puk has entered Low-A ball and currently plays for the Vermont Lake Monsters. His minor league stats after a few months sit at a 2.92 ERA, an 0-1 record, 12 innings pitched, 12 strikeouts, and four walks. Hopefully Puk can live up to his potential and be a mainstay in Oakland's starting rotation in the future.

Dane Dunning (29th Overall in the 1st Round)


Coming to UF from Fleming Island, Florida, Dane Dunning was a force out of the pen and as a spot starter in his three-year collegiate career. Appearing in 66 games, Dunning maintained an ERA of 3.26 with a 12-6 record, two saves, 163 innings pitched, 174 strikeouts, and 46 walks.

Dunning's fantastic junior year (his ERA was a career-low 2.29) upped his draft stock immensely as the Washington Nationals took him with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft.

As a current member of the Auburn Doubledays in Low-A ball, Dunning has been moved back into a starter's role. Over these last couple of months, his stats reside at four games started, a 3.75 ERA, an 0-1 record, 12 innings pitched, 11 strikeouts, and two walks.

Logan Shore (47th Overall in the 2nd Round)


From Coon Rapids, Minnesota, Logan Shore was A.J. Puk's roommate during his three years at UF and is arguably one of the best pitchers to come through the program in recent memory. All but one of Shore's 53 appearances were starts. In those outings, Shore posted a career ERA of 2.41 with a 30-11 record. He had double-digit wins in both his sophomore and junior campaigns.

It gets better though. Shore tossed five total complete games in his career and two shutouts (Miami & Georgia) his junior year. He knew how to eat up innings as he threw 313.1 frames while striking out 248 and walking 63. This past season, he passed Russ Kibler for the most consecutive victories in school history when he won his 13th straight decision against Georgia on April 23rd.

As one of the best pitchers to come at Florida, it can easily be assumed Shore earned himself some hardware. Here's his list of awards:

  • 2016 Louisville Slugger First-team All-American
  • 2016 ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region First Team
  • 2016 ABCA/Rawlings First-team All-American
  • 2016 SEC Pitcher of the Year
  • 2016 First-team All-SEC
  • 2015 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team
  • 2014 Perfect Game National Freshman of the Year 
  • 2014 SEC Freshman of the Year
  • 2014 Louisville Slugger Third-team All-American
  • 2014 Baseball America Freshman All-American
  • 2014 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American
  • 2014 NCBWA Freshman All-American
  • 2014 Perfect Game Freshman All-American
  • 2014 First-team All-SEC
  • 2014 SEC All-Freshman Team
  • 2014 SEC Freshman of the Week on May 12th

After a spectacular career in Gainesville, Shore would be reunited with Puk as the Oakland Athletics selected him 47th overall in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. Playing along side A.J. on the Vermont Lake Monsters, Shore has pitched just one game. In that contest he went two innings, walked one, and surrendered a hit.

Buddy Reed (48th Overall in the 2nd Round)


My favorite player during my time at UF, Buddy Reed hails from Finksburg, Maryland. Holding down center field during his three years for the Orange and Blue, Reed was a formidable defender as he posted a fielding percentage above .980 every season and finished with a career .983 fielding percentage.

Offensively, Reed was a catalyst due to his switch hitting abilities and speed. The 6'4 speedster slashed .275/.353/.383 with 195 hits, eight home runs, 85 RBI's, 134 runs scored and 47 stolen bases.

Buddy was always a guy I wanted up to bat with the game on the line. Some of his clutchest moments include a walk off single against Miami his sophomore year, a walk off catcher's interference his junior year against Eastern Michigan, and a walk off home run against Dartmouth his junior year as well. I saw both the Miami hit and Dartmouth home run in person.

To make this story even better, UF was Buddy's only college offer coming out of high school. Three years later, he was a winner of numerous awards and a second round draft pick. First the awards. Here are all of Buddy Reed's collegiate accolades:

  • 2016 SEC All-Defensive Team
  • 2015 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team
  • 2015 NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team
  • 2015 SEC All-Tournament Team
  • 2015 SEC All-Defensive Team
  • 2015 SEC Player of the Week on February 23rd (for his walk off vs Miami)
  • 2015 College Baseball 360 Primetime Performer of the Week on February 23rd

Projected to go in the early rounds, Buddy entered the 2016 MLB Draft after his junior year and was selected right after Logan Shore by the San Diego Padres as the 48th overall selection in the second round. Buddy is currently in Low-A ball with the Tri-City Dust Devils, and so far he has slashed .231/.298/.269 with 24 hits, zero home runs, seven RBI's, 15 runs scored and 47 stolen bases.

Peter Alonso (64th Overall in the 2nd Round)


From the almighty Plant High School in Tampa, Florida, Peter Alonso was a power surge for the Florida Gators in his three-year career at first base. Really coming to form his junior year (he led the team with a .374 batting average), Alonso finished his college career with a slash line of .316/.407/.517 with 174 hits, 23 home runs, 124 RBI's, 102 runs scored, and three stolen bases. His defense was also pretty good as he logged a .988 fielding percentage for his career.

Alonso had just a few awards his first two seasons, but that all changed by the time his junior year concluded. His achievements include:

  • 2016 ABCA/Rawlings Second-team All-American
  • 2016 ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region First Team
  • 2016 Second-team All-SEC
  • 2015 SEC All-Tournament Team
  • 2014 NCBWA Second Team Freshman All-American
  • 2014 SEC All-Freshman Team

Pete's impressive junior year, like Dane Dunning, propelled him up the draft board as the New York Mets took him with the 64th overall pick in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. Currently, Pete is in Low-A ball with the Brooklyn Cyclones. 

He continues to produce offensively as he is slashing .292/.370/.521 with 28 hits, four home runs, 18 RBI's, 15 runs scored, and zero stolen bases. It won't take him too long before he anchors down first base for the big league squad at Citi Field.

Shaun Anderson (88th Overall in the 3rd Round)


A good friend of mine, Shaun Anderson hails from my hometown of Coral Springs, Florida. Seeing limited action in his first two seasons, Anderson evolved into a star closer by the time he was a junior. In 66 appearances (which included one Tuesday road start against FSU as a sophomore), Anderson posted a 2.72 ERA with a 3-2 record, 14 saves, 86 innings pitched, 89 strikeouts, and 16 walks.

Anderson tied a school record with 13 saves this past season and broke a record this same year with a 0.97 ERA. Prior to his junior year, Shaun was only acknowledged for his academics as he made the honor roll both in 2014 and 2015. After 2016, his contributions in-between the lines were rightfully heralded as Shaun earned:

  • 2016 ABCA/Rawlings Second-team All-American
  • 2016 Louisville Slugger Second-team All-American
  • 2016 First-team All-SEC

After a historic season, Shaun was selected 88th overall in the third round by the Boston Red Sox in the 2016 MLB Draft. He has been assigned to the Lowell Spinners and has been converted into a starter. Two starts into his minor league career, he has an ERA of 27.00 with four strikeouts in three total innings pitched. Hopefully things will get better for Shaun moving forward.


Scott Moss (108th Overall in the 4th Round)














From Deltona, Florida, Scott Moss redshirted his freshman year in 2014 and did not see any game action until 2016. Even so, he appeared in just 14 games and sported a 1.57 ERA, a 3-0 record, 23 innings pitched, 31 strikeouts, and nine walks. His most memorable game came in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, where he delivered six shutout innings and struck out seven against LSU in a spot start.

Despite just one season of play, the two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll found himself as a high pick in the 2016 MLB Draft when the Cincinatti Reds selected him 108th overall in the fourth round.

Now in the rookie league as a member of the Billings Mustangs, the 6'5 lefty has had a decent start to his minor league career. In five starts, he has 2.25 ERA, a 1-0 record, 16 innings pitched, 10 strikeouts, and four walks.

Low-key would be the best word to describe Moss's Florida career since he would have had two more years of eligibility as just a redshirt sophomore. However, choosing between being the No. 2 guy in the starting rotation or taking his $577,400 signing bonus may not have been too hard of a decision for him to make.

Kirby Snead (312th Overall in the 10th Round)














A local product from Alachua, Florida, Kirby Snead was a dependable lefty arm for Sully out of the pen. Making only one start which came his freshman year, Snead appeared in 101 games throughout his three-year career! With a plethora of opportunity, Snead thrived as he posted a 2.75 ERA with a 7-1 record, four saves, 111.1 innings pitched, 88 strikeouts, and 23 walks.

After his junior year, Snead entered the 2016 MLB Draft and was selected 312th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 10th round. Currently, he has been assigned to the Dunedin Blue Jays in High-A ball and in seven games he has held an ERA of 3.21 with a 0-1 record, 14 innings pitched, nine strikeouts, and three walks.

Conclusion:
I hope you enjoyed this series! I had an absolute blast conducting research for these articles and learning about all these great players that Coach O'Sullivan has brought in throughout the years.

With the conclusion of this series, I will be taking a short break from writing as I study for the LSAT which I will be taking in September. I will be writing my weekly articles recapping Gator football, but any supplementary projects have been sidelined for now. As always, I am excited for another fall semester of Gator athletics and I hope to be there to cover most of the action when I can.


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