UF Baseball: FSU Stuns #1 Florida in Super Regional Opener

The Florida State Seminoles (41-20) have shocked the college baseball world with a 3-0 victory over the No. 1 seeded Florida Gators (50-14) tonight.

FSU's sophomore starter Drew Carlton (8-3, 3.94 ERA) was the story of this game. Pitching perhaps the greatest game of his young collegiate career, Carlton faced just one over the minimum (28 batters) as he tossed a complete game shutout on 115 pitches.

He yielded two hits, struck out five batters, walked none, and retired 19 Gators in a row. Not a single Florida baserunner even reached second base. Wow! Of all the games I have attended at McKethan Stadium, this is maybe the greatest pitching performance I have ever witnessed from an opposing hurler.

Opposing Carlton for the Gators was Alex Faedo (13-2, 3.25 ERA). Losing only one game the whole season, Faedo was not himself today. He lasted a season-low four innings, allowed two earned runs on three hits, struck out seven, walked three, and hit a batter as he received his second loss of the season. He exited the game with 84 pitches thrown.

When Faedo left in the fifth inning, it was 1-0 FSU with a runner on second base and no outs. The first reliever out of the pen was junior Dane Dunning, and he nearly gave up a two-run bomb to shortstop Taylor Walls on his first pitch. Instead, it was an RBI double that pushed the Seminole lead to 2-0.

After Dunning's rude awakening, FSU tacked on another run when second baseman Deacon Liput mishandled a throw to first base on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Instead of a runner on third and one out, it was 3-0 FSU with no outs and a runner on first.

Dunning would work 2.1 innings while striking out two, walking one, and allowing one earned run. Once the first rounder departed, lefty Kirby Snead came in and walked the only batter he faced before Frank Rubio induced an inning-ending groundout on just two pitches.

For the remainder of the game, lefty Nick Horvath gave the bullpen some rest as he delivered 2.1 strong innings of one-hit ball with two punch outs.

Offensively, both Buddy Reed and Danny Reyes went 1-3 with a single. That's it.

Final Takeaway:
This is the flattest I have seen this Florida Gator team all season. To sum up how much of a mess this game was, take note of the following:

• Jonathan India's bat flew out of his hands and down the third base foul line after he whiffed on a pitch early in the game.
• Dalton Guthrie fouled off a ball that bounced up and hit him in the face. He remained in the game.
• Alex Faedo's command vanished in the fourth inning as he loaded the bases with a leadoff double, a walk, and a hit by pitch before walking in the game's first run on four straight pitches.
• The Gators defense -which is top three in the country at a .982 clip- failed to execute on a sacrifice bunt.
• In the fifth inning, where I literally saw this Gator team implode before my very eyes, it was raining decently enough to impact the game but not delay it. As soon as the top half concluded, the rain let up.
• For the record, this is the first time EVER that Florida has been shutout at home in an NCAA Tournament game.
• In my honest opinion, it feels like the Gators just had a perfect game thrown against them.

For the Florida Gators, Game 2 on Sunday is judgment day. A record-breaking season is on the verge of falling to shambles. Possibly one of the most talented teams in school history could join the ranks of the past as another Gator team that came up just short.

Tomorrow, Logan Shore (11-0 2.44 ERA) takes the mound for the final time at McKethan Stadium. Undefeated on the season and 1-0 all-time against FSU, the 47th overall pick in this year's MLB Draft is hands down making one of the biggest starts of his college career. If Florida's ace gets the job done, then it will be up to A.J. Puk in a winner-take-all Game 3.

For the 'Noles, they are one victory away from avenging their blowout losses to Florida in last year's super regional. With a chance at making their first College World Series appearance since 2012, FSU will go with either freshman lefty Tyler Holton (3-3, 2.92 ERA) or redshirt senior righty Mike Compton (5-3, 4.92 ERA) in the potential clincher.

Game time will yet again be at 6 p.m. It can be seen on ESPN2 and heard on the Gator IMG Sports Network.

*All stats accredited to FloridaGators.com & NCAA.com

UF Baseball: Sully's Guys, Where Are They Now? '11 - '13

Picking up from where I left off, here are the Gator baseball players who were drafted between the years of 2011 and 2014 during the midyears of the Kevin O'Sullivan era.

2011

Nick Maronde (104th Overall in the 3rd Round)

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From Lexington, Kentucky, Nick Maronde pitched at the University of Florida for three seasons. Starting 12 games as a freshman, he was given a bullpen role for his final two years in Gainesville.

Appearing in 79 games throughout his collegiate career, Maronde had a career ERA of 3.98 with a 5-2 record, four saves, 131 innings pitched, 151 strikeouts, and 51 walks.

After his junior season, Maronde entered the 2011 MLB Draft and was selected 104th overall by the Los Angeles Angels in the third round.

Since then, Maronde has seen action in 33 professional games while fluctuating between the minor leagues and the MLB. In three sporadic MLB seasons, Maronde has posted a career 7.00 ERA, thrown 18 innings, struck out 18, and walked 19.

Anthony DeSclafani (199th Overall in the 6th Round)

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Like Maronde, Anthony DeSclafani was an imported product as he was from Freehold, New Jersey. Transitioning from a starter to a reliever during his three seasons at Florida, DeSclafani appeared in a total of 68 games. In that time, he held a 5.38 ERA with a 13-9 record, three saves, 149 innings pitched, 115 strikeouts, and 30 walks.

Declaring for the 2012 MLB Draft after his junior season, DeSclafani was taken 199th overall in the sixth round by the Toronto Blue Jays. He would not play a single game in the "6" as he was traded to the Miami Marlins during the club's latest fire sale.

Working his way through the minors, DeSclafani made his MLB debut for the Fish in 2014. He threw 13 games for the club before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Mat Latos (which was a horrible trade) in the 2015 offseason.

DeSclafani would throw 33 games for the Reds in 2015, but has not thrown a game in 2016 due to an oblique strain. He is currently rehabbing in AAA with the Louisville Bats.

In what so far has been a crazy MLB career for the 26-year old, DeSclafani has appeared in 44 big league games and registered an ERA of 4.38, a record of 11-15, 218 innings pitched, 177 strikeouts, and 60 walks.

Alex Panteliodis (282nd Overall in the 9th Round)

Hailing from Alonso High School in Tampa, Florida, Alex Panteliodis was a solid left-handed starter for Sully. In 57 career games, Panteliodis posted a 3.81 ERA while going 23-10. His sophomore year, he went 11-3!

Individual seasons aside, Panteliodis finished his three-year UF career with one save, 227 innings pitched, one complete game, 172 strikeouts, and 48 walks.

When the draft rolled around, Panteliodis did indeed hear his name called as the New York Mets selected him 282nd overall in the ninth round.

Unfortunatley, Panteliodis's pro-career did not pan out as nicely as college did. Making is as far as AA ball, he chose to retire from baseball in 2014. He finished his three-year minor league career with 57 appearances, a career ERA of 4.35, a 17-20 record, 300 innings pitched, 189 strikeouts, and 80 walks.

Tommy Toledo (341st Overall in the 11th Round)

A teammate of Alex Panteliodis at Alonso High School, Tommy Toledo shifted from starter to reliever during his three years at UF. Appearing in 55 games, he had a career ERA of 4.28, a 13-9 record, one save, 124 innings pitched, 89 strikeouts, and 50 walks.

Toledo was scooped up by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 11th round of the 2011 MLB Draft and, like Panteliodis, saw limited success in the minor leagues. Ascending as far as AA, Toledo decided to call it quits in 2014.

In 130 appearances in the span of a four-year minor league career, Toledo maintained a 3.46 career ERA, posted an 18-14 record, saved 30 games, pitched 216 innings, struck out 189 batters, and issued 86 free passes.

Josh Adams (403rd Overall in the 13th Round)

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From Jacksonville, Florida, Josh Adams anchored third base for the Gators. A three-time All-SEC standout during his four-year career in Gainesville, Adams slashed .305/.384/.464 with 287 hits, 31 home runs, 188 RBI's, 177 runs scored, and 23 stolen bases.

After graduating, Adams would get an opportunity to play professional ball as the Florida Marlins (such a nice ring to it) drafted him in the 13th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. Adams made is as far as High-A ball before hanging up the spikes just this past year in 2015.

In six post-collegiate baseball seasons, Adams finished his playing career with a slash line of .195/.254/.291 with 271 hits, 24 home runs, 165 RBI's, 121 runs scored, and five stolen bases.

This story has a happy ending though! Adams currently serves as a manager on the Florida Gators baseball team.

Ben McMahan (701st Overall in the 23rd Round)

From Windmere, Florida, Ben McMahan served primarily as an outfielder for the Florida Gators. Spending three years in Gainesville, McMahan slashed .253/.293/.358 with 41 hits, four home runs, 16 RBI's, 27 runs scored, and seven stolen bases.

McMahan decided to forgo his senior year and enter the 2011 MLB Draft. His decision paid off as the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 23rd round. McMahan would equate his collegiate career as he spent just three seasons in the minor leagues before retiring in 2013.

He finished his minor league career with a slash line of .281/.322/.469 with 226 hits, 27 home runs, 123 RBI's, 118 runs scored, and 22 stolen bases.

Though he played more games, it can be argued that McMahan fared better in the minors than he actually did in college!

Matt Campbell (751st Overall in the 24th Round)

(No. 29 on the right who is about to fist bump Nick Maronde)

Matt Campbell is an interesting story. A Tampa native, he walked onto the Gator baseball team as a pitcher in 2010. Seeing action in just 23 games between both his junior and senior seasons, Campbell had an inflated ERA of 7.00 with one save, 27 innings pitched, 21 strikeouts, and five walks. Not bad for a walk-on!

Campbell earned two SEC Academic Honor Roll honors, but it was as a member of Florida's club baseball team that he really filled his trophy case. With the club team, Campbell was a:

• 2009 South Atlantic South Conference Champion
• First-team NCBA All-American
• NCBA National Pitcher of the Week

Despite getting drafted in the 43rd round as a junior, Campbell opted to stay at Florida and improve his draft stock. His strategy panned out as he was selected in the 24th round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.

As one would expect from a walk-on, however, Campbell did not last long in the minors. After two seasons, he called it a career in 2012. He finished with 38 appearances, a 3.74 ERA, a 4-3 record, four saves, 65 innings pitched, 37 strikeouts, and 29 walks.

Bryson Smith (1045th Overall in the 34th Round)

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A Georgia-native, Bryson Smith transferred to the University of Florida from Division II Augusta State after the 2008 season. Due to eligibility rules, Smith had to sit out all of the 2009 season before finally donning the Orange and Blue uniform for the 2010 campaign.

In two seasons as a Gator, Smith slashed .292/.386/.401 with 84 hits, five home runs, 44 RBI's, 57 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases.

Rounding out Sully's 2011 draft class, Smith was taken by the Cincinnati Reds in the 34th round. As of right now, Smith is still chasing the dream. In six minor league seasons, he has slashed .284/.352/.398 with 311 hits, 20 home runs, 145 RBI's, 145 runs scored, and 22 stolen bases.

Smith's diligence and hark work have nearly paid off. He has progressed all the way through the Reds' minor league system and now plays for their AAA affiliate the Louisville Bats. Smith is a Reds' injury or two away from a potential MLB call up!

2012

Mike Zunino (3rd Overall in the 1st Round) 

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From Cape Coral, Florida, Mike Zunino may be one of the greatest catchers in Florida Gator history! Spending three seasons in Gainesville, Zunino slashed .327/.393/.620 with 224 hits, 47 home runs, 175 RBI's, 159 runs scored, and 24 stolen bases.

In addition to his outrageous stats, Zunino also filled his trophy case with various individual awards and honors like:

• 2012 Dick Howser Trophy
• 2012 Golden Spikes Award
• 2012 Johnny Bench Award
• 2012 Baseball America’s College Player of the Year 
• 2012 Consensus First-team All-American
• 2011 SEC Player of the Year
• 2012 & 2011 First-team ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region Team
• 2012 & 2011 First-team All-SEC
• 2012 & 2011 SEC All-Defensive Team
• 2010 First-team SEC All-Freshman Team
• 2010 Baseball America Freshman All-American

With such a decorated college career, Mike Zunino continued to imprint his name in Gator lore when the Seattle Mariners took him with the third overall pick in the 2012 Draft. With Zunino's selection, he became the highest Gator ever chosen in the MLB Draft!

After cruising through the minor leagues, Zunino has seen substantial playing time with 295 MLB games under his belt. Although this may seem like a decent number of games in just three seasons, his collegiate success has not translated to the major league level.

Zunino slashed a career .193/.252/.353 on the big stage with 185 hits, 38 home runs, 102 RBI's, 101 runs scored, and one stolen base. For the Mariners, this just wasn't good enough.

In 2016, he started the season with Seattle's AAA affiliate the Tacoma Rainiers and has been playing fairly well through 51 games. I expect Zunino to be back in the big leagues real soon. Whether he can last there long-term is not for me to say.

Brian Johnson (31st Overall in the 1st Round)

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From Lakeland, Florida, Brian Johnson imposed his will on hitters as a 6'3 lefty at the University of Florida. Starting 46 of the 49 collegiate games that he pitched in, Johnson posted a career ERA of 3.85 with a 22-12 record, 243 innings pitched, 196 strikeouts, and 47 walks.

Interestingly enough, Johnson was a rare dual-threat as he could also swing the bat pretty well. As a hitter, Johnson slashed .324/.383/.492 with 155 hits, 15 home runs, 91 RBI's, 63 runs scored, and two stolen bases.

Between his stellar pitching and hitting, Johnson collected accolades like:

• 2012 John Olerud Award
• 2012 All-SEC Tournament Team
• 2012 SEC Player of the Week in the span of April 9th to April 16th
• 2012 & 2011 First-team All-SEC
• 2011 SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2011 First-team SEC Designated Hitter
• 2010 First-team SEC All-Freshman Team
• 2010 First-team Baseball America Freshman All-American
• 2010 First-team Yahoo! Sports Freshman All-American
• 2010 Second-team NCBWA Freshman All-American
• 2010 SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2010 Gainesville Regional MVP
• 2010 Freshman of the Week on two occasions

With his trophy case stocked, Johnson would join Mike Zunino as a first round selectee when the Boston Red Sox took him 31st overall in the 2012 MLB Draft.

Like his backstop, Johnson climbed the minor league ranks as a pitcher and made his major league debut for the Red Sox on July 21, 2015. It would be his first and last major league start. Facing the Houston Astros on the road, Johnson was tagged for four earned runs on three hits while striking out three and walking four.

After suffering his first major league career loss, Johnson was sent back down to the AAA affiliate Pawtucket Red Sox and has remained there to this very day.

Nolan Fontana (61st Overall in the 2nd Round)

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From Winter Garden, Florida, Nolan Fontana held down the shortstop position for the Florida Gators. In three seasons, Fontana slashed .287/.416/.432 with 205 hits, 17 home runs, 102 RBI's, 172 runs, and 30 stolen bases.

Like the two men before him on this list, Fontana had a trophy case stuffed full of awards like:

• 2012 SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2012, 2011, & 2010 All-SEC Team 
• 2012, 2011, & 2010 SEC All-Defensive Team
• 2010 SEC All-Freshman Team
• 2010 Freshman All-SEC
• 2010 Freshman All-American
• 2010 Rawlings NCAA Division I Gold Glove Team

A catalyst at the plate and a vacuum in the field with a career .973 fielding percentage, Fontana would be selected 61st overall in the second round by the Houston Astros in the 2012 MLB Draft.

Speeding through minor league ball like his previous counterparts, Fontana currently resides in AAA with the Fresno Grizzlies. Yet to see MLB action, Fontana will likely have to wait for a while or hope to get traded as 21-year old Carlos Correa has the Astros' shortstop job locked up for the foreseeable future.

As it stands now, Fontana has slashed .241/.395/.356 in a five-year minor league career with 310 hits, 15 home runs, 168 RBI's, 228 runs scored, and 41 stolen bases.

Paco Rodriguez (82nd Overall in the 2nd Round)

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Out of Miami, Florida, Steven "Paco" Rodriguez was one of the the go-to relievers in his two seasons at the University of Florida. In 66 appearances, the 6'3 lefty posted a career ERA of 2.07 with a 7-4 record, six saves, 100 innings pitched, 125 strikeouts, and 25 walks. He was named to the All-SEC team in 2012.

Eligible for the 2012 MLB Draft after his sophomore campaign, the 21-year old Rodriguez was taken 82nd overall in the second round by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After just three minor league seasons, Rodriguez made it to the show and has appeared in 113 career MLB games! In that span he has had a career ERA of 2.53 with a 4-5 record, two saves, 91 strikeouts, 30 walks, and 85.1 innings pitched.

On July 30th, 2015, Rodriguez was traded from Los Angeles to the Atlanta Braves. Currently, he is on the 60-day disabled list after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Hopefully he will come back stronger than ever like many other pitchers who have had the procedure done in the past.

Austin Maddox (118th Overall in the 3rd Round)

Growing up less than two hours away from Gainesville in the Floridian metropolis known as Jacksonville, Austin Maddox was another centerpiece in that great 2012 Florida bullpen. In 53 appearances over the course of his two seasons out of the pen, Maddox maintained a career ERA of 1.87 with a 6-3 record, 17 saves, 82 innings pitched, 78 strikeouts, and 14 walks.

But wait there's more! Like Brian Johnson, Maddox was also a dual-threat player who swung the bat pretty well. In three seasons as a hitter, Maddox slashed .303/.345/.461 with 173 hits, 24 home runs, 112 RBI's, 83 runs scored, and one stolen base.

Although his offensive numbers did decline each season as he began to focus more on pitching, the fact that Maddox could consistently succeed in D-1 baseball from both the mound and the batter's box is quite a feat!

Being such a dominant closer and hitter, Maddox received some conference and nationwide recognition like:

• 2012 NCBWA Third-team All-American
• 2010 SEC Freshman of the Year
• 2010 SEC All-Freshman Team
• 2010 Second-team All-SEC
• 2010 NCBWA Third-team All-American
• 2010 Baseball America All-Freshman Team
• 2010 Louisville Slugger All-Freshman Team
• 2010 NCBWA All-Freshman Team
• 2010 Yahoo! Sports All-Freshman Team

Like many of his highly touted teammates before him, Maddox was taken high in the 2012 MLB Draft as the Boston Red Sox selected him 118th overall in the third round.

Making the permanent transition to a pitcher, Maddox has had a slower climb to the big leagues as he is currently in AA with the Salem Red Sox after five minor league seasons. In 82 career games, he owns a 4.71 ERA, an 8-12 record, 17 saves, 147 strikeouts, and 42 walks.

As these stats indicate, it may be a while before Maddox joins former teammate Brian Johnson with the Pawtucket Red Sox in AAA.

Preston Tucker (219th Overall in the 7th Round)

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A Tampa-native who played ball at powerhouse Henry B. Plant High School, Preston Tucker was a rare phenomenon as he played college ball at Florida all the way through his senior year. With so much time to do damage, the Gator outfielder put up some ridiculous offensive numbers.

Tucker slashed .329/.412/.576 with 341 hits, 57 home runs, 258 RBI's, 210 runs scored, and 24 stolen bases. This is probably not a surprise, but Tucker's fantastic numbers garnered him some awards throughout his college career like:

• 2012 SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2012 & 2011 All-American
• 2012 & 2011 All-SEC
• 2012, 2011, 2010, & 2009 Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team
• 2011 Gainesville Regional Most Outstanding Player 
• 2011 First-team ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region Team
• 2009 Gainesville Regional Most Outstanding Player
• 2009 NCBWA Freshman Hitter of the Year
• 2009 Co-SEC Freshman of the Year
• 2009 SEC All-Freshman Team
• 2009 Baseball American Freshman All-American 
• 2009 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American
• 2009 Rivals.com Freshman All-American
• 2009 NCBWA Freshman All-American

Drafted in the 16th round after his junior year, Tucker's decision to return for his senior year paid off as the Houston Astros took him 219th overall in the seventh round of the 2012 MLB Draft.

Following five minor league seasons and a quick rise through the Astros' farm system, Tucker finally made it to the pros in 2015. He briefly began 2016 with the Fresno Grizzlies before being called back up to the pro squad, where he currently remains.

Tucker has fared decently in 131 big league contests, he owns a slash line of .229/.279/.418 with 88 hits, 16 home runs, 38 RBI's, and 41 runs scored. Fun Fact: his younger brother Kyle also plays in the Astros organization after Houston took him with the fifth overall pick in last year's draft. Had the younger Tucker not been drafted, he would have followed in Preston's footsteps and played at Florida.

Hudson Randall (244th Overall in the 7th Round)

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Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, Hudson Randall made the five-hour trip south to play college ball for the Florida Gators. A three-year starter who served as Florida's Friday night ace, Randall was most successful in his sophomore season as he went 11-3 with a 2.17 ERA.

For his whole 55-game career, Randall maintained an ERA of 2.62 with a 28-10 record, 316 innings pitched, 204 strikeouts, 44 walks, three complete games, and two shutouts.

Leaving Florida as arguably one of the top five pitchers to ever play for the program, Randall earned some honors like:

• 2012 & 2011 Second-team All-South Region
• 2011 College Baseball Insider All-American Honorable Mention
• 2011 Second-team All-South Region
• 2011 Second-team All-SEC
• 2010 Baseball America Freshman All-American Team
• 2010 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team
• 2010 NCBWA Freshman All-American Team
• 2010 Yahoo! Sports Freshman All-American Team in 2010
• 2010 SEC All-Freshman Team
• 2010 Freshman Academic Honor Roll

After his junior season, Randall declared for the 2012 MLB Draft and was taken 244th overall in the seventh round by the Detroit Tigers.

Unfortunatley, the minor leagues did not pan out for Randall as he was out of baseball by 2013. He finished with a stat line of 23 games played, a 4.85 ERA, a 3-11 record, one save, 91 innings pitched, 43 strikeouts, and 19 walks.

Regardless, he should still be remembered as one of the greatest Florida Gator pitchers in school history.

Daniel Pigott (292nd Overall in the 9th Round)

Growing up in Daytona Beach, Florida, Daniel Pigott split time between first base and the outfield during his four years at the University of Florida.

Arriving in the same recruiting class as Preston Tucker, Anthony DeSclafani, Nick Maronde, and Alex Panteliodis among others, Pigott held his own with the Gators as he slashed .310/.368/.450 with 246 hits, 17 home runs, 124 RBI's, 146 runs scored, and 35 stolen bases. His collegiate honors included a selection to the 2011 NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team and 2011 SEC Tournament MVP.

After graduation, Pigott was taken as the 292nd overall pick in the ninth round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds.

He got as far as High-A ball, but chose to hang up the spikes in 2015 after four seasons in the minor leagues. He finished his playing career with a .273/.327/.411 slash line, 175 hits, 13 home runs, 90 RBI's, 89 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases.

Greg Larson (631st Overall in the 20th Round)

From West Palm Beach, Florida, Greg Larson was also a member of Sully's 2009 recruiting class. Working mostly out of the bullpen during his four-year Florida career, the 6'8 right-hander appeared in 122 games and posted a 2.91 ERA with a 13-4 record, 161 innings pitched, three saves, 115 strikeouts, and 41 walks.

After graduating with four SEC Academic Honor Roll distinctions and two SEC Baseball Community Service Team selections, Larson was chosen by the Boston Red Sox in the 20th round of the 2012 MLB Draft.

He made 33 appearances in two minor league seasons before retiring in 2013. He finished with an ERA of 3.32, a 2-5 record, 57 innings pitched, 48 strikeouts, and 21 walks.

Tyler Thompson (1387th Overall in the 46th Round)

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From Tequesta, Florida, Tyler Thompson played all four years at the University of Florida as an outfielder. He slashed .280/.348/.418 with 104 hits, 10 home runs, 64 RBI's, 65 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases while earning a spot on the 2009 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll.

The Washington Nationals would select Thompson in the 46th round of the 2012 MLB Draft, but the Florida graduate declined and went wherever his anthropology major took him.

2013

Jonathon Crawford (20th Overall in the 1st Round)

The No. 3 nationally ranked high school prospect out of Okeechobee, Florida, Jonathon Crawford worked his way into the starting rotation during his time in Gainesville. Over 36 games in a three-year Gator career, Crawford posted a 3.54 ERA, a 9-8 record, two complete game shutouts, 168 innings pitched, 120 strikeouts, and 63 walks.

Crawford's crowning collegiate achievement, however, had to be in his sophomore year when he no-hit Bethune-Cookman in the Gainesville Regional opener on June 1, 2012. In addition to throwing Florida's most recent no-no, some of Crawford's other accomplishments include:

• 2013 Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team
• SEC Pitcher of the Week on April 1, 2013
• 2012 SEC Academic Honor Roll

After a fine career for the Orange and Blue, Crawford entered the 2013 MLB Draft and replaced Brian Johnson as the highest Gator pitcher ever selected when the Detroit Tigers took him 20th overall in the first round.

His time with Detroit wouldn't last long at all, as the Tigers traded him to the Cincinnati Reds for Alfredo Simon. In four minor league seasons, he has a 3.00 ERA, an 8-6 record, 156 innings pitched, 120 strikeouts, and 63 walks.

As of 2016, Crawford has reached high-A ball with the Daytona Tortugas and is on the disabled list. At the rate he's progressing, Crawford may not see the major leagues until 2019 or 2020.

Daniel Gibson (210th Overall in the 7th Round)

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A 6'3 lefty who played at Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida, Daniel Gibson was mainly a bullpen guy in his three years at Florida. Pitching in 69 games, Gibson had a bloated ERA of 5.18 with a 14-8 record, one save, 161 innings pitched, 167 strikeouts, and 65 walks.

After his junior season, Gibson entered the 2013 MLB Draft and was selected 210th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the seventh round.

Gibson has slowly worked his way up the D'Backs farm system in four minor league seasons, as he is now in AA with the Mobile BayBears. In 153 games he has maintained a career ERA of 2.40 with a 14-8 record, nine saves, 161 innings pitched, 167 strikeouts, and 65 walks. If he keeps it up, Gibson will be in the pros in a few more years.

Taylor Ratliff (390th Overall in the 13th Round)

Ratliff gets this photo for contributing nothing to Gator baseball.

Growing up 45 minutes outside of Gainesville as an Ocala native, Taylor Ratliff actually spent his first two seasons at Jacksonville University before transferring to Florida in 2013. He didn't play a single game for the Gators... wait what?!

Anyways, he was taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 13th round of the 2013 MLB Draft.

He lasted just two seasons in the minor leagues before calling it quits in 2014. In 116 games of low-A ball, he slashed .191/.308/.229 with 82 hits, one home run, 24 RBI's, 68 runs scored, and 40 stolen bases.

Johnny Magliozzi (506th Overall in the 17th Round)

From Brookline, Massachusetts, Johnny Magliozzi turned into quite a dynamic reliever for the Gators in his two seasons at Florida. Appearing in 45 games, Magliozzi posted a 3.48 ERA with an 8-5 record, 12 saves, 101 innings pitched, 78 strikeouts, and 21 walks. All 12 of those saves came in Magliozzi's sophomore year!

After concluding his college career with a selection to the SEC Academic Honor Roll, Magliozzi entered the 2013 MLB Draft and was taken in the 17th round by the New York Mets. After three minor league seasons, he has made it up to high-A ball with the Columbia Fireflies.

Magliozzi still has plenty of time at just 24 years old, but he needs to start showing signs of improvement. Through 46 minor league games, he has a 4.12 ERA, a 2-3 record, 12 saves, 59 innings pitched, 49 strikeouts, and 15 walks.

Cody Dent (676th Overall in the 22nd Round)

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Out of Boynton Beach, Florida, Cody Dent played all four years at the University of Florida. As a utility player for the Gators, Dent slashed .176/.286/.203 with 58 hits, one home run, 26 RBI's, 42 runs scored, and six stolen bases.

Dent was recognized more for his off the field work than his actual play with accolades like:

• 2013, 2012, & 2011 SEC All-Academic Honor Roll
• 2013 SEC Community Service Team

He is also one of the best bunters that UF has ever seen, as he finished sixth all-time in school history with 24 sacrifice bunts.

After graduation, Dent was chosen by the Washington Nationals in the 22nd round of the 2013 MLB Draft. He has worked his way up to high-A ball as he currently plays for the Potomac Nationals.

In four minor league seasons, he has slashed .191/.278/.255 with 106 hits, two home runs, 40 RBI's, 63 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases.

Conclusion:
I hope you enjoyed Part Two of this three-part series! I have no timeframe on when the final installment will be released, but stay tuned for my articles on the Gainesville Super Regional between Florida and Florida State as well as the 2016 Gator softball and lacrosse season wrap ups!


*All stats & accolades accredited to BaseballCube.com, Wikipedia.com, and FloridaGators.com

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UF Baseball: #1 Gators Cruise Through Regional

The No. 1 Florida Gators (50-13) are on their way to the eighth super regional in program history after finishing a perfect 3-0 in the Gainesville Regional.

Besides a close contest against UConn (38-25), the Gators barely broke a sweat this weekend. They soundly defeated Bethune-Cookman (29-27) in the regional opener and crushed Georgia Tech (38-25) in the regional final. Here's a brief recap of all three games.

Bethune-Cookman (Regional Opener)
The Wildcats posed absolutely no threat as the Gators smacked them 9-3 to claim the opener. Facing one of the more easier opponents of the year, junior ace Logan Shore (11-0, 2.44 ERA) delivered 6.1 strong innings on route to his 11th win of the season. He left the game with 3 runs (two earned) allowed on five hits, four strikeouts, two walks, and a hit batsman.

Once Shore departed, the barrage of relievers in Brady Singer, Kirby Snead, Dane Dunning, and Michael Byrne finished the contest.

Offensively, Florida's offense was reinvigorated with the return of junior first baseman Peter Alonso. In his first game back since May 13th, Alonso went 3-4 with two home runs, three RBI's, three runs scored, and a walk. Even more spectacular, Alonso went deep in his first at-bat of the game!

Joining Alonso in the multi-hit club for the night, freshman left fielder Danny Reyes continued a hot streak that started in the SEC Tournament. Out of the nine-hole, Reyes batted a perfect 2-2 with a triple, three RBI's, a run scored, a walk, and his first collegiate stolen base.

With Florida finally rediscovering their offense and putting themselves in the winner's bracket, a date with the UConn Huskies awaited the Orange and Blue in the regional semifinals on Saturday.

UConn (Regional Semifinal)

The last time the Huskies and the Gators met at the Mac was for a three-game series in the 2014 season. In perhaps one of the craziest series in Gator baseball history, every single game went into extra innings and ended with a Gator walkoff as Florida pulled off a very unconventional sweep.

Junior lefty AJ Puk pitched the second game of that series as a freshman and received a no-decision after allowing one earned run in 4.1 innings of work. Following the trend, Puk (2-3, 3.21 ERA) earned his 10th no-decision of the year as he yet again tossed 4.1 innings against the Huskies. 

This time around, the stat line was a tad bit escalated as he allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits, struck out five, walked none, and hit a batter. In a weird coincidence, Puk exited with a pitch count of 75. This was the same number of pitches he threw against UConn two seasons ago.

After Puk's early exit, junior righty Dane Dunning entered and threw 3.2 fantastic innings of one-hit relief. He walked one and struck out one in his stint out of the pen.

When Dunning was pulled after 39 pitches, Florida had pushed across a run to gain the lead! The game was now in the hands of junior closer Shaun Anderson. The Huskies went down without a fight, as Anderson retired all three batters he faced and capped the game with a strikeout. 

It was Shaun's 13th save of the year, which tied a school record. In the process, Dane Dunning also earned his fifth win of the season.

Despite another rough outing from Puk, the Gator offense relied on three home runs to propel them to a 6-5 victory. The biggest of these three came in the eighth inning, when freshman third baseman Jonathan India crushed a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall to break a 5-5 tie. This was his first home run at McKethan Stadium.

India was one of two Gators to record a trio of hits as he went 3-4 with his fourth long ball of the season, one RBI, and one run scored. The other Gator with a triplet of base knocks was sophomore shortstop Dalton Guthrie, who went 3-5 with two runs scored.

Right between Guthrie and India, Peter Alonso continued to swing a hot bat as he launched his third home run of the regional completely out of the park. He finished the night 2-5 with two RBI's and a run scored.

Rounding out the home run crew, Danny Reyes became the fourth Gator freshman to go yard this year as he parked his first collegiate deep fly over the right field fence. It would be his only hit of the night.

Now in prime position to take the regional after a hard-fought win, Florida had to wait and see who would emerge from the UConn/Georgia Tech elimination game at noon on Sunday.

Georgia Tech (Regional Final)

The Yellow Jackets prevailed over the Huskies 7-5 in their elimination game, setting up the first meeting between both squads since the 2012 Gainesville Regional (where Florida took both games over the Yellow Jackets).

Florida needed just one win to advance to super regionals while Georgia Tech needed two. Add in the fact that Alex Faedo was throwing for the Gators and a hard task for Georgia Tech became nearly impossible.

Like he has done all season, Faedo (13-1, 3.19 ERA) turned in another gem as he struck out 10 Jackets over eight scoreless innings of work. The sophomore allowed just four hits, issued one base on balls, and hit one batter as he threw 101 pitches and won his 13th game of the season. 

This was the fifth time this year that Faedo registered double-digit strikeouts and the third time he fanned 10 batters in a game.

When Faedo left, the game was well in hand as Florida led 10-0. Georgia Tech was able to plate a run off of sophomore lefty Scott Moss, but their dreams of a miracle comeback were dashed once closer Shaun Anderson took the mound.

In the game presumably just to get some work, Anderson worked out of a bases-loaded jam as he struck out a batter and induced a game-ending ground ball to clinch the regional.

Offensively, four Gators had multiple hits with who else but Peter Alonso leading the way. Keeping the ball in the yard this game, Alonso went 3-5 with a double, three RBI's, and two runs scored.

Right ahead of the hot-hitting first baseman, Jonathan India continued to swing it well as he went 2-3 with an RBI, two runs scored, and a pair of walks.

Finally contributing to the offensive carnage within the top of the order, sophomore designated hitter JJ Schwarz broke out of his 0-8 slump as he went 2-4 with a double, two runs scored, and a walk.

Moving down to the eight-hole of the Gator lineup, freshman right fielder Nelson Maldonado concluded his first regional with some quality at-bats as he went a perfect 2-2 with a double, two runs scored, and two walks.

Final Takeaway:

Now that we have relived all three of Florida's regional victories, let's take a look at the Gators' offensive and pitching leaders from this weekend:

Offense

• Hits: Peter Alonso (8)
• Doubles: Dalton Guthrie/Deacon Liput/Peter Alonso/JJ Schwarz/Nelson Maldonado (1)
• Triples: Danny Reyes (1)
• Home Runs: Peter Alonso (3)
• RBI's: Peter Alonso (8)
• Runs Scored: Peter Alonso (6)
• Batting Average*: Peter Alonso (.571)
• Stolen Bases: Danny Reyes/Deacon Liput (1)
• Walks: JJ Schwarz/Nelson Maldonado/Mike Rivera/Buddy Reed/Deacon Liput (3)
• Strikeouts: JJ Schwarz (5)
• Hit By Pitch: Jonathan India (2)
• At-Bats: Dalton Guthrie (15)

*Must have played in all three games

Pitching

• Strikeouts: Alex Faedo (10)
• Walks: Logan Shore (2)
• Hits allowed: Logan Shore/A.J. Puk (5)
• Runs allowed: A.J. Puk (5)

After an incredible stretch where he went 8-14 with three home runs, eight RBI's, and six runs scored, Peter Alonso was named Regional Tournament MVP. He showed this weekend just how dangerous this Gator lineup can be when his bat is back in it. His monstrous regional also put him back on top of the Gator home run charts, as he now has a team-leading 12 on the season.

In three games this weekend, Florida scored 25 runs. Compare that now to five games in the SEC Tournament, where Florida scored 26 runs. Even though the level of competition is completely different, it's obvious that this lineup is clicking when Pete is present. For him to come off a wrist injury and hit as well as he did is nothing short of amazing.

What's also astonishing is that Florida now boasts four true freshmen in the lineup with the addition of Danny Reyes in the outfield. Notching a hit in every game, Reyes went 4-9 (.444) with two extra base hits, five RBI's, and three runs scored. He also flashed some leather in the Georgia Tech game as he made a spectacular diving catch in left field to preserve Alex Faedo's shutout.

With both Alonso and Reyes killing it from the top and the bottom of the lineup, the Gator offense is slowly becoming a formidable beast that no pitching staff will want to deal with.

Of course, I can't just look at some of the top performers and ignore those who may need to retool their game as the Gators head deeper into the postseason.

Nobody went hitless in the regional, but there are a handful of Gators who were stymied at the plate. They were: junior centerfielder Buddy Reed (1-12), sophomore designated hitter JJ Schwarz (2-12) sophomore catcher Mike Rivera (1-11), and freshman second baseman Deacon Liput (2-9).

Keep in mind, all of the four players above did contribute either walks, runs, or the occasional RBI over the weekend. Although I doubt any of these players' slumps will last for long, I do hope that they figure it out with super regionals less than a week away.

Speaking of super regionals, Florida will be hosting for the seventh time in school history. Their opponent is a familiar one: the Florida State Seminoles (40-20). 

Meeting the 'Noles for the second straight season in super regional play, Florida holds a 2-0 record over their rival in the precursor series to Omaha.

As a memory jog, Florida smacked Florida State by a combined score of 24-9 (13-5 in Game 1 and 11-4 in Game 2) in last year's Gainesville Super Regional. In addition to two routs, Florida swept this season's series against the 'Noles and has beaten the Garnet and Gold in the last five meetings. Also worth noting, the Gators haven't lost a home game to Florida State since 2013.

Florida State will be looking for revenge, and Florida will look to duplicate their super regional performance from just a season ago. Game 1 will either take place on Friday, June 10th, or Saturday, June 11th. 

Regardless of what day these two rivals revisit each other, the probables pitchers for Florida will be. Logan Shore in Game 1, A.J. Puk in Game 2, and Alex Faedo if a Game 3 is necessary. Florida State will counter with freshman lefty Tyler Holton (3-3, 2.92 ERA), sophomore righty Drew Carlton (7-3, 4.36 ERA), redshirt senior righty Mike Compton (5-3, 4.92 ERA), and/or freshman righty Cole Sands (6-6, 4.21 ERA) in some way, shape, or form.

All the games can be seen on ESPN's family of networks. Game time for the opener should be around 7 p.m.

*All stats accredited to FloridaGators.com

2016 College World Series Predictions

Last year, I wrote this article and correctly predicted three of the eight teams who made it to the College World Series. That is by no means terrible, but obviously hailed in comparison to my perfect selection of all the 2015 WCWS participants.

Continuing the tradition, I will once again give my predictions on who is going to win the 2016 Men's College World Series. The eight national seeds for the tournament are: No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Louisville, No. 3 Miami, No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 5 Texas Tech, No. 6 Mississippi State, No. 7 Clemson, and No. 8 LSU.

As I did last week with softball, I am going to again predict which teams I believe will advance out of each region and in the process I hope to correctly pick the National Champion for the 2016 baseball season! Without further adieu, let us begin!

Regionals

Gainesville Regional

No. 1 Florida (47-13)

Bethune-Cookman (29-25)

UConn (37-23)

Georgia Tech (36-23)

Winner: No. 1 Florida over UConn in regional final

Why: Florida is the best team in the country and is having a historic season. With a pitching staff full of depth and a lineup that will regain Peter Alonso, they should have no problem advancing out of their regional with no losses.

Tallahassee Regional

Florida State (37-20)

Alabama State (38-15)

South Alabama (40-20)

Southern Miss (40-18)

Winner: Florida State over South Alabama in regional final

Why: The Seminoles lost the ACC Championship in a slugfest to Clemson and are 5-5 in their last 10 games. Nevertheless, the teams in their regional pose no real challenge and should not stop FSU from attaining its long awaited rematch with Florida in super regionals.

Raleigh Regional

North Carolina State (35-20)

Navy (42-14)

St Mary's (33-23)

Coastal Carolina (44-15)

Winner: Navy over Coastal Carolina in regional final

Why: My first upset of the tournament, the Navy Midshipmen won the Patriot League Championship and are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Prior to the tournament, Navy had won nine straight contests and has also shown some tenacity on the road as they have lost just three total road games the whole year.

Baton Rouge Regional

No. 8 LSU (42-18)

Utah Valley (37-21)

Southeastern La. (39-19)

Rice (35-22)

Winner: No. 8 LSU over Rice in regional final

Why: Using the nonsense that is their "Rally Possum", LSU will obliterate this region with Rice perhaps giving them a challenge in the regional final. The voodoo of the opossum aside, LSU is actually a pretty good team.

Lubbock Regional

No. 5 Texas Tech (41-16)

Fairfield (32-24)

New Mexico (38-31)

Dallas Baptist (41-17)

Winner: No. 5 Texas Tech over Dallas Baptist in regional final

Why: The Red Raiders have had a fantastic season so far as they won their second ever Big-12 regular season championship. Looking to return to Omaha for the second time in program history, Texas Tech will make the Big-12 proud and defeat a feisty Dallas Baptist team that faltered in regional play last season.

Charlottesville Regional

Virginia (37-20)

William & Mary (29-29)

East Carolina (34-21-1)

Bryant (47-10)

Winner: Bryant over Virginia in regional final

Why: My second and only other upset of regional play, I believe that the Bulldogs will defeat the defending National Champions! Bryant won the Northeast Conference Championship and is currently on a 10-game winning streak.

Fort Worth Regional

TCU (42-15)

Oral Roberts (38-19)

Gonzaga (35-19)

Arizona State (34-21)

Winner: TCU over Gonzaga in regional final

Why: Not much national attention has been given to TCU with the rise of Texas A&M. However, the Horned Frogs did win the Big-12 Tournament and are 9-1 in their last 10 games. Even though they beat Texas A&M in last year's super regional, TCU would love the opportunity to reassert their dominance in the Lone Star State.

College Station Regional

No. 4 Texas A&M (45-14)

Binghamton (30-23)

Wake Forest (34-25)

Minnesota (34-20)

Winner: No. 4 Texas A&M over Wake Forest in regional final

Why: The Aggies won their first ever SEC Tournament title after bashing Florida 12-5. With arguably one of the best offenses in the country, the Aggies will be scoring runs for days as they cruise into an potential rematch with TCU in super regionals.

Louisville Regional

No. 2 Louisville (47-11)

Western Michigan (22-32)

Wright State (44-15)

Ohio State (43-18-1)

Winner: No. 2 Louisville over Ohio State in regional final

Why: The Cardinals yet again finished at the top of the ACC regular season standings. Despite stumbling in the ACC Tournament, Louisville had boasted a 10-game winning streak before dropping its last two games to Clemson and Virginia. After a heartbreaking loss in Game 3 of their super regional last season, this Cardinal team will look to pick up the mantle and take care of some unfinished business.

Nashville Regional

Vanderbilt (43-17)

Xavier (30-28)

Washington (32-21)

UC Santa Barbara (37-18-1)

Winner: Vanderbilt over Washington in regional final

Why: Vandy has a pitching staff with two Golden Spikes Semifinalists in Jordan Sheffield and Kyle Wright, not to mention they have played in two straight College World Series Finals. The Commodores will advance out of their regional with no problem.

Columbia Regional

South Carolina (42-15)

Rhode Island (30-25)

Duke (33-22)

UNCW (38-19)

Winner: South Carolina over UNCW in regional final

Why: Despite an early exit from the SEC Tournament, the Gamecocks are still the same program that won back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011. Seeking to reach the top yet again, South Carolina will march through their regional into a probable matchup with Clemson. 

Clemson Regional

No. 7 Clemson (42-18)

Western Carolina (30-29)

Nebraska (37-20)

Oklahoma State (36-20)

Winner: No. 7 Clemson over Oklahoma State in regional final

Why: Receiving a national seed solely based on their impressive performance in the ACC Tournament, the Clemson Tigers will have a chip on their shoulder to prove they deserved their ranking. Considering that Clemson has won nine straight games and is coming off a dominating ACC Championship victory, I think they will clean up in this regional on route to a hookup with rival South Carolina.

Starkville Regional

No. 6 Mississippi State (41-16-1)

Southeast Missouri (39-19)

Lousiana Tech (40-18)

Cal State Fullerton (35-21)

Winner: No. 6 Mississippi State over Louisiana Tech in regional final

Why: Mississippi State has been an incredible story this season with their turnaround from a 24-30 (8-22 SEC) record last year. Winning the SEC regular season title, the Bulldogs will look to continue their magical season as they battle through what may be one of the more tougher regionals in the tournament. Ultimately though, they will prevail and Miss State fans can ring their cowbells until the cows come home.

Lafayette Regional

UL-Lafayette (41-19)

Princeton (24-19)

Sam Houston State (41-20)

Arizona (38-20)

Winner: UL-Lafayette over Sam Houston State in regional final

Why: With the threat of LSU finally out of sight for super regionals, the Sun Belt regular season co-champion and tournament champion Ragin' Cajuns should breathe easier as they battle through what may also be one of the more challenging regionals in the tournament.

Oxford Regional

Ole Miss (43-17)

Utah (25-27)

Boston College (31-20)

Tulane (39-19)

Winner: Ole Miss over Tulane in regional final

Why: One bad inning removed from a potential shot at playing in the SEC Tournament, the Ole Miss Rebels had their share of marquee wins and brutal losses this season. Posting a 6-4 record in their last 10 games, Ole Miss will feed off the energy of their home crowd and advance into the supers.

Coral Gables Regional

No. 3 Miami (45-11)

Stetson (29-29)

Long Beach State (36-20)

Florida Atlantic (38-17)

Winner: No. 3 Miami over Florida Atlantic in regional final

Why: Miami has lost just six games at Mark Light Field the entire season and are 8-2 in their last 10 games. Interestingly enough, Florida Atlantic was one of those six home losses for Miami. However, Miami is way too talented both pitching-wise and offensively to not advance out their regional.

Super Regionals

Now that I have predicted the regional winners, it is on to the Super Regionals! Keep in mind that a team just needs to win two out of three games to advance to the College World Series!

Gainesville Super Regional

No. 1 Florida vs Florida State

Winner: No. 1 Florida

Why: In a rematch of last year's super regional, Florida will defeat the Seminoles in three games. Even though the Gators have won fight straight against the 'Noles and are 3-0 against them this year, I believe that FSU will find a way to make it interesting in Gainesville.

Baton Rouge Super Regional

No. 8 LSU vs Navy

Winner: No. 8 LSU

Why: Navy has no shot whatsoever of winning at Alex Box Stadium. With over 10,000 absurd, opossum-crazed LSU fans losing their minds and screaming at the Midshipmen in one of the most hostile environments in the sport, this pick is too easy. Besides, the crowd is half the battle as LSU also fields a very talented ball club.

Lubbock Super Regional

No. 5 Texas Tech vs Bryant

Winner: No. 5 Texas Tech

Why: The Red Raiders will punch their second trip to the CWS in three years as they defeat the Bryant Bulldogs in three games.

College Station Super Regional

No. 4 Texas A&M vs TCU

Winner: No. 4 Texas A&M

Why: One of the other highly awaited rematches of this postseason, the result will be completely different than last year. It may take three games, but the Texas A&M Aggies will prevail over TCU as a changing of the guard commences in the state of Texas.

Louisville Super Regional

No. 2 Louisville vs Vanderbilt

Winner: No. 2 Louisville

Why: The last time these two teams met in a super regional was in 2013. Louisville emerged as the victor, defending home turf and winning in two games. Now three years later, the battle will be just as great as the Cards will avenge their shortcomings of last season and defeat the Commodores to advance to the College World Series. Keep in mind also that Louisville and Vandy hooked up earlier this season on May 10th in Nashville. The Cards won 8-5.

Clemson Super Regional

No. 7 Clemson vs South Carolina

Winner: No. 7 Clemson

Why: The Tigers and Gamecocks have not hooked up in the postseason since South Carolina defeated Clemson in the regional final all the way back in 2012. Now, with state (and even conference) pride on the line, the Tigers will pick up where they left off in the regular season and defeat the Gamecocks with a shocking sweep. For reference, Clemson has beaten South Carolina in three of their four meetings this season.

Starkville Super Regional

No. 6 Mississippi State vs UL-Lafayette

Winner: No. 6 Mississippi State

Why: Seeking to get back to Omaha for the first time since 2013, the Bulldogs will hold off the Ragin' Cajuns and advance to the 10th College World Series in school history.

Coral Gables Super Regional

No. 3 Miami vs Ole Miss

Winner: No. 3 Miami

Why: For some reason, I see Ole Miss pushing the Hurricanes to the brink. This super regional will go three games, but the home-field advantage will be one of the deciding factors in this matchup as Miami advances to consecutive College World Series for the first time since 2003-04.

College World Series

If my picks stay true and all eight of the national seeds advance, let's see how the College World Series would turn out!

College World Series First Round

No. 1 Florida vs No. 8 LSU

Winner: No. 1 Florida

Why: As a Florida fan, I can't help but be annoyed that Florida's first potential matchup of the CWS could be LSU. The fans will be loud and the announcers will ride that opossum story until it dies for good. Also, the Tigers have beaten the Gators in three of five games this season. Regardless, Florida and their "Rally Owl" will win the sixth meeting between these two rivals as Logan Shore out-pitches Alex Lange.

No. 4 Texas A&M vs No. 5 Texas Tech

Winner: No. 4 Texas A&M 

Why: In a matchup between old Big-12 rivals, the Aggies will out-slug the Red Raiders as they win their first CWS game since 1993.

No. 2 Louisville vs No. 7 Clemson

Winner: No. 7 Clemson

Why: Louisville swept Clemson in the regular season, but who I believe will be college baseball's hottest team at this point will finally earn a 'W' against the Cards when it matters the most.

No. 3 Miami vs No. 6 Mississippi State

Winner: No. 3 Miami

Why: Facing an SEC team in the opening round of the CWS for the second straight year, Miami will not get obliterated this time. It will be a close game, but the 'Canes will rely on some late inning heroics to nab the victory.

Elimination Games

No. 8 LSU vs No. 5 Texas Tech

Winner: No. 8 LSU

Why: LSU's "rally possum" mojo will keep their season alive for at least one more game as the Tigers send the Red Raiders home with an 0-4 all-time CWS record.

No. 2 Louisville vs No. 6 Mississippi State

Winner: No. 2 Louisville

Why: In a battle between a perennial power and the cinderella story, the clock will strike midnight. Louisville will save their season and send the Bulldogs back to Starkville empty-handed.

End Result: No. 5 Texas Tech & No. 6 Mississippi State ELIMINATED

Second Round
No. 1 Florida vs No. 4 Texas A&M

Winner: No. 1 Florida

Why: In their fifth meeting of the year, Florida will avenge their SEC Championship loss and defeat the Aggies for the fourth time this season.

No. 3 Miami vs No. 7 Clemson

Winner: No. 7 Clemson

Why: As was the case with Louisville, Miami swept Clemson down in Coral Gables. In Omaha, however, the story will be written differently. Clemson will continue to play superb baseball and send the 'Canes to the loser bracket.

Second Round Elimination Games
No. 4 Texas A&M vs No. 8 LSU

Winner: No. 4 Texas A&M

Why: The Aggies took two of three games from the Tigers in College Station, but will land their biggest victory in this elimination game. Finally, the rally possum will be dead and will never see the light of day ever again!

No. 2 Louisville vs No. 3 Miami

Winner: No. 3 Miami

Why: Like TAMU, the Hurricanes took two of three from the Cards at home. In the same fashion, Miami will deliver a knockout blow in the CWS and win a dogfight against the team that beat them out by one game for an ACC regular season championship.

End Result: No. 2 Louisville & No. 8 LSU ELIMINATED

CWS Semifinals
No. 1 Florida vs No. 4 Texas A&M

Winner: No. 1 Florida

Why: Meeting Texas A&M again with a finals berth on the line, Florida might have to play a winner-take-all game to advance to the National Championship. Still, with Logan Shore, A.J. Puk, or Alex Faedo figuring into the mix, the Gators will stymie that explosive Aggie offense and advance to their third CWS Finals in program history.

No. 3 Miami vs No. 7 Clemson

Winner: #7 Clemson

Why: Needing to beat Clemson twice to earn a possible shot at playing their in-state rival for a National Championship, Miami will hit the wall and fall to Clemson in a winner-take-all game.

CWS Finals
No. 1 Florida vs No. 7 Clemson

Winner: No. 1 Florida

Why: So here we are. In the National Championship matchup between the pre-season favorites and the team that many thought was undeserving of a national seed, the Florida Gators will triumph in two games! Finally, after 101 seasons, my Florida Gators will have the first baseball National Championship in school history!

National Champion:
Florida Gators!

Final Takeaway:
Well there you have it, folks! The Florida Gators will finally win a National Championship after coming up short in so many of the past seasons! Now of course, these predictions are just my personal thoughts and have no bearings on what could actually happen (as seemed to be the case with Florida softball losing in super regionals).

Honestly, predictions in baseball are way harder because the sport is much more uncertain than softball is. Anybody can beat anybody on any given day. It's just the way baseball is. Whether I get all, some, or none of my predictions right, I am looking forward to the 2016 NCAA D-1 Baseball Tournament. There are many great teams and players participating who are all looking to etch their names in the annuls of college baseball lore.

Will we have another instance like Fresno State in 2008 where a no-name team comes out of the field and wins a National Championship? Will Florida finally live up to the hype and bring home the hardware that many in Gainesville and the national media are expecting? Will Virginia prove me wrong and defend their title?

All of these questions and more will be answered by the end of June. All we have to do now is sit back, relax, and enjoy some incredible college baseball!

One final thing: Go Gators!

2016 Gator Baseball: May Recap

The No. 2 Florida Gators (47-13, 19-10 SEC) ended the month of May with a 10-6 record and as runner-ups in the SEC Tournament that just took place last week. Florida also broke a record this month as their 44 regular season victories are the most in the history of the program.

The Gators finished undefeated in their midweek games with convincing victories over Bethune-Cookman (29-25) and USF (24-33). In regards to SEC play, Florida concluded with a series against Tennessee (29-28, 9-21 SEC), No. 7 Vanderbilt (43-17, 18-12 SEC), and No. 8 LSU (42-18, 19-11). 

They were able to take two out of three from both the Vols on the road and the Commodores at home, but faltered in Baton Rouge as the Tigers notched a pair of victories. The rough weekend against LSU would cost the Gators a regular season SEC championship.

Fortunately, the Gators still earned themselves a first round bye as they entered the SEC Tournament as the No. 4 seed. After losing their first game to LSU in my pick for the "Game of the Month", the defending SEC Champs won two straight elimination games before meeting up again with the Tigers in the SEC Semifinals.

Related: Gators Finish Runners Up in SEC Tournament

Just like last year's semis against LSU, the Gators propelled themselves to victory via the heroics of a true freshman. In the SEC Championship, Florida finally ran out of gas as Texas A&M (45-14, 20-10 SEC) throttled the Gators to claim their first SEC baseball title in school history. The loss would drop Florida to the No. 2 spot in the final Coaches' Poll of the regular season.

It's worth noting that Florida had to play against LSU and in the SEC Tournament without star first baseman Peter Alonso. In Game 1 of the Vandy series, Alonso fractured his left wrist after he was hit by a pitch. 

As a result, he was sidelined for the remainder of the month and is due to be back for regionals this weekend. Let's hope that timetable is still up to par considering that Pete is a huge bat in the Gator lineup.

Now that I have briefly recapped Florida's final month of regular season action along with the Alonso injury, here are some of my memorable Gator games of May: 

• 5/13 vs No. 7 Vanderbilt - In the opening game of Florida's final SEC home series of the year, Logan Shore threw his third complete game of the season as he allowed two earned runs on six hits while striking out six Commodores in a 4-2 victory.
• 5/14 vs No. 7 Vanderbilt  - This is perhaps the greatest pitching performance I have ever seen in person from an opposing collegiate pitcher. Vandy's Kyle Wright threw perhaps the game of his life as he tossed a complete game shutout, allowed just three hits, and struck out 10 in a 5-0 Commodore win.
• 5/25 vs No. 8 LSU - In the longest game in SEC Tournament history (5 hours & 7 minutes), the Gators lost by a score of 5-3 in 14 innings. In each proceeding inning after the ninth, Florida put the winning run on base and could not bring him home. The most infamous instance, of course, had to be when Florida loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th with no outs and failed to score.
• 5/27 vs No. 3 Mississippi State - Playing the Regular Season SEC Champions, Florida murdered the Bulldogs 12-2. It was so bad that the game had to be called after seven innings!
• 5/28 No. 8 LSU - In the much anticipated rematch, Florida used a sixth-inning RBI double from true freshman Jonathan India to defeat the Tigers 1-0 and advance to their third consecutive SEC Championship.
• 5/29 vs No. 2 Texas A&M - In a game between the top two teams in the country, a couple late inning errors would hurt the Gators as the Aggies used two big innings to decimate the Orange and Blue 12-5 in the title game.

As Florida prepares to make a historic postseason run, let's take a look at the stat leaders from an incredible regular season:

Offense

Hits: Dalton Guthrie (75) (Sophomore)

RBI's: JJ Schwarz (51) (Sophomore)

Doubles: Jonathan India (16)

Triples: Buddy Reed (6) (Junior)

Home Runs: Mike Rivera/Peter Alonso (9)

Batting Average: Peter Alonso (.352)

Slugging Percentage: Peter Alonso (.581)

On Base Percentage: Peter Alonso (.455)

Stolen Bases: Buddy Reed (24)

Runs Scored: Buddy Reed (51)

Total Bases: Peter Alonso (104)

Strikeouts: Buddy Reed (56)

Walks:  JJ Schwarz (41)

Hit By Pitch: Peter Alonso (9)

Defense

Assists: Dalton Guthrie (163)

Putouts: Peter Alonso (420)

Errors: Jonathan India (11)

Fielding Percentage: JJ Schwarz/Nelson Maldonado/Nick Horvath (.1000) (Freshman/Sophomore)

Pitching

Wins: Alex Faedo (12) (Sophomore)

Losses: A.J. Puk/Dane Dunning (3) (Juniors)

Strikeouts: Alex Faedo (107)

Walks: A.J. Puk (31)

Starting Pitcher ERA: Logan Shore (2.41)

Relieving Pitcher ERA: Shaun Anderson (1.09) (Junior)

Shutouts: Logan Shore (2)

Saves: Shaun Anderson (12) 

Appearances: Kirby Snead (38) (Junior

Innings Pitched: Logan Shore (86.0)

Final Takeaway:

After selection for the 2016 NCAA Baseball Tournament took place on Memorial Day, the Florida Gators ended up with the No. 1 overall seed! This is just the second time since 2012 that Florida has been given such a prestigious distinction. However, top seeds and historic regular seasons mean nothing if you can't win in June.

The Gators are a little over 10 wins away from the first National Championship in program history. Standing in their way will be a regional pool containing the MEAC Champion Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, the AAC Champion UConn Huskies (37-23), and the ACC-middle-of-the-pack Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (36-23).

Barring some miracle, Florida should emerge from their regional unscathed and will need to take two out of three from Florida State (37-20) in Super Regionals to get back to Omaha. You can best bet that this time around the Seminoles won't go down as easy as last year.

Once at the College World Series, Florida will have to defeat some of the best teams in the nation to finally gain the crown jewel they have been waiting 101 seasons for. It's a tough task, but by no means an impossible one. Peter Alonso is coming back, Florida has the best pitching staff in the country, and this team has all the makings of a championship-caliber squad.

It's postseason time in Gainesville, and the march to history starts now! Florida's regional opener against Bethune-Cookman is at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 3rd. It can be seen on the SEC Network and heard on the Gators IMG Sports Network.

*All stats accredited to FloridaGators.com