Florida Baseball SEC Questions, Answered
No. 23 Florida baseball’s SEC play starts today, and the direction of the program this season has never been more unclear. The team dropped its last weekend series against High Point, but clawed back a victory against No. 20 FSU.
WRUF.com’s beat writers Hunter Zbarsky and Liana Handler are ready to take on the biggest questions in the minds of Gators fans across the conference. While the questions still linger about whether the pitching staff can stop digging itself into unrecoverable losses, here are some answers to keep in mind through the rest of this season.
Which aspects of Florida’s two home losses to High Point during its final nonconference weekend series concern you the most?
Hunter: Florida was given a reality check this past weekend that nobody saw coming. After Friday’s loss, UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan talked about how the team got exposed on the basepaths and in the bunt game.
The biggest concern is how many runners UF allows on base. Florida pitchers have faced 596 batters this season — the most in the SEC. Although they have allowed only 80 runs, SEC opponents will likely have better luck driving in runs. This pitching staff is still shaky and something to keep an eye on.
Liana: While I agree with Hunter, the middle relief pitchers scare me more. The Gators can switch out their catchers, given it’s a platoon, but how will O’Sullivan fix a pitcher like Christian Rodriguez or Jackson Hoyt, both with ERA’s of at least 18.00? If Ernesto Lugo-Canchalo is forced to pitch in the fifth inning each time Florida finds itself in a hole, it leaves a lot of pressure on his shoulders.
Workload is always a concern in baseball, and the Gators need to also think about who they want on the mound if ace Liam Peterson (1-0, 3.72 ERA) has the type of showing he did against East Carolina.
The Gators welcome South Carolina (12-5) for their first SEC weekend series – is Gamecocks coach Paul Mainieri already on the hot seat?
Hunter: South Carolina ranks in the bottom five in the SEC in team batting average, runs scored and walks. Mainieri is in his second season with the Gamecocks and leads active Division I coaches with more than 1,500 career wins.
However, his tenure in Columbia has been uneven. Mainieri is 40-35 at South Carolina and saw his team give Queens University of Charlotte the program’s first win against a Power Four opponent in school history. The seat continues to heat up, following a 8-3 midweek loss to Citadel. All eyes will be on how South Carolina matches up with No. 23 Florida.
Liana: When the Gamecocks signed Mainieri, the thought was that he could implement an LSU-type system at South Carolina, despite his three-year break. After all, he coached the Tigers to the College World Series, where they finished runners-up to Florida in 2017.
As Hunter mentioned, the payoff hasn’t been that rewarding. He’s had mixed success, and South Carolina – much like the Gators – has lost games it shouldn’t have to mid-major teams. It’s hard to say one series to Florida will be the final straw, but it could be the first in a thousand cuts that lead to his departure.
What has been the most surprising loss by an SEC team this season?
Hunter: The award for most surprising losses goes to LSU. Take your pick of which game the Tigers (13-5) have surprisingly lost during nonconference play.
McNeese, Northeastern, Louisiana-Lafayette and Sacramento State — twice this season. LSU has lost four of its last six games. A pitching staff that was expected to be one of the best leads the SEC in ERA (4.29).
The last time the Tigers lost five games before SEC play was 2007, the first season current Gamecocks coach Paul Mainieri was in charge. If LSU’s struggles continue, the race for the top spots in the SEC could be far more open than many expected entering the season — and Florida’s losses to High Point may not be as damaging entering conference play.
Liana: That Tennessee v. Kent State series loss is reminiscent of Florida’s own struggles. On Feb. 22, the Golden Flashes beat the then-No. 3 Volunteers 5-9, the only SEC team to lose its series that week.
In the conference, there’s not much that separates the best teams from the very good ones. No. 19 Tennessee’s 13-4 record might not be poor, but it places them 12th in the SEC. Losing two of the three against Kent State can be jarring for any coach. How Josh Elander responds against No. 8 Georgia will give fans the best approximation of how Florida can attack the Bulldogs next month.
Category: Baseball, College Baseball, Feature Sports News, Gators Baseball, SEC
