The 2016 Florida Gators ended last season in familiar territory: empty handed after another trip to Omaha. After going 52-16 and earning the number one seed in the NCAA tournament last season, the Gators went win less in the College World Series.
Though they have come close, five out of the last seven seasons have come to a disappointing end in Omaha and Florida is still searching for their first national championship.
The 2017 Florida Gators have renewed hope - might this be the year?
With one of the best pitching rotations in America and experienced players returning at key positions, they are once again in great position to be the last ones standing in Omaha.
PITCHING
Even though the Gators lost starters A.J. Puk and Logan Shore to the first two rounds of the MLB draft, they are left with one of the strongest rotations in the nation. The presumed Friday night starter is Junior Alex Faedo, who went 13-3 in 2016. Faedo was given preseason first team all-American honors by Baseball America. Over the off-season, the right-hander underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on both knees. He did not participate in fall practice, but has looked solid in the Spring. Faedo looks to lead the team once again in strikeouts (133) and wins (13).
Behind Faedo is Sophomore Brady Singer. Singer is in a new role this season as he makes his transition from the bullpen to a Saturday starter role. In his freshman season, Singer went 2-2 in 23 appearances and recorded a 4.95 ERA in 43.2 innings pitched. The right-hander struck out 38 batters, only walking 17. One of the best attributes Singer brings to the table is his fastball, he touched 98 mph and has complementary off-speed pitches. Singer was given second team all-American honors by Baseball America.
Capping off the weekend starters is Sophomore Jackson Kowar, who was 3-0 in 12 appearances last season. Unlike Singer, Kowar had success as a mid-week starter last season before a collapsed lung forced him to miss the rest of his freshman campaign. Kowar was impressive before his injury as he held a 3.37 ERA and collected 44 strike outs in 34.2 innings.
In the bullpen, the biggest name on paper is walk-on, Frank Rubio. The senior has a fastball that can reach up to 93 mph in his arsenal along with a slider that can fool some batters. Behind Rubio, the Gators bullpen is made up of 2 Juniors and the rest are underclassmen. Unlike the starting rotation, the bullpen will continue to organize itself as the season progresses.
HITTING & FIELDING
Florida lost center fielder Buddy Reed and first basemen Peter Alonso to the MLB draft but shouldn't skip a beat at the plate. One of the guys to keep an eye on is shortstop Dalton Guthrie. In his Sophomore season, Guthrie hit .305 with 22 runs batted in. Guthrie’s double play partner Deacon Liput looks to build upon his solid freshman campaign where he hit .270 along with 36 RBIs. Liput proved his durability in 2016 as he played in all 68 games. Liput was given preseason third team all-American honors by Baseball America.
Third basemen Jonathan India made a big statement last season as he hit .303 in his freshman season. The Sophomore played in all but one game in his first season at UF and racked up 40 RBIs, 43 runs, and 22 extra base hits. This has led him to third team all-American preseason honors by Baseball America. Joining India on the third team all-American list is Mike Rivera, he hit .245 with 47 RBIs and 33 runs scored. Most notably, Rivera hit .389 in the SEC tournament helping the Gators get to the championship game.
SEASON OPENING SERIES
Heading into the opening weekend against William and Mary, the Gators are ranked as high as 2 in some preseason polls. Florida is even getting praise from opposing coaches as they were voted the favorites to win the Southeastern Conference. Also, the Gators have a conference high five players on the All-SEC preseason team.
The 2017 season starts on Friday against William and Mary, first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
