The temperature has warmed back up, spring is approaching, and that can only mean one thing: baseball season is upon us.
It's opening weekend for the Florida baseball team, who will begin the 2019 campaign against Long Beach State.
When the Gators take the field at McKethan Stadium on Friday, the lineup will look drastically different from the 2018 Gators team that won the SEC regular season title.
Florida is returning three starters in the field from last season, meaning a group of young, fresh talent will get the chance to see plenty of action early in the season.
The Gators are coming off another impressive season. Florida found themselves deep in the postseason once again in 2018, reaching the College World Series in Omaha and making it to the final four before eventually being ousted by Arkansas.
The 2018 team finished 49-21 on the season, the ninth time that head coach Kevin O’Sullivan has reached 40 wins in a season as the head skipper of the Gators.
Last years team was an offensive juggernaut, hitting 100 home runs, the most in team history and in the nation for the 2018 season, and averaged 6.56 runs per game.
The most difficult person to replace, offensively, will be Jonathan India. India was the catalyst for much of the offense a season ago, blasting 21 home runs and driving in 52 runs while batting an SEC best .350.
Along with India, the departure of four-year starting catcher J.J. Schwarz will mean a substantial lose in offensive production and defense behind the plate. Schwartz hit .308 last year and hit 13 home runs along with 48 RBI’s.
However, despite all that lose in production, the team leader in RBI’s will be returning for another season. Outfielder Wil Dalton led the Gators with 60 RBI’s in 2018 and, when hot, one of the most dangerous hitters in the Gators lineup.
It’ll be up to a platoon of underclassman to pick up where the veterans left off a season ago.
The infield will look drastically different come Friday night, particularly the left side of. India will be replaced by freshman Cory Acton at third. Acton will bring some power to the plate. In his senior season at American Heritage High School he hit 41 RBI’s and nine home runs in just 29 games while hitting an impressive .456.
To his left will be second-year man Brady McConnell. McConnell saw significant playing time in 2018 while Deacon Liput was serving a suspension. He started five games at shortstop before a season-ending arm injury halted his freshman season. Look for McConnell to have a breakout year.
Blake Reese will continue to start at second base (.253, 5 HR, 43 RBI in 2018) for the second consecutive season after starting 66 games there last season.
First base is still up in the air as to who will make the start there after the departure of Keenan Bell.
The outfield will probably be the most impressive group on the team this season. Returning will be last years Super Regional hero Austin Langworthy (.290, 4 HR, 29 RBI in 2018) in left field and Dalton in right field (.262, 19 HR, 60 RBI in 2018).
Center field will be interesting, a from what O’Sullivan has said, an exciting position to watch. Starting in center will be freshman Jud Fabian. Fabian is from Ocala, Florida and has been heavily praised by O’Sullivan for his ability to track fly balls and the way he sees the ball off the bat in the outfield.
On the mound this weekend, there will be a trio of familiar faces. Junior Tyler Dyson will get the start on Friday after being tabbed a preseason all-American. The Saturday and Sunday contests will feature sophomore’s Jack Leftwich and Tommy Mace.
Both Leftwich and Mace will have big shoes to fill. The two sophomores will be replacing Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar in the starting rotation, both of whom were drafted in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft.
The opening weekend opponent won’t be as much of a pushover as Sienna was a year ago. It was only two years ago that Long Beach State was in a Super Regional and a win away from going to Omaha.
The Dirtbags, yes that is their mascot name, no I am not trolling, had a drop off in 2018, going 27-30.
This year’s Dirtbags are projected to finish third in the Big West conference and will look to steal a game in Gainesville to open the season.
Players to watch from Long Beach State include first baseman Leanard Jones (.312, 22 RBI’s nine doubles in 2018), Jacob Hughey (.297, 11 RBI’s), and pitcher Zak Baayoun (2nd team all-Big West in 2018, 3.58 ERA 9-3 record).
First pitch Friday night is set for 6:30 pm. Saturday’s game will get underway at 4 pm, while Sunday will begin at noon.
