OMAHA, Neb. — Baseball relievers are supposed to have short
memories. But Florida’s Steven “Paco” Rodriguez had nine long days
to painstakingly wrestle with his last outing — one that lasted
just a single pitch.
UF’s sophomore southpaw was left stunned on the mound after
surrendering a walk-off homer to Mississippi State’s Nick Vickerson
and then watching the Bulldogs celebrate at McKethan Stadium as
they evened the best-of-three Super Regional series.
“I
had to forget about it and go to the next game,” Rodriguez
said.
Easier said than done, especially when the next game was never
guaranteed.
After hanging a high fastball, the Gators’ left-hander admitted
questioning himself, wrought with self-doubt for letting down his
team.
Rodriguez hoped for a chance to face Vickerson again in the ninth
in UF’s 8-6 Super Regional clincher, but the call didn’t come.
But
in a bizarre, yet pivotal, College World Series winner’s bracket
contest against Southeastern Conference rival Vanderbilt, he
finally got the ball again.
“The thing about the Mississippi State game, I was coming in trying
to do my job. It didn’t work out in my favor, but I had to forget
about it and go to the next game,” he said. “It’s a new day, and I
had to come out there and do my job when I got the
opportunity.”
Rodriguez, who touts a darting cutter as his main pitch, relieved
freshman Karsten Whitson in the fifth inning of a 3-1 game Monday,
striking out Aaron Westlake — second in the SEC in homers — to
escape a major jam. Rodriguez recorded two more outs before the
skies opened up, sirens went off and severe weather stormed into
Omaha.
“Yesterday, when the sirens went off I was kind of upset because I
was dealing,” Rodriguez said. “I was like God, I don’t need this to
happen right now. … But then I was like let’s prepare for today and
everything came out in my favor.”
When the suspended game resumed early Tuesday morning, Rodriguez
was back on the mound, continuing to frustrate Vandy hitters.
After waiting more than nine days for redemption, it was on the
10th day that he helped the Gators move one win closer to a spot in
the CWS championship series.
During Rodriguez’s two-day appearance, the lefty struck out a
career-high seven in a season-high 4.1 innings.
“He
did what he needed to do,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. "He's done
that a lot for us this year. He's one of those guys that may not
get the notoriety, but the guys in our locker room know how good he
is and how valuable he is."
Florida southpaw Steven Rodriguez shutdown Vanderbilt Monday and Tuesday in a weather-suspended winner's bracket game at the College World Series. The Gators downed the Commodores 3-1 as Rodriguez punched-out a career-high seven in relief.
