In the opening baseball media session in February — still stinging from a bitterly short trip nearly eight months before — the top-ranked Gators spoke about their motivation to get back to the College World Series.
Florida players lamented how they were nervous, overwhelmed, excited but ultimately blind to the environment they walked into. Yet every player and coach was quick to respond that if the opportunity presented itself to get back to Omaha, Neb., things would be different.
“As a coach, you can give a player a lot. You can coach a lot of different ways and give them lots of things to improve on,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said in February. “But one thing a coach can not give a player is experience.”
A year ago, the Gators trekked to the CWS wide-eyed and content.
Fresh off a Super Regional sweep of perennial powerhouse Miami, Florida strolled into Omaha with a sense of accomplishment, a feeling that the hard part was already past them.
But after UCLA and Florida State drubbed UF twice en route to an early exit, a long plane ride home wasn’t quite so enjoyable.
“I hate to say it, but everybody was just happy we got there,” senior second baseman Josh Adams said.
“This year, it’s different because everybody knows we expected to be there. Don’t get me wrong — we’re thrilled we’re going — but there’s that little thing in the back of our minds that we knew where we were going to be at this point. We just have to stay focused on the task at hand.”
Florida left for the CWS on Wednesday, a day earlier than a season ago, charged with a renewed mental approach to the circus that awaits.
After reaching the CWS for the second straight season — a feat never accomplished in school history — the Gators know to anticipate large crowds, crazed autograph seekers and cameras everywhere. They understand the overall atmosphere of the classic event.
When the media met with players and coaches on Tuesday, there was an obvious message: Focus on winning, not on the environment and surrounding hoopla.
O’Sullivan led the business-like approach, organizing a team meeting Monday to clear up “all the extra stuff.”
“The hotel, the tickets, when we’re leaving, getting prepared to get packed — just the detailed stuff that kind of crept up on us last year,” O’Sullivan said.
“I think what happened last year was due to the way we prepared ourselves the whole week. I wouldn’t say we were satisfied with the season, but it was almost like it was the end of the road, that they were just happy to get there.
This year, I’m hoping that they understand that we still have one more step to take, and it’s going to be very difficult. For me personally, it felt like everything was kind of rushed when we got out there last year, and the next thing you know, it’s the fifth inning and we were down. I’ve just tried to do the best job I can, starting Monday night, preparing ourselves for Saturday night.”
After addressing initial distractions, O’Sullivan decided to have the team travel a day earlier to get in a full practice at the new TD Ameritrade Park.
In 2010, the last year of historic Rosenblatt Stadium, Florida had just a 45-minute session eight hours before playing UCLA.
“Maybe we fulfilled our season with just the trip out there,” Game 1 starter Hudson Randall said about last year. “This year we’re looking to get more out of it, go up there and take care of business. It’s not a vacation this year.”
Florida faces off against Texas in the primetime 7 p.m. slot Saturday on ESPN.
