Five questions to ponder as No. 1 Florida opens the NCAA Tournament Friday at 4 p.m. against Manhattan.
1. Can the Gators knock out the Hurricanes for the third straight season?
This Gainesville Regional has no shortage of interesting storylines, but the matchup between UF and Miami definitely sheds the brightest spotlight. While both teams will have to hurdle over pesky mid-majors — Manhattan is the MAAC Champs and have won 25 of its last 30 games, while Jacksonville sports a powerful lineup with hot-shot prospect Adam Brett Walker leading the charge — the regional will likely come down to the Gators and ‘Canes. Florida bounced Miami two years ago in the Gainesville Regional. Last season, UF swept UM in the Super Regionals when the Hurricanes committed a startling nine errors in two games, leading to eight unearned runs. Senior second baseman Josh Adams immediately started smiling when asked about the ‘Canes, saying, “I can’t wait to play them. We have to get past the first game, but we’ll see what happens. … It’ll be fun.”
2. Who will pitch the second game?
Coach Kevin O’Sullivan has a bevy of options for Saturday’s game, but it’s not entirely clear what direction he’ll choose until after Friday’s contest. Normal weekend starter Brian Johnson is day-to-day after his scary accident Saturday, and his status is still unknown. If the Gators trump the Jaspers, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Panteliodis or Tommy Toledo could get the start. All three juniors were impressive during the SEC Tournament and Panteliodis has a history of frustrating Miami hitters. “I’m really pleased with the way Anthony (DeSclafani) threw and the way Alex (Panteliodis) threw,” O’Sullivan said. “Toledo got a start and threw the ball good. I think our depth is really starting to show up like we hoped.” Freshman hurler Karsten Whitson has been UF’s Sunday starter all season, but the overpowering righty could be bumped up a day like he was in Hoover, Ala.
3. With UF’s power outage, can Bryson Smith and Daniel Pigott stay hot?
The upperclassmen outfielders torched SEC pitching over the weekend, carrying a dormant Gators offense. Heavy-hitters Mike Zunino, Preston Tucker and Austin Maddox struggled mightily in Hoover, but Florida seized the trophy thanks to two players who went to Alabama in major funks. Smith was marred in a 5-for-45 slump before busting out with a four-hit performance in the Gators’ win over the Crimson Tide. The senior center fielder was named to the All-Tournament team after batting .409 with three RBIs and two stolen bases. Pigott was also in a rut — 5 for his previous 28 — and didn’t even play in Florida’s first game against Mississippi State, yet the junior left fielder was named MVP following a torrid weekend. Pigott hit .583 over the five games, scoring six runs and swiping six bases.
4. Will the Gators continue their aggressive approach on the basepaths?
Florida is not a team blessed with a ton of speed, but at the conference tournament, UF played a small-ball style not seen for most of the season. To avoid a stagnant offense, O’Sullivan called multiple hit-and-runs and double steals to continuously move runners into scoring position. The Gators are just seventh in the league in stolen bases. But they swiped 11 in Hoover, stealing three bases for the first time in a conference game all season. “It gets us going,” shortstop Nolan Fontana said. “It just carries momentum. We did that a lot this weekend and it really helped us out.”
5. Has Cody Dent shored up third base?
The sophomore infielder started at third a bunch down the stretch last season, but in 2011, the hot corner has been a position of flux for O’Sullivan. Dent, freshman Zack Powers and junior Jeff Moyer have all had a hand in the revolving door at third base this year, but lately, Bucky’s kid has played his way into a consistent starting role. Dent hit a measly .111 (4 for 36) before the tournament, but at the SECs he went 4 for 13 with four walks. “It was awesome. We’ve been looking for that all year,” Adams said. “Third base has been a position we need help in. For him to step up the way that he did this weekend is a great feeling for the team.” Dent displayed renewed confidence at the plate while also flashing the leather all weekend. “He’s in there for his defense, and I thought he was a huge part of our success last week,” O’Sullivan said. “He had some quality at-bats. But he’s really good defensively.”
