As part of The Alligator Awards recognizing the best in UF athletics during the 2011-12 season, columnists Joe Morgan and Corey McCall will debate two of the five nominees in each week’s category. Vote for the winner online at alligatorSports.org.
Joe: Baseball may no longer be America’s pastime, but it has always been mine, and Jonathon Crawford gave me one of my favorite memories with my favorite sport. I had the good fortune of covering the sophomore right-hander’s no-hitter against Bethune-Cookman in the NCAA Gainesville Regional opener on June 1. Crawford’s gem was the first no-hitter I have seen in person, and it could very well be the last. Florida had many athletes go above and beyond the call of duty this season, but Crawford’s no-no stands above the rest. Not only did he dominate the Wildcats in his first-ever postseason start, but Crawford delivered for the top-ranked Gators on a national stage. Florida’s postseason run ended with a winless College World Series showing — a development made all the more shocking considering how invincible the Gators looked with Crawford on the mound in their postseason opener.
Corey: All this baseball talk is making me sleepy, “now back to the good part.” Remember back in September when Chris Rainey single-handedly ran Florida’s offense? Not only was he putting up stats to contend for the Heisman, but he even made people believe Florida had a chance against Alabama. What a joke that turned out to be, but the reason it was even considered was because of Rainey. Everybody knew the defense was solid, but after that 2010 season, the offense remained in serious doubt. That all changed in one game: a 33-23 victory against a surprisingly strong Tennessee team, headlined by a “Time to Die” statement from the man himself. One game later, Florida was 4-0 and heading into the meat of their schedule with the No. 12 ranking and championship dreams. Sure it turned out just like John Carter, but at least this version had a Liam Neeson cameo.
Joe: Well, the “Time to Diesman” campaign bit the dust once Rainey ran into a real opponent in the Crimson Tide. The Volunteers finished 5-7 last season. We are talking about a team Tennessee coach Derek Dooley compared to the confused German forces at Normandy during World War II. Meanwhile, Bethune-Cookman posed a formidable threat to Crawford despite its No. 4 ranking in the NCAA Gainesville Regional. The Wildcats were coming off the heels of a seventh straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title, and they had played the Gators close in an 8-6 loss Feb. 21. Besides, keeping an opponent hitless — regardless of stature — is very impressive. Even someone as untalented as Pitbull records a hit every once in a while.
Corey: I seem to have missed those hits Pitbull put out, and the ones that classify Bethune-Cookman as a “formidable foe.” Ranking 193rd in the country last year, the Wildcats dished out a whopping .269 team batting average, with only three people hitting over .300, one of which didn’t even touch the field against Florida. On the other hand, Rainey led a less-than-mediocre offense to a crucial victory early in the season. Say what you will about Tennessee, but they had a solid defense, ranking in the top 30 nationally, even with injuries and depth issues plaguing them throughout the season. With this being the first conference game, the Volunteers defense was at full strength, and despite it all, Rainey put up Heisman-quality numbers. He led the team in rushing (108), receiving (104), and even added in a punt block and 21 punt-return yards to put his total at 233 all-purpose yards. Add a touchdown and you have the best individual performance this season.
Joe: I will grant you that Rainey dominated Tennessee, but he had plenty of help from a staunch run defense. The Volunteers had minus-nine yards on the day, which kept their offense from doing much of anything for the first three quarters. Crawford does not hit, and he benefitted from stellar defensive play behind him — I’m looking at you, Casey Turgeon. However, Crawford controlled the game against Bethune-Cookman. He allowed just one base runner, Wildcats designated hitter Jake Welch, on a third-inning walk. Gators catcher Mike Zunino gunned down Welch trying to steal second soon after. Crawford, who was left off Florida’s 2011 College World Series roster, faced the minimum and fired first-pitch strikes to 20 of the 27 batters Bethune-Cookman sent to the plate. His control was sharp, and he registered at 98 mph on the radar gun in the ninth inning. Crawford is a great pitcher with a bright future, but his no-hitter was a once-in-a-lifetime performance. The last Gator to throw a no-hitter before Crawford was John Burke, who held Furman hitless in the 1991 NCAA East Regional. Seeing another performance like Crawford’s masterpiece is less likely than a Best Picture Oscar nomination for John Carter.
Corey: I’ll admit that no-hitter was impressive, but if you had waited one more day you would have seen the College of Charleston come just short of a perfect game against Bethune-Cookman with two hits allowed in the sixth of an 8-2 win. A no-hitter may be tough to come by, but if I want to see one in my lifetime, all I need to do is wait until next season when UF plays B-CU again. Switching back over, Rainey was able to account for 61 percent of the offensive production on the day. Tennessee may have had negative rushing yards, but their offense did enough to keep the time of possession virtually the same for either team. And where Crawford had one of the nation’s best defenses behind him, Rainey proved he could be part of the defense by blocking a punt. Seeing a performance like that again is less likely than us not making more John Carter references.
Joe: Speaking of great performances, how about Taylor Kitsch in John Carter? Epic.
Contact Corey McCall at cmccall@alligator.org and Joe Morgan at joemorgan@alligator.org.
Sophomore Jonathon Crawford reacts after teammates threw a pie in his face following his no-hitter against Bethune-Cookman in the NCAA Gainesville Regional opener June 1.
