Adam: The best thing about sports is that you can go to any random game and witness something you’ve never seen before. I went to a spring training game one year and saw a third-string catcher hit an inside-the-park home run (well, I should have seen it, but that’s another story).
Sometimes we’re lucky enough to see an extraordinary feat of athleticism, something that people will talk about for days or weeks or months.
And for UF baseball, that performance was Zack Powers’ two-grand-slam game against Duke on Feb. 17.
Think about it. Two swings of the bat. Eight runs. It’s uncommon to see one grand slam, but two in one game is nuts. And he drove in another run on a sac fly.
Powers powered (pun intended) Florida to a 16-5 blowout, one of the best Gators performance in an otherwise mediocre season.
Phil: If a first baseman clubs two grand slams in one game and nobody is there to see it, did it really happen?
Okay, that was a bit unfair. Florida’s baseball team gets plenty of support, and deservedly so, the Gators have perennially been one of the nation’s best teams.
However, the program was decimated by the MLB draft and never got things going last year. Powers’ performance was impressive, but it was quickly forgotten. Erik Murphy’s night against Wisconsin was the start of greatness.
Murphy drained all 10 of his shots — becoming just the 18th player in Southeastern Conference history to not miss a shot in a game while attempting at least 10 field goals — en route to scoring 24 points in the Gators’ 74-56 victory against the Badgers.
After three seasons marred by an arrest and up-and-down performances on the court, Murphy announced his presence as one of the nation’s most efficient scorers. And he did it all just days after suffering from massive migraines. That’s Jordan-esque.
Adam: If it was Jordan-esque, it would have been in March, not November. It was a great game, but great games happen all the time.
The last time a Florida player hit two grand slams in a game was when Preston Tucker launched two into the seats in 2009. Not exactly a common occurrence.
It’s not Powers’ fault the Gators struggled. And if you want to talk about overcoming adversity, then Powers is your guy. He missed the entire 2012 season due to shoulder surgery.
And what does he do in his third game in nearly two years? Launch two grand slams in what was probably the best game of his career.
When he came back like Jordan, wearing just the five, it wasn’t to play games with you, it was to aim for the fences.
Phil: Powers wasn’t aiming too hard for the fences considering he hit just one more home run the rest of the season.
You know what that tells me? His one game was a fluke. An outlier. Not to be repeated.
And life doesn’t reward one-time wonders, Lichtenstein. Just ask Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Never heard of them? Exactly.
While Powers was busy hitting .268 on the season — not exactly spectacular — Murphy finished the season second on the team with 12.2 points per game. He also grabbed eight rebounds against Wisconsin and became a solid inside threat with an array of moves in his arsenal that kept defenders off-balance.
And he did it all with the bright lights of ESPN illuminating the O’Dome. A performance that won’t soon be forgotten.
Adam: I actually have heard of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. They had the hit song “Good Vibrations,” and Powers was feeling the good vibrations back in February.
Even if Powers didn’t have a great season, he had one incredible game that isn’t likely to be replicated any time soon.
Face it, grand slams are awesome.
Contact Adam Lichtenstein at alichtenstein@alligator.org. Contact Phil Heilman at pheilman@alligator.org.
Forward Erik Murphy (33) attempts a shot in UF’s 74-56 win against Wisconsin on Wednesday in the O’Connell Center. Murphy tied a career high with 24 points.
Sophomore Zack Powers is congratulated by teammates at home plate after hitting his second grand slam during Florida’s 16-5 win against Duke on Feb. 17 at McKethan Stadium.
