Ryan Larson doesn’t shy away from the polls.
With the Gators ranked as the unanimous No. 1 preseason team in college baseball, the junior outfielder embraces them with pride.
"Just come out and watch us play," Larson said. "We’re good and we think we’re good, and I think that’s all that matters to us right now."
Make no mistake. It’s early.
The season doesn’t officially start for another 18 days, and Florida just conducted its first practice of the spring on Friday.
But there’s still an aura at McKethan Stadium — one that resounds the confidence that carried over from Florida’s third-place finish in the College World Series last year.
Mainly, though, the Gators don’t want to let the preseason hype get to their heads.
"It really doesn’t mean anything other than that we have talent and right now we’re the best team on paper," Larson said. "But you still gotta play the games."
But the best team on paper isn’t always the last one standing on TD Ameritrade Park’s field in Omaha.
And with a No. 1 ranking comes high expectations, which did not bode well for the Gators in 2012.
Coming into the season, Florida was the consensus top team in the nation.
The team was loaded with talent, as eight players were chosen in the first 10 rounds of the 2012 MLB Draft and five were chosen in the first three rounds.
Yet UF folded in the CWS, going two-and-out in Omaha to mark a disappointing ending to what was supposed to be a magical season.
Like the 2012 team, Florida has all the ability, plus a strong set of upperclassmen — highlighted by experienced juniors in Logan Shore, A.J. Puk and Buddy Reed.
Shore, who has been UF’s Friday-night starting pitcher for the last two years, said he expects every team to be gunning for the Gators this year.
"It’s nice being put on a pedestal like that, but it comes with a price as well," he said. "We’re going to get everyone’s best effort. Everybody is going to come out and try to beat us. But it’ll be fun."
While some coaches may choose to brush the polls aside, coach Kevin O’Sullivan said he’s embracing them.
"There’s no way to run away from it," he said. "It is what it is. We’re excited."
O’Sullivan knows the talent is there.
But he also knows that the season is long, and it takes time for a team to gel. The ninth-year head coach also acknowledged the Gators still need to improve in a lot of areas.
"We know we have a good team," O’Sullivan said. "We know there’s a lot of other good teams out there, but we’ve got a long ways to go to get there."
Despite that sentiment, O’Sullivan isn’t afraid to expect great things out of his club again this year.
"There’s Omaha teams and there’s Omaha programs," O'Sullivan said, "and I think we’re getting to a point where the expectation is that."
Contact Patrick Pinak at ppinak@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @Pinakk12.
UF lines up for the National Anthem on the third base line prior to Florida's 14-3 win over South Carolina on April 11, 2015, at McKethan Stadium.
