Kevin O’Sullivan knew it was only a matter of time.
His top-ranked Gators were 22-1 heading into their first Southeastern Conference road series against Kentucky.
They were the kings of the college baseball world. All eyes were on them at the top of the throne.
The team felt invincible.
Put simply, the Gators were getting greedy, expecting the winning streak to continue rolling.
"It’s human nature," O’Sullivan said. "You win 17, 18 in a row. They’re not listening. Things are going their way. I mean, it’s human nature."
The Wildcats sent Florida a reality check, knocking the Gators off their feet by taking the final two games of the series.
O’Sullivan’s players quickly relearned what their head coach has preached to them since Day 1: Talent only takes you so far.
A lack of effort — in games, in batting practice, in the clubhouse — will end in the team’s demise.
And as talented as this Gators team is, maybe the reality of a humbling defeat is just what was needed as it moves into the brunt of its regular-season schedule.
"Two losses on the weekend is one thing," O’Sullivan said. "Those things are going to happen. But I want the focus and the intent to be there."
Two days after losing their focus in Lexington, the Gators proved their commitment to O’Sullivan — and themselves.
Facing No. 12 Florida State in front of a raucous crowd of more than 9,000 fans at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, No. 2 Florida battled its way to a 3-2 win, its 10th come-from-behind victory of the year.
"(The coaches) showed us the problems that we were doing," sophomore Mike Rivera said, "and we were just out there trying to solve them. … Our main focus was just to listen to them because obviously they know what they are doing and to just play each and every inning the same way. Play hard.
"Don’t change whether you’re going good or bad."
Florida showcased that consistency and resiliency Tuesday.
The freshman duo of Jackson Kowar and Brady Singer held down the mound for eight innings before closer Shaun Anderson sealed the victory with a perfect ninth inning.
Rivera set the tone with a two-run homer in the second, his team-leading sixth of the season.
A relay throw from Jeremy Vasquez to Dalton Guthrie to JJ Schwarz in the fourth inning saved the game and sent Florida’s dugout into a frenzy.
Their focus was back.
"I think the two losses were probably the best thing that, honestly, has happened to us," said Singer, who responded from his 10th-inning walk-off wild pitch against Kentucky on Sunday with three of his best innings on Tuesday. "We were kind of cruising and we were getting too comfortable."
Now, the Gators are playing like they have everything to lose. No game can be taken for granted.
And with 10 of UF’s next 11 games coming against top-25 opponents, including a three-game set this weekend against top-ranked Texas A&M, that mentality will be critical to coming out on top.
"Although it’s painful, I think we all needed to be put in check a little bit," O’Sullivan said. "Myself, all the coaches, all the players, we all needed to be put in check."
As players signed autographs and interacted with fans after the win on Tuesday, smiles adorned their faces.
After facing the first real test of adversity this season, the Gators earned the hard-fought win they needed.
And if the players truly heard O’Sullivan’s message, he knew it would only be a matter of time before they turned their game back around.
"I’m smart enough to know that we’re a really good team," O’Sullivan said, "but if we can focus and have some determination like we did (against Florida State), boy we’ll be tough to beat."
Jordan McPherson is a sports writer. You can contact him at jmcpherson@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @J_McPherson1126.
Kevin O'Sullivan (right) visits the mound during Florida's 4-3 win over Missouri on March 18, 2016, at McKethan Stadium.
