Three years ago, Peter Alonso and Buddy Reed had just arrived on campus as freshmen and were playing video games in a dorm room.
Three regular seasons later, both have been drafted in the second round of the MLB Draft and are on their way to their second consecutive College World Series.
“Time flies,” Alonso said on Wednesday.
Florida’s nine-player junior class — headlined by Alonso, Reed and pitchers Logan Shore, A.J. Puk, and Dane Dunning — has played through 33 postseason games, three Southeastern Conference Tournaments and, starting Saturday, two trips to Omaha, Nebraska.
Beginning Sunday against Coastal Carolina, they’ll embark on their last journey together.
“We’ve done everything but win a national championship,” Alonso said.
“We’re (going) to Omaha twice, won an SEC ring, won the SEC tournament. We’ve just got one thing left.”
This year’s junior class boasts more talent than most — of UF’s nine juniors, seven were selected in the MLB Draft, and all seven were taken in the first 10 rounds.
More UF players were chosen in the first 10 rounds of this year’s draft than in all but one year since 2000. Eight Florida players were taken in 2012, a class that included major leaguers Mike Zunino, Brian Johnson, Paco Rodriguez and Preston Tucker.
Coach Kevin O’Sullivan sees the comparisons, especially with Florida’s home run leader Alonso.
“We’ve had Preston Tucker and Mike Zunino and some really good hitters here, and there’s stretches that you go, it’s like you think he’s gonna hit a home run every time he comes to the plate,” O’Sullivan said of Alonso, who has four home runs in UF’s last six games. “That’s how I feel about Pete right now, it’s crazy.
“... Every time he comes to the plate, it’s like everybody in the dugout gets quiet, everybody in the stands (is) kinda watching. It’s just unexplainable.”
And just as Alonso is peaking before the CWS, Florida’s pitchers believe they are, too.
The Gators shutout Florida State in their last two games, and their pitching staff allowed just seven hits while striking out 22 batters.
Led by Shore, who threw eight scoreless innings in a 5-0 win on Sunday, Florida’s staff is entering the CWS with the nation’s second-best ERA (1.50).
“I do think pitching is contagious, as well as hitting,” the junior said.
“Hopefully we can carry that into Omaha.”
Florida’s junior class hopes so, not only to win a national championship for UF, but to win one for each other.
One final sendoff after three years of elation and heartbreak, close calls and unsatisfying finishes.
“For anyone to put up with the expectations that we’ve been put up with this year, if you’re not a close team and you don’t have chemistry, I think your team just collapses from the pressure and expectations,” Shore said.
“We sniffed it last year, and we were really close. We’re going to be there to get the job done and win it.”
Contact Ian Cohen at icohen@alligator.org or follow him on Twitter at @icohenb.
Peter Alonso celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run during Florida's win against Texas A&M on April 1, 2016, at McKethan Stadium.
