Despite a rough start to the season for the UF baseball team, which holds a 22-11 record with 21 games left, former Gators are trying to make a name for themselves in the pros.
Mike Zunino is one of the most recent Gators to make his MLB debut after being selected in the first round of the MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners back in 2013.
The 6-foot-2 catcher from Cape Coral went into Wednesday’s game with Houston ranking fifth on the Mariners with five hits and nursing a .208 batting average.
Pitchers underperforming, injured:
Veteran pitcher Darren O’Day, meanwhile, is trying to make more of an impact for the Baltimore Orioles as they attempt to improve their 89-73 record from last season.
Undrafted out of Florida in 2006, O’Day made his first major league appearance for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, contributing in 30 games in the 2008 season.
With three games under his belt in the 2017 season, O’Day has an ERA of 16.88 after pitching 2 and 2/3 innings with six hits and one strikeout.
In the National League, Cincinnati Reds pitcher and former Gator Anthony DeSclafani was hoping to improve on his previous season.
Pitching 123 and 1/3 innings in the 2016 season, DeSclafani carried an ERA of 3.28 and 105 strikeouts. Unfortunately for DeSclafani, his pitching contributions will be on hold for at least four weeks after he sprained a ligament in his right elbow during spring training. He was transferred from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list on April 5.
Tebow time:
Then there’s the quarterback turned outfielder: Tim Tebow. Despite Tebow not playing in the MLB, he’s striving to make an impact in the minor leagues as a rookie.
The former Gator standout is entering the second season of his pro baseball career with the Columbia Fireflies, a low single-A affiliate of the New York Mets, after playing in the Arizona Fall League in 2016.
Tebow’s 2016 debut with the Scottsdale Scorpions saw him play in 19 games. He finished the season with a .194 batting average. After making 71 plate appearances with 12 hits and 20 strikeouts, he helped his team to a 13-18 record overall.
Five games into this season, though, Tebow already has two home runs. However, he’s also hitting .200 and has struck out seven times.
In his spring debut (March 8) with the Mets’ major league team, Tebow struck out twice in an 8-7 victory over the Red Sox.
Contact Mari Faiello at mfaiello@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @faiello_mari.
Columbia Firefly outfielder Tim Tebow shares a smile with fans during a Class A minor league baseball game against the Augusta GreenJackets on Thursday, April 6, 2017, in Columbia, S.C. Columbia defeated Augusta 14-7. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
