The No. 1 Gators (32-7, 12-3 SEC) dropped a midweek matchup to Jacksonville on Tuesday to snap a nine-game home winning streak. With Florida’s next series starting tonight against Kentucky rather than the normal Friday start due to television scheduling, coach Kevin O’Sullivan had to work around using certain bullpen players, including closer Michael Byrne and freshmen Tommy Mace and Jordan Butler.
When the Wildcats (25-12, 7-8 SEC) throw the first pitch at 7 p.m. in Lexington, Kentucky, the Gators will look to capture some of the previous week’s magic while correcting some of its mistakes. Here are Florida’s over- and underachievers for the previous week.
OVER
JJ Schwarz, C: It’s understandable that Co-SEC Player of the Week JJ Schwarz would also be really, really good during the week in which he wins the award. The senior captain hit 8-of-19 and increased his batting average to just a shade over .300 for the first time since March 23. He also retook the team lead in RBIs (36) and bashed two home runs to stay within striking distance of the team high. While strikeouts have been a consistent problem for Schwarz — he has 38 through 39 games with five strikeouts in his last five matchups — his continued production from the plate could excuse such a figure.
Jonathan India, 3B: Honestly, it’s almost becoming cliché to talk about how good India has been this season. The junior from Coral Springs, Florida, is in the midst of a 24-game hitting streak and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. In the last five games, India is 8-for-16 from the plate with six walks. Apart from his damage at the plate, India has also played perfectly on defense, compiling a 1.000 fielding percentage in the past week.
UNDER
Deacon Liput, SS: It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Liput since his return from suspension. Eight games into his season, he was batting .161 before going on a tear and peaking at .316. In his last five games, however, Liput has found himself back in the valley. Though he’s still hitting .302 for the season, his 4-for-21 performance from the plate in the past week isn’t helping matters. He had his nine-game hitting streak halted in the first meeting of the Missouri series on Friday and did not record an extra-base hit or RBI in his last five games.
Jack Leftwich, RHP: The freshman pitcher had been one of the more reliable options both coming out of the bullpen and starting midweek games for O’Sullivan. In his last two appearances, however, the right-hander from Orlando has struggled to keep it together. He tossed six innings in relief and allowed four earned runs off of four hits, including giving up a homer and three walks against FSU in 2.2 innings pitched.
Follow Morgan McMullen on Twitter @MorganMcMuffin and contact him at mmcmullen@alligator.org.
Catcher JJ Schwarz is 8-for-19 from the plate with a pair of home runs over the last five games.
