After a lengthy stay in Alabama, the Gators will be home for a while.
Coming off a semifinal loss to Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Florida earned the No. 1 overall seed and will host Georgia Tech, Bethune-Cookman and College of Charleston at one of 16 NCAA Regionals. UF will face BC on Friday night at 7 at McKethan Stadium.
“We’re excited to be in it,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “We’re excited to be home.”
The Gators earned the nation’s top seeding despite a ninth-inning collapse against the Commodores on Saturday. Leading 4-3, Florida closer Austin Maddox surrendered five runs and six stolen bases to Vanderbilt, including a successful triple steal with the bases loaded.
UF brought the winning run to the plate in the bottom half of the ninth, but ultimately lost to Vandy 8-6.
“We got exposed there in the ninth,” O’Sullivan said. “Nobody likes to lose, but I’m glad it happened this week and not next. … I’m not going to let the ninth inning here determine how we played in this tournament.”
While the Gators were gone, they rediscovered their hitting stroke. Before playing Samford on May 15, Florida had slumped in May with a .244 batting average and just three runs per game.
However, UF reversed its fortunes shortly thereafter. The Gators have averaged 5.9 runs in their last eight games, including six contests with double-digit hits.
A notable contributor to the offensive outburst was Brian Johnson, whose effort in the batter’s box earned him the designated hitter spot on the All-SEC Tournament Team.
Johnson hit .300 during the eight-game stretch away from home with seven RBI, including a .375 clip during the SEC Tourney.
“I’m just keeping things simple,” Johnson said. “Seeing the ball, hitting the ball. I don’t really think too much. I just hit it where it’s pitched.”
The junior southpaw also earned All-SEC Tournament team recognition as a pitcher for his outing against South Carolina. Facing the defending national champion Gamecocks in an elimination game Friday, Johnson gave up just two earned runs in his first career complete game.
In May, Johnson has logged 21 innings in three starts and posted a 1.29 ERA.
“I’m letting it all hang out,” Johnson said Friday. “I’m just throwing it with all I’ve got.”
Florida also received a boost from freshmen Justin Schafer and Casey Turgeon, who overcame their inexperience to garner selections to the All-SEC Tournament Team.
Turgeon batted .429 and knocked in four runs; Schafer recorded a base hit in each game, and he totaled three RBI in Hoover, Ala.
With solid production from the bottom of the lineup and a 2.38 ERA by the starting rotation, O’Sullivan believes the Gators’ best baseball lies ahead in the postseason.
“Our bullpen’s in good shape, we’ve been swinging the bat better,” O’Sullivan said. “I do like where we’re at right now.”
Contact Joe Morgan at joemorgan@alligator.org.
Brian Johnson pitches against Florida Gulf Coast on March 10. He threw his first career complete game against South Carolina on Saturday.
