Last year, Peter Alonso was a bright spot for Florida.
He started 58 games — 30 as the designated hitter and the remainder at first and third base.
This year, Florida will need more from him.
"I got big shoes to fill," Alonso said. "…I gotta step up and be the RBI guy. Just put runs on the board."
As part of an effort to incorporate more of his strongest hitters in the lineup, coach Kevin O’Sullivan is testing Alonso out in right field.
And after last year’s numbers, the Gators could use him in the order on a consistent basis.
In 2014, UF ranked 10th in the Southeastern Conference in both slugging percentage (.350) and on base percentage (.351), and 11th in batting average (.267).
In limited action last season, Alonso finished the year batting .264 with 32 RBIs and four home runs.
But for Alonso, the transition into the outfield is still a work in progress.
"You know, Pete isn’t the most quick-with-his-feet kind of guy," sophomore outfielder Buddy Reed said.
So far, O’Sullivan is satisfied with Alonso’s progress. If the sophomore is able to solidify his spot in the outfield, the coach said, the Gators can piece together a more complete batting order.
"I know people don’t think that it will work, but it’s OK. I mean, he does a good enough job out there, " O’Sullivan said. "…. If we could work it out to where we get our best hitters in the lineup, that’s a pretty good one through nine. I see us being a threat to potentially score every inning."
Alonso has been learning the position from Reed, who was also his freshman year roommate. Reed ended last season with a .984 fielding percentage, the second highest percentage among freshmen.
"It’s all about that first initial step," Alonso said of what he’s learned from Reed. "If you take a bad initial first step you could either have a really, really good read and you can make an amazing play, or if you make a bad first step then you just look stupid."
Like last year, Alonso’s biggest contribution this season will likely come at the plate. But teammates see him improving into a solid outfielder on the defensive side.
"He gets the balls. It may not be as quick as some other outfielders, but he does the job and that’s the good part about him," Reed said. "He gets it done."
Follow Ian Cohen on Twitter @icohenb
