The last time Florida squared off against South Carolina, the Southeastern Conference title was on the line.
That series ended with the Gators in a dogpile on the infield of Carolina Stadium, celebrating a regular-season SEC championship.
When No. 4 South Carolina (16-4, 2-1 SEC), the defending College World Series champion, visits McKethan Stadium tonight at 7 to open a three-game series against No. 1 Florida (20-2, 3-0 SEC), the stakes won’t be nearly as high.
But that won’t take away from the intensity of the weekend.
“For us to go up there and do what we did in South Carolina, they’re probably a little bitter,” second baseman Josh Adams said. “In the end, they did get the final say, so for them to come down here, they’re going to be ready to go.
“It’s going to be a tough series.”
The toughest part for Florida will be shutting down South Carolina junior center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr.
The junior center fielder was named the Most Outstanding Player in Omaha, Neb., where the Gamecocks took home their first CWS title last June.
Bradley was the sparkplug for South Carolina’s offense during its title run, going 10 for 29 at the plate, drove in nine runs, scored five and hit a home run in the Gamecocks’ seven CWS games.
The center fielder was also the difference for South Carolina in its lone victory against Florida last year, when the Gamecocks avoided a sweep with an 11-6 win the day after the Gators clinched the SEC title.
While Bradley hit 4 for 8 the first two games of the series, the Gators’ pitching staff limited his production, as he had no RBIs or runs scored, struck out three times and stranded three men on base. In South Carolina’s lone win of the series, he went 2 for 4 with four RBIs, a home run and a double.
“He’s a really good hitter,” catcher Mike Zunino said. “He gets them going. ... He makes stuff happen for them.”
Bradley has done the same for South Carolina this year, batting .311 and leading the team with 20 RBIs and six home runs. He had his 200th career hit Wednesday night in a 17-8 win against Rhode Island.
If Florida hopes to limit Bradley’s production this weekend, it will need a strong effort from southpaw Brian Johnson, who will toe the rubber for Florida in the series opener.
Johnson was Bradley’s teammate on the US Collegiate National Team over the summer, and the two have remained friends.
But Johnson said he didn’t get many opportunities to figure out how to pitch to him effectively, and he plans on going after the left-handed batter tonight.
Zunino, Johnson’s batterymate, hopes keeping Bradley in check results in a domino effect throughout the rest of the Gamecocks’ lineup.
“We just got to focus on him and hopefully the rest of the lineup and try to get out of innings with limited damage,” Zunino said.
“Bradley is a great player, one of the best hitters in the country,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan added. “But he’s got a great supporting cast around him as well.”
