You could say that Avery Barnes is on an endless pursuit of perfection.
The left fielder hit .293, scored 40 runs and drove in 27 more as a sophomore in 2007.
Despite those solid numbers, Barnes spent the summer improving his swinging mechanics and conditioning.
The Santa Fe High product realized that he needed to shorten his swing, and the UF coaching staff spent the off-season helping him work on it.
The work has paid immediate dividends for the Gators.
Barnes leads the Gators with a .424 batting average and 23 runs scored.
Mississippi (14-6, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) will have to contain Barnes if it hopes to come away with a victory against the Gators (15-3, 3-0 SEC) in the opener of their three-game series Friday night at 7:30.
Barnes credits UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan and his staff for the improvements in his numbers.
"I give them all the credit," he said. "We worked on my game a lot, and I feel blessed. Hopefully, we can keep it going and I can continue to improve."
Barnes' skill set is a perfect match for O'Sullivan's coaching style.
The first-year coach likes to keep the game up-tempo and the Gators have been aggressive on the base paths this season.
UF stole its 40th base of the season in Tuesday's 6-1 win against Florida State, exceeding its 39 steals from a year ago.
"We're trying to make things happen," Barnes said. "We want to be aggressive. We're trying to make things fun, and it's been a lot of fun. We feel like we're keeping other teams on their heels and making it a little tougher on them."
The Gators' offense hasn't only been more fun for Barnes, it has been more potent.
UF is averaging nearly nine runs per game thus far, compared to seven last season. Though Gators fans no longer get to watch Matt LaPorta's home runs light up the sky, Barnes feels what they're seeing now is even more enjoyable.
"It's always fun for the fans when you play a fast-paced game," Barnes said. "It's more fun for the players, too. We like getting the opportunities to score off hit-and-runs and getting teams on their heels."
Barnes is also enjoying winning. The win against Florida State has the Gators feeling like they can compete against anyone. Though no one will admit it, the embarrassing 11-2 loss to Brown appears to have increased the Gators' concentration.
"We are coming together as a team," Barnes said. "We think we can do some good things, and we're not going to take a team lightly. We're definitely not going to overlook anyone; we're bringing our top game every night."
When asked if he was referring to the loss to Brown, Barnes said the team was looking forward from that loss and no longer thinking about it. UF is on a seven-game winning streak since the loss. Whether they're thinking about it or not, it appears it had a lasting effect on them.
"We're trying to build and grow," Barnes said. "We're getting better as a team."
