As Brian Johnson lay motionless just off the clay of the pitcher’s mound Saturday at the Southeastern Conference Tournament, one thought reverberated through my mind.
Why is there even an end of the year tournament held after a grueling 56-game season?
Teams play multiple games in the sweltering heat of Hoover, Ala., further draining an already depleted reservoir of energy necessary for a run in the real postseason. And then players like Johnson suffer superfluous injuries.
“I was scared,” senior Josh Adams said in reaction to the freak play that sent Johnson to the turf in a heap. “I’ve seen Tommy [Toledo] like that before, and seeing Brian … I felt nauseous.”
Johnson was carted off the field on a stretcher after finally regaining consciousness. He was taken to a hospital where it was deemed he had suffered a mild concussion. Coach Kevin O’Sullivan says he is day-to-day.
Arguments have been made, and will continue to be made, against conference tournaments.
I support those arguments.
But in the case of the Gators, maybe I’m wrong.
This emotionally hectic weekend, filled with doubt, anxiousness, worry, and finally joy and jubilation, is exactly what they needed.
Looking up and down the lineup and stat sheet, there’s no doubt Florida is fully equipped for a trip to Omaha, Neb. It’s what you can’t see from the outset, however, that may mean the difference.
UF struggled mentally at times this season. Losses to Georgia Southern, UCF (twice), Jacksonville and a 14-1 drubbing against Kentucky with an SEC title on the line, provided plenty of reasons to doubt Florida’s resolve.
But UF rebounded to beat Kentucky and clinch a share of the regular-season championship in the final game before the tournament.
And then, after shaking hands with Johnathan Taylor, the Georgia outfielder paralyzed earlier this year, the Gators watched as Mike Zunino’s errant throw took out their Saturday starter.
Even though Florida couldn’t outlast the Bulldogs after losing Johnson, the Gators did get a masterful and long-awaited showing from Anthony DeSclafani. The righty tossed a career-high 7.2 innings and allowed just two runs on seven hits.
Adams said the outing from DeSclafani restored some much-needed confidence.
“That’s the thing when you’re pitching in tournament play, if you don’t have confidence you’re not going to throw well,” Adams added.
Toledo, Nick Maronde, Greg Larson, Steven Rodriguez and Austin Maddox combined to shutdown Mississippi State on Wednesday. Then Alex Panteliodis threw 5.1 stellar innings to start the shutout against Vanderbilt in the championship game.
O’Sullivan, who said he was happy to see his other pitchers get some tournament reps, admitted recently that this season has been a grind.
But that grind is really just beginning, and the Gators have now proven they are battle-hardened and ready for the test — something you couldn’t say about this team a couple of weeks ago.
