The Florida bullpen should need a break by now, but that’s not the case.
Through the first two games of the season, the Gators have gotten just 7.2 innings pitched from their starters. With pitchers being held to strict pitch counts early in the season, shorter outings are expected. A heavily taxed bullpen is also expected, but that hasn’t been an issue for UF’s relievers.
In his collegiate debut, freshman left-hander Parker Danciu threw 3.2 scoreless innings in relief of freshman starter Tucker Simpson on Saturday evening as Florida beat Duke 4-2 to get its first win of the season.
Johnny Magliozzi followed Danciu with 1.1 shutout innings to earn the save.
“We got a lot of good guys,” Danciu said. “We got a lot of depth in the bullpen.”
On Friday night, coach Kevin O’Sullivan used five other relief pitchers who combined to give up two runs in 5.1 innings.
After issuing a leadoff walk in the fifth to Anthony D’Alessandro, Danciu retired nine of the next 10 batters he faced to preserve Florida’s lead.
O’Sullivan told Danciu prior to the game that he would be the first reliever out of the bullpen and would be used in long relief. Danciu struck out two batters and allowed two hits while throwing 49 pitches.
“I was real excited to get my first outing out here at Florida,” Danciu said. “… I thought my off-speed was working real well today for sure. You just put the ball over the plate, and my teammates set me up real good behind me.”
O’Sullivan has said he will use a number of relievers at his disposal in a closer-by-committee system, but Magliozzi impressed in the role on Saturday as he retired all four batters he faced.
“He attacked,” O’Sullivan said of Magliozzi. “Threw all of his pitches for strikes.”
O’Sullivan said he hadn’t necessarily planned to use just two pitchers on Saturday, but that by using only Magliozzi and Danciu in relief, all five relievers who appeared on Friday will be available on Sunday. He mentioned freshmen pitchers Mike Vinson, Eric Hanhold and Jay Carmichael as other options who have yet to pitch that he feels comfortable with going forward.
“I feel good about what we have left on the mound,” O’Sullivan said.
Johnny Magliozzi pitches against USF on April 24, 2012. Magliozzi announced Monday that he would sign with the New York Mets and leave UF after two seasons.
