Before No. 4 Florida challenges No. 7 Florida State tonight at 7 in Jacksonville, the heart of the Gators’ order needs to exorcise its demons.
During Florida’s weekend series loss to No. 3 South Carolina, its Nos. 1-5 hitters combined for just five hits and nine strikeouts in 51 at-bats.
While Nolan Fontana (.322), Daniel Pigott (.394) and Preston Tucker (.343) have swung the bats well this season, they were stifled by South Carolina’s heavy arms.
Fontana recorded the lone RBI from Florida’s first five hitters with a sacrifice fly in Saturday’s 2-1 win.
The lone bright spot during the weekend was their 10 walks.
Austin Maddox, the cleanup hitter, and Brian Johnson, usually slated in the five-hole, have been relatively quiet all season.
As a freshman last year, Maddox was the Gators’ best power threat, smashing 17 home runs. But through 25 games in 2011, he has just one homer and 10 RBIs.
“We’re not going to win many games when we go 0 for 8 in our 3-4-5 spots,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said after Sunday’s 4-3 loss. “It’s that simple. They’ve got to produce. They’ve got to swing the bat better.
“Our 3-4-5 guys are going to have to hit. If we’re going to want to win some games in this league, they got to do a better job.”
O’Sullivan said the most frustrating issue with his hitters is that they are missing hittable pitches in offensive counts.
“We get into a 3-1 count, we hit a weak ground ball to first,” he said. “You got to turn on it. You got to barrel up and do something with it. We’re not doing a whole lot in offensive counts right now.”
O’Sullivan hinted at possible lineup changes after Sunday’s defeat, but said he would rather rest on it than make an announcement right after a loss.
RANDALL THROWING LIGHTS OUT: Although the Gators’ lineup had issues this weekend, their right-handed ace did not.
Hudson Randall continued his outstanding work Saturday, tossing a gem in his first-career complete game as Florida won 2-1.
The sophomore from Atlanta is 4-0 and has a miniscule 0.66 ERA.
In two conference starts against top-five competition (LSU and South Carolina), Randall has thrown 15.2 innings, without allowing a run or a walk.
“I just try to be as competitive as possible on the mound and be a bulldog out there,” Randall said. “I don’t strike many people out. I pitch to contact. Using the defense, using our team, that’s what I do.”
Through six starts this season, Randall has thrown 40.2 innings, striking out 25 and walking just one.
Randall was dominant in his Saturday start, as he used pinpoint control to retire the final 19 Gamecocks.
South Carolina coach Ray Tanner was extremely impressed, comparing Randall to Greg Maddux.
“He’s very, very good,” Tanner said. “He’s so efficient. He doesn’t waste a lot of pitches.”
ETC.: Anthony DeSclafani (3-0, 1.12) is scheduled to toe the rubber tonight against Florida State. In the junior’s last start against the Seminoles, he allowed five runs in the first inning without retiring a batter. … The game will be played at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, home of the Florida Marlins’ Double-A affiliate.
