It’s time for Gators fans to face the facts. This year’s baseball team is not good.
Sitting at 29-28 – the worst record for the baseball program since 2007 – and with its season possibly over, everyone can acknowledge that this team did not have what it took to win this year.
The hitting wasn’t there, especially at the end. In their last eight games, the Gators averaged 3.4 runs per game. Those numbers include a three-game series against Georgia – the worst team in the SEC – where Florida only scored seven runs.
Sluggers like Mike Zunino and Preston Tucker led last year’s team. But the MLB Draft took its toll on the Gators and sapped all of their power.
Catcher Taylor Gushue was supposed to lead the Gators’ offense and replace some of the lost power, but he finished the year with five homers. That would have tied for sixth on last year’s team.
Second baseman Casey Turgeon had a similar season to his 2012 campaign that him named to Perfect Game’s Freshman All-American team. But this year he was expected to be a premier player in the Gators’ offense, and a .269 average didn’t cut it.
The pitching wasn’t where it needed to be, either.
Jonathon Crawford was supposed to be an ace. He had a great sophomore season in 2012 that was highlighted by a no-hitter – in the NCAA Regionals, no less.
But Crawford struggled to find consistency all season, and his ERA currently sits at 4.03 – .90 higher than his final ERA last year.
The staff behind Crawford didn’t pick up the slack. Nine other pitchers made starts this season, some occasionally showing promise before suffering an injury or going back to the bullpen.
Florida struggled to get starters past the middle innings, and many a box score had half a dozen names listed as Florida pitchers.
The Gators’ lack of depth is not necessarily coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s fault. He lost the most talented group of upperclassmen Florida baseball has ever seen. Gone were nearly the entire offense, his two top starters and three best bullpen arms.
And the major leagues were not done pillaging his team. The Gators lost several top recruits in the draft, as well.
Gatorade Player of the Year Lance McCullers Jr. was supposed to take the mound at McKethan Stadium this year, but the Houston Astros took him 41st overall. He has a 1.72 ERA in Single-A this season.
Outfielder Jesse Winker signed to play at Florida, but went to the Cincinnati Reds 49th overall. He has batted .326 in the Reds’ system the last two years.
The remnants of a good recruiting class still benefited Florida – freshmen Richie Martin and Harrison Bader were the only starters to hit .300 – but the special, once-in-a-class player wasn’t there.
Assistant coach Brad Weitzel said after the game Tuesday that the Gators would be dangerous in an NCAA regional.
Jockeying for a bid is all well and good, but saying that this team is dangerous to any decent college team is not true. The Gators aren’t dangerous, they’re just plain mediocre.
Contact Adam Lichtenstein at alichtenstein@alligator.org.
Sophomore Casey Turgeon hits a pop fly to first base in the bottom of the eighth inning against Florida Gulf Coast on Feb. 22. Turgeon’s batting average fell from .281 in 2012 to .269 this season.
