TV: SEC Network Radio: WRUF 850 AM / 98.1 FM https://www.audacy.com/stations/espn850am# Stats: StatBroadcast Live Stat Feed Game Notes: 4 4 Vanderbilt (PDF) - Florida Gators Weather: 82 Deg at the start and 89 to finish. No precip. SW Wind @ 13-15 = blowing out to center. Starting Gator: #34 So RHP Philpott (7.23, 0-2, 18.2 IP) Starting Earl: #34 So RHP Seiber (1.72, 1-0, 15.2 IP) Go Gators!
When you look at last years regular season record prior to playoffs, and when you look at our record so far this year I'm seeing a concerning trend. We barely made it to the playoffs last year and thankfully got hot at the right time. But there were major issues with pitching and if it weren't for having one sensational player I'm not sure we go as far as we did. This year, same issues, horrendous pitching, lack of control, walks, hit batters, blown saves. Without Cags, we strand a lot of runners on base. We have dug ourselves in such a hole I'm not sure things will turn around. These are the questions I have as to where we are. * We have "great" recruiting classes but is our evaluation off? Why does it seem so often these top recruits as a whole are underperforming? How involved are our coaches in evaluating? * Presuming we have recruited top talent, is it a developing problem? Do we have top coaches coaching or do we have a buddy buddy system where friendship trumps competence? * Are we missing the boat in the use of the transfer portal? Some acquisitions seem suspect. Again, this gets back to the issue of evaluations. Who makes the decisions? And with a program like Florida, why are we not getting quality pitchers as in transfers? We have lots of pitchers on the team but many are young, unproven and even those from last year are not developing. In fact some seem to be regressing. You cannot go far in the SEC without quality pitching and yet here we go again. * Is it possible being at one program for a long time, getting paid handsomely, having a feeling that no way are you going to get fired, is it possible to become complacent, less hungry, less passionate? Just asking. Anyhow, right now we are near the bottom if not at the bottom of the SEC and that should not be. Yes, we've had injuries but so do other teams. Back to back regular seasons of bad baseball here at UF at least raises some questions.
Gator Line Up: #1 Nadeau 2B #6 Boser 3B #10 Shelton SS #28 Heyman C #11 Lawson 1B #5 Cyr LF #13 Stripling DH #30 Wilson RF #16 Yost CF #34 Philpott SP
V lineup #10 Humphrey RF #5 Mancini 2B #41 Austin CF #32 Nelson 1B #9 Johnston 3B #16 Rose DH #44 Barczi C #13 Vastine SS #19 Rigdon LF #34 Seiber SP
It’s gotta start somewhere and no better day than today to start winning again. 12 wins will get us in the SEC tournament so somehow someway Gotta get rolling. Wind is definitely blowing out today. Hopefully we can send a few balls out of the yard.
