Gator Baseball 2023 Official Roster Tracker/Lineup???

With Vanderbilt and South Carolina 1-2 in the SEC it certainly seems the ball is in our hands how this thing finishes. LSU's schedule gets much easier in the second half, so they will make a run as well. The month of May is going to get really dicey around here.

 

A topic that I've been pondering, not as much about actual baseball, but the opportunity the Gator's program has this season. That is, I hope all those in charge of Gator Baseball recognize the huge opportunity this program has from this season's success and the longevity of fans support going forward. So far the crowds have been the biggest I've seen on record. I have no stats to back that up, I know amazing right, but my guess at the end of this season we will break all time attendance records for baseball. I believe that is because we are winning but more important is to recognize the desire Gator fans are missing in their support of a winner. Most Gators supporters are football first, maybe men's basketball, and very little of anything else. But they haven't had a winner to support in a few years. Now enters sport number 3 in the attention span with people and enthusiasm are building. People will come, Matherly, people will most definitely come.

I'm not saying people will leave football or that no other sport at UF is important, but realize there is a void in Gator fans interest level in the product the UAA has been offering. To fill that void this Gator Baseball team can win a whole lotta new fans over that will continue to follow them and show up at games if they win. Not only this season but it could continue until football or men's basketball figures it out, if ever. Look at the midweek games, their attendance figures, whether real or not, are holding in the 3,000 to 4,000 range and last night we drew over 7,000. So its up to the UAA to allow Gator fans to express their pleasure and want to follow Gator Baseball.

Here are a few ideas how they can support this team going forward....
1. Sell the game of baseball, not entertainment. Between inning promotions are great, especially those that show fans on the scoreboard. But mascot races, dancing dazzlers before the game, and blaring music don't promote the game. Spend more time showing the fans and team updates will keep people's attention, not wanting to head out early for the dance club. Baseball is a game for fans to converse over the next inning expectations, a memory of a player or game that comes to mind, and calling the next homerun or strikeout pitch. So promote baseball things like more game highlights, replays, with radio or TV calls would be great. Picking a fan to throw out the first pitch at midweek games is a great idea, instead of some high paying attorney.
2. Get the stats right. Sure I'm a stats guy but it's stupid to sit there in the stadium and watch player after player come to bat and the scoreboard show one set of stats and the backstop board show another player's stats. Or during each inning change, the previous pitcher's pitch count remains showing under the next pitcher's name until the next pitch is thrown. It seems like we have three different places in the system that have to be updated for the scoreboards to show accurate stats and it shouldn't be that way. It should all flow together. Imagine if you were at a basketball game and a players points or fouls weren't updated until another stat was posted, over and over again.
3. Please do something to support the old guy that leads the pregame cheer. I respect he's been doing it with or without a microphone for years but it would be better to play the Gator Chomp and Go Gators music for him as he leads it. It would be easy to que the music as soon as he yells Gator Basebaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllll. I might have just lost many of you on this one but its like nails on a chalkboard for me.
4. Create a better pregame atmosphere in the stadium. We have a late arriving crowd for most every game. I get weekday and Friday games that start before 7 and people can't get there fast enough. Plus baseball games can last over 3 hours so some fans wait a few innings to get there. But if you are like me who get there at least an hour early, there's not much to do. So why should anyone else want to get there, other than to get better parking, like me. Maybe more pregame giveaways would help or maybe a meet and greet with previous players. Something to attract pregame attention other than how long it takes the water hose guy to water down the infield.
5. Plow up some old orange trees and pave us better parking closer to the stadium behind the first base line. More and more people are filling up the Fifield lot, causing traffic jams before and after, and any schedule conflicts with softball only increase the traffic problems. A parking lot south of the stadium could get better access in and out off of Archer and disperse traffic away from the stadium much faster. The only reason I get out so quickly is I stand at the top of the stairs behind home plate with the last batter up to beat the crowd and race to my car to drive south away from the stadium.

Hopefully the Gators have a huge season and the UAA dials in their support for baseball fans and helps build an even larger lasting impression at Condron Ballpark.

 

Some midweek games the GA tickets have been only $5. You're welcome to ride along with me anytime and sit in about any section you want after the crowd settles in. FAMU and N Florida will be prime examples.

 

Exactly, I don't think we do enough recognizing our past players. I don't mean those in MLB but some of the guys that never made it far. I remember recent favorites like Nelson Maldonado, Austin Langworthy, Tommy Boss, Jeff Cardozo, well maybe not that last one, and any other guys that aren't far away. Even if they are a distance, it would be nice to cover their cost every once in awhile. Of course Nellie might have trouble throwing it over hand from the mound.

 

I'm not a fan of plowing up green space either but I believe UF knew when they built the stadium that ultimately the parking would become an issue. Might I suggest taking a drive one day down 441 and turning left when you get to CR 318 in north Marion County. UF and IFAS have hundreds of unused acres for plant research and growing orange trees. My guess they have been planning for quite awhile to move much of that for years out of Gainesville.

 

How often do you go....

 

So here are the stats as of last weekend. I'm focusing on LHP because Georgia says they are starting LHP on Friday and Sunday, Sat is unknown. Shelnut did not play last weekend so his numbers do not show.

NAME--------- AB- OBP AVG LHP-RHP 2O- ROB LEADOFF
RIVERA-------- 123 .500 .398 .457 .375 .404 .420 .435
HEYMAN-------- 51 .466 .392 .267 .444 .500 .435 .357
CAGLIANONE- 138 .440 .391 .341 .412 .356 .373 .500
LANGFORD----- 92 .538 .380 .444 .365 .276 .378 .524
KURLAND----- 124 .421 .331 .344 .326 .486 .377 .326
RIOPELLE----- 120 .397 .300 .229 .329 .333 .373 .280
HALTER--------- 85 .386 .282 .346 .254 .292 .289 .267
ROBERTSON-- 101 .426 .277 .241 .292 .278 .432 .389
EVANS--------- 124 .289 .234 .333 .206 .317 .333 .267
PREVESK------- 30 .313 .300 .200 .320 .214 .450 .000
THOMAS-------- 14 .524 .286 .333 .273 .333 .250 .667
FABIAN--------- 18 .333 .222 .333 .167 .333 .200 .444
SCHIEKOFER--- 32 .286 .219 .000 .292 .231 .250 .167

So Heyman, Riopelle, Robertson, Prevesk usually have troubles against LHP. Cags has a lower number but should not be as concerned with the wind blowing out. Thankfully Rivera (457) Langford (444)Halter (346) and Evans (333) hit LHP very well for their chances. I'm not focusing on when 2 outs or runners on base because they are even more situational and harder to place. The unknown is Shelnut who, as I recall, hits LHP very good as well. That in mind I'd like to see a lineup for Friday of.....
Langford R
Cags L
Rivera R
Halter L
Kurland R
Riopelle L
Shelnut R
Evans R
Robertson L
Unless someone has the updated stats for Shelnut against LHP I could swap him out if needed. My concern is he's only hitting 200 against SEC pitching. I'm thinking he will still hit better as a DH facing a LHP than even Heyman on Friday. Once Georgia makes a change to RHP then you go with Heyman in the game at DH. Or if Sully wants to DH Cags then Shelnut could play 1st or maybe he puts Riopelle at 1B and Heyman is at catcher. Well we will know 22 hours from now.