The Florida Gator baseball team returned to the diamond last week for the start of fall ball. The Gators are hard at work preparing for the 2017 season.
Successful First Week
Entering the second week of practices, Coach Kevin O’Sullivan says the first week of practice went well and was a good period for the younger players to get acclimated. The Gators are welcoming over 10 freshmen to their roster this season. O’Sullivan says a lot of them have been swinging the bat well and is pleased with their progress so far.
Standouts
Though it has only been a week of fall ball, O’Sullivan says their have been some standouts. Freshman Austin Langworthy and Andrew Baker are both expected to be starting at the beginning of the season. Tyler Dyson and Nate Brown have looked good so far on the mound. Keenan Bell, Blake Reese, and Danny Reyes have all fared well at the plate. Reyes says he learned a lot this summer in the Cape as far as patience and pitch selection goes.
One week into fall practice, Coach O'Sullivan gives a quick recap and who's standing out so far. #Gators pic.twitter.com/CRRYgwauuy
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) October 18, 2016
Rotation Looks Good
If the Gators can remain healthy, they are set to have a solid starting rotation. Sophomores Jacskon Kowar and Brady Singer, as well as junior Alex Faedo, each bring something different to the mound. Kowar says he was able to learn a lot from the older players last season.
Scrimmage Times
There will be 3 scrimmages this week, all of which are open to the public. The times are as follows:
- Tuesday, October 18 – 3:15 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 19 – 3:45 p.m.
- Thursday, October 20 – 2:45 p.m.
https://twitter.com/GatorsBB/status/788030848725639168
Schedule Released
https://twitter.com/GatorsBB/status/788383553843191809
The 2017 regular season schedule has been released. Coach Kevin O’Sullivan says it is pretty typical and feels confident in his team’s abilities. The Gators are set to host 16 teams over the course of 35 games at McKethan Stadium. 5 of those series will be SEC matchups. The first series is set to start on February 17 and will be against Colonial Athletic Association champs William & Mary.