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The Florida Gators baseball team truly snagged a winner this season in freshman outfielder turned second baseman, Jacob Young.
Rallying together brought the Gators a dominating 20 -7 comeback win over rival FSU on Tuesday night. Young was among the games leading players, having 2 hits with 3 runs at 6 at bats. The new Gator’s performance at the plate was notable, where he pushed his batting average to .417.
A Rough Start
The Gators were off to a slow start in the first game of this year’s Fresh from Florida Sunshine Showdown at McKethan Stadium. The Seminoles broke out strong gaining a 6-0 early lead that lasted four and a half innings.
Although things looked rough, the Gators found their footing in the fifth inning. A series of errors from FSU allowed a sudden five-run streak at the bottom of the fifth and an eight-run charge in the sixth.
After a ball thrown to third from the outfield slipped away from the FSU baseman, Young scrambled home for the run, sparking the Gator comeback.
Young recalled how finishing a game strong is more important than a rough start.
Streaking Stats
Young’s stats are worth a look. For example, He is on an 11-game hitting streak since being placed as a starter after Jacksonville’s game. In addition, during the game against the Winthrop Eagles, Young slammed away 2 home runs, helping secure the victory.
Young is a player that boasts an unusually good batting average for a freshman. .417 to be exact. As a junior in high school, he batted a .333 with 12 RBI’s and 14 stolen bases and hit .288 with 19 runs scored and five doubles as a senior.
Despite having 4 walks on his record, the kid can still make plays. With 11 RBI’s under his belt, the Gators have a strong runner behind the plate in Young.
Up Next
This weekend the No. 7 Gators will be hosting No. 5 Mississippi State when both the teams begin SEC play for 2019.
Truly, all eyes are on Young. His performance against Winthrop and FSU have shown that he’s capable of playing with the big dogs. Six true freshmen, including him, have started 68 games and hit .327 (83-254).
As for what Young thinks about going into the season, he says he’s nervous but ready.
UF baseball kicks off its 2019 SEC play tonight at 6:30 with a weekend series against Mississipi State. You can tune in to all the action here at ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF.
