Florida baseball will not stick to its normal weekend rotation for the Gainesville Regional when UF opens the postseason against Rider on Friday, May 29 (1 p.m., ESPN+).
Since 2013, only seven teams have lost their regional opener and still advanced to the Super Regional, largely because dropping the first game means a team must win four consecutive games to move on.
Since 2010, 198 teams have reached the Super Regionals after winning their first two games, averaging 13.2 of the 16 Super Regional spots each year. By comparison, teams that win the first game and lose the second average just 1.7 Super Regional berths annually. Teams that lose the first game and then win the second average 1.1 of the berths.
The Gators (39-19) will take a gamble as they opt to go with their No. 3 starting pitcher, Russell Sandefer, who, in his last appearance, was hit by a line drive against Georgia in the SEC tournament. However, Sandefer dealt with no serious injury from the hit.
“My heart dropped, honestly,” Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “I’m doing an in-game interview, and they tell me 30 seconds prior to the interview that the X-rays came back negative, so I was like, ‘This is awesome.’”
Although he threw for only one complete inning and 25 pitches, Sandefer’s velocity was up to 98 mph. It was a welcomed sight for Sandefer, who in his last two outings struggled as he allowed eight runs from eight hits, four walks and six strikeouts.
Sandefer earned a spot in the starting rotation midway through the season as he earned his first weekend start against Arkansas and has since been UF’s Game 3 starter.
“He’s ready to go,” said Florida catcher Karson Bowen. “He’s got a nice little bruise from the comebacker, but he’s ready to go. He’s going to pound the zone and do his thing like he always does.
“They were telling me he was (throwing) between 96 to 98. His stuff was ready to go. He’s excited to get back out there.”
According to Bowen, this season Sandefer has gradually improved.
“We’re roommates too, so we’re close off the field,” Sandefer said. “His stuff has ticked up so much throughout the year. I think when the fall started, he was 92-94, and then the other day he was 96-98, so just overall his stuff is way more polished. His stuff is ticking up. I think he’s super excited.”
Sandefer’s best outing of the season was against Ole Miss, which featured him recording 11 strikeouts in seven innings. This season, he has registered a 4.38 ERA, 55 strikeouts and 18 walks in 51.1 innings.
“When I watched him pitch on Saturday, that was as good as an inning and a half that he has thrown all year, stuff-wise, command-wise,” O’Sullivan said. “Then on Tuesday, he looked really crisp. I don’t think there’s anything that’s going to hinder him tomorrow.”
Reach Florida Gators writer Andrew Abadie at AAbadie@usatodayco.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @AndrewAbadie. You can also find him on Facebook at Andrew Abadie Sports Reporter or on Instagram @andrewabadie_sports.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida baseball to change its starting pitching rotation in Gainesville Regional
Reporting by Andrew Abadie, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
