Aidan King set the tone for Florida on the mound against Texas A&M on Friday night, and Caden McDonald did so at the plate, leading to a 9-2 series-opening win.
King was dominant, going eight innings and throwing more than 120 pitches. He talked about how his preparation doesn’t change from week to week, so he can stay consistent and address his outburst on the mound after working through the eighth.
He apologized for directing his energy toward the other dugout and said it’s something he’s going to work on. King also praised his offense for giving him run support and allowing the bullpen to rest for the next two games in the series.
McDonald found out he was in the starting lineup just hours before the game. He was studying for an organic chemistry exam and went back to it after getting the news. He admitted he dealt with nerves a bit, but sound preparation led to him putting together a three-hit game. Kevin O’Sullivan said McDonald will be in the lineup moving forward.
Here’s everything they said after the win.
McDonald on first career home run, teammates’ reaction
“It was pretty surreal. I mean, honestly, blacked out around second base, but I just, just a lot of hard work put into that, and kind of leading up to that moment. You know, it’s not going to be the last one, but, you know, and just to be backed by my teammates like that, that was just an unreal experience.”
McDonald on coach’s praise, earning the start
“Oh, I’m just finding out now about (Sully saying he’ll get more opportunities). But that’s awesome to hear.”
When did you know you were starting?
“They post it in the locker room on one of the TVs, probably around two, 2 p.m. ET. I was actually studying for an organic chemistry test, and like, I was out in the common area, and then they pulled me in the dugout and were like, hey, you’re starting. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh.’
“Very surprised. You know, I mean, I’m ready to pitch and, you know, I’m ready for whatever opportunity I’ve got on the mound. But yeah, that was I had had a feeling it could be coming just with the way the offense has kind of been trending. But, you know, I still have faith in all of our guys that they will figure it out. And so, you know, whatever move they made I would support it. But yeah, it was pretty cool to see that.”
McDonald on settling in at the plate
“Yeah, I feel like my first at-bat, the nerves were pretty crazy. Just trying to kind of swing at strikes and take balls and trying to stay short. Didn’t really do that. Got a little big with two strikes there, on a I think it was outside curveball, and then second at bat just tried to stay short, just direct to the ball, and obviously ended up working out and just kind of stayed that approach the whole time.”
McDonald on being a two-way player
“I mean, it’s difficult for sure. You can’t be in both places at the same time. So like I’ll go throw as position players kind of do. It’s kind of a majority position player stuff. And then and then if I throw a bullpen or whatever, it turns into pitching stuff, and then if like in the fall, if I would like, if I’d be pitching that day for a while, they would have me shut down all position player stuff, and then they kind of would ease me into both.
“But no, I mean, it’s difficult. It takes a lot of effort. But you know, anything worth doing does as well.
Did you ever consider giving up one side of it?
“I mean, not really. Not really. I really enjoyed doing both and had success this summer in the Cape, doing both. So kind of trying to keep it going as long as I can.”
McDonald on Cape Cod League development
“Oh, it was amazing. The experience as a whole is really fun, and I’m excited to go back again this summer. But to have some success there, it was very cool and felt like I got a lot of eyes on me.
“Last year, I was just a pitcher, and then, you know, I had kind of pick back up the hitting going into the summer because that was always the plan was the two-way in the Cape. Once it kind of just got going just kind of picked it up again.”
“I came in freshman year as a pretty successful high school player doing both. And then I got Tommy John surgery, and then kind of, you know, as anyone who gets a major surgery, not major, but, you know, puts you out for a year. Some questions are coming back and all that.
“So yeah, definitely. And then, you know, they tell me to put it down last year. So it just kind of reassured me that I could still do it.”
McDonald on team’s confidence in Aidan King
“What’s the level of the team right now when it’s Aidan’s turn to go out there? Oh, I mean, as with I mean, our pitching is everybody knows our pitching is unbelievable. And so, I mean, we have full confidence in all three of our starters.
“I mean, we have the expectation for all three of them. Seven shut out, you know, seven, seven shutty because they can all do it. So. But AK brings some high intent. And you know, as you saw tonight, he’s not afraid to let it all hang out.
“So yeah, I mean, everyone gets fired up for him when he, you know, comes through like that.”
McDonald on late lineup decision, mental approach
“I kept studying. I try not to think about it for a little bit. I just kept doing, kept doing my homework. But no, I mean, nerves are going the whole day, and yeah, I mean, it’s not really a mindset switch. You know, I’m kind of the same way. I mean, I might pitch any day, you know, you never know.
“But I guess when you’re guaranteed to get in there, it’s a nice feeling. So, you know, you just got to be. I just try to be ready to go and calm the nerves.”
McDonald on King’s emotion on the mound
“I was all for it. I was all for it. I was hoping he wasn’t going to get ejected. That’s the only thing that was in my mind because, you know, we’re going to need him. But no, that’s just him. It’s so funny. He’s just a different animal out there.
“Like he’s he’s unbelievable to watch. You piss him off a little bit, he’s going to come at you.”
McDonald on flushing a big game
“We’ll see. It’s my first time, I don’t know, I’m gonna do my best to flush it out, but yeah, I mean, I’m gonna try to just try to go home and, you know, I’ll watch it a few times and watch everything.
“But no, tomorrow’s a new day. And, you know, I’m gonna go about my business the same way.”
McDonald on Blake Cyr’s Leadership
“I mean, he’s he’s he’s a fantastic individual. I would say, you know, he has a flair for the dramatic, too, with all the five-show stuff. And we all love it. And, you know, he likes to be out there as well. And you know, he is a great leader through tough times, both this year and last year.
“He was always a guy to kind of do his best to pick us up and kind of get the dugout going. And he got the dugout going a couple of times today in the early innings. But he’s a fantastic individual, and I’m trying to learn a lot from him.”
King on going out for the eighth
“Honestly, he just came up to me and asked if I was good. I was like, yeah, I’m good. We can keep going. I felt good, and I wanted to keep going and save the bullpen.”
King on pitch count, performance
“I didn’t fight for that one (going back out for the ninth). There’s nothing I could have said to go back out there. But Billy did a good job closing it, and that’s what he needed to do.”
“My arm felt good. You know, it’s just like another start. Arm felt good, and everything was playing well. Didn’t try and do anything different from what I have done all season.”
King on his approach against Texas A&M
“Just get ahead there. A team that didn’t strike out a lot. So let them get this, get themselves out, and that’s what I did.”
What about the one mistake?
“I just left a pitch hanging, and they got to take advantage of it and put themselves up. Then we just came back and made a statement for ourselves that we can come back from that. I just went back out there and didn’t let that affect me on the mound.
King on his rhythm and velocity
“No (I didn’t know I retired 16 of 17), I just kept throwing the baseball.’
“I mean, I keep an eye on it, but I don’t really care for my velo. I know it’s going to be there. I mean, it’s not going to be the fastest of all, but I work with it, and I just let it gauge where I’m at and know, like, if something like it’s a fastball is going to ride or if the slider has a good spin and all that stuff. So I just use it as a gauge.”
King on Friday role, setting the tone
“It’s been fun. I mean, it really hasn’t been a difference than throwing on Saturday. It’s the same thing. I go out there, get out, go 6 to 7 innings, and set the tone for the team, whether that be on Friday or Saturday.”
King on his emotions after the outing
“Yeah. Because then I realized I would have a mid-week game if I got tossed. I’d be done for the weekend. So, but, you know, if I could go back and change anything, I would direct it more towards our dugout and not towards them. It’s interactions and emotions got the best of me. And, yeah, just let it out and should have just directed it towards my team.”
King on his competitive fire
“Yeah. I mean, it’s just sometimes I get pushed a little too far, and I just take a stand for myself. And, you know, I just need to directed towards our team and let the energy go into our teammates and not them there. They were cold all game, and there’s no reason to fire them up.”
King on team’s focus and preparation
“I mean, we just put more of an emphasis on focusing on the game. You know, it was a tough loss against JU, but we all took a step back and realized, you know, like, that’s not us. That’s not how we play. We need to focus more on the team and like everything that’s going on within the game and just put all of our energy and focus into that. Just take a step back and realize what we need to do better. And that’s what we did.”
King on Billy Barlow’s outing
“Yeah, I mean, you know, he’s been throwing the ball well, and he gets himself into some situations. But him going out there and just shutting the game out just builds confidence for him and everybody out. It saves the bullpen. Like you said, the main guys that we use. But you know, he can also make a name for himself just being a main guy on the weekend or whenever we pitch him.”
King on McDonald’s opportunity
“It was posted, but I mean, he’s been working hard, and he deserved it. He just took advantage of it and ran with it. And it proved or it showed that, his hard work and hard work, even when you’re not playing every day, shows, and when you go out there and get the opportunity, you just go out there and shine.”
King on McDonald as a teammate
“Yeah, he understands like he wasn’t starting, and he didn’t let that affect him. You know he took the opportunity to uplift everybody else and just be the best teammate off the field. Because that’s what I mean. Essentially, that’s what your role is when you’re not playing. Even when I don’t pitch on Saturday or Sunday, that’s my job is to keep the energy up all the time. So he took a he just took advantage of that, you know, put the energy into the team and keep working hard at what he’s doing and proven himself.”
King on McDonald’s impact as a hitter
“Yeah. It’s huge. You know, we have a very deep lineup, hitters, and all that stuff, and anyone can play anywhere. So for him to go out there and show that he’s able to swing the bat as he did in the Cape, just I mean, it helps us tremendously.”
King on Blake Cyr’s presence
“I think a lot of us didn’t realize what he was going through. He kept him to himself. And so when he opened up, we all just, like, were there for him. And, you know, I think for us, it builds us as a stronger team and it just defines us as who we are. We’re not going to single anybody out because they went through something and we’re not going to single anybody out because they had a bad outing.
“So him in the dugout — he’s always there. He’s loud. He’s cheering on his teammates. Even if he has a bad game or makes a bad play, he just forgets about it and looks forward to the next one. So that’s who he is.
“He’s always bringing the energy, always has good spirit, and he’s trying to put that into everybody like, hey, because you might be going through something or you have a bad outing, or you make a bad play or don’t have a good day at the plate, like, don’t let that define who you are and just keep being yourself and keep smiling all the time.”
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: King, McDonald talk Florida’s series-opening win vs. Texas A&M
Reporting by David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
