Gator Country

Florida junior Jonathan Crawford is expected to be one of the Gators' weekend starters this season after starting 14 games last season. / Gator Country photo by Mike Capshaw

With the 2013 season only a few weeks away, Florida Gators pitcher Jonathon Crawford continues to earn preseason recognition.

Crawford, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound junior from Okeechobee, Fla., was named to a second preseason All-American team this week. The website PerfectGame.org named him to its second-team preseason All-American squad.

Only two SEC players made the site’s 16-man first-team squad. They were Arkansas pitchers Ryne Stanek and Colby Suggs. Stanford had four players on the first team. Crawford is one of seven SEC players on the second team.

The right-handed flamethrower also was named a third-team preseason All-American by Louisville Slugger last month.

Crawford also earned national attention on June 1, 2011, when he tossed a complete-game no-hitter against Bethune-Cookman in the opening round of the Gainesville Regional. He faced the minimum of 27 batters in the game as he walked a batter that was later thrown out when trying to steal second base by catcher Mike Zunino.

Charged with adrenaline, Crawford’s fastball was still topping out at 98 miles per hour in the final inning of the game in which he threw 98 pitches. It was the first no-hitter by a single UF pitcher in 21 seasons.

This past summer, Crawford sizzled for the 2012 College National Team as he posted a 3-0 record, with two of those wins coming in Cuba against international power Havana. He also recorded a 2.10 ERA.

Crawford struck out 73 batters in 77.2 for the Gators last season. He finished 6-2 with a 3.13 ERA while making 19 appearances, including 14 starts. He improved as the season progressed as evident by his no-hitter and a career-high nine strikeouts in 5.2 innings to help the Gators open the SEC tourney with a win against Auburn.

Florida’s 2013 season begins Feb. 15 with a three-game series against Duke at McKethan Stadium.

About the author

MikeCapshaw

Mike’s 15 years in the business has included more than six years of covering SEC sports and recruiting at a daily newspaper in Arkansas. He has also helped launch a newspaper, magazines, websites and even a sports talk radio show. Mike has won Florida Press Association awards for Best Sports Game Story and Best Sports Feature Story in the past two years as well as a company-wide award at his former newspaper group that includes some 60 publications, for Excellence in Sports Reporting.

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