Trailing 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Jonathan India stepped into the box, the Florida Gators last hope at not going 0-for-Omaha.
The freshman quickly went down 0-2 before watching a ball and fouling two more off. India laced the sixth pitch down the line in left field and never questioned whether to stay at first or try to get into scoring position. Texas Tech left fielder Tyler Neslony had to field the ball perfectly and deliver a strike to get the speedy India at second.
He did.
“People keep asking me that. ‘Why did you do that? Did you think that was right?’ I had to do it. Bottom of the ninth and we’re down by one. I had to get into scoring position somehow,” India said Tuesday before the Gators first fall practice of the season. “I thought it was a for sure double, but the kid had to have a perfect throw, a perfect play to get me out. It was. I can’t blame him.”
You can argue with the result but you can’t question the decision. India was thrown out by a hair at second, sending the No. 1 seeded Gators home after a quick trip to the College World Series. It was the last time Florida would have Logan Shore, A.J. Puk, Buddy Reed, Pete Alonso and Dane Dunning on the roster and a bitter ending to a record-breaking season.
Florida got back on to the diamond Tuesday at McKethan Stadium. There is a notable change in the team. Freshmen David Lee (10), Keenan Bell (32), Billy McKay (20) and Nate Brown (23) wear the numbers of those juniors that were drafted last year and players like India and Deacon Liput are left to take on a leadership role.
“A lot of these younger guys look up to the older guys,” Liput said. “Being, I guess, one of the older guys at this point it’s one of my jobs to bring them in and make them feel at home.”
The final chapter of the 2016 season hurt but it opened up Kevin O’Sullivan’s eyes. The head coach entering his 10th season with the Gators has made five trips to the College World Series in the last seven years but has yet to win the final game of the season. Florida has had incredible success in the regular season as well as in the SEC but it just hasn’t translated to Omaha.
“We’ve always had pitching depth and that helps you out through the course of the year, but when you get to the postseason, if you play in a regional and you win all three, you only play three games. In a super regional, it’s the best two out of three. And then when you get to Omaha, you have a day off in between games,” O’Sullivan said of how the postseason differs from the regular season. “Your depth doesn’t show up in the postseason. So what does that mean? Maybe we recruit a few more hitters and try to lengthen out our lineup a little bit more. Pitching and defense is what gets you there, but maybe from a recruiting standpoint, but a little more emphasis on a few more hitters each there just so we can lengthen our lineup a little bit more.”
Reigning College World Series Champion Coastal Carolina, who beat Florida in their opening game last year, used just five pitchers to claim the crown as college baseball’s best team. The Gators have had an embarrassment of talent on the mound — starters and bullpen — but when the postseason comes Sully isn’t able to use that depth.
That led him to retool his philosophy and bring in two-way players; guys who he recruited to both pitch and play in the field. Nick Horvath did that well last season and he will be joined by freshmen Andrew Baker (LHP/OF), Tyler Dyson (RHP/INF), Austin Langworthy (OF/LHP), Kirby McMullen (OF/RHP) and Garrett Milchin (INF/RHP). Baker is the early favorite to take over for Buddy Reed in center and he’s 90-91 off the mound with a funky, left-handed delivery and quick motion. O’Sullivan is excited about Langworthy (from Williston, just south of Gainesville) who will play somewhere because he swings the bat too well to not be in the lineup.
The hope is that the Gators can still construct a team that is led by pitching and defense, but one that gains the flexibility to pinch-hit late in games and stretch the lineup down at the bottom.
“We’ve just got to do a better job just maybe lengthening out the lineup, make that lineup, the eight and nine hole hitters, people have to pitch to us for nine innings, I think this year’s lineup has a chance to do that. The last couple of years we’ve gotten close to that but I think it’s our job to try to improve that and try to put the best lineup together as well, without sacrificing the pitching and the defense, we’re not going to give that up.”