Gator Country

gatorbogey · 12-28-2012, 09:54 PM

how do you think the gator baseball team will do this coming season?

here's the schedule: http://www.gatorzone.com/schedule.php?sport=baseb

i'm guessing we'll be competitive but struggle quite a bit:

Duke, win the series 2-1 (2-1)
@UCF, mid-week loss (2-2)
Ga Southern, back to back midweek loss (2-3)
FGCU, win series, 2-1 (4-4)
N Fla, a rare mid-week win over the ospreys (5-4)
miami, lose series, 1-2 (6-6)
jax, sweep mid-week series, 2-0 (8-6)
indiana, sweep series, 3-0 (11-6)
fsu, loss (11-7)
UK, lose series, 1-2 (12-9) (1-2)
N Fla, win (13-9)
@Vandy, lose series, 1-2 (14-11) (2-4)
fsu in jax, win, (15-11)
ole miss, lose series, 1-2 (16-13) (3-6)
UCF, win (17-13)
@ miss state, lose series, 1-2 (18-15) (4-8)
@fsu, loss (18-16)
S Carolina, lose series, 1-2 (19-18) (5-10)
@FGCU, loss, (19-19)
@missouri, sweep series (22-19) (8-10)
USF, win (23-19)
Tenn, sweep series, 3-0 (26-19) (11-10)
@LSU, get swept, 0-3 (26-22) (11-13)
FAMU, mid-week win
FAU, back to back mid-week win (28-22)
Auburn, series win, 2-1, (30-23) (13-14)
@UGA, series win, 2-1 (32-24) (15-15)

squeak into the SEC tourney; win 2 in hoover to secure a ncaa bid. (34-26)
3-seed on the road in the ncaa regionals, win 1 but don't advance. finish 35-28

gtr2x · 12-30-2012, 09:01 PM

I have no clue on some of these teams at this point, but I'm a bit more optimistic. For starters I don't see the Gators losing both the FSU and um series, not to mention losing 2 to fgcu. My guess would be we make the tourney as a 2 seed, maybe even host first round.

Props to you for putting your predictions out there. I haven't had a chance to look at any of the national predictions other than the poll having UF at 24, which strikes me as a little disrespectful for a team that has won so much lately. And yeah I know they lost a lot, but the cupboard is not bare.

**Juggernautz** · 12-30-2012, 11:31 PM

I think we should be as good as we were last year.

WESGATORS · 01-02-2013, 11:29 AM

I only see 2 losses on the schedule.

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

gatorbogey · 01-02-2013, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WESGATORS

I only see 2 losses on the schedule.

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

as long as they don't come in omaha!

gtj31 · 01-07-2013, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WESGATORS

I only see 2 losses on the schedule.

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

And one must question WHY we continue to schedule those birds? Seriously? Wouldn't it be better to just give them money directly? Why waste the travel time or game? Pay them off and schedule Bethune!

gatorbogey · 01-08-2013, 10:32 AM

ha ha, you guys are funny

IowaGator · 01-08-2013, 06:27 PM

In Omaha today on business. Drove by TD Ameritrade. It looked so empty and cold!

Looking forward to joining the Gators there next June and warming the place up!

Don't know what the record will be--but we join the college baseball elite with a 4th straight trip to the CWS. Something accomplished by only 13 schools previously!

And I think we join that even more elite club of teams with national titles in FB, MBB and baseball. The team has no pressure and no outside expectations. A perfect time to play as a team and take it to the next level.

gatorbogey · 01-09-2013, 11:49 AM

yep, alot of guys can become the 'stars' and make a name for themselves. we're almost like a blank canvas coming into the season. players/team can create their own destiny. what sort of destiny will it be? to continue on the canvas metaphor: what sort of 'art' will they end up creating?

**Juggernautz** · 01-11-2013, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gatorbogey

ha ha, you guys are funny

I was wondering where all the comedians went.

austingator · 01-11-2013, 04:41 AM

Do not see this team getting back to Omaha. Quite frankly, the talent and experience we had last year only comes about once every few years and we just did not get the job done in terms of finishing. This team hopefully competes hard perhaps winning a few more than we anticipated but overall it appears to be a rebuilding year.

gatorbogey · 02-05-2013, 07:06 AM

since we're down to 10 days and counting to the season, thought i bring this thread back for predictions.

how about a predict the lineup too?

2b: Turgeon (L)
LF: Shafer (R)
C: Gushue (S)
DH: Stypulkowski (S)
1b: Ramjit (R)
3B: Tobias (S)
RF: Bader (R)
CF: Dent (L) (Ratliff (L), in the 6th spot, if eligible)
SS: Martin (R)

others at 1b: Powers, Stypkowski
others at 2b: Dent
others at SS: Dent
others at 3b: Powers, Dent
others at C: Stypkowski, Fahrman, Haskel
others at RF: Mitchell, Roberson, Fulton, Reid, Dicks, Andrades (at this stage it's anyone's guess)
others at CF: Reid, Dicks, Fulton, Andrades, Roberson
others at LF: Mitchell, Roberson, Fulton, Reid, Dicks, Andrades
others at DH: everyone/anyone Reid looks to have the most power after Gushue, Stypkowski, Shafer

**apkgator** · 02-05-2013, 08:50 AM

I think Ram starts in RF and they get the hottest bat at first....sounding like maybe Bader in CF.
I like Turgeon in the 2 hole, meaning Martin leads off (maybe Tobias). Really like Shafer hitting 3rd but worried about cleanup...just don't have a proven guy for that spot. Ratliff would change everything, but looks like we will have to wait a year.

gatorbogey · 02-05-2013, 09:30 AM

yeah, that's probably the best lineup 'bat-wise'
from what i saw in practice, ramjit seems to be the best at 1b and there might be better. they are working powers alot at either corner.
outfielders for RF, like bader, etc.
bader seems to cover the best in CF, dent's arm looked to be the best.
lots of interchangeable players for the outfield.
and dent seems to be in line for playing any number of positions. infield/outfield. tobias is another possibility. ramjit too, obviously. powers may even get some work in RF.

jsc28 · 02-05-2013, 09:58 AM

#7 National seed. Who knows from there...

DoubleDown11 · 02-05-2013, 02:08 PM

Here's my crack at the opening night lineup, knowing full well that we'll probably use 3 different lineups the first weekend.

1. Martin - SS
2. Turgeon - 2B
3. Shafer - LF
4. Gushue - C
5. Ramjit - RF
6. Powers - 1B
7. Tobias - 3B
8. Stypulkowski - DH
9. Bader - CF

MadduxFanII · 02-05-2013, 02:13 PM

Quote:

3. Shafer - LF
4. Gushue - C
5. Ramjit - RF

Not exactly Zunino-Tucker-Pigott, huh?

DoubleDown11 · 02-05-2013, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadduxFanII

Not exactly Zunino-Tucker-Pigott, huh?

For sure. I do think the 3 of them have potential as middle of the order hitters though. They're not All-Americans, but I could see each of them approaching double digit homers if things broke right. Shafer didn't get any out of the yard last year, but he hit the warning track so many darn times that I could see him making a huge jump after an offseason in the weightroom. For Gushue and Vick, it's just going to be a matter of them staying consistent over a complete, 60 game season. We've seen them be very good in spurts. Now it's their time to lead the team.

MadduxFanII · 02-05-2013, 03:57 PM

I really like Gushue. Showed a lot of power and plate discipline last year. Needs to tighten up some holes in his swing, as a lot of freshmen did, but if you can draw walks and hit for power you can do a lot.

Ramjit's been around long enough that we pretty know what he is. I like him well enough as a hitter, but I think he's far better as a supporting bat for a loaded lineup than a middle-of-the-order type relied upon to generate a lot of offense.

Shafer...I don't know. I'm curious about him. His numbers last year were pretty awful, but he played a lot on a loaded team as a true freshman, and from what little I saw of him his swing and stance looked pretty good. We'll have to see.

gatorbogey · 02-05-2013, 06:17 PM

there seems to be alot of guys that fit the pigott model on this year's squad. i'm not looking for too many homers out of this squad, unless they really catch the sweet spot and/or are looking for a particular pitch and get it.