Recapping Florida baseball’s intrasquad scrimmage

The Florida Gators baseball team will hold three open practices including two intrasquad scrimmages leading up to this Friday’s 6:30 p.m. exhibition game against Georgia at 121 Financial Ballpark in Jacksonville.

Gator Country was live at Florida’s 3.5 inning scrimmage on Tuesday evening. Here’s a quick recap of the scrimmage.

TEAM BLUE

1. CF Jalen Guy
2.  3B Dale Thomas
3.  1B Jac Caglianone
4.  RF Tyler Shelnut
5.  DH Caden McDonald
6.  C Tanner Garrison
7.  SS Landon Russell
8. LF Blake Brookins
9. 2B Armando Albert

SP: FR. RHP Christian Rodriguez

TEAM ORANGE 

1.  LF Michael Robertson
2.  2B Cade Kurland
3.  SS Colby Shelton
4.  1B Luke Heyman
5.  C Brody Donay
6.  CF Hayden Yost
7.  3B John Martinez
8.  RF Ashton Wilson
9.  DH Sammy Mummau

SP: FR. LHP Robert Satin

RECAP 

• The game ended in a 2-2 tie. However, the game was only 3.5 innings, so team Blue started with a 1-0 lead as they batted one fewer time.
• Team Orange tied the game at one in the top of the first after Michael Robertson led the game off with a single to right field, later stealing two bases. Colby Shelton drove in a run with a groundout to first base.
• RHP Christian Rodriguez had a solid frame despite allowing a run. Rodriguez stuck out both Cade Kurland and Luke Heyman. Rodriguez generated a lot of weak contact with a high fastball, while showing decent command and swing and miss stuff.
• In the bottom of the first, LHP Robert Satin recorded a 1-2-3 inning, finishing off the frame with a nasty slider that got Caglianone chasing for strike No.3.
• RHP Jake Clemente pitched the second inning for team blue, allowing no hits and one walk. Clemente’s lone free pass was on a 12-pitch battle with John Martinez, who took a very close 11th pitch that was called outside for a ball.
• Tyler Shelnut led off the bottom of the second with a double to left field off RHP Reilly Witmer, which probably should have been caught by Michael Robertson, but was ruled a double by the scorekeeper. After Caden McDonald advanced the runner with a groundout to shortstop, catcher Tanner Garrison drove in Shelnut with a sac fly to right field. Witmer allowed one hit and one run in his inning of work.
• Ashton Wilson blasted a solo home run to left field off RHP Fisher Jameson to lead off the top of the third, tying the game at two.
• RHP Blake Purnell tossed a scoreless frame for team Blue.
• RHP Grayson Smith recorded a 1-2-3 frame on nine pitches.

INSIDER NOTES

• OF Ty Evans did not participate in the scrimmage as he is dealing with an injury.
• INF Cade Kurland looks to have put on a lot of muscle during the offseason. He’s noticeably bigger this year.
• Catcher Tanner Garrison did a great job behind the plate. He nearly threw out Michael Robertson on a pitch in the dirt from RHP Christian Rodriguez. Although he allowed two stolen bases, Robertson got great jumps off the freshman pitcher. Garrison threw out John Martinez in the contest. I have to imagine he’s the front runner to start behind the plate for the Gators.
• Although there weren’t many hits in this game, the Gators did a great job with situational hitting. Florida had two chances to drive a runner home with a man on third base and less than two outs, and they converted both opportunities.
• This was a promising scrimmage for the freshmen pitchers, most notably LHP Robert Satin and RHP Grayson Smith. Florida will need to rely on their talented freshmen class this year.