Key takeaways from Florida’s series sweep of Cincinnati
Florida swept the Cincinnati Bearcats over the weekend to bring the Gators to a 7-1 record to start the season.
After splitting a home-and-home series with the USF bulls over the week, Florida needed to bounce back in a big way. It did so to the tune of 13 runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, while allowing Cincinnati to put up a combined 16 runs. It’s the second-straight weekend in a row that Florida has doubled its opponents, and the team looks pretty unstoppable out of the gate.
The weekend rotation is elite and needs significantly less help from the bullpen than the midweek starters. At the plate, everyone is hitting, and a new school record for home runs in a game being set on Sunday proves that this team has legitimate power.
It’s hard to find something wrong with this Gators team right now. The club will eventually face some true adversity, but this is a group that’s firing on all cylinders.
Florida's aces stepped up big
Cyndi Chambers/Gainesville Sun
Baseball teams usually have one ace on their staff, but the Gators have two up their sleeve in [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] and [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag]. While neither of them had the dominant first start of the season that fans were looking for, it’s hard to complain about what the duo did over the weekend.
Sproat went five innings and tied a career-high with nine strikeouts while giving up three earned runs on four hits, two walks and a pair of hit batters. He’s still finding his command early, but if that’s what an off night looks like from him in February, he could be dominant by the time SEC play roles around.
Waldrep one-upped Sproat on Saturday, though. He also tied a career-high with 13 strikeouts over six innings and gave up just two runs on three hits and three walks.
These guys are still ramping up for the tougher competition, but things look really promising. Opposing teams are going to be frustrated at the plate with these two strikeout artists leading the way for UF.
Jac Caglianone is him
Cyndi Chamber/Ocala Star-Banner via AP
[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] was on a tear this week, and he capped it off with a three-home run night on Sunday. Naturally, Caglianone was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week after the performance, but it can’t be overstated just how incredible it is for Florida to have a talent like him on the roster.
Caglianone also pitched on Sunday for Florida, lasting 4 2/3 innings and striking out six. He gave up three runs and couldn’t get out of the fifth, but he more than made up for it with each of his three homers coming after the bullpen took over.
Florida has a legitimate two-way superstar hitting in the middle of its lineup, and he’s living up to the hype each time he’s asked. This won’t be the last time a series recap section is dedicated to him.
Colby Halter is going to be alright
Cyndi Chambers/ Gainesville Sun
Third baseman [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] rightfully drew some criticism following an 0-for-10 start to the season, but he bounced back against Cincinnati over the weekend. Halter went 4-for-8 and hit his first home run of the season on Sunday to bring the season average above the .200 mark.
O’Sullivan still isn’t playing Halter against lefties, but there’s no reason to think that he’ll be an offensive liability for the majority of the season. Things started off slow, but now he’s seeing the ball well and putting down some nice bunts too.
Deric Fabian's role is growing more and more uncertain by the day
Cyndi Chambers/ Gainesville Sun
[autotag]Deric Fabian[/autotag] has the worst batting average on Florida’s roster (.167) and barely saw the field for the Gators this week. Fabian came in as a defensive replacement at first base for [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] after he took over for [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] at catcher on Sunday.
He didn’t get an at-bat during the entire series either. It looks like [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag]’s emergence as the clear No. 1 option at second base has forced Fabian into that utility role O’Sullivan didn’t want to discuss before the season started. He could get the start at first base during the week at some point, but Caglianone, Riopelle and [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] are all better options at the dish.
The truth is that [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag]’s return has blocked Fabian from taking over that everyday shortstop spot that he might have been in line for. Perhaps Kurland will take that spot in the future and open up second base for Fabian, but it’s going to be tough to make him a daily contributor this season.
If the bat picks up, then Sully might have to squeeze him into the lineup, but there’s not need to force things right now.
Blake Purnell is having a rough start
Mark Zaleski/The Tennessean/USA TODAY NETWORK
Most of the pitching staff had a good week, but right-handed sophomore Blake Purnell is probably looking to move on from what’s been a rough start to the 2023 campaign. The 2022 Freshman All-American looked good against Charleston Southern in the second game of UF’s opening series, but he melted down against USF on Wednesday and never really recovered.
Purnell got through the final two out’s of Friday’s series opener against the Bearcats, but he didn’t even record an out when he came in on Sunday. A hit batter and walk allowed the tying runs to score, and Kevin O’Sullivan turned to a true freshman on the mound instead.
Purnell has to better for Florida to make a College World Series run. It’s still early in the season, so he has time to work things out, but an early regression should concern some. Don’t expect Sully to shy away from using the St. Thomas Aquinas alumnus over the next week. Purnell led the team in appearances a season ago and should compete for that title once again this season.
Michael Robertson is missed in center field
Cyndi Chambers/ Gainesville Sun
Center fielder [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] went down in the first inning of Friday’s game after colliding with the outfield wall as he chased down a ball. He’s considered day-to-day right now, according to O’Sullivan, and is likely to miss the first half of a home-and-home series with Jacksonville over the week.
O’Sullivan said that the team won’t rush Robertson to return. Left fielder Wyatt Langford has stepped into the starting center field spot, which gives MLB scouts a chance to look at him playing the position.
The early returns are fine, but Florida is obviously losing a step defensively without Robertson on the field. Langford isn’t as fast nor does he possess the same natural instinct Robertson has for getting a good jump on the ball. None of that is to say that Langford is inferior in any of those areas, but rather to say that Robertson is elite.
Kurland has taken over the leadoff spot for now and looks comfortable, so Robertson isn’t too missed at the plate.
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