Talented freshmen bolster top ranked Gators lineup

Mark McLeod, ESPN Radio

History is being made. The excitement and expectations have never been this high in Florida baseball history. The return of several talented veterans led by head coach Kevin O’Sullivan and his staff have Florida baseball fans at a fever pitch. But, what about the highly regarded freshman class O’Sullivan brought to Gainesville?

They’ll get their chance too. Trust me. I watched a recent scrimmage and came away very impressed with the play of several freshmen. I want to touch on some of those players and add some thoughts on returning veterans who caught my eye. I pass along some thoughts after watching one practice session and a recent scrimmage.

Freshmen

Right-hander Justin Shafer (6’2, 200) started on the mound for the Blue. Shafer is listed as an infielder, outfielder, and right-handed pitcher and he did much of that during the scrimmage. The Lake Wales native did a terrific job of keeping the ball down and located his pitches pretty well. He allowed three singles, while striking out three. Just based on this performance, I’d say to keep an eye on him as a potential mid-week starter. And here’s something that you don’t see every day- Shafer also hit leadoff for the Blue and doubled. I’m hoping to see him play one of the positions in an upcoming scrimmage.

Right-hander Ryan Harris (6’2, 200) came on in relief of sophomore of Gibson and had some struggles, but I like the fact that he came back and competed. He gave up a home run to freshman outfielder Cory Reid, but came back and fired a fastball strike to jump on the following batter. A couple of innings later, he fanned Thompson and Mike Zunino back-to-back. He might be throwing a cutter. It moves pretty well.

Left-hander Corey Stump (6’5, 220) came on when Shafer was finished. He really throws the ball, but wasn’t quite as consistent. Is it confidence? I’m not sure. It looks as though he’s still trying to establish himself at this level. He really throws well when he’s determined and bears down. If he does that more consistently, he could be terrific at this level.

Right-hander Aaron Rhodes (5’11, 190) was the closer for the Blue. Rhodes works fast and throws hard. He did a nice job of working ahead in the count to Pigott and Brian Johnson. Pigott singled off the end of the bat, while Johnson struck out. He left a pitch up in the zone to Tucker, who crushed it. There’s no question that he can challenge for a role in the bullpen.

Catcher Taylor Gushue (6’2, 205) collected a pair of hits. He swings the bat well. I can see him getting a few opportunities as a DH. He also did a good job of blocking a couple of balls that were wide or in the dirt. He threw down to second to try and nab a few runners on their way to second, but didn’t fare too well.

Cory Reid (6’2, 195) has talent. He ripped a home run over the left field fence and followed that with a single. He played center field and looks as though he will push for playing time should one of the other outfielders struggle. I would also think that he (and some others) will be looked upon for time as a DH/PH.

Connor Mitchell (6’0, 185) played right field and fielded a few balls off the bounce that were laced for singles without any problems. He swings the bat, really well too, adding a pair of singles. Here’s another player that should see some time in the non-conference schedule for a role on this team. Mitchell will also have a role on this team as a DH/PH.

Josh Tobias (5’9, 205) singled and had a stand-up triple with his blazing speed after ripping a ball over the center fielder’s head. He was sent home and was tagged out by Gushue rather easily. Tobias really pounds the ball. Defensively, he fielded a couple of balls at third, including one that forced him to run toward the mound and make a quick throw. It’s appears that third base will be a two way battle between Zack Powers and Tobias. I have to believe that Sully will let these guys battle it out through the non-conference schedule. There’s no way you can keep Tobias’ bat out of the lineup though.

Casey Turgeon (5’9, 165) does a terrific job in the field. He looks very natural at second base, quickly securing the ball, making the transfer, throwing on to first base. We might have our double play combination at work here after the graduation of Josh Adams. Turgeon did strike out twice, but it’s pretty common to wait a little for the bat to come around for freshmen. He’s competing with Jeff Moyer (and others can play the position too), but I’d be real surprised if he isn’t playing second base for the Gators this season.

Returning Veterans

Jeff Moyer got the start for the Blue. He doesn’t have the quickness of Turgeon defensively, but swings the better bat at this point. Don’t get me wrong, Moyer made no mistakes in the field, but he just doesn’t have the ability that Turgeon does defensively.

Sophomore Daniel Gibson got the start for the Orange. I’d hoped to see him a little more dominant, but it just didn’t happen. He struggles to consistently keep the ball down and got burned on a few pitches that were up in the zone. Tyler Thompson and Mike Zunino collected hits off Gibson, who gave up two or three runs in three innings.

Preston Tucker drove in four runs with a pair of singles. He’ll play right field, but gives the Gators some option at first too with Austin Maddox and Vickash Ramjit. He concluded batting practice by smashing a few pitches that can probably be found off Archer Road. I hope the new digital scoreboard doesn’t dent easily.

Daniel Pigott had three singles. He looked good in the outfield too. Pigott gives you exactly what you’d expect from a guy that’s been around for awhile.  He should start in left field.

Tyler Thompson had a couple of singles. He played center field and went after a ball that was hit away from him and closed quickly making the catch. It was good defense. Good job. Look for him in center field.

Again, these are just some points of view after watching part of an earlier practice and recent scrimmage. I’ll be back out there this week to see who steps up. Florida opens their season with a three game series against Cal-State Fullerton at McKethan Stadium on Friday, February 17^th.

Mark McLeod is the host of “The Mark McLeod Show” and covers Gators football, recruiting, and baseball for ESPN Radio (Gainesville/Ocala). Mark is a member of the Football Writers Association of America. You can follow him on Twitter at @McLeodLive. E-mail Mark at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it