Return to GatorCountry.com



Gator Baseball 2009 Galleries

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Southern Miss, NCAA Super Regional, 6/7/09 :

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Southern Miss, NCAA Super Regional, 6/7/09

Updated: Jun 09, 2009 1:23am PST

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Southern Miss, NCAA Super Regional, 6/6/09 : No. 17 Southern Miss (39-24) erupted for three runs in the fifth and four in the sixth en route to a 9-7 victory over No. 9 Florida (42-21) in the first game of the best-of-three NCAA Gainesville Super Regional on Saturday at McKethan Stadium. The Golden Eagles will have an opportunity to clinch their first-ever berth in next weekend’s NCAA College World Series with a win Sunday night at 7 p.m., live on ESPN2. Senior reliever Jonathan Johnston (1-0) hurled 3.2 scoreless innings for USM, giving up one hit, before turning the game over sophomore Collin Cargill in the ninth with a three-run lead. Florida senior Avery Barnes (2-for-5) led off with a single into center field but was erased at second base on a close call on a fielder’s choice by junior Jonathan Pigott (2-for-4, three runs). Freshman Preston Tucker (2-for-5, RBI) singled for two runners aboard and fly-out by sophomore Josh Adams (2-for-5) left runners on the corners. Junior Matt den Dekker narrowed the gap to 9-7 with a base-knock up the middle before Cargill closed the game by having senior Brandon McArthur ground out to nail down his 12th save. Although a trio of Florida relievers, freshman Greg Larson (1.1 IP, 1 H), junior Tony Davis (0.2 IP) and freshman Justin Poovey (1.0 IP, 1 H) held the Golden Eagles scoreless over three frames, the Gators weren’t able to complete the comeback. Each team had 12 hits, including three doubles and a homer apiece. Photos by Tim Casey, Tim Darby, Casey Brooke Lawson and Jenny Pine

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Southern Miss, NCAA Super Regional, 6/6/09

No. 17 Southern Miss (39-24) erupted for three runs in the fifth and f ...

Updated: Jun 09, 2009 12:58am PST

Photo Gallery: UF baseball vs. Miami, NCAA Regionals, 5/31/09 : Top-seeded Florida (42-20) used a 22-hit offensive barrage to overpower second-seeded Miami (Fla.) (38-22), 16-5, and claim the NCAA Gainesville Regional on Sunday night at McKethan Stadium. With the victory, the Gators advance to next weekend’s Super Regional for the first time since 2005 and the third time in the past six years. UF will host the winner of the Atlanta Regional, Southern Miss (38-24). Freshman Preston Tucker was named the Regional’s Most Outstanding Player after going 9-for-13 (.692) over the three games with six RBI, two homers and a slugging percentage of 1.231. The rookie was 4-for-5 in the triumph over the Hurricanes tonight and notched three more RBI to give him 83 on the campaign, a single-season Florida record. The SEC’s Co-Freshman of the Year is hitting .357 and belted his team-leading 14th homer with a two-run jack as part of a seven-run, fifth-inning explosion. All nine Florida starters contributed at least one hit, while eight of them had multi-hit efforts. The Gators were an eye-popping 22-for-43 (.517) in the game and registered five extra-base hits. After starter Patrick Keating, the trio of freshman Nick Maronde, junior Tony Davis and junior Billy Bullock each threw a scoreless inning. Joining Tucker on the All-Tournament team from the Gators were Josh Adams (second base), Matt den Dekker (outfield), senior Stephen Locke, Brandon McArthur (third base), Mike Mooney (shortstop) and Jonathan Pigott (outfield).

Photo Gallery: UF baseball vs. Miami, NCAA Regionals, 5/31/09

Top-seeded Florida (42-20) used a 22-hit offensive barrage to overpowe ...

Updated: Jun 01, 2009 12:51am PST

Photo Gallery: UF baseball vs. Miami, NCAA Regionals, 5/30/09 : Behind 7.1 strong innings from senior left-hander Stephen Locke and a four-run third inning, top-seeded Florida (41-20) downed second-seeded Miami (Fla.) (37-21), 8-2, in a winner’s bracket game at the NCAA Gainesville Regional on Saturday night at McKethan Stadium. Locke (5-2) held the Hurricanes to six singles and two runs (zero earned), with three strikeouts and a walk. The southpaw was supported by a balanced offense that totaled 10 hits, three doubles and a solo homer by junior Jonathan Pigott, who was 2-for-5 and scored twice. The Hurricanes will meet third-seeded Jacksonville (37-21) in an elimination game tomorrow at 1 p.m., with the survivor needing to defeat the Gators twice to advance to next weekend’s NCAA Super Regional. Florida will face tomorrow afternoon’s winner at 6:30 p.m. With his RBI single in the third, Preston Tucker tied Ryan Shealy’s 2002 mark of 80 RBI for most RBI in a single season in school history. During his five-game postseason tear this season, Tucker is 9-for-20 (.450) with nine RBI, five runs, two home runs and two doubles. In his 11 starts at McKethan Stadium since the start of the 2008 season, Locke is 8-0 with a 2.25 ERA, allowing just 17 earned runs in 68.0 innings pitched.

Photo Gallery: UF baseball vs. Miami, NCAA Regionals, 5/30/09

Behind 7.1 strong innings from senior left-hander Stephen Locke and a ...

Updated: May 30, 2009 9:42pm PST

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Bethune-Cookman, NCAA Gainesville Regional, 5/29/09 : A two-run, walk-off single by senior Teddy Foster capped a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth as top-seeded Florida (40-20) edged fourth-seeded Bethune-Cookman (32-27), 8-7, at the NCAA Gainesville Regional on Friday night at McKethan Stadium. The Gators next face second-seeded Miami (Fla.) (37-20) at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday night in a winner’s bracket game that will be carried live on Sun Sports. The Wildcats will meet third-seeded Jacksonville (36-21) in an elimination game at 1 p.m. It was the Gators’ 26th come-from-behind victory this season, eighth in their final at bat and fifth walk-off triumph. The win also enabled UF to reach the 40-win plateau for the 18th time in school history, first since the 2005 club went 48-23. Florida improved to 23-0 lifetime versus Bethune-Cookman, including 4-0 against the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament.

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Bethune-Cookman, NCAA Gainesville Regional, 5/29/09

A two-run, walk-off single by senior Teddy Foster capped a three-run r ...

Updated: May 30, 2009 2:53pm PST

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Arkansas, SEC Tournament, 5/22/09 : HOOVER, Ala. -- A five-run fourth inning helped seventh-seeded Arkansas (34-21) send second-seeded Florida (39-20) home from the 2009 SEC Tournament on Friday, 10-7. The ninth-ranked Gators will return to Gainesville and await Monday’s NCAA Tournament selection show that will air live on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. The 16 host sites for the four-team Regionals will be broadcast on the Bottom Line of the ESPN Networks Sunday afternoon at approximately 3:30 p.m. In the loss, senior Brandon McArthur was 3-for-4 and tallied two RBI and junior Jonathan Pigott cranked a two-run homer.

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Arkansas, SEC Tournament, 5/22/09

HOOVER, Ala. -- A five-run fourth inning helped seventh-seeded Arkansa ...

Updated: May 23, 2009 5:08pm PST

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Mississippi, SEC Tournament, 5/21/09 : HOOVER, Ala. -- Junior Jonathan Pigott (2-for-5) matched his career high of four RBI and belted a pair of homers for the first time as second-seeded Florida (39-19) overpowered third-seeded Ole Miss (40-17), 12-2, in the first elimination game of the 2009 SEC Tournament on Thursday at Regions Park. The contest was halted after eight innings due to the 10-run rule. The ninth-ranked Gators survive and advance to face the loser of tonight’s winner’s bracket matchup between No. 6 Georgia and No. 7 Arkansas tomorrow at 4 p.m. on Sun Sports. Meanwhile, the seventh-ranked Rebels will return to Oxford and await Monday’s NCAA Tournament selection show that will air live on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. Freshman Anthony DeSclafani (6-3) yielded two runs over 5.2 innings and was supported by an offense that banged out 15 hits and scored in six of eight at bats. Freshman Preston Tucker went 3-for-5 and drove in three more runs, senior Avery Barnes was 2-for-4 with two RBI and scored twice and junior Buddy Munroe was 2-for-3 and contributed a two-run single.

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Mississippi, SEC Tournament, 5/21/09

HOOVER, Ala. -- Junior Jonathan Pigott (2-for-5) matched his career hi ...

Updated: May 22, 2009 9:06am PST

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Arkansas, SEC Tournament, 5/20/09 : HOOVER, Ala. -- No. 20 Arkansas (33-20) capitalized on four errors that led to seven unearned runs to notch an 8-5 victory over No. 9 Florida (38-19) in the opening round of the 2009 SEC Tournament on Wednesday at Regions Park. The Razorbacks have claimed all four meetings between the squads this season. The Gators will face third-seeded Ole Miss (40-16) in an elimination game at 11 a.m. on Thursday. The game will be shown by CSS and air in Gainesville on Cox Communications’ Channel 15. Junior reliever Mike Bolsinger (4-4) threw 4.1 scoreless innings, permitted one hit and registered five strikeouts before junior Stephen Richards recorded the final three outs to collect his ninth save. Senior Chase Leavitt (2-for-5) and sophomore Travis Sample (1-for-3) each drove in two runs for UA, which enjoyed an 11-4 advantage in hits. Preston Tucker’s five stolen bases are the most by a Gator first baseman since C.J. Smith had seven swipes in 2004. Tucker has recorded multiple RBI in four-straight games, his second-longest streak of the season (six games from April 5-April 12). His 20 multiple-RBI games are the most by a Gator since current Cleveland Indian right fielder Matt LaPorta had 22 in 2005. In his two career appearances in the SEC Tournament, Tony Davis has failed to give up a hit in 4.0 innings of work.

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Arkansas, SEC Tournament, 5/20/09

HOOVER, Ala. -- No. 20 Arkansas (33-20) capitalized on four errors tha ...

Updated: May 20, 2009 6:13pm PST

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Kentucky Game 2, 5/15/09 : An eight-run third inning keyed Kentucky (28-25/12-17 SEC) to an 8-7 victory over No. 11 Florida (37-18/18-11 SEC) on Friday night at McKethan Stadium. The Gators scored four runs in the ninth to pull within one and had the potential tying run on third base before sophomore Logan Darnell struck out junior Matt den Dekker and had junior pinch hitter Hampton Tignor ground out to second base to end the game and collect his third save. With Preston Tucker’s sacrifice fly in the ninth, the freshman broke Brad Wilkerson’s mark of 68 RBI in 1996 for the most RBI by a freshman in school history. The 69 RBI by the slugger are the most by a UF player since current Cleveland Indian right fielder Matt LaPorta had 79 in 2005. The eight runs allowed by the Orange and Blue in the third inning was a season high for runs allowed in an inning. The last time the Gators gave up eight runs in an inning was in the fifth inning of a 12-6 defeat against Tennessee in the second game of a doubleheader on April 5, 2008. Brandon McArthur moved into sole possession of 10th place all-time in games played at the University of Florida with 210. The third baseman also moved into sole possession of sixth place all-time in games started at the University of Florida with 203. The senior’s four at bats tonight give McArthur 743 career at bats, good for ninth place all-time in school history. McArthur’s home run in the second was his first since a solo shot versus South Florida on April 22 and his three hits were the most since banging out three against Vanderbilt on April 3. Photos by Tim Darby

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Kentucky Game 2, 5/15/09

An eight-run third inning keyed Kentucky (28-25/12-17 SEC) to an 8-7 v ...

Updated: May 16, 2009 2:10pm PST

Photo Gallery: UF baseball vs. Kentucky Game 1, 5/14/09 :

Photo Gallery: UF baseball vs. Kentucky Game 1, 5/14/09

Updated: May 14, 2009 10:11pm PST

Photo Gallery: Baseball vs FGCU, 5/6/09 : FGCU (31-16) registered its ninth-straight victory with a 17-5 triumph over No. 9 Florida (34-15) on Wednesday night at McKethan Stadium. Sophomore Zach Maxfield was 3-for-6 and drove in five runs, while classmate Tim Roberson went 3-for-6 and clubbed a grand slam as the Eagles ended the Gators’ eight-game winning streak. Freshman Jacob Barnes (1-1) picked up his first collegiate win with four scoreless innings in which he gave up three hits and registered a career-high six strikeouts. The Gators make their final SEC road trip of the season this weekend by traveling to Baton Rouge for a pivotal series at No. 3 LSU (36-13). At 16-8 in conference play, UF is tied atop the league standings with the Tigers and No. 7 Ole Miss. Game one from Alex Box Stadium will begin at 8 p.m. and be carried live on Cox Sports.

Photo Gallery: Baseball vs FGCU, 5/6/09

FGCU (31-16) registered its ninth-straight victory with a 17-5 triumph ...

Updated: May 08, 2009 3:47pm PST

Photo Gallery: Baseball vs South Carolina, 4/25/09 :

Photo Gallery: Baseball vs South Carolina, 4/25/09

Updated: Apr 25, 2009 7:28pm PST

Photo Gallery: UF baseball vs. Ole Miss, 4/18/09 : In front of a season-high 5,103 fans, No. 20 Florida (26-13/10-7 SEC) notched an 8-4 victory over No. 16 Ole Miss (27-11/10-7 SEC) on Saturday afternoon at McKethan Stadium to even its weekend series. Senior Stephen Locke (2-0) went 7.2 innings for his second-straight win, junior Mike Mooney was 3-for-4 and scored twice and the Gators were able to convert four errors into five unearned runs. The Gators capitalized on a two-out error to seize a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Freshman Daniel Pigott doubled with one down off junior Phillip Irwin (5-3) but was cut down at the plate trying to score on senior Avery Barnes’ base-hit, as senior right fielder Jeremy Travis fired a perfect strike to senior catcher Kyle Henson. Following a walk to freshman Preston Tucker (2-for-4), sophomore Josh Adams’ grounder was misplayed by UM junior third baseman Zach Miller, allowing Barnes to tally the game’s initial run. Locke retired the first seven UM hitters before yielding a one-out single by junior Kevin Mort in the third. Junior Jordan Henry (2-for-4) sliced a two-out single before Adams made a backhanded stop on Henson’s ground ball to force Henry at second base and close the stanza. Locke departed with two down in the eighth after permitting a single to Miller. Over 7.2 innings, the southpaw scattered eight hits, gave up four runs and registered five strikeouts. Freshman Anthony DeSclafani had senior pinch hitter Michael Hubbard fly out to retire the side and set down the Rebels one-two-three in the ninth to complete the victory. Eight of Florida’s nine starters contributed a hit as the hosts enjoyed an 11-8 advantage. The Gators did not commit any errors, improving to 9-1 this season when playing mistake-free. Baker threw 4.2 innings out of the pen for UM, allowing three hits and one run.

Photo Gallery: UF baseball vs. Ole Miss, 4/18/09

In front of a season-high 5,103 fans, No. 20 Florida (26-13/10-7 SEC) ...

Updated: Apr 18, 2009 7:08pm PST

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. UCF 3/8/09 : Florida freshman Preston Tucker tied the SEC single-game record and established a school mark with 11 runs batted in to lift the No. 22 Gators (21-11) to a 16-3 win over UCF (11-22) on Wednesday night at McKethan Stadium. The rookie first baseman cranked grand slams in both the fifth (right field) and seventh (center field) innings, sandwiched around a three-run bomb in the sixth to left center. With a 3-for-4 effort tonight, Tucker is an eye-popping .833 (10-for-12) with 20 RBI and six homers over the past three games. His 11 RBI matched the league record total by Jason Nappi of Mississippi State in a 2008 game against UAB and surpassed the previous Gator mark of 10 shared by Avery Barnes (vs. Tennessee, 5/18/07) and Adam Davis (vs. Tennessee, 4/30/05). Tucker became the third player in SEC history to belt a pair of grand slams in a single outing. In addition, he became just the seventh Florida player to hit three homers in game. The Gators (7-5) resume Southeastern Conference action on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Auburn (22-10/6-6 SEC). First pitch from Plainsman Park will be at 7 p.m. Florida’s 13-game home winning streak is its longest since the Gators won 14-straight games at McKethan Stadium from February 21-March 14, 2004. Matt den Dekker’s streak of 29 consecutive stolen bases ended when he was thrown out at third base in the first inning. The last time he had been caught was during the 2007 SEC Tournament by South Carolina. The Gators’ 13-run win is their largest in the series against UCF and was their largest margin of victory for this year. The win by Anthony DeSclafani gives the Gator bullpen 13 of the team’s 21 wins this season. Preston Tucker has hit a home run in three-straight games to become the first player to accomplish the feat since Avery Barnes from April 26-May 2, 2008. Before Wednesday, the last time a Gator player hit three homers in a game was Brian Leclerc against Florida A&M on Feb. 15, 2005.

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. UCF 3/8/09

Florida freshman Preston Tucker tied the SEC single-game record and es ...

Updated: Apr 09, 2009 2:18pm PST

Photo Gallery: UF baseball vs. Tennessee, 3/20/09 : Junior Matt den Dekker clubbed a two-run homer with two out in the eighth inning to lift No. 25 Florida (12-7/1-3 SEC) to a 3-2 victory over Tennessee (9-10/1-3 SEC) in the opener of the weekend series between the Eastern Division rivals at McKethan Stadium on Friday night. With the Gators down to their final four outs against Vol junior left-hander Nick Hernandez (1-2), den Dekker cranked a 1-0 pitch deep over the right-field fence for his team-leading third dinger of the year. Junior Billy Bullock kept UT off the scoreboard in the ninth to collect his third save and classmate Tony Davis (2-0) threw 1.1 scoreless innings to earn Florida’s first league win. Making his first SEC start, junior righty Jeff Barfield worked a season-high 6.2 innings and totaled nine strikeouts, the most by any UF pitcher this season.

Photo Gallery: UF baseball vs. Tennessee, 3/20/09

Junior Matt den Dekker clubbed a two-run homer with two out in the eig ...

Updated: Mar 21, 2009 8:01am PST

Photo Gallery: UF baseball vs. Florida State, 3/17/09 : Florida junior Buddy Munroe delivered a game-winning single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to propel the No. 25 Gators (10-7) to a 5-4 victory over No. 17 Florida State (9-7) in front of 3,369 fans at McKethan Stadium on Tuesday night. Munroe (3-for-5) had a career-high three hits and notched two RBI as Florida ended a three-game slide. Junior Tony Davis (1-0) earned the win after inheriting a bases-loaded situation in the ninth and limiting the high-powered Seminoles to just a run. Freshman Alex Panteliodis made his team-leading fifth start of the season. Florida has now won three-straight games on St. Patrick’s Day, with their last win being a 10-8 victory over Mississippi State in 2007. Ben McMahan’s first-career hit came on a bunt single in the first inning.

Photo Gallery: UF baseball vs. Florida State, 3/17/09

Florida junior Buddy Munroe delivered a game-winning single with the b ...

Updated: Mar 21, 2009 12:12am PST

Super Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Duquesne, 3/6-3/8/09 : Florida wrapped up its pre-conference schedule by sweeping the Duquesne Dukes during the weekend, tallying 27 runs on 30 hits. Junior Clayton Pisani belted his first-ever grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs to help No. 17 Florida (9-4) finish a weekend sweep of Duquesne (0-11) with a 12-2 victory at McKethan Stadium on Sunday in front of 2,493 spectators. Pisani went 2-for-3 and also added a sacrifice fly and a sac bunt as four Gators turned in multiple-hit outings. In five innings of work, starting pitcher Patrick Keating (2-2) allowed seven hits and two runs before giving way to junior Billy Bullock (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K), freshman Will Jolin (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) and sophomore Kevin Chapman (1.0 IP, 1 K). Freshman Nick Maronde (1-1) picked up his first collegiate win as the 17 Gators clinched their weekend series with a 5-3 triumph over Duquesne on Saturday in front of 2,487 fans. The left-hander scattered five hits, allowed zero earned runs and had a career-high three strikeouts in six innings of work. Senior Avery Barnes had a three-run triple, junior Mike Mooney was a season-best 3-for-3 and junior Jeff Barfield struck out the final two Duquesne hitters with the bases loaded to collect his first save. Sophomore Josh Adams went 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs and a season-high four RBI as Florida claimed the opener of its weekend series with a 10-5 victory over Duquesne on Friday night in front of 2,351 fans. Junior Matt den Dekker connected on a three-run homer and freshman Preston Tucker poked two doubles as part of a 12-hit Gator offensive output. Junior Clint Franklin made his first appearance of ’09 by taking over for freshman starter Alex Panteliodis (2-1), who allowed eight hits and five runs (four earned) with two strikeouts and a walk over five innings. Franklin threw two scoreless innings and permitted one hit in his first outing since May 21, 2008 in the SEC Tournament against Vanderbilt. Includes photos by Brad Folkers from Sunday's game!

Super Photo Gallery: UF Baseball vs. Duquesne, 3/6-3/8/09

Florida wrapped up its pre-conference schedule by sweeping the Duquesn ...

Updated: Mar 10, 2009 11:46am PST

Photo Gallery: Baseball at Stetson, 3/3/09 : DeLand -- Junior Jeff Barfield (2-0) worked 6.2 innings in his first start as No. 17 Florida (6-3) downed Stetson (2-7), 5-2, at Melching Field on Tuesday night. The right-hander scattered five hits, registered four strikeouts and permitted an unearned run to help the Gators snap a three-game slide. Freshman Preston Tucker belted his first homer and matched his career-best by driving in a pair of runs, while junior Billy Bullock picked up his second save by recording the final four outs.

Photo Gallery: Baseball at Stetson, 3/3/09

DeLand -- Junior Jeff Barfield (2-0) worked 6.2 innings in his first s ...

Updated: Mar 04, 2009 9:02am PST

Photo Gallery: Baseball vs. Miami, Game 2, 2/28/09 : Photos by Tim Darby Miami junior right-hander David Gutierrez (1-0) held No. 12 Florida (5-2) scoreless for seven innings and junior Kyle Bellamy recorded the final two outs with the tying run on third base as the 12th-ranked Hurricanes (5-1) clinched their weekend series with a 2-1 victory over Florida before a crowd of 4,570 spectators at McKethan Stadium on Saturday. With the Gators trailing 2-0 entering the final frame, sophomore Riley Cooper drew a walk on four pitches from the All-American closer and freshman pinch hitter Tyler Thompson’s grounder was misplayed by UM junior Scott Lawson at second base, leaving runners on the corners. Freshman Jerico Weitzel plated Cooper with an RBI grounder to cut the deficit to 2-1 and senior Avery Barnes followed with a single into right field for men on first and third again. Bellamy jammed Mooney on an infield fly and then struck out sophomore Josh Adams to secure his third save of the year and second of the weekend. UF stranded a season-high 11 runners in dropping its second consecutive series to the Hurricanes. Photos by Tim Darby

Photo Gallery: Baseball vs. Miami, Game 2, 2/28/09

Photos by Tim Darby Miami junior right-hander David Gutierrez (1-0) h ...

Updated: Mar 01, 2009 7:05am PST

Photo Gallery: Baseball vs. Miami, Game 1, 2/27/09 : Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson and Tim Casey In front of 4,714 fans at McKethan Stadium, No. 10 Miami (4-1) used a pair of home runs and a career-high five RBI by senior Jonathan Weislow to hand No. 12 Florida (5-1) an 8-5 defeat on Friday night in the opener of a weekend series. Weislow (2-for-4) cranked a game-tying two-run dinger in the fourth off Gator senior Patrick Keating (1-1) and moved the Hurricanes ahead with a three-run blast in the sixth. Friday's game marked the first two round-trippers of his career. UM sophomore Chris Hernandez (2-0) collected the win to improve to 13-0 in his collegiate career. The All-American lefty gave up six hits and four runs over five innings and registered five strikeouts. The loss ended a 12-game winning streak at home for Florida dating back to a 7-4 setback to No. 5 Georgia on April 25 of last year. Florida’s eight and nine hitters over the last four games have gone 13-for-33 (.394) with seven RBI, six runs, three stolen bases, a home run and a double. Josh Adams’ ground-rule RBI double in the third extended his hitting streak to six games to match his career high for the third time. Brandon McArthur extended his streak of reaching base safely to 11 games dating back to last year. The Gators’ four earned runs against Chris Hernandez marked the second-most earned runs that the left-hander has allowed in his career. Freshman Tyler Thompson lined the first hit of his career to right with two-down in the eighth. Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson and Tim Casey

Photo Gallery: Baseball vs. Miami, Game 1, 2/27/09

Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson and Tim Casey In front of 4,714 fans ...

Updated: Feb 28, 2009 7:29am PST

Photo Gallery: Baseball vs. Eastern Michigan, 2/25/09 : No. 12 Florida (5-0) clubbed three home runs, highlighted by a go-ahead grand slam and a career-high four RBI from sophomore Riley Cooper and a three-run shot by junior Buddy Munroe, to complete a two-game sweep of Eastern Michigan (2-4) with a 17-6 win in front of 2,143 fans at McKethan Stadium on Wednesday night. Sophomore left-hander Kevin Chapman (1-0) worked 2.1 scoreless innings to pick up his first victory since April 3, 2007, against Florida State. The Gators totaled 35 hits, 29 runs and 10 extra-base hits and sported a team batting average of .427 (35-for-82) in downing the Eagles twice. Eastern Michigan used a sacrifice fly by sophomore Matt Skirving in the first off freshman Anthony DeSclafani to draw first blood. It was the first run allowed by Florida’s pitching staff in 17.1 innings. In his starting debut, DeSclafani gave up seven hits and five runs, with four strikeouts and a walk over three innings. Chapman kept the Eagles off the board for 2.1 innings and was followed on the hill by junior Billy Bullock (0.2 IP, 1 H), freshman Greg Larson (1.0 IP, 1 H), junior Chas Spottswood (1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R) and junior Jeff Barfield (1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K). A well-balanced Gator offensive attack saw 10 different players contribute at least one hit to the team’s total of 18. Kevin O’Sullivan became the first head coach in school history to start his first two seasons with a 5-0 record. The 17 runs by the Gators marked the highest amount of runs scored by an O’Sullivan-coached team. Avery Barnes has scored a run in 21 of his last 22 regular-season games and is now 10-for-16 (.625) with 10 runs, five RBI, three stolen bases, two home runs and a triple versus Eastern Michigan.

Photo Gallery: Baseball vs. Eastern Michigan, 2/25/09

No. 12 Florida (5-0) clubbed three home runs, highlighted by a go-ahea ...

Updated: Feb 26, 2009 12:59pm PST

Photo Gallery: Baseball vs. Eastern Michigan, 2/24/09 : No. 12 Florida (4-0) totaled season-highs in hits (17) and runs (12) to overpower Eastern Michigan (2-3), 12-0, in the opener of a two-game set at McKethan Stadium in front of 2,163 fans on Tuesday night. Redshirt freshman right-hander Justin Poovey was masterful in his first collegiate action, scattering two hits over four innings on a pitch count to earn the victory. The quartet of freshman Will Jolin (2.0 IP, 2 K, 0 H), junior Tony Davis (1.0 IP, 2 K, 0 H), junior Chas Spottswood (1.0 IP, 1 H) and freshman Greg Larson (1.0 IP, 1 H) also combined on the Gators’ four-hit shutout. It was the Gators' first time holding an opponent scoreless since a 15-0 whitewash of Campbell on March 5 last season. Senior Avery Barnes (3-for-4) and sophomore Josh Adams (3-for-5) led a parade of 10 different UF players who chipped in with hits. Kevin O’Sullivan became the first head coach in school history to start his first two seasons with a 4-0 record. Avery Barnes has scored a run in 20 of his last 21 regular-season games. Barnes is 9-for-13 (.692) with eight runs, four RBI, two stolen bases, one home run and a triple versus Eastern Michigan. Brandon McArthur extended his streak of reaching base safely to nine games dating back to last year. In his three career contests versus Eagles, McArthur is 4-for-8 (.500) with five RBI, five runs and three doubles. Hampton Tignor made his first start of the season behind the plate and singled in his first plate appearance in the second inning. With a 2-for-3 outing, the catcher recorded his first multi-hit game since a 2-for-3 performance May 17, 2008 versus Vanderbilt. Daniel Pigott notched his first-career hit with an RBI double to right in the fourth. Older brother Jonathan Pigott collected his first single of the season in the eighth. Jerico Weitzel also collected his first career hit in the sixth with a sharp single to right field.

Photo Gallery: Baseball vs. Eastern Michigan, 2/24/09

No. 12 Florida (4-0) totaled season-highs in hits (17) and runs (12) t ...

Updated: Feb 26, 2009 12:41pm PST

Photo Gallery: Baseball Opening Day vs. Louisville, 2/20/09 : The 2009 UF baseball season is under way. The Gators jumped out to a 1-0 record by topping Louisville 6-3 on a cold Friday night at McKethan Stadium behind strong pitching from senior started Patrick Keating and junior reliever Billy Bullock. Sixth-year senior Brandon McArthur drove in two runs with a first-inning triple to give the Gators a lead they would not relinquish. It was the fourth consecutive opening night game in which McArthur had a hit, and the fifth in which he reached base, Keating gave the Gators six strong innings, striking out seven batters and not allowing any walks. Keating gave up four hits and two earned runs in the win. Bullock recorded a save by pitching two scoreless innings in relief. UF men's basketball coach Billy Donovan threw out the first pitch before the game.

Photo Gallery: Baseball Opening Day vs. Louisville, 2/20/09

The 2009 UF baseball season is under way. The Gators jumped out to a 1 ...

Updated: Feb 22, 2009 1:45am PST

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball "Meet the Team," 2/14/09 :

Photo Gallery: UF Baseball "Meet the Team," 2/14/09

Updated: Feb 21, 2009 1:03am PST

Photo Gallery: Orange & Blue World Series, 11/9/08 : Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson

Photo Gallery: Orange & Blue World Series, 11/9/08

Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson

Updated: Dec 23, 2008 12:41am PST

Return to GatorCountry.com