The Full Count: Florida Gators continue dominance over Florida State
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Gators Online will start a new column surrounding the Florida Gators baseball team. After each game or series we’ll break down key moments, provide color on decisions and go over the game in a more interesting way than a traditional game story.
Welcome to the Full Count.
Dominance
Florida has won 21 of the last 25 meetings against the Florida State Seminole. While the Noles hold the overall series record (126-131-1), the series hasn’t been owned by the Gators since Kevin O’Sullivan arrived in Gainesville.
Florida is 34-19 in the series under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan including 18-3 at home. The Noles would need to win the final game of the Sunshine Showdown this season and then sweep the next five series in a row to even the series record with Sully’s Gators.
Runs in bunches
The Gators’ offense doesn’t quit. Opponents can jump out to early leads but the way the lineup swings it, no lead is safe. The Gators have taken over games in the eighth inning. Florida’s 74 home runs are third-most in the country (trailing South Carolina -76 – and FGCU -75-). Their slugging percentage is second only to FGCU. The team scores quickly and in bunches, but especially in the fifth and eighth innings. The Gator have scored 320 runs in 33 games with 31.8% of those runs (102) coming in these two innings. The Gators have only been outscored by their opponents in the ninth inning.
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On Ryan Slater and Cade Fisher
The way the Gators’ pitching staff has been on a rollercoaster in 2023. The starters were on fire to start the season while the bullpen left much to be desired. That flipped with Brandon Sproat and Hurston Waldrep struggling when SEC play started while the bullpen figured things out. Tuesday night both Ryan Slater and Cade Fisher were fantastic.
I think the efficiency that [Ryan Slater] had, I think 62 pitches over six. Kind of gets lost in the shuffle there a little bit is Cade Fisher He keeps the game right there, 22 pitches over two and obviously, gives Neely a chance to close it out.”
Neely is seven for seven in save chances this year. His seven saves leads the SEC.
Jac Caglianone and the fate of Sunday starts
The most exciting player possibly in the country has hit a wall on the mound. In four starts against SEC teams Caglianone has a 9.95 ERA allowing 14 earned runs in 12.2 innings. He’s walked 19 batters to 13 strikeouts. It hasn’t been that Caglianone is getting hit, he’s been as accurate as Rick Vaughn before he got glasses at the end of the first Major League movie.
Caglianone didn’t make it out of the first inning in his last start and I started getting questions — even demands — from fans to remove Caglianone from the weekend rotation.
That’s not going to happen, at least not this weekend.
Florida hosts Georgia this weekend. The Bulldogs are hitting .296 as a team and have drawn 140 walks. They’re 3-9 in conference play and last place in the SEC East. Caglianone will start for the Gators this Sunday.
“What we’ve tried to do as a staff is kind of look at a big picture. The whole goal is to win the last game of the year. I know Cags has struggled here as of late but quite honestly he’s also shown flashes where he’s really good,” Kevin O’Sullivan said.
“In order for us to put ourselves in the best position to win at the end of the year, he’s going to have to factor into this. That’s just the bottom line. We are still winning and he’s going to have to be a big part of this. It’s just that simple.”
He’s not in danger of being pulled this weekend but I think it’s safe to say that being removed from the weekend rotation isn’t out of the question. Caglianone has a full plate. The Gators should try and get him a DH game on Saturday to lessen the load slightly. This was the plan before the season. BT Riopelle can catch on Friday, then play first base on Saturday and Sunday while Luke Heyman catches the final two games of the series, allowing Caglianone to DH.
Notes:
The Gators have won 21 of the last 25 meetings against the Seminoles.Florida improves to 126-131-1 against FSU including 66-49 in Gainesville.Florida is 34-19 in the series under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan including 18-3 at home.Florida has not lost a regular season series to FSU since 2015.Slater pitched a career-high six innings while notching the first quality start of his career.The right-hander previously through five innings twice, most recently doing so in relief vs. Alabama on March 19, 2022.Neely improved to 7-for-7 in save chances, which leads the SEC.Florida has struck out 372 batters in 293 1/3 innings – translating to 11.4 per nine innings.Through 34 games, Florida has a run differential of plus-146.The Gators have 369 hits through 34 games (10.9 hits/game).
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