Gators beat Vandy to advance

OMAHA, Neb. -- On a day when Florida failed to score a run, the Gators took a giant step toward a national championship.

 

 

Florida beat Vanderbilt 3-1 in the completion of a weather-delayed game this morning, riding Preston Tucker’s three-run homer from the night before in the College World Series.

Florida set a school record with its 52nd win of the season.

Stephen Rodriguez, who was on the mound when the game was suspended because of a high wind advisory and rain in the bottom of the sixth inning, was back pitching on Tuesday morning after play was suspended for 14 hours and four minutes.

Rodriguez set a career high with seven strikeouts over 4⅓ innings. He pitched to three batters before play was suspended on Monday night. Rodriguez allowed only one baserunner when he walked Connor Harrell in the seventh.

Florida (52-17) will play next on Friday at 2 p.m. Eastern against the winner of Wednesday’s North Carolina-Vanderbilt elimination game. The Gators would advance to the championship series Monday with a win.

Note: The Gators are 45-0 when leading after seven innings. … UF is 4-1 vs. Vanderbilt this season.

Florida's CWS game suspended, will resume today at 11 a.m.

OMAHA, Neb. — Florida's second game of the College World Series was suspended and then postponed, first because of gusting winds and then because of an incessant rain and nearby lightning.

The game will continue today at 11 a.m. with Vanderbilt batting in the bottom of the sixth inning and Florida leading 3-1.

Vanderbilt was batting with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning when sirens began to go off in downtown Omaha. After a Mike Yastrzemski flyout to left, the sirens continued to sound and the Florida players left the field. 

Fans streamed for the exit. Swirling winds blew the trash from the stands onto the field after the grounds crew put a tarp on the infield.

A few minutes later, members of the media were evacuated from the press box. The National Weather Service said winds gusted as high as 69 mph as the storm front passed through Epply Airfield, which is three miles from TD Ameritrade Park. A funnel cloud was spotted in nearby Aurora, Neb.

Once the high winds passed, a torrential downpour pelted the field and lightning flashed around the stadium for two hours.

Some fans were rushed to the Qwest Center across the street while others ducked under the second deck of seats. The ones who stayed were treated to an imaginary baseball game played by the grounds crew.

The Gators took a 3-1 lead before play was suspended thanks to a three-run homer by Preston Tucker.

Grayson Garvin, the SEC pitcher of the year, held Florida hitless through the first three innings. But in the fourth, Nolan Fontana walked and Mike Zunino hit a slow grounder to first that Garvin tried to scoop with his glove toward the base. The ball sailed high and Fontana advanced to third.

On a 2-1 pitch, Tucker then hit his no-doubter off a hanging curve ball to right field, giving Florida a 3-0 lead. It was his 15th homer of the season and fifth of the NCAA Tournament.

Vanderbilt threatened in the first and third innings against Karsten Whitson, getting a runner to third base each time. But twice he struck out Aaron Westlake, one of the league's top hitters, to help him get out of jams. Whitson's fastball was clocked at 96 mph several times during his outing.

Whitson struggled with his control in the fifth, falling behind two batters and walking a third. With runners on first and second, he gave up a run-scoring single to Anthony Gomez, the SEC leader in hits.

It was the first run Vandy had scored in 22⅔ innings against Gator pitching. That shutout streak spanned three cities — Nashville, Hoover and Omaha. Coincidentally, the last Vandy runs were also given up by Whitson during the regular season.

The single knocked Whitson out of the game, but Stephen Rodriguez came in to strike out Westlake to end the threat.

Tucker doubled in the top of the sixth to tie the school record with 23 doubles in a season.

The winner today will not play again until Friday at 2 p.m., while the loser returns to action Wednesday in an elimination game against North Carolina.

Florida making run at FSU commit Fowler

Dante Fowler Jr. is all about business.

When he visits a college campus, he calls it a “business trip.” When he signs the dotted line on National Signing Day, it will be a “business decision.”

On Wednesday, he had some business to handle with the University of Florida.

The St. Petersburg, Fla., Lakewood linebacker/defensive end needed to meet the new coaching staff for the first time.

“Other schools I might go to have fun,” said Fowler, a Florida State commitment. “But Florida, it’s all business every time. They’ve been wanting me to go up there so I finally did.”

The day started with a tour of the facilities from his primary recruiter, tight end coach Derek Lewis.

“He told me, ‘Why would you wanna be somewhere else?’ ” Fowler said.

Then Fowler traveled upstairs, where he received a warm welcome.

“The whole coaching staff was outside waiting for me,” he said. “I talked to all of them and they took me in real good. I felt real comfortable. They’re kind of young coaches and I’m into that kind of coaching staff. We clicked very well.”

From there, he went with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and watched film for “a good two hours.”

“We went over how they would use me, how their defense is, a lot of techniques and moves I didn’t know about it,” Fowler said. “I learned a lot of stuff.”

Fowler had lunch with Gator offensive lineman Chaz Green and also spent time with defensive linemen Sharrif Floyd and Ronald Powell.

“They told me Florida is a good school,” Fowler said. “I heard it from more than one person, I even heard it from people who aren’t football players.”

One of those people was head coach Will Muschamp, who went over the depth chart to sell early playing time. He also promised Fowler No. 6, his favorite number, which will open up once senior defensive tackle Jaye Howard graduates.

“I’m their No. 1 priority,” Fowler said. “He said he thinks I’m mature enough to come in as a freshman and play a lot. I don’t want to have to wait until my junior year. I just want to get on the field early and contribute and make an impact for the program.”

The FSU verbal also heard plenty of trash talking from the Gator coaches.

“They said, ‘Why play around 25,000 people when you can play in front of 92,000 screaming, rowdy fans?’ ” Fowler said. “They were like, ‘Why play with a team that doesn’t even sell out their stadium while we’ve been selling out our stadium since 1979?’ And I was just like, ‘Dang.’ ”

The comparison had some effect on Fowler.

“Kind of,” he admitted. “That’s one thing about me, I always want to play for a big crowd, always.”

Maybe that explains his love for The Swamp.

“I don’t know what it is,” Fowler said, “but I can always see myself playing on that football field.”

Fowler will see that field at least five more times this year. He will be back for Friday Night Lights, the Alabama and Florida State games and an official visit after the season.

But first, he’ll return this Wednesday with his family.

Although he remains committed to the Seminoles, UF could flip the one-time Gator lean if they follow his guidelines.

“Just keep showing me love, keep trying, show me the depth chart and just don’t lie to me,” Fowler said. “Don’t say I’m the only person that you want and then have three or four people that play my same position coming in. Just keep being straight up and honest, and you never know what can happen.”

Fowler, who sits at No. 11 in the Rivals top 100, does know he won’t be leaving home.

“I’m playing in-state college football,” Fowler said. “And to be honest with you, it’s either gonna be out of Florida and Florida State.”

He grew up hating the Gators. He has a family full of FSU fans. But Fowler said none of that matters to him in his recruitment.

It’s all about business.

Florida & Vanderbilt Meet On Monday Night At The College World Series

SEC Eastern Division rivals Florida (51-17) and Vanderbilt (53-10) will meet for the fifth time this season on Monday night in a winner’s bracket game at the NCAA College World Series. The game can be seen live on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. and heard on the Gator Radio Network, Country 103.7 The Gator and on WRUF SportsRadio 850. The Commodores opened the double-elimination event with a 7-3 victory over North Carolina, while the Gators rallied from a 3-0 deficit to down Texas, 8-4, on Saturday night.

The Gators’ first-ever victory over Texas snapped a four-game losing streak at the NCAA College World Series for the program dating back to 2005 and was head coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s first triumph in Omaha after a pair of losses in 2010 to UCLA (11-3) and Florida State (8-5).

The encounter with Vanderbilt will represent the seventh time that Florida will face a league opponent at the CWS and the team has a 1-5 (.167) mark in those outings. The Gators dropped a couple of games to LSU in both 1991 (8-1, 19-8) and 1996 (9-4, 2-1) and were edged by Mississippi State in 1998 (14-13) before downing Tennessee in 2005 (6-4).

Freshman Karsten Whitson (Chipley, Fla.) (8-0, 2.45) will be making his 18th start of the year, matching sophomore Hudson Randall (Atlanta, Ga.) for the team lead, and will oppose Vanderbilt junior lefty Grayson Garvin (13-1, 2.36). Over 88 innings, the righty has a team-high 83 strikeouts and has limited opponents to a .234 batting average. Whitson faced Vanderbilt on May 15 but was not involved in the decision after giving up five hits and three runs, with five strikeouts and one walk, over 4.1 innings. The Gators have scored a total of 150 runs in his 17 starts, good for an average of 8.8 per game, and boast a 15-2 (.882) record when he pitches.

The victory over the Longhorns enabled Florida to equal its school record for wins in a season. The 1991 team under head coach Joe Arnold was 51-21 overall and posted a 2-2 ledger in the program’s second College World Series appearance. 

The Gators blanked Vanderbilt, 5-0, to capture the 2011 SEC Tournament on May 29 at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala. It was the first time in 20 years that Florida won the league’s tourney and was its sixth title (1981, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1991, 2011). The triumph also represented the first time since 1988 that the Orange and Blue had won the SEC and SEC Tourney in the same season.

Making his first start of the campaign against a league opponent, junior Alex Panteliodis (Tampa, Fla.) (5-2) scattered five hits and registered five strikeouts over 5.1 scoreless innings to earn the win over VU, which had taken its first three outings at the SEC Tourney. The left-hander was followed to the mound by junior Greg Larson (Longwood, Fla.) (0.2 IP, 2 H), junior Nick Maronde (Lexington, Ky.) (2.0 IP, 1 K) and sophomore Austin Maddox (Jacksonville, Fla.) (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 K) as Florida established a single-season school record with its 11th shutout. UF’s four victories at the event were its most since going 4-0 to win the 1991 SEC Tournament held in Baton Rouge, La. Junior outfielder Daniel Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.), who went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the SEC Tourney after batting .583 (7-for-12) over the four games he played, with six runs and six stolen bases.

In the teams’ regular-season meeting, Florida split the first two games with Vanderbilt, taking the opener, 6-5, before suffering a 14-1 setback in game two. The Gators and Commodores battled into the 12th inning of the finale before UF prevailed, 6-3, to capture the series and forge a three-way tie on top of the SEC standings with the Commodores and South Carolina heading into the final series of the regular season.

Sophomore Nolan Fontana (Winter Garden, Fla.) led the team with a .455 (5-for-11) average in Nashville but the squad was held to a .200 clip. Six of Florida’s 21 hits in the series were homers, including a pair by sophomore Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) in Sunday’s finale. Zunino delivered a three-run homer in the 12th to lift the Gators over Vanderbilt, 6-3, to take the rubber game of the series. Deadlocked at 3-3, Fontana (3-for-5, two runs) walked to open the 12th and was sacrificed to second on a two-strike bunt by senior Bryson Smith (Watkinsville, Ga.). The Commodores walked junior Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) intentionally and Zunino (2-for-5, five RBI, two HR) greeted junior Navery Moore with his second homer of the day, a three-run shot into the right-field bleachers that gave the Gators their first lead of the afternoon at 6-3. Zunino had blasted a solo homer in the seventh to pull UF within 3-2. Junior Tommy Toledo (Tampa, Fla.) struck out three batters over two scoreless innings to earn the win and wiggled out of a jam in the 11th when the Commodores had the potential winning run on third base with one down. UF’s five relievers tossed 7.2 innings of scoreless ball and gave up just three hits. Maronde followed Whitson and permitted one hit over 3.1 innings with three K.

Vanderbilt had evened the series on Saturday by reeling off 14 unanswered runs after Smith had started the third inning with his second homer. The Commodores banged out 18 hits, scored multiple runs in four different frames and relied on the pitching of Garvin to set the stage for the decisive game. Senior Josh Adams (Jacksonville, Fla.) cranked a game-tying homer to begin the ninth and Smith snapped an 0-for-16 drought with an RBI double as Florida edged Vanderbilt, 6-5, in the completion of Friday night’s suspended contest at Hawkins Field on Saturday afternoon. Adams tied the game at 5-5 with a leadoff homer in the ninth off Moore, who had not permitted an extra-base hit the entire season. The blast was the fifth for Adams and came against a hurler who possessed a microscopic 0.36 earned run average entering the ballgame. In the ninth, Pigott extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a one-out single into left field and raced down to second base on a wild pitch…Fontana (1-for-3, two RBI) drew a walk for two Gators aboard and Smith came through with a double to right field that brought across Pigott for a 6-5 lead. Maddox picked up his second save by putting down Vanderbilt in order in the ninth to preserve the triumph for junior Anthony DeSclafani (Freehold, N.J.). The Gators had been 1-11 when trailing after eight innings until that afternoon’s heroics.

Florida (51-17) overcame a 3-0 deficit en route to an 8-4 victory over Texas (49-18) in front of 25,521 fans on Saturday night at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha to complete the first day of the 65th NCAA College World Series. Randall improved to 11-3 on the campaign by limiting Texas to one earned run over 6.2 innings, Larson struck out the only batter he faced with the Gators holding a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning and the tying run aboard at second base and Maronde set down all six batters he faced and totaled three K over two innings to collect his third save.

       

Offensively for the Orange and Blue, Smith (2-for-2, two runs, two RBI) reached base in all five of his plate appearances, with two singles, two walks and a hit-by-pitch, sophomore Cody Dent (Boynton Beach, Fla.) put the Gators ahead to stay with a two-out RBI double in the fourth inning off junior Taylor Jungmann (13-3), Pigott was 2-for-3 and  sophomore Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) returned to the lineup for the first time since May 28 and delivered a key two-run double that should have been ruled a homer in the seventh inning.

College World Series: Florida vs. Vanderbilt

FLORIDA VS. VANDERBILT

What: College World Series, Game 6. Where: TD Ameritrade Park, Omaha, Neb. When: 7 p.m. Monday. TV: ESPN2.

Records: Florida is 51-17; Vanderbilt is 53-10.

Outlook: Florida is 3-1 against Vanderbilt this season. The Gators took two of three in Nashville, Tenn., from May 13-15, and won the championship game of the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala., earlier this month. … The Gators are coming off their first win at the CWS since 2005. … The Commodores are in their first College World Series. … Freshman Karsten Whitson (8-0, 2.45 ERA) is expected to start for the Gators today. … Jacksonville native Austin Maddox (foot) did not play for UF in the opener, but he should be available at some point in the tournament. … The winning team will be off until Friday. The losing team will play Wednesday evening against North Carolina (50-15) or Texas (49-18).

Gators Rally To Defeat Texas, 8-4, In College World Series Opener

The University of Florida rallied from an early deficit to grab an 8-4 victory over the University of Texas in the opener of the College World Series. With the victory, the Gators will now face Vanderbilt in the winner’s bracket on Monday night at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. 

Florida improved to 51-17 on the year while Texas dropped to 49-18.

After trailing 3-0 early, the Gators scored five straight runs in a variety of ways before a two-out RBI double by Texas cut the Gator lead to 5-4 in the seventh before Brian Johnson responded with an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh and Bryson Smith added an RBI in the bottom of the eighth to finish the scoring.

The Gators sent right-handed sophomore starter Hudson Randall (11-3 after the win) to the mound, while Texas countered with Taylor Jungmann (13-3), a first round pick earlier this month by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Randall gave up a two-out single in the first, but no real threat, and retired six of seven batters through two innings.

The Longhorns opened the scoring in the top of the third after a pair of errors by the Gators put runners on first and second, bringing the top of the order around for Texas. Tant Shepherd delivered an RBI single to put the Longhorns up 1-0 and put runners on the corners with no one out. Mark Payton followed with a sacrifice fly to give Texas a 2-0 lead. Eric Weiss followed with another sacrifice fly to give the Longhorns a 3-0 lead.

All three runs were unearned.

Like Randall, Jungmann retired six of the first seven batters before running into trouble in the third. He issued walks to Daniel Pigott and Cody Dent to open the third. After a failed sacrifice bunt led to Pigott being thrown out at third, Bryson Smith got the Gators on the board with an RBI single. A passed ball cut the lead to 3-2.

Tyler Thompson walked in the bottom of the fourth and advanced to second on a wild pitch. With two outs Pigott drove a double over the right fielder to knot the game, 3-3. A batter later Dent delivered an RBI double down the left field line to give the Gators their first lead of the game, 4-3.

In the bottom of the fifth Jungmann hit Bryson Smith and that was all for the Longhorns starter, as he lasted just 4.1 innings. Preston Tucker then greeted reliever Hoby Milner with a double into right center to score Smith from first base and give the Gators a 5-3 lead.

Randall was in control nearly the entire game with the exception of the third inning when Texas benefitted from two errors, and the seventh when the Longhorns strung together a pair of hits. A double by Jordan Etier cut the lead to 5-4 with a two-out double down the left field line and that was all for Randall, who went 6.2 innings, gave up five hits and only one earned run. With the tying run at second, Greg Larson shut the door on the Longhorns with a strikeout of lead-off hitter Shepherd.

In the bottom of the seventh the Gators quickly responded when Johnson, in his first game back since May 28, hit what replay showed to be a home run. The umpires do not have the benefit of using instant replay in the College World Series, and it was ruled a two-run double that gave the Gators a 7-4 lead.

A single by Smith with two outs in the bottom of the eighth gave the Gators an 8-4 lead and a cushion heading into the ninth inning.

Florida is making back-to-back appearances in the College World Series for the first time in school history, and making the seventh CWS appearance in program history.

The Gators now face Vanderbilt on Monday night at 7 p.m. in the fifth meeting of the year between the two teams. Florida has won three of the first four meetings, including a 5-0 decision in the SEC Tournament title game.

Hundreds of athletes at Muschamp camp

Judging by the number of top national prospects walking around the campus of the University of Florida, the first Will Muschamp Football Camp has been a tremendous success in terms of Gator recruiting.

Hundreds of high school players have braved record heat to work with the UF coaching staff on drills, tests and competitions at The Swamp and on practice fields. The camp, which began June 11, breaks today and concludes with a kicking camp Monday through Wednesday.

"I anticipate it'll be a good weekend for Muschamp and the Gators," said ESPN national recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg. "I'm sure they'll get a great benefit to having all those kids on campus and at their camp, whether they pop now or in a couple of weeks or a couple of months. I'm sure it'll go a long way."

Florida has received two significant verbal commitments this week and could see another one or two in the coming days.

This weekend is particularly important for visits.

Five-star offensive tackle John Theus, of Jacksonville, Fla., regarded by many as the top player in the state, headlined a list of high-profile players who visited campus Friday. The group also included Orlando, Fla., receiver Alton Howard; Melbourne, Fla., safety Marcus Maye; Buford, Ga., tight end Kurt Freitag; and Decatur, Ga., defensive end Jhaustin Thomas. Others expected to attend camp this weekend: McKee's Rocks, Pa., linebacker Deaysean Rippy; Tampa, Fla., linebacker/defensive end Tyriq McCord; Florence, Ala., linebacker Beniquez Brown; College Park, Ga., defensive tackle Jordan Watkins; and 2013 prospects Trey Johnson, Derrick Henry, Laremy Tunsil and Marcell Harris.

Normally UF's one-day summer showcase, Friday Night Lights in July, is where the Gators make their biggest splash in the summer recruiting circuit. But this year with Muschamp at the helm, Florida is pushing its recruiting efforts earlier than ever.

Florida already has 12 non-binding verbal commitments in its class of 2012 and has blanketed the states of Florida and Georgia in particular with dozens of visits and scholarship offers to 2012 and 2013 prospects.

Following up with nearly two weeks of summer camps clearly has a benefit.

"It's a sign of the times — it's not just Florida, it's everybody," Newberg said. "Summer camps with the colleges has become a significant part of the recruiting process. The whole thing has become so accelerated that schools are trying to get kids on campus literally as often as possible.

"And with the camps it's the best of both worlds, because they get them on campus and they get to evaluate them at the same time. The unofficial visits become more important than the official visits."

UF out to correct past errors

GAINESVILLE - Following his team's quick departure from last year's College World Series, Florida baseball coach Kevin O'Sullivan put together a long list of things he would do different if he made it back to Omaha.

The Gators (50-17) did just that and will meet Texas (49-17) at 7 p.m. today on ESPN in the first night game of this year's tournament.

The day after beating Mississippi State to claim the Gainesville Super Regional, O'Sullivan called a meeting on Monday and started checking off the items on his list.

"We went over all the extra stuff,'' he said. "Hotels, tickets, when we're leaving, getting prepared to get packed, just the detailed stuff that kind of crept up on us last year. I think what happened when we got out there, No. 1, we prepared ourselves the whole week that we were, I wouldn't say satisfied with the season, but that it was almost like the end of the road, that they were happy to get there.

"This year I hope they understand that we have one more step to take and it's going to be very difficult."

UF not only packed early, but left early, arriving in Omaha on Thursday for a full practice. A year ago, the Gators had a short practice the day before the opening game.

Florida has never won a College World Series. Here are five keys that could allow the Gators to finally celebrate a national title in baseball:

1. Focus on what's important.

Last year, players admit, the whole thing was a bit overwhelming. This time around, experience should make a major difference.

"You have practices, you have media stuff, you sign autographs, all types of stuff,'' said Gators All-American catcher Mike Zunino, a Mariner High School graduate. "It's really never ending. You are doing all kinds of stuff and I don't think we were prepared mentally last year for all of that.

"(Now that) we've been there before, we know the hype, we know everything that's been expected in the College World Series and we're ready to go there and to win.''

2. Stick to situational hitting.

The Gators are masters of manufacturing runs when they need them the most. The college game took the power out of its bats this season. Teams don't wait for the home run any more. And Florida is one of the best teams in the nation at being a more complete offense.

3. Pitcher-designated hitter Brian Johnson and first baseman-pitcher Austin Maddox need to rebound from injuries and produce.

Johnson (a concussion in the SEC tournament) and Maddox (a foot injury in the regional) are key hitters and pitchers. Realistically, no one can expect either to be sharp or even ready when the first pitch is thrown tonight.

But the CWS is a marathon that seems to last forever. Days drag on and each team searches for that extra lift. The Gators won without the duo. If either makes a solid contribution, look out. It could be just that little extra to get UF over the top.

4. Jump on teams quickly.

Florida has pounded opponents early in the NCAA tournament. The Gators averaged nine runs in the first three innings in the three-game regional sweep of Mississippi State. UF had four runs in the first two innings in the Super Regional finale. Teams just play more relaxed when things go well early.

5. Make good use of all those arms.

The Gators' pitching staff is deep and filled with future pro baseball players. UF started a pitcher taken in the ninth round in last week's Major League draft (Alex Panteliodis) in the Super Regional final. Greg Larson, a 29th rounder, relieved him. Nick Maronde, who went in the fourth round, replaced Larson and Tommy Toledo - an 11th round selection - finished out the game.

"I think this team is definitely built for the tournament, where you've got a lot of games in a row,'' sophomore Hudson Randall. "We've got at least four or five pitchers who could give us a good start on the mound and the bullpen is so deep we don't even have a set closer.''

That's where O'Sullivan has to do his best job - selecting which future pro with a 90 mph-plus fastball to put in what clutch situation.

"We trust one another and we're really deep and that's one of our best attributes I think,'' Randall said.

Gators say they're ready for College World Series opener

June 17--GAINESVILLE -- Preston Tucker had no idea what to expect in the College World Series last season.

He was thrilled that the Gators had made it to Omaha and enjoyed the sights, sounds, atmosphere and pageantry of the event's final year at Rosenblatt Stadium. But things changed quickly once Florida took the field against UCLA in its first game.

"When we went to Omaha last year we were kind of overwhelmed," Tucker said. "No one on the team had been there so I think everyone was excited, everyone wanted to win, but I think we were a little young and inexperienced and we weren't ready for it."

That was evident in the results -- an 11-3 crushing by the Bruins, followed by an 8-5 loss to Florida State. Two losses in three days and the Gators were back in Gainesville before the championship series.

This year, Tucker and his teammates say, things will be different.

They may not win the national title, but they won't be intimidated.

"I don't think we went into it with the right mindset [last year]," designated hitter Daniel Pigott said. We know winning it all is the ultimate goal.

"It's a great experience, it's a lot of fun, but winning baseball games is what's important, not the rest of the stuff that goes on around you."

Even coach Kevin O'Sullivan admitted he got caught up in the hype surrounding Florida's first CWS appearance since 2005. He's taken some steps to make sure that didn't happen this year, making sure hotels, tickets and everything else was done early in the week so all he and the team would have to focus on was tonight's opponent, Texas.

"It felt like everything was rushed when we got out there and the next thing you know it's the fifth inning and we were down [to UCLA]," O'Sullivan said. "I just thought to try to do the best job we can this year, starting [Monday] night, of preparing for Saturday night."

The Gators (50-17) need to eliminate distractions because they're facing a Longhorns squad that is making its 34th appearance in the College World Series. Coach Augie Garrido has won five national titles, including 2005, when Texas beat Florida 2-0 in the best-of-three title series.

Texas (49-17) will start right-hander Taylor Jungmann (13-2, 1.38 ERA), who has thrown three complete-game shutouts and a one-hitter this season. The junior, who was the Big 12's Pitcher of the Year and a Louisville Slugger first-team All-American, was the 12th overall selection in this month's amateur baseball draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Texas also had three other players selected in the first nine rounds of the draft: pitcher Sam Stafford (second round, New York Yankees), shortstop Brandon Loy (fifth round, Detroit) and pitcher Cole Green (ninth round, Cincinnati).

In addition, pitcher Corey Knebel was named the Freshman Pitcher of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. He tied the single-season team record with 19 saves.

The Gators aren't overly concerned with the strength of Texas' pitching staff because they've found themselves in holes in big games before and have rallied.

"Coming from behind, not only [in the Super Regional], but in regionals and in the SEC championship really showed a lot about this team," Tucker said. "That's one thing I didn't think we had last year that we're kind of starting to get a feel of: Scoring runs late in ballgames and coming up in the clutch.

"It's going to happen in Omaha. We know there's not going to be any gimmes."

And there won't be any starry eyes, either.

Wuerffel hospitalized to treat nervous system disorder

Former Florida Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel was released from a hospital Wednesday after being treated for Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Wuerffel did not want to disclose the hospital where he was treated and Desire Street Ministries director of development Barry Snyder would only say it was in the Southeast.

“I just talked to him and he was cutting up and joking,” Snyder said. “He's pretty weak. The next order for him is resting and getting stronger.”

Although the nerve disease is potentially fatal, it is treatable if caught early. In a prayer request sent out by Wuerffel this week, he said he was in good spirits.

Wuerffel began feeling ill during a retreat in late May in Colorado for Desire Street Ministries, the charitable organization he joined while a member of the New Orleans Saints. He recovered from the stomach virus, but began to lose the feeling in his legs and arms during a visit to his mission in Montgomery, Ala.

Wuerffel, 37, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre on June 10 and the diagnosis was confirmed Wednesday. Guillain-Barre is a serious disorder that occurs when the body's defense system mistakenly attacks part of the nervous system.

“The doctors anticipate a full recovery,” Snyder said. “He has to go through weeks of treatments.”
Wuerffel was in Gainesville in April to be honored with a statue along with fellow Heisman winners Tim Tebow and Steve Spurrier (Spurrier was not present). He also played in Tebow's charity golf event in May in Jacksonville.

Wuerffel asked that anyone wanting to send good wishes or donations send them to Desire Street Ministries, headquartered in Atlanta (http://www.desirestreet.org ).