Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Florida Baseball as the Gators fell to UCF 13-3 to fall to 11-2 on the season.
While midweek losses aren’t season-defining, as Gators fans learned last year, they can accumulate if left unchecked. Here are three key takeaways from the defeat to the Knights.
Pitching Depth Has Its Limits
As seen in Sunday’s loss to Miami, Florida’s pitching depth has its boundaries. After depleting the bullpen over the weekend, many of Kevin O’Sullivan’s top arms were unavailable against UCF.
Matthew Jenkins delivered a solid 3.1 innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs. However, the revolving door of relievers that followed struggled to keep the game in check. None of the five pitchers Florida used escaped unscathed without allowing at least one earned run.
This trend isn’t unusual for O’Sullivan early in the season, as he experiments with different arms before settling on his trusted bullpen options.
Too Many Strikeouts
While pitching depth may not be a major concern once SEC play begins, Florida’s offensive struggles on Tuesday were noteworthy.
Scoring three runs on seven hits is one thing, but the Gators’ 10 strikeouts against just four walks were problematic.
Costly mistakes also played a role. Brody Donay was thrown out at home in the fifth inning with a chance to tie the game.
Midweek Struggles Persist
If we’re being honest, Florida was fortunate to escape both of its midweek games last week. As fans remember from last season, midweek losses nearly cost the Gators an NCAA Tournament berth.
That said, these games aren’t always an accurate predictor of postseason success. In a true three-game series, Florida would deploy key arms like Liam Peterson, Aidan King, Alex Philpott, and Frank Menendez
Last season, Florida also lost to UCF but still made the College World Series.