Hoover Notebook: Florida, Mizzou Leaves Situations To Chance
Analysis What’s Inside:
• Florida, Missouri Leave Situations To Chance
• Thoughts On LSU’s Cole Henry
HOOVER, Ala. — Tuesday’s loss to Texas A&M at the SEC tournament was Florida’s season in a nutshell.
It had a little bit of everything. The Gators got off to a bad start in the early innings and were working from a deficit against Texas A&M sophomore lefthanded pitcher Asa Lacy. They battled back to knock Lacy out of the game in the sixth and seized momentum heading into the latter innings. Heck, the Gators even took a two-run lead in the eighth inning. However, the Gators team that graced us for much of the season reared their heads in the bottom of the eighth inning.
In that frame, the Aggies scored four runs to retake the lead, a three-run blast from Jonathan Ducoff headlining the frame. UF battled back yet again with a two-run ninth to send the game to extra innings, but in the 10th, Ducoff once again delivered with a walk-off single to win the game.
While the Aggies bolstered their hosting hopes with a win over Kevin O’Sullivan’s Gators, UF now heads home the rest of the week in unfamiliar territory after making 11 straight NCAA tournament appearances under O’Sullivan’s tutelage.
“I’m proud of the way we battled,” O’Sullivan said. “A lot of people didn’t expect us to be in this position 10 days ago [after sweeping Missouri]. I’ve liked the steady improvement and progress with this team. This game was a little bit of both of what we went through this year. We battle, and battle, and battle and we get a great start from our starter.
“Given a different set of circumstances and some time off, I like our club,” he continued. “But that’s for the committee to decide. I’m not going to put my two cents in here. Those are smart people trying to make a decision. But I like our team, it’s as simple as that. I don’t think it’s one game or not, I think it’s the whole body of work, and that’s for the committee to decide.”
So, where do the Gators stand in the at-large hunt after today?
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