The Miami Hurricanes entered the 2020 season hoping to, once again, establish their baseball program as one of the best in the country. After missing the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons, the club worked their way back to the promise-land in 2019. They began the 2020 campaign ranked as one of the top teams in the country.
Similarly, the Florida Gators enter the season trying to avoid missing the tournament for the second consecutive season. Complete with a weekend rotation of Tommy Mace, Jack Leftwich, and Hunter Barco, it would be far-fetched to envision the Gators sitting out this year’s tournament.
An early season matchup between the two clubs helped kick-start the 2020 college baseball season, but it was Florida who left with its head held high after a 3-0 series sweep.
What did we learn?
Pitching dominated the weekend.
Despite most of the preseason hype being centered around rotation-mates Chris McMahon and Slade Cecconi, red-shirt senior Brian Van Belle — 16 starts with a 9-2 record and 3.30 ERA in 2019 — is more than capable of leading the Hurricanes staff. On Friday night, the 6-foot-2 right-hander pitched a spectacular seven innings, striking out nine batters. He does not blow you away with his low-90s heater, however, his changeup keeps hitters honest at the plate. Command is the key for him to maintain success throughout the season. Through his first two starts of the season he’s racked up 19 strikeouts over 13 innings, walking only one. Mace was equally impressive for the Gators on Friday. His seven innings of work resulted in just two hits, two walks, and eight strikeouts.
Pitching continued to be the story on Saturday as McMahon and Leftwich matched each other, allowing one run over six innings. McMahon showed his mettle early on, after loading the bases in the second inning, he relied on his slider to retire Gators freshman shortstop, Josh Rivera. He then switched to a fastball-heavy approach to start the at bat against Cal Greenfield before ultimately putting him away with a wipe-out slider. His ability to throw any pitch, in any count, is something that should not go unnoticed. If he continues to work on the command of his mid-90s fastball, he will likely receive a lot of first-round chatter come June.
Command was the biggest red flag for Leftwich against Miami, having walked five Hurricanes hitters. His fastball works in the 93-95 range and, perhaps most notably, he’ll throw a two-seamer that has sinker movement that rides down-and-away from left-handed hitters. The junior has been hitting 96 on radar guns since his freshman season and come June he’ll add his name to the long list of Gators pitchers selected in the early rounds of the MLB Draft.
On Sunday afternoon, all eyes were on Cecconi and Barco. The Gators jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, allowing the freshman left-hander Barco an opportunity to settle into the game. Pitching in his first weekend series since turning down the New York Mets’ offer to play professionally, the 6-foot-5 freshman showed his passion on the mound, en route to his first collegiate win.
With the Gators up 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Barco struck out shortstop Anthony Vilar and second baseman Tyler Paige before facing the top of the ‘Canes lineup for the third time. The freshman’s first true test came moments later after loading the bases with two hit batters and a base hit.
As is often the case with two rivals, both vying for supremacy in the college baseball ranks, emotions were high. Add in the fact that each of the first two games required extra innings to declare a winner, and you can see why this game was so important to each team. Miami, desperately hoping to avoid a three-game sweep. Florida, looking to reclaim their spot as the state’s best college program. All of that emotion and passion erupted out of Barco after he fanned Raymond Gil, stranding the bases loaded ending the threat in the fifth. He jumped off the mound with a double fist-pump as he screamed with excitement toward his teammates, who were waiting to congratulate him in the dugout.
Leaving Coral Gables with a three-game sweep has propelled Florida to an undefeated 8-0 mark. Ripe with talent, this pitching staff could easily carry the Gators into the College World Series.
Miami Notables
Gil drove in five of the Hurricanes’ eight runs over the weekend. Capped off by a mammoth home run to left field, his first of the season.
After serving a suspension for violating team rules, freshman left-handed pitcher Carson Palmquist made his debut on Sunday. He looked good in relief of Cecconi — three innings, no hits, striking out five. His tall-and-lanky frame, 6-foot-4, 180 pounds, coupled with a low-three-quarters arm slot lead some scouts to dream of a Chris Sale trajectory.
Playing shortstop due to the season-ending injury to Freddy Zamora, Vilar went 0-for-9 batting from the two-hole on Friday and Saturday before being moved to eighth for Sunday’s affair. His nine strikeouts are the third highest in the ACC.
FLORIDA NOTABLES
Outfielder Jacob Young has positioned himself as one of the premier outfielders in the 2021 draft class. While Jud Fabian draws the majority of the attention in the Gators outfield, and rightly so, Young continues to impress. His 7-for-13 hitting performance was unquestionably the weekend’s best offensive display.
Arguably the best bullpen arm on the team, Nick Pogue was called on for the extra-inning save on Friday night. He followed that up by striking out the side in another high-leverage situation on Saturday. His eighth inning performance came immediately after Miami had taken a 2-1 lead in the seventh. The Gators went on to tie the game in the ninth before exploding for five runs in the 10th.