Tag: Mike Zunino

Florida baseball survives offensive shootout versus Stetson Hatters

Florida baseball outscored the Stetson Hatters in an offensive shootout 10-8 on Tuesday.

Florida baseball outlasted the Stetson Hatters in an offensive shootout on Tuesday at Florida Ballpark, prevailing 10-8. The Gators with their win versus Stetson moves 23-14 on the season.

The Hatters struck first in the first and third innings, using two singles and a wild pitch from Florida starting pitcher Karl Hartman to push across their first run. In the third, they got the two leadoff batters on base and then designated hitter Brandon Hylton hit a three-run shot to right field to give Stetson a 4-0 lead.

Florida responded in the bottom half, however. Second baseman [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] started the inning off doubling down the left-field line, then advancing to third when center fielder [autotag]Jud Fabian[/autotag] flew out to center field before right fielder [autotag]Sterlin Thompson[/autotag] singled to right to get the Gators on the board. Designated hitter [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] then drove Thompson in on an RBI single.

The Hatters scored one more run in the top of the fourth, but the Gators answered by plating five runs. They used a solo shot, an RBI single and a three-run blast to take the 7-5 lead.

Florida tacked on three more insurance runs in the late innings while Stetson scored two in the top of the seventh and one more in the ninth to get to the final score of 10-8.

Shortstop [autotag]Joshua Rivera[/autotag], left fielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] and Fabian all homered in the offensive outburst. Thompson led all Florida bats, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs.

Fabian’s bomb Tuesday was the 48th of his career, helping him pass Gator great [autotag]Mike Zunino[/autotag] for fifth on Florida’s all-time home run list.

Florida’s bullpen struggled to consistently put down Stetson’s lineup. It allowed seven runs on 10 hits while giving up four free passes.

The Gators’ next game is a weekend showdown with No. 1 Tennessee who leads the country with 87 dingers. The first pitch is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. EDT at Florida Ballpark.

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Florida Gators announces 2022 UF Athletic Hall of Fame Class

The University of Florida announced its 2022 UF Athletic Hall of Fame class on Thursday.

The Florida Gators announced that it will induct nine athletes, coaches and administrators to its UF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022. The inductees are chosen by the F Club Committee based on three categories: Gator Greats, Distinguished Letterwinners and Honorary Letterwinners.

This year former Gators running back and track star [autotag]Jeff Demps[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]Joe Haden[/autotag] and forward [autotag]Chandler Parsons[/autotag] headline the class. Former Florida swimmer Conor Dwyer, softball outfielder Michelle Moultrie, track star Christian Taylor, baseball catcher [autotag]Mike Zunino[/autotag], tennis player and coach Steve Beeland and former athletic director Jeremy Foley round out the class.

Demps played for the Gators from 2008 to 2012 and finished his Gators career 10th in total rushing yards at 3,592 and 11th in total touchdowns with 23. On the track, Demps won three consecutive NCAA Indoor Titles 2010-2012 in the 60-meter dash and was a two-time NCAA Outdoor National Champion in the 100m and the 4x100m relay.

Hayden was a star cornerback for the Gators from 2007 to 2009, starting all 40 games he played in. In addition to helping Florida to a national championship in 2008, he racked up 218 total tackles, eight interceptions, 3.5 sacks and 34 pass breakups that rank fifth all-time. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the seventh overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft.

Parsons played for Florida on the hardwood from 2007 to 2011. He became the first men’s basketball player in program history to be named SEC Player of the Year in 2011. Parsons finished his Gators career 12th on the program’s all-time scoring with 1,452 points.

The Hall of Fame banquet will occur on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, prior to the football team’s home game versus Missouri.

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This former Florida catcher named a first-time MLB All-Star

Mike Zunino rebuilt his swing after two tough seasons with the Rays. His hard work paid off as he was named to his first all-star game.

Former Florida catcher Mike Zunino recorded 47 homers in his three-year career as a Gator, which sits fourth all-time in school history. However, he struggled at the plate in his first two seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays after he was traded back to his old stomping grounds from the Seattle Mariners in 2018. He rebuilt his swing with Tampa Bay’s hitting coach Chad Mottola this offseason.

His hard work this winter paid off. On Sunday, it was announced that the former Florida baseball star would play for the American League team in this year’s MLB All-Star Game. His first time in a nine-year career. So far this season, Zunino leads the Rays and is second among catchers with 18 home runs. He also holds the majors’ top on-base plus slugging percentage at 1.189.

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“Oh man, extremely grateful,” he said, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “It’s been a long journey, and it’s still going. I’m just very blessed to have a lot of people in my corner that have supported me and kept me going. And very thankful for the Rays organization for continuing to put trust in me and giving me opportunities … and really help me grow as a player.”

His manager Kevin Cash will manage his team in Denver on July 13. He said this milestone is that much more special after what he has gone through so far with the Rays.

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Here’s a look at all nine former Florida Gators included on MLB opening day rosters

A look at all nine former Florida Gators baseball players who were included on their respective teams’ MLB roster for opening day 2021.

Major League Baseball’s opening day is here and this time around it looks like the boys of summer will play out their full schedule, COVID allowing. As such, it is time to take a look at our beloved Florida Gators alumni competing in the world’s greatest collection of baseball players.

Kicking off 2021, UF has nine former players listed on MLB opening day rosters, though one alumnus finds himself on the injured list to start the season. The other eight include a home run champion, a few grizzled veterans, a highly-touted pitcher and a member of the national championship making his major league debut.

Below, you can find all nine former Florida Gators baseball players who made the 2021 opening day roster for their respective teams.

Former Gator Mike Zunino struggled in the MLB playoffs, is now a free agent

Zunino, a Florida alum, wasn’t a big factor in the Tampa Bay Rays’ postseason push. What’s next for him as he enters free agency?

The smattering of former Florida Gators in Major League Baseball sent one of their own to the World Series in 2020. Catcher Mike Zunino was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays during their ill-fated October quest to a championship. Being one of the best baseball prospects to ever don the blue and orange, it’s worth taking a look at how well he played for Tampa Bay and what’s next for the backstop.

Bluntly, he was not a useful batter in Tampa Bay’s postseason run. Over the course of 19 games, he hit .170/.196/.396. According to wRC+, a metric designed to level any statistical offensive output and compare them on even terms, that line was a monstrous 45 percent below the league-wide average. Striking out almost half the time and walking only once was no help, either.

The bright spot in his largely unfortunate postseason campaign was the excellent rate at which he was hitting home runs. In that same 19-game sample in which he only got on base one out of ever five times at bat, he was hitting home runs at an above-average pace. That’s no small feat, but Zunino has impressive power locked away in his 6-foot-2-inch, 235-pound frame.

An argument could be made that he was getting unlucky, and on the surface, that argument may seem to hold water. On balls he put into play, Zunino’s batting average was only .217, whereas the league averages approximately .300 on balls in play. This measurement (referred to as BABIP) is generally thought of as an indicator of luck. Higher than .300, and a player was overly fortunate. Lower than .300, and he may not have played up to his true talent level.

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Mike Zunino lone former Gators representative in 2020 World Series

Former Florida Gators standout Mike Zunino will be playing under the bright lights of the 2020 World Series with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tuesday night, the Tampa Bay Rays meet the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the 2020 World Series — the first-ever played at a neutral site. Instead of switching between Dodger Stadium and Tropicana Field this fall, the two will meet in the sanitized confines of Globe Life Field in Arlington, Tex., due to the coronavirus pandemic for the best-of-seven series.

It took a long and winding road for Major League Baseball to reach this finale, with many moments along the way when it appeared that the league might not make it through its contracted 60-game schedule. But here we are on Oct. 20 getting geared up for one of the most storied championships in professional sports.

Among the players participating in the paramount slate of games is former Florida Gator catcher Mike Zunino, who is making his first appearance in the Fall Classic this season as a member of the Rays. The eighth-year pro from Cape Coral spent the first six years of his career with the Seattle Mariners after being drafted third overall in the 2012 MLB draft, then was traded to Tampa Bay in the 2018 offseason where he has spent the last two campaigns.

Unfortunately, he will not get to play in the biggest games of his career at home in Florida this year due to COVID-19.

Zunino’s career is characterized by his superlative play behind the plate and a bat that — while leaves a lot to be desired in the average column even at a typically defense-first position  — has some significant power, leading to his longevity in the league. Speaking of power, he has been on quite a tear this postseason, helping the Rays reach Arlington with his heroics.

Back in college, Zunino was the first Gators catcher to be voted as a first-team All-American twice, batting .327 in 193 total games — including 188 starts — over his three-year tenure in Gainesville. He finished his UF career ranked fourth on the school’s all-time list in both doubles and homers while also occupying the sixth spot in slugging percentage and RBI, and placing seventh in total bases.

After reaching the majors, Zunino had his best years from 2017 to 2018 with the Mariners, earning the Wilson American League Defensive Player of the Year Award in the latter season. His role in Tampa since has been more of a platoon variety, appearing in 90 games last season and in 28 of the Rays’ 60 games this year. Nonetheless, his contributions have paid off in the form of the first postseason appearance of his professional career.

Unfortunately, Zunino is the only former Florida Gators alumnus on either World Series roster entering Tuesday. Hopefully, the veteran catcher can make the Gator Nation proud with his performance on the biggest stage MLB has to offer.

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