Alligator Alley

...from our South Carolina site. They call the Florida series the third-best on the schedule for the Gamecocks this year, and they have a succinct little capsule on the Gators.

3. Florida: Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan lost the bulk of his team from a year ago and also lost the primary pieces from his recruiting class. That doesn’t mean the Gators are going to face a significant drop-off as they’ve recently built one of the best programs in the country.

The pitching staff, which is what the Gators have been built on during their recent run of success, is depleted but Jonathan Crawford could be one of the best in the country. He had an incredible season-ending run in 2012, which included a no-hitter in the Regional round against Bethune-Cookman. The right-hander started nine weekends in conference play posting a 3-1 record and 2.56 ERA. At one point during the postseason, he retired a streak of 25 consecutive hitters. Gone are Hudson Randall, Brian Johnson, Austin Maddox, and plenty of other names that have become mainstays in college baseball. Karsten Whitson will have to elevate his game a notch and other young pitchers will have to emerge for the Gators to stay on top.

The Gators lost a lot of their top hitters, too, but they also have one of the better rising sophomore classes in the country. Infielder Josh Tobias is a great hitter and could play second or third while Taylor Gushue will play an even bigger role this year than his 39 starts a year ago. He struggled in SEC play but is ready to take the next step. Utility man Justin Shafer, who hit .315 in the Cape Cod League over the summer, will man an outfield spot after hitting .264 in conference play a year ago.