Ty Evans emerging and other takeaways from Florida baseball sweep at South Carolina
The Florida Gators (33-16, 11-13 SEC) have won 13 their last 15 games and 10 of their last 12 in conference play.
Advertisement
Florida outscored South Carolina 39-8 over the three-game series, including pounding out a season-high 22 runs in a 22-3 win over the Gamecocks in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. That included UF scoring 11 runs in the top of the ninth.
"Usually, the winning team scores more runs in one inning then the losing team does throughout all nine," Florida baseball coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "And we had three in the fourth, five in the eighth and 11 runs in the ninth."
UF won 9-5 in the first game of the series on Friday and 8-0 in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday. With the Sunday win, O'Sullivan notched his 750th career win.
Here's what UF learned after sweeping the series over the Gamecocks:
Florida baseball can adjust without its leading hitter in the lineup
The Gators remained without starting shortstop Colby Shelton (.377, 7 home runs, 35 RBIs), who has missed UF's last four games with a hand injury.
Advertisement
Without Shelton, Bobby Boser has filled in at shortstop while Brendan Lawson has moved across the diamond from first base to third base. Luke Heyman, Brody Donay and Landon Stripling filled in at first base over the weekend.
Without Shelton, Florida was still productive up and down the lineup, scoring 39 runs by belting 15 extra-base hits. Heyman had a big series, going 4 for 13 with three homers and 5 RBIs, while Lawson (8 for 14, 1 HR, 6 RBIs) and Boser (4 for 11, 4 RBIs) remained productive at the plate.
Florida baseball outfielder Ty Evans has a power surge left in him
After a disappointing start to the season, Evans has found his groove at the plate of late, going 5 for 13 with two home runs and 6 RBIs in the three-game series.
Advertisement
Evans, who belted five home runs in the 2023 College World Series for UF, is batting .247 with three homers and 22 RBIs as a senior this season.
"We're not going to get to where we want to without him in the lineup," O'Sullivan said. "So, I'm really, really pleased for him."
Florida baseball can piece together its pitching staff through rain delays
Florida lost its starting pitcher on Friday night when righty Liam Peterson didn't come back after throwing just seven pitches before a three-hour rain delay. Then, on Saturday, freshman righty Aidan King only went 2 2/3 innings on Saturday in a game that was ultimately suspended due to rain.
Advertisement
Peterson (8-2) came back to pitch 3 1/3 innings of relief in the completion of the suspended game on Sunday, allowing two runs to earn his seventh win of the season. Then, in the second game on Sunday, junior lefty Pierce Coppola made his first appearance since March 1 against Miami, pitching one scoreless inning to start a seven-inning game. Freshman Jackson Barberi (2-1) followed with 3 1/3 innings to pick up his second win of the season and Christian Rodriguez followed with 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit to earn his first save of the season.
"It's been kind of a weird weekend obviously, with the rain delays and lightning delays and all that type of thing," O'Sullivan said. "I thought that Liam did what he needed to do, he wasn't as sharp as he'd like to be today, but he did what he needed to do."
Up next
Florida will host USF on Tuesday night at Condron Family Ballpark (6:30 p.m., SEC Network Plus).
Advertisement
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun's Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida baseball sweeps South Carolina. What UF learned in the series
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Falcons lose starting WR Darnell Mooney for several weeks with shoulder injury and sign D.J. Chark
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Darnell Mooney's status for the start of the season is uncertain as the Atlanta Falcons' second-leading receiver in 2024 is expected to miss several weeks of training camp with a shoulder injury. Mooney suffered the injury in Thursday's first practice of training camp. The Falcons bolstered their depth chart at wide receiver by signing veteran D.J. Chark Jr., who joined the team for Saturday's practice. Chark worked out for the Falcons on Friday. 'That workout was already set up,' Falcons assistant general manager Kyle Smith said Saturday, referring to the visit from Chark being scheduled before Mooney's injury. Smith said Mooney's injury is 'part of the deal' and the front office is 'always ready to find solutions and add to the roster whenever we can.' Smith provided no details on the severity of Mooney's injury. Chark, 29, began the 2024 season on injured reserve with a hip injury and was limited to four catches for 31 yards with one touchdown in seven games with the Los Angeles Chargers. Chark, a second-round draft pick by Jacksonville in 2018, set career highs with 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns for the Jaguars in 2019. Following four seasons with Jacksonville, Chark played for Detroit in 2022 and Carolina in 2023. Mooney had 64 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns in 2024. Drake London led the team with 100 receptions for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns. London, Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud III opened training camp as Atlanta's top wide receivers. KhaDarel Hodge returns as a top backup after starting two games last season. The injury will force Mooney to miss valuable practice time with second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who is entering his first full season as the starter following a three-game audition to close the 2024 season. ___ AP NFL:
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dolphins sign ex-Patriots star to fill big void
The Miami Dolphins are turning over every stone to try to improve their cornerback depth. They were dealt a big blow this week when Artie Burns tore his ACL, and multiple signings have followed. The latest came Saturday, as the Dolphins announced they had signed free agent Jack Jones. Jones was a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in 2022 who stayed with New England until midway through 2023, when he missed curfew before a game and was released. He joined the Raiders, for whom he played the rest of 2023 and all of 2024. In 2024, Jones set career highs in tackles (69), passes defensed (16) and interceptions (3). MORE: Bills' James Cook contract saga doesn't lessen his importance to Super Bowl aspirations Jones is 27 years old and has seven interceptions through his first three NFL seasons since leaving Arizona State. The Raiders spent the first month of the offseason trying to trade Jones but released him in April after not finding any takers. Now, the Dolphins were desperate and are giving Jones a chance. MORE NFL NEWS: Micah Parsons risks temporary retirement, frozen contract if he leaves training camp Buccaneers holding rookie out because he weighs too much Browns' 10-year NFL veteran retires days into training camp Raiders' 325-pound rookie is the scariest Wildcat quarterback ever Shedeur Sanders could 'realistically' end up in the CFL A toilet is helping Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf build chemistry
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Atletico Madrid officially announces the departure of one of its most prominent midfielders!
Rojiblancos want some changes for next season. Getty Images This weekend was a tumultuous one for the red and white Madrid club. Atletico Madrid has already announced the departure of one of its most prominent first-team players, veteran Argentine Rodri de Paul, after a successful spell under his compatriot Diego Simeone. Playing alongside his close friend, Leo Messi The world champion has chosen to complete the next phase of his professional career alongside his close friend in the Argentine national team, the legendary Leo Messi, who is performing magically in Miami alongside Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. Today, they have a new member of the inner circle of friends of the legend who wears the number ten shirt. It seems that the Argentine international, who won the Copa America twice with his country, in the 2022 World Cup and the 2022 Finalismo, wants to be close to the venue of the next major event in the United States, the 2026 World Cup, to acclimatize to the atmosphere and prepare for his participation with the Argentine national team as well.