OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Florida has done everything except win a national championship in eight seasons under Kevin O’Sullivan, and here the Gators are again with a roster overflowing with talent and the consensus No. 1 ranking in the preseason polls.
Is this the year?
“Do we want to win it? Absolutely,” O’Sullivan said. “Do we understand that there are a lot of things that have to happen between now and then? I hope so. Unfortunately – and we’ve talked about this, too – the best team on paper normally does not win the national championship.”
That last comment was O’Sullivan’s way of making sure his players don’t let their heads outgrow their caps. Few teams have been so celebrated before playing their first game.
Florida’s 52 wins last year were one off the school record, and it was a top-eight national seed in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in seven years. The Gators went unbeaten through regionals and super regionals before a pair of one-run losses to eventual national champion Virginia denied them a spot in the College World Series finals.