Florida two wins away from return to College World Series

By DAVID JONES | Florida Today
Published: June 08, 2012
Updated: June 08, 2012 - 4:14 PM

GAINESVILLE --

Florida is two wins away from advancing to the College World Series for the third year in a row. It's something the Gators have waited for all year after finishing as runner-up last season.

Florida started the year ranked No. 1 and finished as the top seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Gators (45-18) host N.C. State (43-18) in best-of-three Super Regional play starting at 2 p.m. Saturday. The second and third game, if necessary, will be played at 1 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.

Already, it has been a crazy week. Nine Gators players were drafted by major league teams, four in the first two rounds. Catcher Mike Zunino, the No. 3 overall pick by the Seattle Mariners in the MLB draft, was selected as a finalist for the Howser Trophy, baseball's version of the Heisman. UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan also saw a chunk of his recruiting class go high in the draft.

Distractions? Sure.

But the thing that should keep Florida focused is the bitter memory of coming up just short of the school's first national baseball title last June.

"Every year since I've been here we've gotten a little closer and a little closer,'' said outfielder Preston Tucker, a senior and a seventh-round draft pick of the Houston Astros. "Our team has gotten a little more talented, a little more experienced. ... We all have a common goal and that's to win the World Series. I know that's on everyone's mind.''

Tucker, a former standout at Tampa's Plant High, could have signed a professional contract last year but returned for one last shot at winning the CWS.

"There's not a whole lot of players who were a member of the first championship team at a school,'' said Tucker, who became UF's all-time hits leader this season. "I think I'd really like to be a part of that."

The Gators hit well in the regional, finishing it off with a 15-3 win against Georgia Tech last Sunday. But Florida also has played well defensively (53 errors all season) and has a deep pitching staff. Hudson Randall (8-2, 2.83 ERA), who went in the seventh round to the Detroit Tigers, will start today's game.

After that, O'Sullivan would likely turn to Brian Johnson (8-4, 3.56), the first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox, or sophomore Jonathon Crawford (6-2, 2.92), who pitched a no-hitter in the regional. Karsten Whitson (3-0, 3.30) is another option.

"We really base ourselves on pitching and defense,'' Zunino said. "Obviously we've been able to swing pretty well of late and that gets some attention, but as long as we can pitch and play defense that will keep us in the games for the most part. ... Everything seems to start clicking, everyone seems to get on the same page, everyone is having unselfish at-bats and making great plays in the field."

Zunino could face one of his biggest tests against N.C. State. Trea Turner (.344 average) of Lake Worth leads the nation in stolen bases with 56 in 60 attempts.

"I take it as a challenge and so does our pitching staff," Zunino said. "Our biggest thing is if he gets on (base), hold him there. We really work hard on holding runners, changing ourlooks up and hopefully just try to limit him as much as we can."

Despite the hectic week, O'Sullivan says his team is in "a good place."

"We've handled this whole draft thing as well as we probably could this year," he said. "The players have been very mature about it."

O'Sullivan has watched tape of N.C. State and says this won't be an easy return to the CWS. The Wolfpack will start 6-foot-3, 234-pound left-hander Carlos Rodon (9-0, 1.61) in the opener. He's hit the mid-90s with his fastball and, like Turner, was a freshman All-America selection. He's recorded 132 strikeouts in 111 2/3 innings.

"They've got good pitching," O'Sullivan said. "They've got two really good starters. I think their lineup is good, it's really good. They've got some power in their lineup, they've got some pop."

josh johnson kim kardashian flour matt forte jeremy shockey new orleans saints ireland bracket

Gin and Juice | Joseph's Reviews

The Man Who Changed the Way We Eat: Craig Claiborne and the American Food Renaissance by Thomas McNamee (Free Press, $27.00, 339 pages)

This is the biography of Craig Claiborne, a food writer and premier restaurant reviewer for the New York Times, who was to attack the bland, boring, heavy American diet of the 1960s and substitute, in its place, ?a refined, if painstaking, cuisine.??? The food championed by Claiborne was international, primarily French, but with the understanding that each and every culture in the American melting pot offers outstanding dishes.?? It may be that Claiborne?s prime mission was to de-anglicize the starchy, meat and potatoes diet that was once the province of the American cafeteria; a diet that ? ironically ? has returned to rule the roost via fast food outlets (with all the related health problems attached to such a non-diverse menu).

Claiborne might have said that variety? is the spice of diet, and he was nothing if not courageous in popularizing Chilean, Mexican, Greek, Turkish, Indian and other foods during his career.?? Thomas McNamee earlier wrote the highly acclaimed bio of California?s Alice Waters,? Alice?Waters and Chez Panisse, and while he praises Claiborne, this account is much less laudatory.?? It seems that Claiborne had a number of issues as a human being, and they?re all put on the table in this telling.?? (Unfortunately, the account is harmed by some odd typos and errors.?? For example, on page 97 of the finished book, the year 1961 is referred to as ?Ninety-sixty-one?.)

Claiborne grew up rather poor, but he came to identify with what we would now call the ?one percenters.??? He was always to fly first class on his frequent trips to Europe, even when he had very little money to his name.?? Later, the Times would take care of his expense accounts but Claiborne became controversial for his outlandish spending habits.?? In 1978, he wrote a front page story about a $4,000 dinner he arranged in Paris.?? The paper received 1,000 letters of complaint ? there was a recession on after all.?? At least two-thirds?of the letters were very negative about Claiborne?s ?in your face? ostentatiousness.?? As McNamee notes, three years later interviewers were still asking Claiborne -?the once poor boy from Sunflower, Missouri ? to justify his behavior.

While Claiborne?s mother ran a bed-and-breakfast and taught him much about food preparation, he was to literally disown her and refused to attend the funerals of his mother and his brother.?? Claiborne was in the closet during his lifetime, and he?attached himself to two different married men, neither of whom went on to leave his spouse.?? And while Claiborne lived to the age of 79, his days included no exercise and no less than 14 alcoholic drinks per day.?? Claiborne was to?openly admit to People magazine that he drank six margaritas before dinner, six glasses of wine during dinner, and as many stingers ?as he needed?? until he got the ?click in (his) head that makes me feel peaceful.??? In 1979, his blood pressure rate was found to be 186/112 ? compared to an upper normal rate of 140/80 for a man in his late 50s.

You might wonder how Claiborne, as a public figure, got away with all of this???? Well, he had his tricks.?? After suffering a brain hemorrhage, he was to enlist his physician in his drinking activities.?? Yes, his own doctor, who had ordered Claiborne to significantly reduce his alcohol intake, was charmed enough by the then-celebrity to sit and drink with?him in restaurants.?? Sometimes the doctor even included his wife in these drinking parties.

McNamee is just as honest ? despite the book?s title ? about Claiborne?s role in changing American eating habits.?? Although Claiborne wrote the national bestseller, The New York Times Cook Book, McNamee admits that, ?it is impossible to say whether the book had caught the wave of an entirely new American enthusiasm for food and cooking or had set it in motion.??? But the man is given full credit, as is his due, for popularizing the foods of all?cultures and changing the once-dull face of food in The Big Apple:

?The clear result of his critical rigor was a continuous increase in the quality of New York?s restaurants and in others across the country?? By the time Craig left the Times, New York was teeming with restaurants as varied as the city?s clans, cults, allegiances, and heritages.?? From the Bronx to the Battery were Chinese restaurants galore ? including the fiery (regional dishes) that Craig had done so much to popularize.?? Virtually every corner of Italy was represented.?? Japanese cuisine of high refinement was easily had.?? There were Brazilian, Vietnamese, Cuban-Chinese, Swiss, Swedish, and Syrian restaurants.?? No longer were Greek, Indian and Mexican food served only in cheap joints.

Craig Claiborne may have been a man flawed in his personal habits, but he was also a visionary who proved the truth of the words that in diversity there is strength.?? This is an engaging read for foodies and non-foodies alike.

Well recommended.

Joseph Arellano

A review copy was provided by the publisher.

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

time person of the year sag nominations sag nominations time magazine person of the year time magazine person of the year la clippers verizon galaxy nexus

Who will win at the Tony Awards? AP predicts

In this theater image released by Disney Theatricals, the cast of The Paper Mill Playhouse Production of "Newsies," starring Jeremy Jordan, center right, is shown in New York. The production The production is nominated for best musical at the Tony Awards, airing Sunday, June 10 on CBS. (AP Photo/Disney Theatricals, T. Charles Erickson)

In this theater image released by Disney Theatricals, the cast of The Paper Mill Playhouse Production of "Newsies," starring Jeremy Jordan, center right, is shown in New York. The production The production is nominated for best musical at the Tony Awards, airing Sunday, June 10 on CBS. (AP Photo/Disney Theatricals, T. Charles Erickson)

In this theater publicity photo released by The Publicity Office, Christina Kirk, left, and Frank Wood are shown in a scene from Bruce Norris' "Clybourne Park," at Playwrights Horizons in New York. The production is nominated for best play at the Tony Awards, airing Sunday, June 10 on CBS. (AP Photo/The Publicity Office, Joan Marcus)

In this theater image released by Boneau/Bryan-Brown, Paul Whitty, left, and Elizabeth A. Davis are shown during a performance of the musical "Once." After years of toil in regional theater and off-Broadway, Davis made her Broadway debut in March in the hit musical "Once" and promptly earned her first Tony Award nomination. Davis was nominated for best featured actress in a musical. The Tony Awards will be broadcast live on CBS on June 10. (AP Photo/Boneau/Bryan-Brown, Joan Marcus)

FILE - In this March 15, 2012 file photo, actors Philip Seymour Hoffman, left, and Andrew Garfield appear at the curtain call for the opening night performance of the Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's "Death of A Salesman" in New York. The production is nominated for best revival of a play at the Tony Awards, airing Sunday, June 10 on CBS. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, file)

NEW YORK (AP) ? There's "Follies" and then there's folly. The first is a winning revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical that wowed Broadway this season. The other is how you can characterize any attempt to handicap Sunday's Tony Awards. But here goes.

BEST MUSICAL

Will win: "Newsies." Should win: "Once."

This is the battle of extremes ? the stripped-down, bittersweet magic of "Once" versus the pump-you-up appeal of classic razzle-dazzle in "Newsies." Both are a great night out, just different. Both came from movies and only "Newsies" has new songs written specifically for the stage, giving it an edge with Tony voters. But "Once" just makes you feel, well, good. As for the other contenders, "Leap of Faith" doesn't have a chance since it's already closed, and "Nice Work If You Can Get It" is a fun romp, but not as strong as its cousin "Anything Goes."

BEST PLAY

Will win: "Clybourne Park." Should win: "Clybourne Park."

Bruce Norris' sly, edgy gem has the same heat on it that Jon Robin Baitz's "Other Desert Cities" had when it opened in the winter. That doesn't make it better, just fresher. Both plays prove Broadway is putting on great American works again. The oh-so-cool "Peter and the Starcatcher" and the naughty "Venus in Fur" are inventive and bold, but not broad enough to tickle everyone.

REVIVAL-PLAY

Will win: "Death of a Salesman." Should win: "Death of a Salesman."

Arthur Miller's masterpiece is timely and there is so much to like ? the recreated original set and music, the directing of Mike Nichols and the performances by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Linda Emond and Andrew Garfield ? that even if one part leaves you cold, the others will not. The revival of Gore Vidal's "The Best Man" was also timely and had the season's most insane collection of talented stage actors ever assembled, but it attacked your head. Miller's play took your guts.

REVIVAL-MUSICAL

Will win: "Follies." Should win: "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess."

The only thing certain in this category is that the two revivals from Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber ? "Evita" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" ? will cancel each other out, leaving the prize between a proud, confident Stephen Sondheim revival against the show he denigrated before it opened. That was uncool, especially when the re-imagined opera turned out to be rather stunning as a musical. But Sondheim's dirt-throwing may make Tony voters squeamish, leaving "Follies" the win. "I Loves You, Porgy," indeed.

ACTOR-PLAY

Will win: Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Death of a Salesman"). Should win: James Corden ("One Man, Two Guvnors").

That sounds insane, right? A deeply affecting Willy Loman losing to a British clown? But, if you recall, Hoffman's performance wasn't universally cheered, while Corden's has been. Corden might be brimming with humor as much as Hoffman is stalked by sadness, but in terms of MVP, imagine taking Hoffman out of "Death of a Salesman." Now imagine "One Man, Two Guvnors" without Corden. Miller's play would still float, but the farce would likely sink.

ACTRESS-PLAY

Will win: Someone who deserves it. Should win: Tracie Bennett ("End of the Rainbow").

Sorry, but anyone trying to find sunlight among the five women in this category is doomed. Like last year, it's just too hard. Nina Arianda is painfully delicious in "Venus in Fur," Tracie Bennett is insanely good in "End of the Rainbow," Stockard Channing is brilliantly brittle in "Other Desert Cities," Linda Lavin is arch and hysterical in "The Lyons," and Cynthia Nixon was heartbreaking in "Wit." No offense to any of them, but Bennett's performance is the complete package ? acting, singing and descending into pill-popping madness. Perhaps the wisest course is to abandon the attempt and cheer the sheer strength of women on Broadway.

ACTOR-MUSICAL

Will win: Steve Kazee ("Once"). Should win: Norm Lewis ("The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess").

This category is also pretty wide open, with the veteran Danny Burstein of "Follies" and the up-and-coming Jeremy Jordan of "Newsies" leading most polls. But Burstein may lose votes to his "Follies" co-star Ron Raines, and it may be too soon this year for the talented Jordan, who undoubtedly will have many Tony ceremonies to come. The effortless ease in which Steve Kazee played the aw-shucks hero in "Once" acts against him, especially against Norm Lewis, who shuffles across the stage and belts out his songs in "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" from a deep, vulnerable place. But Kazee should benefit by riding his musical's winning Tony wave.

ACTRESS-MUSICAL

Will win: Audra McDonald ("The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess"). Should win: Audra McDonald.

Audra McDonald is this year's Sutton Foster ? the clear leading candidate. But Jan Maxwell in "Follies" was astonishing and she's an honorable silver to McDonald's gold. McDonald has four Tonys already, but never for a lead actress. That will change Sunday and deservedly so. She is graceful and tender and strong ? and simply the best thing about Catfish Row. Tony voters will sing "I Loves You, Bess."

___

Mark Kennedy can be reached at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

Associated Press

jaco san jose sharks humber perfect game ufc 145 fight card ufc145 chimpanzee chimpanzee

Sequencing the Unborn

Thats begging the question

Stop right there. No it's not. I'll let you ask your question anyway, but it's going to be a strawman argument.

your argument would be akin to "why not let the parents decide if they want to abandon their newborn".

Called it! That's a strawman. We're not talking about a newborn, we're talking about an embryo. Everyone agrees that a newborn has rights, there is no consensus as to whether an embryo does. Furthermore, a newborn is not an obligate dependent on one specific person, newborns can be dropped off at any safe baby haven or given up for adoption. There's no similar alternative for pregnant women.

My point here is that this is a totally separate issue from abandoning a newborn.

Answering your point, no, I don't think letting the parents decide whether abortion is right or not for them is only ethical if we assume life does not begin at conception. In most countries, most ethical decisions are left up to the individual. There's no law that says I can't cheat on my wife, it's up to me to decide if I think that's ethical or want to do that. Lacking a law against adultery is not an unethical situation, it simply leaves the responsibility up to the individual.

Legalizing abortion doesn't endorse abortion, it only leaves the ethical question up to the people who deserve to make the choice: the parents.

peoples choice awards deplorable mls draft khloe kardashian mark davis marine urination video hostess

Syria conflict: 5 warring factions

Syria is at the nexus of two of the Middle East's central problems: sectarian and ethnic rivalries and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Between that and its ties to anti-Israel groups like Hezbollah and Al Qaeda-inspired groups, as well as a three-decade alliance with Iran, the fallout from its uprising is likely to ripple, in unpredictable ways, throughout the region. Here's a brief guide to the actors in the conflict:

- Nicholas Blanford,?Correspondent

The Assad regime

After 14 months of rising violence, the regime of President Bashar al-Assad has shown no sign of disintegration. Only a handful of minor officials have defected. Mr. Assad has been bolstered by diplomatic and logistical support from Russia, China, and Iran, as well as by the West's reluctance to intervene militarily.

The regime also can rely on support from the minority Alawite community. At 12 percent of Syria's population, many Alawites fear persecution or worse at the hands of majority Sunnis if the regime falls. This also explains why key units of the Syrian Army have held together. The well-equipped, well-trained 4th Armored Division is about 80 percent Alawite. For them, the struggle to crush the opposition is potentially an existential one. But even if the regime holds on, it is certain there will be no return to the Syria that existed before the uprising began in March 2011.

Get free daily or weekly news updates from CSMonitor.com delivered to your inbox. Sign up today.

acc tournament big ten tournament big east tournament 2012 solar storm solar flares spanx aurora borealis

Ship classifier Bureau Veritas halts Iran marine work

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

football schedule jo paterno dead south carolina tuskegee airmen mike james red tails red tails

Twitter Product VP Satya Patel Steps Down As Its Products and Ad Business Grow

Satya Patel joined Twitter in March of 2011, after a four-year stint as an investor with Battery Ventures. He took on the big job of managing the company's core product as well as its growing advertising business. But now, as its ads are starting to take off, he's leaving the company. The decision was amicable, I've heard from a source familiar with the matter. Twitter's executive leadership is looking to separate the ads and product teams more fully, with each one getting a new leader. Patel's options were to take one of those roles instead of continuing to run both. ?Satya has done a great ?job building out an amazingly talented product team," a spokesperson tells me today, in confirmation "We?re grateful for everything he?s done and wish him the best.?

the firm new york philharmonic marines urinating on taliban critics choice awards super pac dre kirkpatrick mls superdraft