Splitting the first two games of the series, Florida defeated Miami 4-2 in Coral Gables, taking the finale of the weekend series. The Gators' success this weekend came as a result of great pitching.

Florida (7-2) had two sophomores and a freshman pitching this weekend. Sunday, sophomore Tommy Toledo got the ball, his biggest start following shoulder surgery that caused a medical redshirt last season. Toledo was not dominant, but effective in going five innings and allowing five hits, two runs (1 ER), one walk and stroking out four. Toledo left the game with a 3-1 lead after 3B Bryson Smith hit a three-run homer in the fifth. It was Smith's second homer and sixth RBI of 2010.

Kevin Chapman followed with four innings in relief, keeping the Hurricanes (7-3) off-balance and creating ground ball outs. Chapman allowed one hit and struck out two for his second save this season. Toledo moves to 2-0 in three starts.

Saturday evening's 9-6 loss to the Canes was the only bump for UF, as freshman Brian Johnson allowed six hits and five runs (2 ER). He did show flashes of brilliance by striking out five in 4.2 innings. UF had a 3-2 lead after scoring three in the fifth, but Miami scored six in the next two innings to ice it.

Sophomore southpaw Alex Panteliodis had the weekend's best performance Friday in UF's 7-1 win. Panteliodis held UM hitless in the first four innings, finishing with two hits, one earned run in 5.2 innings. He also had eight strikeouts and two walks. He moved to 3-0, but his first win as a starter in 2010. Sophomore Nick Maronde, who has struggled, earned the save with 3.1 IP scoreless.

The Gators have a pair of games against Illinois State this week, with Charleston Southern coming in on the weekend.

Tuesday night, the Gators were manhandled by FSU 10-5, with UF allowing seven runs in the first inning. Earlier that same night, Miami defeated USF 15-2. This weekend in Coral Gables, Florida (5-1) faces Miami (6-1) in another top-10 matchup for the Gators.

The series can be a good measure of how good the Gators will be. In 2005, UF won 2 of 3 in the series and finished second in Omaha. They swept the Canes in 2006 and missed the tournament. Last season, UF was swept in Gainesville, but won two against Miami in the regionals during a rebuilding season for UM. 

The Canes always seem to have a great catcher and Yasmani Grandal is carrying on that tradition. He had nine RBI and 10 hits in 26 at-bats. Grandal is supported by 3b Harold Martinez (10 RBI, 3 HR) and OF Chris Pelaez (13 hits in 20 AB). The Canes have an experienced staff, which they did not alway have last season. Friday night's starter is junior southpaw Chris Hernandez, who led UM in wins last season. Hernandez beat the Gators in the first meeting of 2009, but took the lost in the first regional game. UF sophomore Alex Panteliodis gets the ball on Friday. He was 0-1 in two appearances against UM in 2009, pitching 10.1 innings and allowing seven runs on 16 hits. 

Saturday, the Canes run out senior righty Jason Santana, who allowed two runs on four hits in four innings against UF in 2009. The Gators put stud freshman Brian Johnson on the bump, who pitched 5.2 innings of shutout ball in his only start on Feb. 20 against USF. 

Sunday starter, Tommy Toledo, faced the Canes in Coral Gables in 2008. He had a no decision, pitching five innings and allowing two runs on four hits. He faces UM's Eric Erickson, who like Toledo, missed all of 2009 with arm surgery.

As a team, the Gators are hitting well (.333). But Preston Tucker can make this lineup go and he hasn't done it yet. The sophomore has one RBI and zero extra base hits in 24 at-bats. Tucker needs to be the big bopper in the lineup. Perhaps Miami can be his tonic, as Tucker was 8 for 16 with four RBI against UM in 2009. 

The Gators' first of four games against the Seminoles begins tonight in Tampa as the second half of "The Florida Four." The doubleheader at Steinbrenner Field begins with Miami vs. USF at 4pm and UF vs. FSU following at about 7:30pm. Florida (5-0) and FSU (6-0) are each in college baseball's top-10 rankings.

The Gators are hitting well to start the season, while their pitching does enough to keep guys from scoring. Tonight's starter, RHP Anthony DeSclafani is an example. In his only start on Feb. 21 against USF, DeSclafani allowed four hits and a hit by pitch in 4.1 innings. But he had four strikeouts and no walks, not allowing a run. DeSclafani was the Sunday starter in the USF series and with the LaSalle series canceled last weekend, it makes sense for DeSclafani to get the ball.

As much as FSU is a rival, this is still a midweek game. Both UF and FSU have taken that approach in recent years. DeSclafani, as a sophomore, needs the experience. FSU sending RHP Geoff Parker to the mound is in the same mind set. Parker has given up five runs, five hits, three walks, three doubles and hit two batters in only 4 IP. He does have four strikeouts, a sign of a pitcher with a straight fastball; high speed and no movement.

The first official day of Spring is March 21. For sports fans, Spring begins earlier. For some, Spring will begin March 17 with the Gators opening spring practice. Others will celebrate the first day of Spring a day later, by taking a long lunch or skipping school to watch the first games of the NCAA Tournament.

Before I was a Gator, I was a catcher for the Northside Major Yankees and center for the Tampa Bay Cyclones, so today holds a soft spot in my heart. March 2 means Spring Training begins and the NHL resumes a full schedule running up to the best postseason in all of sports. That is my start of Spring. 

When I worked for the Toronto Blue Jays, I got to see how much Spring Training means to those stuck in snow. Living here, Spring Training is just another month on the calendar. But to fans from Detroit, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the chance to spend a couple of bucks to sit in the sun in March is a dream come true. And to be able to watch an intersquad scrimmage at the training complex (for free!) is the most beautiful thing in the world. For 100 years, Spring Training in Florida has not changed. The four teams I mentioned have made their Florida spring bases icons back home. The Tigers have been in Lakeland since 1946, Phillies in Clearwater since 1947, Pirates in Bradenton since 1969, and the Blue Jays in Dunedin since 1977 (their only spring home).

As baseball begins, hockey ends with the best part of the season. The Stanley Cup playoffs, with 16 of 30 teams making the tournament, is the pro version of NCAA basketball. While the playoffs are not as good as the Olympic hockey tournament, they do include fighting, which is a necessary part of the game. Enforcers act as police on the ice, protecting the stars. One of the best was the New York Islanders' Clark Gillies, seen here beating the hell out of Philadelphia Flyers' Dave Hoyda for a cheap shot on the Isles' Mike Bossy. (Google Clark Gillies. He was a real motherf'er.)

The fight eventually became a bench clearing brawl (called linebrawls) during a time when the NHL could not figure out a way to govern fighting. Seven years later, linebrawls had not been outlawed. That was when a young Montreal Canadiens team with Chris Chelios and Patrick Roy (on the way to winning the 1986 Stanley Cup) played the Bruins in the Boston Garden. It begins with Chelios getting his ass kicked and ends with a linebrawl as the fight continues on the ice and under the stands. Watch for Roy (#33) at the 3:45 mark.

If you're thinking about watching the NHL after watching the Olympics, don't worry, there are no more linebrawls. 

Often times, the game after The Game is the biggest one. Today is the 30th anniversary of one such time.

Following The Miracle On Ice, Team USA had to come back two days later and play Finland for the gold medal in the 1980 Olympic Hockey Tournament. The format was a round robin, with previous games carried over. That meant the United States had three points (win and tie vs. Sweden), USSR had two points (win and loss), and Sweden had two points (two ties). Finland with one point (loss and tie) was all but eliminated. 

The United States played first, knowing that a win clinched the gold. If they tied or lost, and the Soviets defeated Sweden in the second game, USSR would win the gold. If the US lost gold, they knew the Miracle On Ice would be a historical footnote, not a chapter. With the US losing 2-1 to Finland after two periods, US coach Herb Brooks famously told his players, "If you lose this game, you'll take it to your fucking graves. Your fucking graves." The Americans came out and scored three goals in the third period, including this game winner, for a 4-2 win. The Soviets eventually defeated Sweden 9-2 for the silver and Sweden won bronze.

This afternoon, when the US plays stubborn Switzerland in the 2010 Olympic Hockey Tournament, the US will face similar pressure as the 1980 team did. Defeating Canada on their own soil and sending them into a death match with Russia tonight is nice, but it will mean jack squat if the Americans fail to medal. The US has to keep winning, otherwise they will never forgive themselves for defeating the best team in the world and failing to win what matters most.

Today is the 30th Anniversary of the Miracle On Ice; the United States' 4-3 win over the Soviet Union in the final round of the 1980 Olympic Hockey Tournament. The convergence of patriotism, politics and sports have cemented the game in our national history. No game will top it.

The growing popularity of the Olympics and the movie about the US team have educated fans about the game (people realize that the US needed to win a second game against Finland to win gold, the Soviets panicked once the US took the lead). However, people tend to simplify the game.

For Florida fans, you might remember Nick Saban using the Miracle On Ice analogy to inspire Alabama in 2009. In his example, the Gators were the Soviets, Texas was Finland and Bama was USA. The analogy works better when you realize that Herb Brooks and Nick Saban are brilliant coaches but failed players (Brooks was the last cut of the gold medal winning 1960 US team). Following last night's 5-3 win by the Americans over Canada in the Olympic Hockey Tournament, some said that the victory was the biggest since Lake Placid in 1980. The problem with that is in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, also with NHL players, the US had to win back-to-back games against Canada in Montreal for the championship. The US won one game on Sunday and it was in pool play. The Canadians can still win gold, just as their 2002 gold in Salt Lake City came after finishing 1-1-1 in pool play.

What is always forgotten is that while the 1980 team was college kids, they were not the best college kids. Just as MLB teams prevented their players from the Olympic Baseball Tournament, NHL teams kept their guys out of the Olympics. Brooks ended up selecting a team that fit a philosophy, and did it out of necessity. Star players were lost to the NHL, forfitting their Olympic chances.

The Soviets were the best team in the world, but no one saw them on a regular basis. When the Soviets would play NHL teams, they would skate circles around the Canadiens, Rangers and Flyers. Only the NHL's physical play could hold the Soviets. (The Soviets' best scorer, Valeri Kharlamov, had his ankle broken by the Flyers' Bobby Clarke in the 1972 Summit Series and was knocked out playing the Flyers in 1976. ) The only thing we have close to this is the Cuban baseball team, but baseball does not have various styles of play like hockey does. Plus, Cubans have been defecting since the 1950s and are not nearly as dominant as the Soviets were in hockey.

Every ten years and Winter Olympics, people will remember the Miracle On Ice. But remember that nothing, not even precious Alabama football or one team of NHL players beating another team of NHL players, can beat that day in Lake Placid.

The sickening thud that ended the Gators' 2009 season has been replaced by optimism as the Gators face USF on Opening Night. The Gators are a top-10 team hoping to get to Omaha for the first time since 2005's National Runner-up finish.

The optimism surrounding the club due to not just Florida's lofty ranking or the expectations of UF winning the SEC East. Florida returns Preston Tucker, who was a freshman All-American with 15 home runs, 85 RBI and a .364 average. Tucker will play 1B and is one of eight guys playing a new position, which could cause some heartburn. There are familiar names; Josh Adams moves from 3B to 2B, but Tyler Thompson is promoted to LF as is Daniel Pigott in RF. The only returner in his same spot is Matt den Dekker in CF. Defense is an underr ated baseball measurement, but bad defense can kill you.

Adams and den Dekker will provide maturity in the lineup but both need to get the ball in play more. They led the Gators in strikeouts (55, 49) and need to get on base. Thompson and Pigott were both under .400 OBP last season. More at-bats may change that, but aside from Tucker, Adams and den Dekker, there are questions in the lineup.

Another question will be if Tampa's Tommy Toledo will be the same stud he was before shoulder surgery forced him out of 2009. The righty gets the ball tonight against USF and it will be interesting to see how far Kevin O'Sullivan lets him go. O'Sullivan will also have to be gentle with a pitching staff that was knocked around in parts pf last season, but especially in the SEC Tournament and 0-2 outing by Southern Miss in the Super Regional. UF returns starters LH Alex Panteliodis and RH Anthony DeSclafani, who will compete for the third spot in the rotation. Panteliodis might be prefered because of being a southpaw, but his WHIP of 1.55 is too much. DeSclafani had a WHIP of 1.25. The guy in the second spot will be freshman Brian Johnson, who gets the ball Saturday against USF. Johnson had an 0.76 ERA in his senior season at Cocoa Beach HS. The wait for an everyday closer might go for a while, but sophomore LHP Nick Maronde is the leader.

Florida is a young team, which is why the Gators might be a year away from really making noise. Johnson is part of the No. 1 recruiting class and one that was not pulled to MLB, as has happened to previous UF classes. Two very important positions will likely have freshman starters; Cody Dent and Nolan Fontana will fight for SS, and Mike Zunino at catcher. 3B will be manned by JuCo player of the year, Bryson Smith. DH looks to be Tampa Bay Rays draft pick Austin Maddox, who can also play catcher.

Aside from the usual state suspects (USF, UCF, BCC), Florida does not have a challenging out-of-conference schedule. But, the Gators do go to Miami, and FSU becomes a four game series with a home-and-home and games in Tampa (March 2) and Jacksonville (March 30).

In 1960, CBS carried the Winter Olympics from Squaw Valley, Calif.; the first Olympics seen on American television in real time. (Film of previous games held overseas were printed and transported by air to the United States to air at a later date.) Part of their Olympics coverage was hockey, which featured the last Canadian club team in the Olympics (the equivalent of the US' best intramural basketball team replacing the Dream Team) and the upstart Soviet Union. The Soviets played in their first Olympics in 1956 and won gold medals in every Olympics between 1956 and 1992, except for 1960 and 1980.

With Canada and the Soviets, the other favorites were traditional powerhouses Czechoslovakia and Sweden, leaving the Americans as an after thought. The US had home ice advantage, but also experienced international players in addition to college kids. One of the reasons why the 1980 US team is so much more beloved than the 1960 team is that the '60 team had grown men who played semi-pro hockey. Those players, like hockey stick creator Bill Christian and future Harvard coach Bill Cleary, had won the previous two silver medals in 1952 and '56.

Just as in 1980, the US got through pool play unbeaten in 1960. Facing the Soviets in the semifinals, a third period goal would send the Americans to the gold medal game.

The US would win gold by defeating Czechoslovakia the next day. Hockey fans like to point out how significant the '80 Miracle On Ice was, but the '60 win was just as significant. It gave the US six medals in the first eight Olympic hockey tournaments (they have won four since 1960, one less than Canada) and by the end of the '60s, the NHL doubled from the Original Six to 12 teams, two of them in California. The growth of hockey outside of New England and the Upper Midwest has roots in the US gold medal in the 1960 Winter Olympics.