The 2009 Gator baseball team fell short of what was thought to be a very attainable goal, a trip to Omaha. That didn't happen.

Third year skipper Kevin O'Sullivan leads the 2010 Gators into this season with lofty goals. But this year, the Gators may just have the depth to do it, and the freshman class may be one of their best in quite a while.

There are some questions entering the season. Sophomore pitcher Tommy Toledo's recovery being one of the main concerns. While O'Sullivan hopes to have him ready to go for the opener, he doesn't have to be. "It all depends on how his arm rebounds, that is what I am hoping." O'Sullivan said. "I’m optimistic, I know he is. But, I don’t want to put any pressure on him and make him feel like he has to be at 75 pitches and the top of his game on the first day. It is a marathon, not a sprint. For us to get where we want to get to, we need him to be good at the end as much as him being 100% at the start of the year.”

Sophomore lefty Alex Panteliodis should be nice and rested from pitching a monstrous amount of innings last season. He did not participate in the Cape Cod League like many other players do during the off season.

Add in Freshman Brian Johnson, who has an over powering fastball to go along with a wide range of pitches, and Freshman Hudson Randall, and the Gators could have a deep rotation and some excellent middle relief. Sophomore Greg Larson seems to be an early favorite as the Gators' closer.

What is not in question is Florida's improved depth. There are quite a few guys battling for spots. Bryson Smith, an JuCo transfer and National Junior College Player of the Year will bring both batting strength and defense. The infield promises to be much improved and very athletic. Don't be fooled by the amount of new faces out there. Florida has quite a few players with international experience with team USA.

Settling the infield won't be an issue. Josh Adams should not have to move around too much and he should settle in at 2nd base. Preston Tucker will be at first, Bryson Smith will be at third. Shortstop will see Freshman Nolan Fontana as he plans on making his presence felt.

The outfield is deep, with Senior Matt den Dekker and Senior Jonathan Pigott. They will be the leaders on this team. Both are driven to make the trip to Omaha, and this year will be their last chance to attain that goal.

“That drove us tremendously during the off-season. We did not reach our ultimate goal and we are trying to get there this year, so for Matt (den Dekker) and I it is definitely a motivator," Pigott stated.

Joining them in the outfield will be Freshman Kamm Washington and Tyler Thompson, along with Jonathan's brother Daniel. Depth, defense, and hitting won't be an issue. Staying healthy could be the only hurdle for this group of Gators.

The biggest battle seems to be at catcher, where it is a four headed monster with Ben McMahan being the favorite with Hampton Tignor making a strong push. Freshmen Austin Maddox and Mike Zunino will get some time throughout the season.

So there is a lot to be excited about as the 2010 season kicks off on February 19th. The South Florida Bulls come to town, and the Gators open their first 8 games in the friendly confines of McKethan Stadium. A place where the Gators went 30-10 in 2009.