Its time for some Baseball!

Austin Maddox

Power: 70. Maddox, Johnson and Tucker form a fearsome heart of the order with as much power as any trio in the country. Zunino, McMahan, Adams and Thompson also provide some pop.

Speed: 50. Adams and Fontana are average runners who pick their spots on the basepaths. Washington is the lineup’s lone burner.

Defense: 70. The Gators are rock-solid up the middle. Fontana (.986 fielding percentage last year) and Adams (.984) might be the nation’s most reliable double-play tandem, and Zunino has plus defensive ability behind the plate. Washington will be tasked with replacing elite center fielder Matt den Dekker, but he has the speed and instincts to handle it. The corners will be key: Maddox must continue to improve at third base, and Tucker needs to show he can handle an outfield spot full-time, though he’ll slide back to first base when Johnson pitches.

Starting Pitching: 65. Florida is so absurdly deep on the mound that a junior who won 11 games last year (Panteliodis) is battling for a weekend rotation spot with an electric freshman who was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2010 draft (RHP Karsten Whitson). With a fastball that reaches the mid-90s and a plus slider in the 80-84 range, Whitson has premium stuff and solid control for his age. Panteliodis is coming off hip surgery, so the Gators could take it slow with him early in the season, but he should be 100 percent around opening day. The staff is fronted by a pair of returning freshman All-Americans in Johnson (a competitive, polished three-pitch lefty) and Randall (a strike-throwing, groundball machine).

Bullpen: 75. You won’t find a deeper bullpen in college baseball than the one in Gainesville. The lone question mark is who will replace closer Kevin Chapman, but Florida has no shortage of qualified candidates. Rodriguez is the favorite, thanks to his fierce mound presence, darting fastball and quality change. One-time blue-chip recruits Jr. LHP Nick Maronde and Jr. RHP Anthony DeSclafani have been passed on the depth chart while they’ve worked to harness their command, but both still have excellent stuff. LHP Daniel Gibson plus RHPs Tommy Toledo, Justin Poovey, Greg Larson, Michael Heller and Keenan Kish would all be key pieces in most other pitching staffs; at Florida, they bring high-quality depth.

Experience/Intangibles: 70. Florida returns the overwhelming majority of a roster that reached Omaha last year. The coaching staff has quickly developed a reputation for excelling at teaching the game and getting the most out of its players.

Baseball America OFP: 75. Florida has no discernable weakness and enters the season as a strong bet to win its first national title.