Opening Night against Charleston Southern is set for Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Having recently retired from Major League Baseball after 15 seasons in January, Gator Great Darren O’Day will be honored with ceremonial first pitch duties as Florida opens the 2023 campaign against Charleston Southern on Friday, Feb. 17.
Florida kicks off the season at 7 p.m. next Friday, with O’Day’s first pitch coming just prior to start time as part of the pregame festivities. Friday marks the first installment of a three-game series against Charleston Southern, with games two and three scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
As a member of the Gators baseball team from 2003-06, O’Day’s 15 Major League seasons are tied for the most of any Gators player in MLB history. Only David Ross (2002-16) and Mike Stanley (1986-2000) played in as many MLB campaigns as the Jacksonville, Fla. native.
Over the course of his MLB career, O’Day suited up for five MLB clubs in the Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees. He appeared in 644 games, pitching to an impressive 2.59 ERA with 637 strikeouts across 609 frames, equating to more than one batter per inning. O’Day’s 167 ERA+ indicates his body of work was 67% above league average during his time in the Majors.
The reliever’s best campaign occurred in 2015, when he earned his lone All-Star nod and delivered an overall 1.52 ERA and 82 strikeouts (versus a mere 14 walks) in 65 1/3 innings. That prompted the Baltimore Orioles to resign him to a four-year, $31-million contract the following offseason. In total, O’Day’s career earnings check in just south of $50 million.
As an elite bullpen weapon, O’Day performed against hitters from both sides of the plate. Not only did he hold righties to a paltry .198/.265/.298 line, but lefties batted just .224 against him as well.
O’Day’s legacy as a Gator is a unique one. After joining the team as a freshman walk-on in 2003, he quickly established himself as a high-leverage option in the bullpen by his sophomore year. In 2004, O’Day worked to an 8-1 record with a 2.56 ERA in 59 2/3 innings. He would go on to pitch to a sub-3.00 ERA with 50-plus strikeouts in both his junior and senior campaigns, amassing 124 2/3 frames in his final-two years. From 2004-06, O’Day paced Florida hurlers in ERA each season.
Adding up his numbers in Orange & Blue, O’Day finished with a 23-9 record, 20 saves, 3.14 ERA and 190 strikeouts across 117 appearances spanning 223 2/3 innings for the Gators. At the conclusion of the 2006 season, he signed a free-agent contract with the Angels. O’Day made his debut for the Halos two years later in 2008. The bulk of his big-league career came in Baltimore, where he pitched for seven seasons from 2012-17 and enjoyed some of his best years (354 1/3 IP, 371 G, 28-12, 17 SV, 2.34 ERA, 0.99 WHIP).
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