Whitener Blasts 3 out of the Park
<Gainesville Gators:team#71> third baseman <Mark Whitener:player#10497> sensed he was going to have a good day at the plate, but he still might have underestimated it a little.

Prior to the start of today's contest with the <Delray Beach Grasshoppers:team#66>, Whitener told teammates he was sure he would hit a home run. He did -- three times.

"During batting practice I really had my swing down pat," he recalled. "I felt some thunder in the lumber."

The big day from Whitener pushed the Gators past the Grasshoppers, 20-2. To go along with the homers, he collected 6 RBIs and scored 5 runs.

"I was seeing good, feeling good and swinging good," Whitener told reporters after the game.

<Mark Whitener:player#10497> walked in the 1st, hit a solo-shot off <Tobias de Vries:player#1638> in the 2nd, struck out in the 3rd, hit a two-run home run off <Gary Scheuble:player#12469> in the 5th, was hit by a pitch in the 6th and hit a three-run home run off <Jim Unknown:player#-3> in the 7th.

Whitener is batting .205 this year with 6 home runs, 26 RBIs and 23 runs scored. He has 16 hits in 78 at-bats.