Florida Gators vs. Missouri Tigers Series Preview
Hector
Hector
The Florida Gators are back at Condron Family Ballpark for a three-game series versus the Missouri Tigers. The Gators lead in the all-time series versus Vanderbilt with a 31-8 record. Florida has won 20 of the previous 21 meetings versus the Tigers at home.
Florida comes into this series with a 21-14 record but has struggled in SEC play with a 1-811conference record. The Missouri Tigers come into the series with a 12-20 record and a 0-12 conference record. Here is the series preview between the Florida Gators and the Missouri Tigers.
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers will travel to Gainesville, Florida, for a three-game series versus the Florida Gators. The Tigers will be led by their head coach, Kerrick Jackson, who’s in his second season at the University of Missouri.
The Missouri pitching staff will also be led by their ace left-handed pitcher, Brady Kehlenbrink. The freshman southpaw will be the series opener with Ian Lohse questionable for the series. Kehlenbrink has made eight appearances and three starts. He has posted a 0-2 record with a 9.64 ERA and 1.86 WHIP,
On Friday night, senior right-handed pitcher Kaden Jacobi will be on the mound for Vanderbilt. The former JUCO transfer has posted a 3-1 record with a 5.63 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, and a .292 opponent batting average. Missouri has not announced a starting pitcher for the series finale.
At the plate, the Tigers have been productive with some quality bats in their lineup. Junior infielder Jackson Lovich has been leading Missouri’s offense. Lovich is slashing .368/.419/.632 with 39 hits, five doubles, seven home runs, 33 RBIs, four stolen bases, and a team-high 1.051 OPS.
Senior outfielder Cayden Nicoletto is another big bat in Missouri’s lineup. The NAIA transfer is slashing .337/.404/.566 with 28 hits, five doubles, four home runs, four stolen bases, and a .970 OPS. Two other Missouri Tigers to watch this weekend are Kaden Peer and Keegan Knutson.
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are looking to get back on track in SEC play. After getting swept versus Vanderbilt, Florida won their midweek game versus #9 Florida State. That win could carry over some momentum for Florida in this series.
The Florida pitching staff will be led by their sophomore right-handed pitcher, Liam Peterson. The Sunshine State native was named to the Midseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List. Peterson has posted a 4-2 record with a 3.63 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, a .231 opponent batting average, and 54 strikeouts in 34.2 innings pitched.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Aidan King will be Florida’s starting pitcher on Friday night. King has pitched very well in his first collegiate season. King has posted a 3-1 record with a 3.12 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, a .213 opponent batting average, and 37 strikeouts in 34.2 innings pitched. Florida has not announced a starting pitcher for the series finale.
The Florida Gators’ offense needs to get back on track after a poor showing against the Vanderbilt Commodores. Junior shortstop Colby Shelton is leading Florida’s offense. Shelton is slashing .364/.427/.600 with 51 hits, a team-high fifteen doubles, six home runs, 27 RBIs, five stolen bases, and a 1.027 OPS.
Senior third baseman Bobby Boser is another hitter who has been productive for the Gators during SEC play. Boser is slashing .301/.396/.588 with 41 hits, six doubles, a team-high eleven home runs, 37 RBIs, eight stolen bases, and a .984 OPS. Two other Florida hitters to watch in this series are Luke Heyman and Brendan Lawson.
