Florida has won four-straight road games at JU and 12 of the last 15 overall while owning 13-straight wins vs. FAMU.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Fresh off an Opening Weekend sweep of Air Force, No. 10 Florida visits Jacksonville before hosting Florida A&M in its first midweek tests of the season.
First pitch at John Sessions Stadium in Jacksonville is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN+. Florida returns home to welcome the Rattlers on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.
After splitting a pair of home midweek games with Jacksonville last year, Florida is 67-36 in the series and 44-17 on the road. That includes 21-8 overall and 16-6 away marks under Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan
Florida defeated Florida A&M, 10-7, in the lone meeting last season to improve to 31-1 all-time vs. the Rattlers, and 15-1 under O'Sullivan. The Gators are looking to reverse their fortunes from one year ago, when they advanced to the College World Series despite posting an 8-6 midweek record.
Pitching Matchups
Tuesday | 6 ET (ESPN+) Wednesday | 6:30 ET (SECN+)
JU/FAMU LHP Alex Walsh (0-0, 0.00 ERA) TBA
Florida RHP Billy Barlow
GATORS IN THE POLLS
Florida remained at No. 10 in the D1Baseball Top 25 after its sweep of Air Force. The Gators are a unanimous top-11 team and are ranked as highly as No. 6 in the country per Baseball America.
SULLY SUPERLATIVES
Coming off the program's 14th trip to the College World Series and second in as many seasons, O'Sullivan enters his 18th campaign. Since O'Sullivan's 2008 arrival, Florida leads the sport with 290 SEC wins, 37 MLB debuts, 16 NCAA berths (T-1st), 10 top-eight seeds, nine College World Series trips, nine Super Regionals hosted and six SEC titles. The Gators have advanced to nine of the last 14 College World Series overall.
SCOUTING THE DOLPHINS
Jacksonville is 0-3 to start the year after dropping all three games to West Virginia over the weekend. Finishing fifth out of 11 teams in the Atlantic Sun last year, Jacksonville concluded with a 27-31 record (18-12 ASUN). At the plate, the Dolphins slashed .271/.392/.382 with 34 homers and 101 steals across 58 games. Led by Preseason All-ASUN pitcher of the year Richard Long, Jacksonville combined for a 6.44 ERA and .290 batting average against across 500 1/3 innings. Ending with a .962 fielding percentage, the Dolphins committed 78 errors in 2,054 defensive chances.
READ UP ON THE RATTLERS
Florida A&M enters with a 1-2 record following its opening series against UT Martin. Finishing first out of six teams in the SWAC East in 2024, the Rattlers concluded with a 29-27 record (22-8 SWAC). Offensively, the Rattlers slashed .301/.400/.467 with 60 homers and 44 steals across 56 games. Headlined by SWAC Pitcher of the Year Caleb Granger, Florida A&M registered a 5.70 ERA and .297 batting average against over 467 innings. Concluding with a .967 fielding percentage, the Rattlers committed 67 errors in 2,208 defensive chances.
IN THE RANKINGS
Through three games, Florida is ranked among the top-17 teams nationally in nine different statistical categories, headlined by a nation-leading 16.9 strikeouts per nine innings Florida also ranks third in WHIP (0.60), fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (15.7), fourth in stolen bases (14), eighth in hits allowed per nine (4.32), t-eighth in shutouts (one), 12th in batting average (.385), 16th in ERA (1.44) and 17th in home runs (six). The Gators sit inside the top three in the SEC in K/9 (first), K-to-BB ratio (second), steals (second), batting average (second), WHIP (third), H/9 (third) and home runs (third).
2025 ROSTER OUTLOOK
The Gators return 17 total players (15 letterwinners) from last year's roster headlined by five positional starters in second baseman Cade Kurland, shortstop Colby Shelton, outfielder Ty Evans, catcher Luke Heyman and catcher/designated hitter Brody Donay. Seven pitchers who saw action on the mound in 2024 will also be returning, led by right-handed pitcher Liam Peterson, left-handed pitcher Pierce Coppola and right-hander Jake Clemente
KINGS OF THE HILL
Florida pitchers combined for a 1.44 ERA, .141 batting average against and 47-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 25 innings on Opening Weekend. All eight UF pitchers to appear in the series vs. Air Force struck out at least two batters. UF starting pitchers (Peterson, Clemente and Coppola) teamed up for 31 strikeouts against two walks in 17 innings, allowing just six hits, two walks and two earned runs for a 1.06 ERA.
RUNNING WILD
Florida swiped 14 bases in 15 attempts in the season-opening sweep against Air Force. The nine stolen bases in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader were the most for the Gators in 15 years - since March 9, 2010 against Illinois State. The 14 steals marked the most in a series for Florida in the last nine seasons. Leading the way was outfielder Hayden Yost, whose three steals in Saturday's first game were the most by a Gators baserunner since Sterlin Thompson recorded three against Tennessee on April 24, 2022.
DOWNLOW ON BARLOW
Holding status as Florida's lone Division I transfer pitcher from the offseason, right-handed pitcher Billy Barlow draws the start on Tuesday. Serving as a co-captain and leading Clemson with six wins last season, Barlow worked to a 4.28 ERA with 42 strikeouts over 48 1/3 frames, holding hitters to a .259 batting average. Across his three-year career, he pitched to a 4.69 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 109 1/3 collegiate innings, backed by a 2.43 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
DONAY DEMOLITION
Earning SEC Player of the Week honors on Monday, Donay went 7-for-10 while homering and knocking multiple hits in all three games of the Air Force series. Donay is batting .700/.750/1.800 (7-for-10) with three homers, two doubles, six runs, five RBI and two walks.
THE BULLBOSER
Transferring in from USF, infielder Bobby Boser had a hit and drove in a run in all three wins over the weekend highlighted by multi-hit efforts in games one and two. He doubled in game two before hitting his first Gators homer in the finale. Boser finished the series 5-for-11 (.455/.538/.818) with one homer, one double, four RBI, three runs and two steals.
ON-POINT PEN
The UF bullpen was dominant in all three games last weekend against the Falcons. Gators relievers Luke McNeillie, Caden McDonald, Jackson Barberi, Matthew Jenkins and Aidan King all made appearances and pitched 8.0 innings with a 2.25 ERA, struck out 16 and allowed just one free pass. The latter four hurlers all made their Division I debuts, combining for five innings and only giving up one run with ten strikeouts. All four Gators struck out multiple hitters in their debuts while McDonald and King each sat down three Falcons.
PITCHERS ASSIST ALL 21 OUTS
In the series finale against Air Force, all 21 outs of the 11-1 mercy-rule win were recorded or assisted by Florida pitchers. UF pitchers notched 17 strikeouts, with the other four outs coming via groundouts to the pitcher. Coppola led the way with a career-high 12 strikeouts and three infield assists in five scoreless innings.
DOUBLEHEADER DEBUTS
Lefty-swinging newcomers Landon Stripling and Justin Nadeau shined on Saturday, with each starting one leg of the doubleheader. After hitting four long balls last season at Texas Tech, Stripling wasted no time as he homered in his first at bat as a Gator in the first game of the twin bill - becoming the first UF player to do so since Rene Lastres vs. Georgia State on Feb. 26, 2022. Stripling also singled and scored twice. Drawing his first UF start in the second game of the doubleheader, Nadeau collected three hits (one double), three runs and one steal. Last season at Jacksonville, he hit .395 and swiped 11 bases.
PARKING/SHUTTLES
Fans are encouraged to park at the Fifield and IFAS lots during the weekend. An increased number of shuttles will be available for transportation to the ballpark each day.
Click HERE<https://floridagators.com/documents/2024/2/14/2024_BB_Parking_Map_copy.pdf> for a Parking map.
* General Parking is available in the west Condron Family Ballpark baseball lot and the Fifield parking lot located directly across Hull Road.
* Disabled parking is available on a first-come, first-serve basis in the Condron Family Ballpark west lot with a valid Disabled Placard.
* Fans can follow this link<http://floridagators.com/EventParking> to an interactive parking map.
* RV Parking is available in the Fifield Flat lot. Reserved RV parking is not available for Florida baseball games. All motor home parking is on a first come, first-served basis.
* On-board generators are permitted, however exterior or pull-along generators are prohibited at all times. For safety reasons, all motor homes/RVs are required to utilize exhaust extensions or "smoke stacks" to channel exhaust fumes to the top of the motor home/RV.
* Overnight stays are only allowed on weekend series in the Fifield Flat lot.
* Do Not Park Illegally
* Park in designated parking spots (Do not park on grass or in No Parking Zones).
* Vehicles are subject to towing if they block streets, sidewalks, service drives, or fire lanes, or if illegally parked in a disabled space.
TRAFFIC PATTERNS ON GAME DAY
Those visiting Condron Family Ballpark on game day should be aware of updated traffic patterns surrounding the ballpark. Fans are advised to utilize Ballpark Way, which will serve as a connecting route to the ballpark from Archer Road. For departures, a postgame traffic flow pattern guide can be found here.<https://floridagators.com/common/co...s/2022/4/22/BB_Post_Game_Traffic_20220421.png>
ON DECK
The Gators host the Dayton Flyers in a three-game series at Condron Family Ballpark this weekend from Feb. 21-23. The series opens on Friday at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Fresh off an Opening Weekend sweep of Air Force, No. 10 Florida visits Jacksonville before hosting Florida A&M in its first midweek tests of the season.
First pitch at John Sessions Stadium in Jacksonville is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN+. Florida returns home to welcome the Rattlers on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.
After splitting a pair of home midweek games with Jacksonville last year, Florida is 67-36 in the series and 44-17 on the road. That includes 21-8 overall and 16-6 away marks under Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan
Florida defeated Florida A&M, 10-7, in the lone meeting last season to improve to 31-1 all-time vs. the Rattlers, and 15-1 under O'Sullivan. The Gators are looking to reverse their fortunes from one year ago, when they advanced to the College World Series despite posting an 8-6 midweek record.
Pitching Matchups
Tuesday | 6 ET (ESPN+) Wednesday | 6:30 ET (SECN+)
JU/FAMU LHP Alex Walsh (0-0, 0.00 ERA) TBA
Florida RHP Billy Barlow
GATORS IN THE POLLS
Florida remained at No. 10 in the D1Baseball Top 25 after its sweep of Air Force. The Gators are a unanimous top-11 team and are ranked as highly as No. 6 in the country per Baseball America.
SULLY SUPERLATIVES
Coming off the program's 14th trip to the College World Series and second in as many seasons, O'Sullivan enters his 18th campaign. Since O'Sullivan's 2008 arrival, Florida leads the sport with 290 SEC wins, 37 MLB debuts, 16 NCAA berths (T-1st), 10 top-eight seeds, nine College World Series trips, nine Super Regionals hosted and six SEC titles. The Gators have advanced to nine of the last 14 College World Series overall.
SCOUTING THE DOLPHINS
Jacksonville is 0-3 to start the year after dropping all three games to West Virginia over the weekend. Finishing fifth out of 11 teams in the Atlantic Sun last year, Jacksonville concluded with a 27-31 record (18-12 ASUN). At the plate, the Dolphins slashed .271/.392/.382 with 34 homers and 101 steals across 58 games. Led by Preseason All-ASUN pitcher of the year Richard Long, Jacksonville combined for a 6.44 ERA and .290 batting average against across 500 1/3 innings. Ending with a .962 fielding percentage, the Dolphins committed 78 errors in 2,054 defensive chances.
READ UP ON THE RATTLERS
Florida A&M enters with a 1-2 record following its opening series against UT Martin. Finishing first out of six teams in the SWAC East in 2024, the Rattlers concluded with a 29-27 record (22-8 SWAC). Offensively, the Rattlers slashed .301/.400/.467 with 60 homers and 44 steals across 56 games. Headlined by SWAC Pitcher of the Year Caleb Granger, Florida A&M registered a 5.70 ERA and .297 batting average against over 467 innings. Concluding with a .967 fielding percentage, the Rattlers committed 67 errors in 2,208 defensive chances.
IN THE RANKINGS
Through three games, Florida is ranked among the top-17 teams nationally in nine different statistical categories, headlined by a nation-leading 16.9 strikeouts per nine innings Florida also ranks third in WHIP (0.60), fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (15.7), fourth in stolen bases (14), eighth in hits allowed per nine (4.32), t-eighth in shutouts (one), 12th in batting average (.385), 16th in ERA (1.44) and 17th in home runs (six). The Gators sit inside the top three in the SEC in K/9 (first), K-to-BB ratio (second), steals (second), batting average (second), WHIP (third), H/9 (third) and home runs (third).
2025 ROSTER OUTLOOK
The Gators return 17 total players (15 letterwinners) from last year's roster headlined by five positional starters in second baseman Cade Kurland, shortstop Colby Shelton, outfielder Ty Evans, catcher Luke Heyman and catcher/designated hitter Brody Donay. Seven pitchers who saw action on the mound in 2024 will also be returning, led by right-handed pitcher Liam Peterson, left-handed pitcher Pierce Coppola and right-hander Jake Clemente
KINGS OF THE HILL
Florida pitchers combined for a 1.44 ERA, .141 batting average against and 47-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 25 innings on Opening Weekend. All eight UF pitchers to appear in the series vs. Air Force struck out at least two batters. UF starting pitchers (Peterson, Clemente and Coppola) teamed up for 31 strikeouts against two walks in 17 innings, allowing just six hits, two walks and two earned runs for a 1.06 ERA.
RUNNING WILD
Florida swiped 14 bases in 15 attempts in the season-opening sweep against Air Force. The nine stolen bases in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader were the most for the Gators in 15 years - since March 9, 2010 against Illinois State. The 14 steals marked the most in a series for Florida in the last nine seasons. Leading the way was outfielder Hayden Yost, whose three steals in Saturday's first game were the most by a Gators baserunner since Sterlin Thompson recorded three against Tennessee on April 24, 2022.
DOWNLOW ON BARLOW
Holding status as Florida's lone Division I transfer pitcher from the offseason, right-handed pitcher Billy Barlow draws the start on Tuesday. Serving as a co-captain and leading Clemson with six wins last season, Barlow worked to a 4.28 ERA with 42 strikeouts over 48 1/3 frames, holding hitters to a .259 batting average. Across his three-year career, he pitched to a 4.69 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 109 1/3 collegiate innings, backed by a 2.43 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
DONAY DEMOLITION
Earning SEC Player of the Week honors on Monday, Donay went 7-for-10 while homering and knocking multiple hits in all three games of the Air Force series. Donay is batting .700/.750/1.800 (7-for-10) with three homers, two doubles, six runs, five RBI and two walks.
THE BULLBOSER
Transferring in from USF, infielder Bobby Boser had a hit and drove in a run in all three wins over the weekend highlighted by multi-hit efforts in games one and two. He doubled in game two before hitting his first Gators homer in the finale. Boser finished the series 5-for-11 (.455/.538/.818) with one homer, one double, four RBI, three runs and two steals.
ON-POINT PEN
The UF bullpen was dominant in all three games last weekend against the Falcons. Gators relievers Luke McNeillie, Caden McDonald, Jackson Barberi, Matthew Jenkins and Aidan King all made appearances and pitched 8.0 innings with a 2.25 ERA, struck out 16 and allowed just one free pass. The latter four hurlers all made their Division I debuts, combining for five innings and only giving up one run with ten strikeouts. All four Gators struck out multiple hitters in their debuts while McDonald and King each sat down three Falcons.
PITCHERS ASSIST ALL 21 OUTS
In the series finale against Air Force, all 21 outs of the 11-1 mercy-rule win were recorded or assisted by Florida pitchers. UF pitchers notched 17 strikeouts, with the other four outs coming via groundouts to the pitcher. Coppola led the way with a career-high 12 strikeouts and three infield assists in five scoreless innings.
DOUBLEHEADER DEBUTS
Lefty-swinging newcomers Landon Stripling and Justin Nadeau shined on Saturday, with each starting one leg of the doubleheader. After hitting four long balls last season at Texas Tech, Stripling wasted no time as he homered in his first at bat as a Gator in the first game of the twin bill - becoming the first UF player to do so since Rene Lastres vs. Georgia State on Feb. 26, 2022. Stripling also singled and scored twice. Drawing his first UF start in the second game of the doubleheader, Nadeau collected three hits (one double), three runs and one steal. Last season at Jacksonville, he hit .395 and swiped 11 bases.
PARKING/SHUTTLES
Fans are encouraged to park at the Fifield and IFAS lots during the weekend. An increased number of shuttles will be available for transportation to the ballpark each day.
Click HERE<https://floridagators.com/documents/2024/2/14/2024_BB_Parking_Map_copy.pdf> for a Parking map.
* General Parking is available in the west Condron Family Ballpark baseball lot and the Fifield parking lot located directly across Hull Road.
* Disabled parking is available on a first-come, first-serve basis in the Condron Family Ballpark west lot with a valid Disabled Placard.
* Fans can follow this link<http://floridagators.com/EventParking> to an interactive parking map.
* RV Parking is available in the Fifield Flat lot. Reserved RV parking is not available for Florida baseball games. All motor home parking is on a first come, first-served basis.
* On-board generators are permitted, however exterior or pull-along generators are prohibited at all times. For safety reasons, all motor homes/RVs are required to utilize exhaust extensions or "smoke stacks" to channel exhaust fumes to the top of the motor home/RV.
* Overnight stays are only allowed on weekend series in the Fifield Flat lot.
* Do Not Park Illegally
* Park in designated parking spots (Do not park on grass or in No Parking Zones).
* Vehicles are subject to towing if they block streets, sidewalks, service drives, or fire lanes, or if illegally parked in a disabled space.
TRAFFIC PATTERNS ON GAME DAY
Those visiting Condron Family Ballpark on game day should be aware of updated traffic patterns surrounding the ballpark. Fans are advised to utilize Ballpark Way, which will serve as a connecting route to the ballpark from Archer Road. For departures, a postgame traffic flow pattern guide can be found here.<https://floridagators.com/common/co...s/2022/4/22/BB_Post_Game_Traffic_20220421.png>
ON DECK
The Gators host the Dayton Flyers in a three-game series at Condron Family Ballpark this weekend from Feb. 21-23. The series opens on Friday at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.
