No. 6 Florida Turns Attention to Florida A&M. The Gators own an active 12-game winning streak over the Rattlers.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 6 Florida will host Florida A&M on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Condron Family Ballpark.
Tuesday's matchup will stream on SEC Network+ and marks the first meeting between the Gators (16-11, 6-3 SEC) and Rattlers (12-16, 7-2 SWAC) since the 2023 NCAA Gainesville Regional. Florida blanked the Rattlers, 3-0, in that contest after posting a 17-7 win over FAMU in seven innings earlier in the campaign on April 18.
As a result, Florida has now won 12 straight games against Florida A&M and holds a 30-1 all-time series lead (all in Gainesville). Under head coach Kevin O'Sullivan, the Gators are 14-1 in the series.
Pitching Matchups
Tuesday | 6:30 ET (SEC Network+)
Florida A&M RHP Dallas Tease (0-4, 11.57 ERA)
Florida RHP Ryan Slater (2-0, 3.51 ERA)
The Gators stand at No. 6 in the D1Baseball Top 25 this week, holding steady after a series win at home against then-No. 21 Mississippi State. Baseball America ranks Florida at No. 4 in the country, with Perfect Game tabbing the Gators at No. 6.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gators are coming off a series win against then-No. 21 Mississippi State at home, rallying for two walk-off wins on Friday and Sunday off the bats of Cade Kurland and Jac Caglianone. Freshman Luke McNeillie continued his hot streak, blanking the Bulldogs over 4 1/3 innings of work. The Georgia native has now thrown nine consecutive scoreless innings since the start of SEC play. Catcher Tanner Garrison had a standout weekend, going 4-for-7 from the plate with a home run on Friday night. Garrison provided a much-needed spark from the bottom of the order, improving his batting average by more than 60 points.
READ UP ON THE RATTLERS
Florida A&M is 12-16 after sweeping Jackson State this past weekend. The Rattlers beat the Tigers by an average margin of victory of eight runs. FAMU is 7-2 in conference play with a combined ERA of 2.71 and a batting average of .322. The Rattlers are slashing .260/.757/.391 on the season while racking up 21 homers.
CAN'T CRACK CONDRON
Florida has won 15 consecutive three-game, regular-season home series at Condron Family Ballpark dating back to the 2022 season. Florida is 47-14 at home since the start of last season.
NON-CONFERENCE DOMINANCE
Florida has won 23 of its last 31 regular-season non-conference games. Since last season, Florida is 32-11 in non-conference action.
RELENTLESS REPTILES
After walking off No. 21 Mississippi State twice over the weekend, Florida increased its number of come-from-behind wins this season to eight. In fact, all six of Florida's SEC victories have been in come-from-behind fashion. The Gators boast three walk-off victories already this year.
SLATED TO START
Redshirt junior right-hander Ryan Slater will make his second start of the season and eighth of his career on Tuesday against Florida A&M. His first start of the campaign came on March 19 vs. Jacksonville. Carrying a 2-0 record and 3.51 ERA across 25 2/3 innings, Slater has one prior appearance against the Rattlers. He tossed two scoreless relief innings in the Regional matchup vs. FAMU on June 2, 2023.
McNEILLIE MAGIC
Right-hander Luke McNeillie has turned his season around, earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Monday. He has strung together five straight scoreless outings spanning 10 innings, striking out 14 against four walks in that span. He earned both of Florida's wins en route to a series victory over Mississippi State, going 2-0 on the week with 4 1/3 shutout innings, six strikeouts, zero walks and just two hits allowed.
DINGERS, GEMS & WHIFFS APPLENTY
The Gators are the SEC's top defensive team in terms of fielding percentage, ranking fourth in the NCAA at .984. Having launched 56 home runs in 27 games (2.1 HR/G), Florida ranks ninth nationally and third in the SEC in big flies. With 290 strikeouts in 238 innings, Florida sits 12th nationally and fourth in the SEC in strikeouts per nine (11.0).
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.
* 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.
* 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.
ON DECK
The Gators travel to Columbia, Mo., for a three-game series against Missouri this weekend. All three games will stream on SEC Network+, with Friday night's premiere scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Game two is set for Saturday at 4 p.m. ET, while Sunday's finale is on the books for 2 p.m. ET.
Mississippi State Recap (Hector)
The Florida Gators had another productive weekend series as they hosted the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Gators won two of three versus the Bulldogs and have improved to 6-3 in SEC play.
Florida showed a ton of heart and resilience after two walk-off victories. Jac Caglianone saved the series for Florida, but it was another tough pitching performance for the weekend starters. Here are three takeaways from the Florida vs. Mississippi State series.
Florida's resiliency saves series
The Florida Gators were four outs away from getting swept versus the Mississippi State series. In the series finale, Florida trailed 6-2 in the eighth inning. Florida scored five unanswered runs including three in the bottom of the ninth.
Second baseman Cade Kurland had two clutch hits in the series opener. Kurland hit an RBI double in the eighth and the walk-off RBI single up the middle to secure the win. Florida would have another big moment in the series finale.
In the bottom of the ninth, Florida trailed 3-2 in a Sunday rubber match. Right fielder Ty Evans led off the inning with a hit by pitch and Jac Caglianone hit the walk-off home run to right field to win the series.
Florida's pitching staff struggle continues
The Florida pitching staff made some changes heading into the series. Closer Brandon Neely made the first but didn't pitch well as the Friday starter. Neely threw 3.1 innings, allowing five hits, five runs, two walks, and four strikeouts.
Former Friday starter Cade Fisher came in relief and was much better on the mound. Fisher pitched 3.1 innings, allowing two hits, one run, three walks, and five strikeouts. Freshman Liam Peterson was excellent on the bump through three innings but got wrecked in the fourth.
Jac Caglianone pitched well but it was freshman Luke McNeillie that performed the best. On the weekend, McNeillie pitched 4.1 innings, allowing two hits, no runs, no walks, and six strikeouts. He was also named the SEC Freshman Pitcher of the Week.,
Florida needs to start winning midweek games
While it's great Florida is having success in their weekend series game, Florida needs to start winning their midweek games. On the season, the Gators have a 3-5 record in midweek games.
One of the reasons for Florida's struggles with midweek games has been their young pitching staff. The Gators feature one of the youngest pitching staffs in college baseball. Florida also plays some of the toughest midweek games in the nation. Florida has the toughest strength of schedule in college baseball.
The Gators will have one of their easiest midweek games on Tuesday versus the FAMU Rattlers. FAMU has a 12-16 record on the season but is 7-2 in the SWAC. Florida will have Ryan Slater on the mound in the midweek matchup.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 6 Florida will host Florida A&M on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Condron Family Ballpark.
Tuesday's matchup will stream on SEC Network+ and marks the first meeting between the Gators (16-11, 6-3 SEC) and Rattlers (12-16, 7-2 SWAC) since the 2023 NCAA Gainesville Regional. Florida blanked the Rattlers, 3-0, in that contest after posting a 17-7 win over FAMU in seven innings earlier in the campaign on April 18.
As a result, Florida has now won 12 straight games against Florida A&M and holds a 30-1 all-time series lead (all in Gainesville). Under head coach Kevin O'Sullivan, the Gators are 14-1 in the series.
Pitching Matchups
Tuesday | 6:30 ET (SEC Network+)
Florida A&M RHP Dallas Tease (0-4, 11.57 ERA)
Florida RHP Ryan Slater (2-0, 3.51 ERA)
The Gators stand at No. 6 in the D1Baseball Top 25 this week, holding steady after a series win at home against then-No. 21 Mississippi State. Baseball America ranks Florida at No. 4 in the country, with Perfect Game tabbing the Gators at No. 6.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gators are coming off a series win against then-No. 21 Mississippi State at home, rallying for two walk-off wins on Friday and Sunday off the bats of Cade Kurland and Jac Caglianone. Freshman Luke McNeillie continued his hot streak, blanking the Bulldogs over 4 1/3 innings of work. The Georgia native has now thrown nine consecutive scoreless innings since the start of SEC play. Catcher Tanner Garrison had a standout weekend, going 4-for-7 from the plate with a home run on Friday night. Garrison provided a much-needed spark from the bottom of the order, improving his batting average by more than 60 points.
READ UP ON THE RATTLERS
Florida A&M is 12-16 after sweeping Jackson State this past weekend. The Rattlers beat the Tigers by an average margin of victory of eight runs. FAMU is 7-2 in conference play with a combined ERA of 2.71 and a batting average of .322. The Rattlers are slashing .260/.757/.391 on the season while racking up 21 homers.
CAN'T CRACK CONDRON
Florida has won 15 consecutive three-game, regular-season home series at Condron Family Ballpark dating back to the 2022 season. Florida is 47-14 at home since the start of last season.
NON-CONFERENCE DOMINANCE
Florida has won 23 of its last 31 regular-season non-conference games. Since last season, Florida is 32-11 in non-conference action.
RELENTLESS REPTILES
After walking off No. 21 Mississippi State twice over the weekend, Florida increased its number of come-from-behind wins this season to eight. In fact, all six of Florida's SEC victories have been in come-from-behind fashion. The Gators boast three walk-off victories already this year.
SLATED TO START
Redshirt junior right-hander Ryan Slater will make his second start of the season and eighth of his career on Tuesday against Florida A&M. His first start of the campaign came on March 19 vs. Jacksonville. Carrying a 2-0 record and 3.51 ERA across 25 2/3 innings, Slater has one prior appearance against the Rattlers. He tossed two scoreless relief innings in the Regional matchup vs. FAMU on June 2, 2023.
McNEILLIE MAGIC
Right-hander Luke McNeillie has turned his season around, earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Monday. He has strung together five straight scoreless outings spanning 10 innings, striking out 14 against four walks in that span. He earned both of Florida's wins en route to a series victory over Mississippi State, going 2-0 on the week with 4 1/3 shutout innings, six strikeouts, zero walks and just two hits allowed.
DINGERS, GEMS & WHIFFS APPLENTY
The Gators are the SEC's top defensive team in terms of fielding percentage, ranking fourth in the NCAA at .984. Having launched 56 home runs in 27 games (2.1 HR/G), Florida ranks ninth nationally and third in the SEC in big flies. With 290 strikeouts in 238 innings, Florida sits 12th nationally and fourth in the SEC in strikeouts per nine (11.0).
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.
* 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.
* 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.
ON DECK
The Gators travel to Columbia, Mo., for a three-game series against Missouri this weekend. All three games will stream on SEC Network+, with Friday night's premiere scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Game two is set for Saturday at 4 p.m. ET, while Sunday's finale is on the books for 2 p.m. ET.
Mississippi State Recap (Hector)
The Florida Gators had another productive weekend series as they hosted the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Gators won two of three versus the Bulldogs and have improved to 6-3 in SEC play.
Florida showed a ton of heart and resilience after two walk-off victories. Jac Caglianone saved the series for Florida, but it was another tough pitching performance for the weekend starters. Here are three takeaways from the Florida vs. Mississippi State series.
Florida's resiliency saves series
The Florida Gators were four outs away from getting swept versus the Mississippi State series. In the series finale, Florida trailed 6-2 in the eighth inning. Florida scored five unanswered runs including three in the bottom of the ninth.
Second baseman Cade Kurland had two clutch hits in the series opener. Kurland hit an RBI double in the eighth and the walk-off RBI single up the middle to secure the win. Florida would have another big moment in the series finale.
In the bottom of the ninth, Florida trailed 3-2 in a Sunday rubber match. Right fielder Ty Evans led off the inning with a hit by pitch and Jac Caglianone hit the walk-off home run to right field to win the series.
Florida's pitching staff struggle continues
The Florida pitching staff made some changes heading into the series. Closer Brandon Neely made the first but didn't pitch well as the Friday starter. Neely threw 3.1 innings, allowing five hits, five runs, two walks, and four strikeouts.
Former Friday starter Cade Fisher came in relief and was much better on the mound. Fisher pitched 3.1 innings, allowing two hits, one run, three walks, and five strikeouts. Freshman Liam Peterson was excellent on the bump through three innings but got wrecked in the fourth.
Jac Caglianone pitched well but it was freshman Luke McNeillie that performed the best. On the weekend, McNeillie pitched 4.1 innings, allowing two hits, no runs, no walks, and six strikeouts. He was also named the SEC Freshman Pitcher of the Week.,
Florida needs to start winning midweek games
While it's great Florida is having success in their weekend series game, Florida needs to start winning their midweek games. On the season, the Gators have a 3-5 record in midweek games.
One of the reasons for Florida's struggles with midweek games has been their young pitching staff. The Gators feature one of the youngest pitching staffs in college baseball. Florida also plays some of the toughest midweek games in the nation. Florida has the toughest strength of schedule in college baseball.
The Gators will have one of their easiest midweek games on Tuesday versus the FAMU Rattlers. FAMU has a 12-16 record on the season but is 7-2 in the SWAC. Florida will have Ryan Slater on the mound in the midweek matchup.
