Florida Travels to No. 5 FSU for Season Series Finale
First pitch is about for 7 pm Tuesday on ESPN2 with Karl Ravech and Chris Burke on the decision in Tallahassee, Fla. Having already crushed the Seminoles (24-7) twice this season, the Gators (24-9) are going for their second season sweep within the collection within the final 4 years. Florida has swept the season collection seven occasions underneath Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan (2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023) whereas FSU has completed the feat simply as soon as (2024) since its arrival.
Following wins over FSU on March 10 (W, 6-3) and March 24 (W, 5-0), the Gators clinched their eleventh season collection within the earlier 17 in opposition to the Seminoles that includes victories in 26 of the final 34 conferences. Boosting three-straight wins within the rivalry, Florida defeated FSU in its most-recent journey to Tallahassee on March 10 of final season (W, 7-2) for its second victory within the final three at Dick Howser.
Powered by a dominant 39-23 report vs. the Seminoles underneath O’Sullivan, the Gators have moved nearer within the all-time collection to 135-131-1. Playing in opposition to FSU in Tallahassee, Florida is 47-72-1 regardless of O’Sullivan’s profitable 10-8 mark.
Pitching Matchups
GIANT SLAYERS
As they put together to go to the No. 5 Seminoles, the Gators will put an ideal 7-0 report on the road in opposition to ranked opponents this season. Most just lately taking down No. 10 FSU in Jacksonville on March 24 (W, 5-0) and sweeping No. 4 Arkansas on the highway from March 27-29 (W 9-4, W 7-4, W 7-6), Florida is 4-0 vs. top-10 foes on the 12 months together with 3-0 in opposition to the highest 5. Interestingly sufficient, all 4 of UF’s top-10 victories have come away from residence. Florida additionally defeated No. 17 Miami twice (W, 7-2, W, 8-4) and defeated No. 20 FSU on March 10 (W, 6-3).
STACKING SHUTOUTS & NCAA RANKINGS
On Friday night time in opposition to Ole Miss, Florida threw its nation-leading seventh shutout of the season – 4 shy of this system report of 11 set in 2011. The Gators have produced a shutout in 21.2% of video games performed (33) this season for 29.2% of their victories (26). In addition to pacing the nation in shutouts, Florida ranks eighth nationally in strikeouts per 9 (11.7), twelfth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.13), thirteenth with an SEC-high 21 flies sacrifice, Seventeenth in ERA (3.72), 18th in WHIP (1.24), twenty first in hits allowed per 9 (7.47), twenty fourth in win proportion (.727) and thirty ninth in walks allowed per 9 (3.72).
BACK-TO-BACK GEMS
Florida’s seventh shutout of the season got here on the again of seven scoreless frames from star sophomore Aidan King within the game-two win over Ole Miss. King has now began 4 of the Gators’ nation-leading seven shutouts. King was adopted by Russell Sandefer in recreation three, who one-upped him with a career-high seven scoreless, two-hit frames and 11 strikeouts. The back-to-back gems marked the primary time UF had beginning pitchers full seven innings in consecutive video games since June 4, 2023 in opposition to UConn and Texas Tech within the NCAA Gainesville Regional (Hurston Waldrep and Cade Fisher).
CHECKING OUR POLLS
Despite dropping out of the D1Baseball Top 25, Florida stays ranked by each different main ballot led by the NCBWA at No. 18. The Gators sit at No. 21 per Baseball America whereas coming in at No. 22 and No. 24 in accordance to Perfect Game and the USA Today Coaches Poll, respectively. Meanwhile, each opponent on Florida’s schedule this week is ranked inside D1Baseball’s prime 5 in No. 5 Florida State and No. 4 Georgia.
SCOUTING THE SEMINOLS
Florida State enters the matchup with a report of 24-7, together with a formidable 16-2 mark at residence. The Seminoles are presently second within the ACC at a 9-3 however are 0-3 in opposition to SEC opponents on the season. On the offensive facet of the plate, Florida State has posted a season batting common of .284, OPS of .872, and a slugging proportion of .470. Once getting on base, runners for the Seminoles have stolen 33 luggage out of 40 makes an attempt. On the mound, FSU pitchers have delivered a 3.93 ERA and 339-to-121 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 261 innings pitched. Defensively, Florida State has dedicated 28 errors in 811 probabilities for a fielding proportion of .973.
MIDWEEK MASTERS
Dropping its first midweek contest of the marketing campaign final Tuesday to Jacksonville (L, 4-3), Florida sits at a stellar 9-1 in midweek play this season. Dating again to the beginning of 2025, the Gators are 21-3 in midweek video games and have misplaced simply twice in 17 contests at residence. Since the beginning of final season, Florida is outscoring midweek opponents, 195-to-97.
RUNNING THE STATE
Headlined by a pair of wins at No. 17 Miami and two victories over No. 20/10 FSU, the Gators are 11-1 this season vs. groups from the state of Florida. In 28 video games in opposition to in-state foes since 2025, Florida is 23-5 that includes wins in opposition to Stetson (5), Miami (4), Florida State (4), FIU (two), Jacksonville (two), North Florida (two), Florida Atlantic (two) and Florida A&M (two).
WIEC IS LIT
Ever since going 0-for-4 in Florida’s SEC opener in opposition to South Carolina on March 13, nook infielder Ethan Surowiec you’ve gotten been pink sizzling within the 14 video games since. In that span, the sophomore slugger paces the group in batting common (.358), slugging proportion (.642), hits (19), complete bases (34), homers (three) and runs (14) whereas getting on base at a .452 clip and producing 12 RBI. As the lone Gator to begin all 33 video games, Surowiec has raised his season battling line to .317/.429/.553 backed by six residence runs, 9 doubles, 31 RBI, 27 runs, 23 walks and two stolen bases. Tied alongside heart fielder Kyle Jones With a team-high 39 hits, Surowiec ranks second on the roster with 12 multi-hit efforts and third with seven multi-RBI performances.
TO THE WALLS
Making his seventh begin of the season though his first in a midweek capability, right-hander (*5*) will get the ball for Tuesday’s rivalry finale in opposition to the Seminoles. This would be the first-year Gator’s first look in opposition to FSU as he didn’t see motion in both of the prior conferences this season. In six begins, Walls has gone 3-0 with a 4.37 ERA, .278 batting common in opposition to and 20-to-seven strikeout-to-walk ratio throughout 22 2/3 innings. The 2025 Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year has made 9 complete appearances this season and didn’t problem a stroll in any of his three earlier outings.
THE MOOSE IS LOOSE
As one among 45 gamers on the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, shortstop Brendan Lawson is hitting .352/.556/.802 with 11 homers, 34 runs, 31 RBI, 34 walks and eight stolen bases in 30 video games performed. Lawson leads all the SEC in walks, on-base proportion and triples, as his .556 OBP is the fifth-best within the county. The Canadian sophomore additionally sits third within the SEC in slugging (Seventeenth nationally), tenth in homers and twelfth in runs scored whereas drawing considerably extra walks than strikeouts (25). Lawson has reached safely in 27 of his 30 begins on prime of an unearthly 1.358 OPS.
RELENTLESS REPTILES
Florida boasts 9 come-from-behind victories by means of 33 video games. In explicit, the Gators’ five-run comeback on March 8 vs. High Point marked their largest since May 15 of final season in opposition to Alabama (5 runs).
DESTINATION OMAHA
Coming off this system’s Seventeenth-straight journey to the NCAA Tournament, O’Sullivan is in his nineteenth marketing campaign on the helm of the Gators. Since O’Sullivan’s 2008 arrival, Florida leads the nation with 312 SEC wins, 41 MLB debuts, 10 top-eight seeds, 9 College World Series journeys, 9 Super Regionals hosted and 6 SEC titles. The Gators have superior to 9 of the final 15 College World Series general – by far essentially the most within the nation.
ON DECK
The Gators trek to Athens, Ga. for a three-game collection in opposition to the fourth-ranked Bulldogs from April 10-12. The collection opens on Friday night time at 6 pm on SEC Network+.
