Florida is 26-21 against the Vols under Kevin O’Sullivan including a 12-9 record in weekend series
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida baseball is set to begin a three-game series against the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. at Condron Family Ballpark.
Thursday’s series opener airs on ESPN, followed by a Friday night tilt at 6:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network+. The series finale takes place Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.
The Gators (23-21, 9-12 SEC) are 156-95 all-time against the Volunteers (37-8, 15-6 SEC), including 26-21 under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kevin-o-sullivan/1752>. Although the last home series against the Vols saw the Gators get swept (L 2-8, L 0-3, L 4-6), Florida still owns a 83-44 record at home against Tennessee and a 12-9 mark under O’Sullivan. The last meeting between the two programs was in 2023, when Florida took two of three in Knoxville (W 6-1, W 9-3, L 2-14).
Pitching Matchups
Thursday | 7 ET (ESPN) Friday | 6:30 ET (SECN+) Saturday | 6:30 ET (SECN+)
Tennessee Chris Stamos (3-0, 2.89 ERA) Drew Beam (6-1, 3.29 ERA) Zander Sechrist (1-0, 3.89)
Florida LHP Pierce Coppola<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/pierce-coppola/16367> (0-2, 10.50 ERA) TBA LHP Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/16365> (5-0, 4.10 ERA)
Links WATCH<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/dc2001f2-5abe-4564-8433-2026f05a817b> | LISTEN<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5417> WATCH<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/68460f07-3a79-421f-8b55-e5242de550ae> | LISTEN<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5422> WATCH<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/6ca43cca-62f6-404b-9ff1-810a73accfc9> | LISTEN<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5423>
SERIES PROMOS
The first 1,000 fans through the gates for Thursday night’s series opener will receive Florida replica jerseys. For game two on Friday, berm towels will be distributed to the first 1,000 fans.
FOOD TRUCKS
There will be two food trucks located in the Dizney Grove area beyond the outfield wall on each day of the weekend series.
Thursday: The Smoked Biscuit Company, Mexi Cocina Mobile
Friday: Rollin’ Sliders, Kona Ice
Saturday: Nothing Bundt Cakes, Wing King
VETTING THE VOLS
The Vols boast a 37-8 record this season with a 15-6 resume in conference play. Tennessee is slashing .324/1.073/.645 backed by an impressive 122 home runs. Tennessee’s pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.92 with a 1.24 WHIP and 416 strikeouts in 377 innings of work. The Vols also rep a .979 fielding percentage across 1,546 defensive chances.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gators secured a win over FAU on Tuesday, beating the Owls, 10-8. The victory marked Florida’s 13th comeback win this season. The Gators battled offensively, with outfielder Ty Evans<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-evans/16368> driving in three runs and homering. Infielder Cade Kurland<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/cade-kurland/16372> also homered and posted two RBI. Catcher Brody Donay<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brody-donay/16621> had two hits while driving two runs and scoring one of his own, good for his ninth multi-hit game of the season. Right-handed reliever Ryan Slater<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/ryan-slater/16377> pitched 2 2/3 innings of two-run relief to pick up the win while fellow righty Fisher Jameson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/fisher-jameson/16371> earned his second save.
RELENTLESS REPTILES
Florida boasts 13 come-from-behind wins on the season, with all nine of the team’s SEC victories occurring in comeback fashion. The Gators wield three walk-off victories this year.
COMFY AT CONDRON
Florida is 52-16 at home since the start of last season despite a 16-9 record at Condron Family Ballpark in 2024. After losing its first home series since April of 2022 to South Carolina three weekends back, the Gators have claimed 15 of their last 16 three-game, regular-season series at Condron Family Ballpark dating back to the 2022 season.
WEEKEND WARRIORS
Despite the series loss at No. 2 Arkansas, the Gators have claimed 22 of their last 28 three-game, regular-season series dating back to the 2022 season including 15 of 21 in SEC play. The Gators are 47-25 in weekend series since the start of last season and 56-28 across the team’s previous 28 series at any venue.
THE SEC’S FINEST
Across their last 74 conference tilts, the Gators have gone 46-28 vs. SEC opponents featuring a 38-25 regular-season mark. Dating back to O’Sullivan’s first year at UF in 2008, Florida’s .609 winning percentage is the best in the conference (286-184).
NATIONAL LEADERBOARDS
Florida ranks eighth nationally and fourth in the SEC in home runs (94) and are seventh nationally in home runs per game (2.14). The Gators sit 20th in the country in fielding percentage (.979) and are 14th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.7). Florida is also second in the SEC in hit-by-pitches with 85.
WE’RE GOING STREAKING
The longest active on-base streak on the team belongs to first baseman/left-handed pitcher Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/16365> at 30 games, who also paces Florida with a 23-game hitting streak. Catcher Luke Heyman<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-heyman/16370> holds the second-best on-base streak on the roster at eight games.
HEALTHY SIP OF JAMESON
Jameson had his eight-inning, four-appearance scoreless streak snapped on Tuesday vs. FAU, but he struck out 10 against zero walks in that span while allowing just three hits – all singles. He appeared twice at No. 2 Arkansas and combined for 4 1/3 shutout frames on two hits and three strikeouts. In nine SEC games, Jameson wields a 1.29 ERA, .143 batting average against and 15-to-three strikeout-to-walk ratio across 14 innings.
YOST MAKES THE MOST
Starting for the third-straight game on Tuesday vs. FAU, outfielder Hayden Yost<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/hayden-yost/16633> reached base four times while going 2-for-3 with one double and one steal. In game one of Saturday’s doubleheader at No. 2 Arkansas, Yost reached base in all five of his plate appearances en route to a 3-for-3 game with one steal and a career-high three hits. Yost now owns hits in each of his last five games, going 9-for-15 with seven runs scored in that time. He has picked up one hit, one walk and one stolen base in each of his last three starts.
CAGLIANONE’S GOLDEN SEASON
After homering in an NCAA-record nine-straight games from April 6-19, Caglianone followed the act with an equally brilliant one by going 66-consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout from April 7-27 before being fanned in the eighth inning of the series finale at No. 2 Arkansas. The slugger ranks among the top-40 most-difficult hitters to strike out in the country with 10.9 at bats per strikeout. Caglianone’s unparalleled power-contact combination has fueled him to a 16-to-29 strikeout-to-walk ratio, 7.6% strikeout rate and 26 home runs on the season, the latter of which ranks second nationally. He now owns a share of each of the two-most-prolific home run seasons in Gators history, setting the team record with 33 last season while his 26 bombs this year are tied for second-most in club history alongside Wyatt Langford<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/wyatt-langford/15497> (2022) and Matt LaPorta (2005).
Caglianone paces the Gators in virtually every offensive statistic including batting average (.402), on-base percentage (.505), slugging (.862), OPS (1.367), hits (70), homers, RBI (53), runs (51) and walks (29). The two-way standout ranks second in the SEC in hits, total bases, batting and slugging (sixth in NCAA), fourth in OBP, fifth in RBI and tied for seventh in runs scored. On the mound, his .215 batting average against is the 12th-best in the SEC, as the southpaw has been charged with the sixth-fewest hits allowed and fourth-fewest homers surrendered among qualified SEC hurlers.
2-WAY 2 DOMINANT 2 HANDLE
In the 10 games Caglianone has started on the mound, he is hitting .421 (16-for-38) with a .542 on-base percentage. He has six home runs in those 38 at bats while surrendering only four to the opposing 217 batters he has faced. 58 of those batters have struck out while Caglianone has only two strikeouts in the games he has pitched. Florida has won in nine of Caglianone’s 10 starts, with the only loss coming after blowing a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth at Missouri.
COPPOLA’S COMEBACK
Redshirt sohomore southpaw Pierce Coppola<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/pierce-coppola/16367> is coming off his best start of the season, striking out six Razorbacks across three-plus innings of one-hit, one-run ball on April 26 in Fayetteville. Thursday’s outing vs. Tennessee marks his fourth start of the campaign after returning to the mound for the first time in 783 days to start on April 13 vs. South Carolina. Through six innings this year, Coppola has allowed seven hits and three walks while fanning 10 batters.
EVANS ERUPTION
Adding to his career high in homers, Evans launched his 12th home run of the season in Tuesday’s win over FAU. In addition to home runs, Evans already owns single-season career highs in runs (43), hits (58), doubles (10), extra-base hits (23) and walks (18) while improving by at least .100 points in every slash category with a .339/.430/.620 batting line after hitting .239/.302/.485 in 2023. Evans boasts 19 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI contests in 43 games this season, with both totals ranking second on the roster behind Caglianone.
BE MY CLEMENTINE
Last giving up an earned run on March 12, right-hander Jake Clemente<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jake-clemente/16366> made three appearances in April without allowing an earned run including two in the last week alone against No. 2 Arkansas and FAU. Clemente earned his first-career SEC win at Arkansas on April 27, surrendering one unearned run in two innings on three hits, one walk and one strikeout. He then threw 1 2/3 scoreless frames vs. FAU on April 30, allowing one hit, one walk and striking out three. In his three April appearances, Clemente posted a 0.00 ERA, .261 BAA and nine strikeouts across 5 2/3 innings while going 2-0.
SULLY SUPERLATIVES
Since O’Sullivan’s 2008 arrival, no college program has more CWS trips (8), Super Regionals hosted (nine), top-eight national seeds (10) and NCAA Tournament bids (15) than the Florida Gators. Overall, Florida’s 15-straight NCAA bids represent the second-longest active streak in the sport. The Gators have also hosted 12 NCAA Regionals out of a possible 15 during O’Sullivan’s tenure (no NCAA Tournament in 2020), which ranks first in the nation. Looking at the SEC specifically, Florida’s .609 winning percentage (286-184) since 2008 is the top mark in the conference.
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 Florida 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 Florida 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.
* Saving Spaces
* Saving parking spaces for other motorists is not permitted in any lot
* Tailgating
* Tailgating is not allowed in the Condron Main 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/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=0&image_path=/images/2022/4/22/BB_Post_Game_Traffic_20220421.png>
MOBILE TICKETING & FLORIDA GATORS APP
As a reminder, mobile ticketing is required. There will be two ways to access your tickets:
1) through the Florida Gators app<http://s1445136311.t.en25.com/e/er?s=1445136311&lid=1301&elqTrackId=F42DAD870CD1B888DE14DCC3F8C8916F&elq=f69e4978773d47758819914b4936bd42&elqaid=3046&elqat=1> from your mobile device or
2) through FloridaGators.com/myaccount<http://s1445136311.t.en25.com/e/er?s=1445136311&lid=1324&elqTrackId=E19038CB8FD63F3F29DC57131044A028&elq=f69e4978773d47758819914b4936bd42&elqaid=3046&elqat=1>. Fans will also be able to transfer or donate their tickets easily within the app or online.
TICKET INFORMATION
Season tickets are currently on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online<https://floridagators.com/sports/2015/12/10/_tickets_baseball_.aspx> or by contacting the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683. Season ticket prices and availability can be accessed directly here.<https://am.ticketmaster.com/gators/en/virtual-venue/QlMyNA==>
Tickets are currently on sale for the 2024 season, including both season tickets and single-game options. Tickets can be purchased online<https://floridagators.com/sports/2015/12/10/_tickets_baseball_.aspx> or by contacting the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683. Season ticket prices and availability can be accessed directly here<https://am.ticketmaster.com/gators/en/virtual-venue/QlMyNA==> while single-game tickets<https://www.ticketmaster.com/florida-gators-baseball-tickets/artist/1294070> as well as On-Deck Flex Passes<https://floridagators.com/sports/2021/12/10/baseball-flex-pass.aspx> are currently on sale now.
ON DECK
Florida remains at home to host South Florida on Tuesday, May 7. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. with coverage on SEC Network+.
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