Gators Debut at No. 7 in D1Baseball Preseason Top 25
Florida returns 23 players including six positional starters from the 2022 campaign.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida baseball will open the 2023 campaign as the preseason No. 7 team in the country, as D1Baseball released its first set of top-25 rankings on Tuesday morning.
Considered to be the most-widely accepted rankings system in the sport, D1Baseball follows Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game in unveiling its preseason top 25. Collegiate Baseball tabbed the Gators at No. 2<https://floridagators.com/news/2022/12/20/florida-nabs-no-2-ranking-in-college-baseball-preseason-top-50.aspx>, while Perfect Game slotted the Orange & Blue in at No. 8.
Outlets with preseason rankings yet to be released are Baseball America, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Taking a wider look at D1Baseball’s rankings, the SEC placed a nation-leading nine teams in the top 25 including seven in the top 10: No. 1 LSU, No. 2 Tennessee, No. 4 Ole Miss, No. 5 Texas A&M, No. 7 Florida, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 10 Vanderbilt, No. 20 Alabama and No. 23 South Carolina.
Looking at Florida’s 2023 schedule, the Gators are set to play seven preseason top-25 opponents this season: No. 22 Miami (March 3-5), No. 20 Alabama (March 16-18), at No. 4 Ole Miss (March 24-26), at No. 2 Tennessee (April 6-8), at No. 23 South Carolina (April 20-22), at No. 5 Texas A&M (May 5-7) and No. 10 Vanderbilt (May 12-14).
Florida returns 23 players including six positional starters from the 2022 campaign after going 42-24 (15-15 SEC) and hosting the program’s 18th NCAA Regional. A talented group of 14 newcomers join that constituency, featuring nine freshmen and five transfers. The Gators’ freshman class was recently ranked No. 5<https://d1baseball.com/recruiting/2023-top-freshman-classes-top-five/> in the country by D1Baseball.
Florida’s 2023 season<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/schedule> officially opens at home on Friday, Feb. 17 with the first of three games in a weekend series against Charleston Southern. Fans will have plenty of opportunities to cheer on the Gators at Condron Family Ballpark, as 20 of Florida’s first-22 games take place at home.
Below is a complete breakdown of D1Baseball’s preseason top 25 with Florida’s 2023 opponents in bold.
1. LSU
2. Tennessee
3. Stanford
4. Ole Miss
5. Texas A&M
6. Wake Forest
7. FLORIDA
8. Arkansas
9. Oklahoma State
10. Vanderbilt
11. East Carolina
12. North Carolina
13. Maryland
14. Virginia Tech
15. TCU
16. Louisville
17. UCLA
18. Southern Miss
19. Virginia
20. Alabama
21. NC State
22. Miami
23. South Carolina
24. Texas Tech
25. Oregon
Season 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/buy?filterType=69> Single-game tickets go on sale on Wednesday, Jan. 18.
Continue to check FloridaGators.com for additional updates related to the 2023 baseball season.
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