The Gators have won 11-straight series dating back to 2022.
Knoxville, Tenn. – The third-ranked Florida Gators visit the 11th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in a three-game SEC series this weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
All three installments are televised nationally, beginning with Thursday night’s 8 p.m. contest on ESPNU. Game two airs on SEC Network on Friday at 7 p.m. while the finale is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN2.
Florida (25-5, 7-2 SEC) visits Knoxville for the first time since April 9-11, 2021, when the Vols (21-8, 4-5 SEC) took two of three (L 4-6, L 4-5, W 7-6). As the only two teams to reach the SEC Tournament Semifinals each of the last two seasons, Tennessee has claimed nine of the last 10 despite Florida’s commanding 154-94 lead in the all-time series. The Gators are 24-20 in the series under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kevin-o-sullivan/1551> including 12-9 on the road.
Pitching Matchups
Thursday | 8 p.m. ET (ESPNU) Friday | 7 p.m. ET (SECN) Saturday | 2 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Florida RHP Brandon Sproat<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brandon-sproat/15508> (4-1, 5.45 ERA) RHP Hurston Waldrep<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/hurston-waldrep/15517> (5-1, 4.74 ERA) LHP Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/15489> (3-0, 4.18 ERA)
Tennessee RHP Chase Dollander (4-2, 3.92 ERA) RHP Chase Burns (2-2, 4.97 ERA) RHP Drew Beam (3-1, 2.51 ERA
Links WATCH<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/5b050c8c-7594-4b11-97f4-a9027eeadeb2> | LISTEN<https://floridagators.com/watch/?Live=5117&type=Archive> WATCH<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/4379f2c4-c146-4c00-bf38-35cba9f5b072> | LISTEN<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5118> WATCH<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/59287dfd-124d-422f-8ca5-e1b550bd5463> | LISTEN<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5119>
Florida remained at No. 3 in the D1Baseball Top-25 this week and rank as highly as No. 2 nationally at Baseball America, Perfect Game and the NCBWA.
THE REFRESH
The Gators are coming off an 8-4 win over Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday after a weekend series victory over Auburn. BT Riopelle<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/bt-riopelle/15503> bopped his fifth homer of the year in the midweek win. By taking two of three against Auburn, Florida won its third-straight SEC series to open conference play (seventh-straight SEC series win dating back to 2022). After dropping the opener, 10-1, Florida rebounded to win the final two games in convincing fashion, 12-5 and 17-8. Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/15489> was 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBI, finishing a double shy of the cycle in game two while freshman catcher Luke Heyman<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-heyman/15522> went off for a career-high eight RBI, going 3-for-4 with a grand slam to cap off 14 unanswered runs in the finale.
SCOUTING THE VOLS
Although they were picked to finish first in the SEC Eastern Division ahead of Florida, the Volunteers enter the weekend in sole possesion of fifth place in the SEC East with a 21-8 (4-5 SEC) record. Tennessee is batting .294/.403/.545 as a team while pitching to a 2.72 ERA. The Vols have committed 24 errors in 29 games for a .975 fielding percentage.
LAST TIME THEY FACED
Florida and Tennessee faced off four times last season, with the Vols sweeping the Gators in Gainesville before edging out UF in the SEC Tournament Championship game, 8-5.
CARDIAC GATORS
More than half of Florida’s wins this season (25) have been in comeback fashion (13), matching last year’s 66-game total of 13 come-from-behind victories. After going 0-20 last season when trailing after six innings, Florida is 2-3 in that scenario already in 2023. Even more impressively, the Gators are 11-2 when the opponent scores first this season, compared to 11-15 last year.
SORRY FOR BEING OFFENSIVE
The Gators boast the top slugging percentage (.609) in all of college baseball and rank top-five nationally in hits (second – 344), runs (second – 298), home runs (second – 65), triples (third – 17) and batting average (fourth – .330). Florida paces the SEC in slugging, hits, triples, at bats and total bases (634), owning 55 more bases than the next-closest team (South Carolina, 579).
DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Florida has collected double-digit hits and double-digit runs in the same contest in 15 of 30 games.
WEEKEND WARRIORS
The Gators are 18-3 in weekend series this year, having swept four of a possible seven, and 27-6 in series dating back to 2022. Florida has won 11-straight weekend series since 2022 including wins in seven-straight SEC series. Including the SEC Tournament, the Gators are 20-7 across their last 27 games vs. SEC opponents. Since O’Sullivan took the reins in 2008, Florida’s .617 winning % in regular season SEC play is tops in the SEC (264-164).
ANY TIME, ANY PLACE
Entering Thursday’s game, Florida has yet to lose away from home this season. The Gators are 6-0 on the road and outscoring opponents by a 61-33 margin (plus-28). Offensively, Florida is hitting .315/.401/.626 with 17 home runs (2.8/game) while pitching to a 4.33 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 18 walks in 54 innings.
FILLING UP FRAMES
Now past the season’s midpoint, the Gators are still scoring in more than half of their batted innings with runs in 52.1% of frames (124 of 238). Through 30 games, Florida has a run differential of plus-145, averaging 9.9 runs/game and 11.5 hits/game. UF has scored in at least five innings in 18 of 30 games (60%) and in five of nine SEC contests (56%). The Gators have accomplished this despite having eight or less at bats in 12 of 30 games.
PEN PALS
Relievers Philip Abner<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/philip-abner/15488> and Brandon Neely<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brandon-neely/15499> have anchored a bullpen turnaround that has seen UF produce an 8-0 record, 2.62 ERA, .215 batting average against and 83 strikeouts in 68 2/3 frames across the last 16 games. During that span, Abner has made seven appearances and is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA, one save, .146 batting average against and 11.3 strikeouts per nine. Neely has been nearly as dominant in that time with four saves, a 1.38 ERA, .204 batting average against and 12.5 strikeouts per nine. Neely is tied for ninth nationally with six saves and has yet to blow an opportunity this season.
DON’T ROCK THE SPROAT, BABY
Right-hander Brandon Sproat<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brandon-sproat/15508> has lost one decision across his last 13 starts, dropping last Friday night’s outing vs. Auburn. Prior to that, his last loss occurred on April 23, 2022 vs. No. 1 Tennessee. – marking 342 days in between losses. Following the loss to Tennessee last year, Florida won 12-straight Sproat decisions, during which he went 9-0 with a 2.53 ERA, 83 strikeouts and 27 walks in 74 2/3 frames.
GOLDEN SPIKES
Florida shortstop Josh Rivera<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/josh-rivera/15504> and Caglianone were named to the Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List on Wednesday. The duo was among 24 players to be added to the Midseason List, which now sits at 45 athletes.
JAC OF ALL TRADES
Leading the nation with 18 home runs (three more than any SEC player), Caglianone has one more long ball than former UF teammate Kris Armstrong<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/kris-armstrong/15090> (17). After going 0-11 during the Alabama series, Caglianone is 19-for-37 (.514/.538/1.027) in the eight games since, tallying five homers, one triple, two doubles, 16 RBI and nine runs. Caglianone’s .935 slugging percentage ranks second in the NCAA while his 46 RBI are tied for third – four behind Tommy White’s SEC-leading 50.
THE GRAND RIVERA
Having already set career highs in home runs (11), runs scored (43) and RBI (41), Rivera is hitting a robust .411/.511/.759 with more walks (21) than strikeouts (13). The Avon Park, Fla. native is one of two players to have started all 30 games for Florida this season, during which he has committed just three errors for a .971 fielding percentage. Rivera ranks second in the nation with 43 runs behind LSU’s Dylan Crews, and sits sixth in the SEC in batting average, seventh in hits, seventh in on-base percentage, T-seventh in total bases (85), T-seventh in RBI, T-eighth in homers and 13th in slugging.
THE LANGFORD FILE
All-American outfielder Wyatt Langford<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/wyatt-langford/15497> leads UF with a .552 on-base percentage and is hitting .402 through 23 games with more than twice as many walks (26) as strikeouts (12). Langford’s 22.4% walk rate is up 9.8% from last year’s mark of 12.6% while his strikeout rate is down 4.2% to 10.3%. Langford’s .890 slugging percentage is also .193 points higher than last year’s robust mark of .697. Since missing seven games and returning at Ole Miss, Langford is batting .333/.541/.792 with a 12-to-4 K-BB ratio in seven games.
MIKEY ROB’S STREAK
Redshirt freshman center fielder Michael Robertson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/michael-robertson/15505> has reached base in all 27 games to begin his UF career, a streak which is tops among all Gators this season. Robertson’s 21 walks are tied for second on the squad and his .449 on-base percentage is fourth among qualified Gators.
GATORBOMBS
Florida’s 65 home runs are on pace for 119 in the regular season alone and 143 across 66 games – the length of the 2022 season. The school record of 132 home runs was set in 1998.
ON DECK
Florida hosts Florida State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. on SEC Network+ before Georgia comes to town for a three-game weekend series.
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