Florida has won 10-straight weekend series (25-5) dating back to the 2022 season.
Gainesville, Fla. – No. 3 Florida hosts Auburn in a three-game series for the first time since 2018 this upcoming weekend from Friday, March 31 through Sunday, April 2.
Games one and two are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday while the series finale is on the books for Sunday at 1 p.m. All three installments will stream on SEC Network+.
The Gators (22-4, 5-1 SEC) and Tigers (17-7-1, 2-4 SEC) meet for the first time since 2021, when Florida took two of three in Auburn. Florida last lost a series to the Tigers in 2017 on the road and enter with a 19-11 record in the series under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kevin-o-sullivan/1551>, including a 10-5 mark at home. The last series in Gainesville occurred in 2018, as Florida and Auburn faced off at McKethan Field a total of six times that season. UF won two of three in April in addition to defeating Auburn in the Gainesville Super Regional, two games to one.
Across the all-time series, Florida trails 119-134-2 despite owning a strong 64-44 record at home. The two programs first met in 1913, as the Tigers dominated the early stages with wins in 16 of the first 20 meetings while Florida has claimed 29 of the last 42.
Pitching Matchups
Friday | 6:30 p.m. ET (SECN+) Saturday | 6:30 p.m. ET (SECN+) Sunday | 1 p.m. ET (SECN+)
Auburn RHP Brandon Sproat<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brandon-sproat/15508> (4-0, 3.60 ERA) RHP Hurston Waldrep<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/hurston-waldrep/15517> (4-1, 4.78 ERA) LHP Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/15489> (3-0, 3.41 ERA)
Florida RHP Will Cannon (2-0, 2.29 ERA) RHP John Armstrong (5-0, 3.91 ERA) LHP Tommy Vail (2-1, 3.57 ERA)
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Florida remained at No. 3 in the D1Baseball Top-25 this week and ranks as highly as No. 2 nationally according to Baseball America, Perfect Game and the NCBWA. The Gators are also USA Today’s No. 3 team.
SERIES PROMOS
The Gators are holding a Student Prize-a-Palooza on Friday night, where UF Students can win a prize every inning. Prizes include game-worn jerseys, Nike gear, Apple products and more. There will also be an appearance by the Dazzlers at Friday’s series opener. On Sunday, a live organist will provide in-venue music for fans while a postgame autograph session is planned along the right-field berm.
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.
Friday: Smoked Biscuit, B’z Gelati
Saturday: Twisted Tikka Indian Food Truck, Frios Gourmet Pops
Sunday: Frios Gourmet Pops, Popadop’s Kitchen
THE REFRESH
The Gators posted a 4-0 record last week, defeating FSU and sweeping No. 13 Ole Miss in Oxford for the first time since 1988. First baseman/left-handed pitcher Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/15489> led the offense with four homers in the series, including one in each matchup and a two-homer game in the opener. Freshman Cade Kurland<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/cade-kurland/15514> was clutch as well, producing the game-winning, three-run double in the eighth inning of game one and finishing 5-for-15 with one homer and seven RBI.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Unranked Auburn heads in with wins in four of its last five games after being swept by Arkansas in Fayetteville two weekends ago. The Tigers won two of three at home against Georgia last weekend, then defeated North Alabama in midweek play to improve to 17-7-1 (2-4 SEC) including a 1-3 record on the road. Through 25 games, Auburn is batting .300/.409/.498 as a team with 33 home runs while pitching to a 5.73 ERA in 220 innings. Defensively, the Tigers have committed just 20 errors for a respectable .978 fielding percentage.
NATION’S #1 OFFENSE
The Gators lead the nation with 296 hits while ranking second in runs (260), home runs (61) and slugging (.621). UF is also fourth with 14 triples and fifth with a .328 batting average. Florida paces the SEC in hits, slugging, at bats and triples, ranking top-three in batting, homers and runs. The Gators’ 559 total bases are 47 more than the next-closest SEC team (South Carolina 512).
GIVE US A SEC
Florida has won six-straight SEC series dating back to 2022. Including the SEC Tournament, the Gators are 18-6 across their last 24 games vs. SEC opponents. Since O’Sullivan took the reins in 2008, Florida’s .616 winning % in regular season SEC play is the best in the conference (262-163).
WEEKEND WARRIORS
Florida is 16-2 in weekend series this year having swept four of a possible six, and 25-5 in series dating back to 2022. UF’s only weekend losses have come at the hands of No. 22 Miami and No. 24 Alabama. The Gators are outscoring teams by a plus-95 margin (5.3 runs/game) and out-hitting opponents by 81 knocks (4.5 hits/game).
COMEBACK KIDS
Of Florida’s 22 wins, 10 have come in comeback fashion (45.5%). That is already just three short of last year’s 66-game total of 13 (20.0%). The Gators have three comeback wins in the seventh inning or later in the last six games alone after having zero such comebacks in all of 2022, as UF was 0-20 when trailing after six innings. In 2023, Florida is 2-2 when trailing after six. Perhaps most impressively, the Gators are 9-1 when the opponent scores first, compared to 11-15 last year.
IT ALL DA’ PENS
Across the last 12 games dating back to March 8 vs. FAU, Gators relievers have combined for a 6-0 record, 2.09 ERA, .211 batting average against and 63 strikeouts against 11 walks in 47 1/3 innings. That translates to 12.0 strikeouts per nine and 2.1 walks per nine. Southpaw Philip Abner<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/philip-abner/15488> and right-handed closer Brandon Neely<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brandon-neely/15499> have anchored the turnaround, accounting for 21 1/3 innings with just two earned runs allowed, 29 strikeouts and five walks. In Abner’s last six appearances spanning 11.0 frames, he is 3-0 with one save, a 0.00 ERA, .154 batting average against and 14 strikeouts. The lefty owns a 1.32 ERA and 14.5 strikeouts per nine while Neely is 5-for-5 in save chances with a 3.66 ERA and 13.3 strikeouts per nine.
POW POW CAGS
After hitting .611/.650/1.333 (11-for-18) last week, Caglianone earned his second SEC Co-Player of the Week nod. The Tampa, Fla. native totaled four home runs, one double, eight RBI, five runs scored and an SEC-leading 24 total bases. During Saturday’s doubleheader against the Rebels, Caglianone blasted three home runs including one in each game.
OUR RIVERA RUNS THROUGH IT
Starting shortstop Josh Rivera<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/josh-rivera/15504> leads the team in batting (.402), on-base percentage (.500), runs (37), RBI (39) and stolen bases (eight) while wielding a 1.304 OPS. Rivera ranks second in the NCAA in runs and eighth in RBI (third in SEC). Having already set career highs in RBI and home runs (12), the Avon Park, Fla. native boasts more walks (17) than strikeouts (13) and is one of two Gators to start all 26 games thus far. Rivera has six multi-hit performances in the last seven contests, and seven in the previous nine. His 28-game on-base streak (25 in 2023) was snapped on Sunday at Ole Miss.
THE CHAMP IS HERE
After missing seven games due to injury, All-American outfielder Wyatt Langford<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/wyatt-langford/15497> returned to the starting lineup at designated hitter during Saturday’s doubleheader at Ole Miss. ESPN’s No. 1 prospect for the 2023 MLB Draft homered in game two of the twin bill and returned to left field in Sunday’s finale. Despite the missed time, Langford is hitting .386/.521/.843 with eight homers, seven doubles, 30 runs and 19 RBI. He has struck out a team-low nine times (min. 2 AB/G) against 17 walks, translating to an impressive 9.6 K% and 18.1 BB%.
THREE-HEADED MONSTER
Florida’s weekend starting rotation of Brandon Sproat<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brandon-sproat/15508>, Hurston Waldrep<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/hurston-waldrep/15517> and Caglianone is a combined 11-1 with a 3.94 ERA, .188 batting average against and 141 strikeouts (13.2 K/9) in 96 innings. The trio is averaging 5.3 innings/start and allowing just 6.0 hits and 0.6 home runs per nine.
JAC OF ALL TRADES
With a nation-leading 17 home runs, Caglianone has one more homer than former UF teammate Kris Armstrong<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/kris-armstrong/15090> (16), who is now at Jacksonville. Caglianone has three more homers than the next-closest SEC player (Gavin Casas, SC) and his 102 total bases are 10 more than anyone else in the nation (Armstrong, 92). Backed by a .400/.462/.971 slash line, Caglianone ranks second in the SEC in slugging, T-fourth in hits (42) and fifth in RBI (38, T-11th in NCAA). The slugger has as many home runs as singles (17) and has already posted four multi-homer games in 2023. Meanwhile, Caglianone is 3-0 on the mound with a 3.41 ERA, .150 batting average against and 35 strikeouts in 29 innings.
CAN’T ROCK THE SPROAT, BABY
The right-handed Sproat has not lost a start since he took over the Friday night role on April 29, 2022 vs. Kentucky. In that span, the Gators are 12-0 and Sproat is 9-0, owning a 2.53 ERA, 83 strikeouts and 27 walks in 74 2/3 frames. His last loss came on April 23 vs. No. 1 Tennessee – a span that reaches 342 days as of his Friday outing vs. Auburn. He was named SEC Pitcher of the Week and NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week on March 20 after throwing a one-hit shutout with a career-high 11 strikeouts against No. 24 Alabama on March 16.
CADER MADE
Resurrecting the Gators with a two-out, three-run double to put UF up 7-6 in the eighth inning of game one at Ole Miss, Kurland posted four two-out run-scoring knocks during the weekend series. In game three, the freshman delivered a pair of two-out RBI singles, then swatted a two-out homer in the eighth inning to bring his series total to seven two-out RBI. Florida’s second baseman now has 13 multi-hit games in his first 24 career starts and is hitting .378/.470/.694 with eight homers, seven doubles, 35 runs and 33 RBI.
SWING KINGS
Florida has a run differential of plus-133 and has scored in 53.4% of batted innings this season (109 of 204). The Gators boast 288 hits (11.1 hits/game) including double-digit knocks in 20 of 26 games.
BLAST OFF
Florida has homered in 23 of 36 games this season including going yard in 15-straight contests from Feb. 21 through March 12 – the team’s longest-such streak in the last 25 years. UF’s 61 homers equate to 2.3 per game and rank second in the NCAA behind South Carolina’s 64. The Gators are on pace to hit 129 home runs in the regular season alone, which is just three shy of the school record set in 1998 (132) – meaning UF would likely blow past the record during postseason play.
ON DECK
Florida hosts Bethune-Cookman at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4 before traveling to Knoxville for a three-game series at No. 10 Tennessee. All three games at Tennessee are televised nationally.
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