Florida has won eight of the last nine regular-season series and is 20-7 vs. Miami across the last 27 meetings.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – No. 4 Florida baseball treks south to Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field to take on the Miami Hurricanes in a three-game series this weekend.
The series premiere is set for Friday night at 7 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra, followed by an ACC Network showdown on Saturday at 3 p.m. Sunday’s series finale streams on ACC Network Extra at 1 p.m.
The Gators have won eight of the last nine series vs. the Canes, with the lone series loss coming in 2021 for the grand opening of Condron Family Ballpark. Under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kevin-o-sullivan/1752>, Florida is 39-17 vs. Miami featuring a 16-8 road mark.
Last season, Florida claimed games one (10-4) and three (14-4) in Gainesville for a series win despite dropping the Saturday contest (14-6). If Florida were to sweep this weekend, it would gain its first all-time series lead since March 6, 1971 (last tied: Feb. 26, 1978). Miami currently holds a slight edge all-time as the Gators trail, 132-134-1.
Pitching Matchups
Friday | 7 ET (ACCNX)
Saturday | 3 ET (ACCN)
Sunday | 1 ET (ACCNX)
Florida
LHP Cade Fisher<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/cade-fisher/16369> (1-1, 9.00 ERA)
RHP Liam Peterson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/liam-peterson/16631> (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
LHP Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/16365> (0-0, 9.00 ERA)
Miami
RHP Gade Ziehl (0-0, 7.71 ERA)
LHP Rafe Schlesinger (1-0, 0.82 ERA)
LHP Herick Hernandez (2-0, 0.00 ERA)
Links
WATCH<http://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=6c722acf-cce5-452c-b3b5-c6f80178f9cd> | LISTEN<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5340>
WATCH<http://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=f15f22e2-7ab3-4086-b07b-06d4ab39891f> | LISTEN<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5341>
WATCH<http://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=b8d4cf9e-ec30-47bf-9e3c-27536d7e1c59> | LISTEN<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5342>
Florida remained at No. 4 in the D1Baseball Top 25 this week. The Gators are a consensus top-six team nationally, coming in at No. 5 per Baseball America and No. 6 according to the NCBWA.
SCOUTING THE CANES
Miami is coming off a Wednesday loss to Florida Gulf Coast, sporting a 5-3 record entering the series. As a team, the Hurricanes are slashing .346/.464/.644 with 22 home runs in eight contests. On the mound, UM pitchers have worked to a 3.96 ERA over 75.0 innings. Miami is fielding at a .981 clip.
COOL GABLES
The Gators have won four-straight series in Coral Gables against the Hurricanes, posting a 9-3 record with their last series loss coming in 2014. Going beyond that, Florida is 6-1 in the last seven series at Miami, going 15-6 since 2010. The lone series loss occurred in 2014 (L 4-6, L 2-5, W 6-4).
LAST TIME OUT
Florida split its midweek matchups, falling at Stetson (L, 7-4) before rebounding to defeat Bethune-Cookman (9-2). The relief duo of right-handers Ryan Slater<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/ryan-slater/16377> and Grayson Smith<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/grayson-smith/16640> combined for 5 2/3 scoreless frames behind two-run homers from catcher Luke Heyman<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-heyman/16370> and outfielder Ty Evans<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-evans/16368> at Stetson. Against Bethune-Cookman, freshman southpaw Robert Satin<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/robert-satin/16637> earned his first-career win and infielder/outfielder Tyler Shelnut<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyler-shelnut/16376> finished a triple shy of the cycle.
SERIESLY WINNING
Florida has won 17 of its last 19 three-game, regular-season series dating back to the 2022 season including 11 of 13 in SEC play. The Gators are 34-11 in weekend series since 2023 and 43-14 over their last 19.
NON-CON DOMINANCE
After Wednesday’s win over B-CU, Florida has now won 19 of its last 21 regular season non-conference games. Dating back to 2023, the Gators are 28-5 in regular-season, non-con action.
NATIONAL DEFENSE
The Gators have committed two errors across 265 chances this season, including just one miscue by a UF position player. Florida’s .992 fielding percentage leads the SEC and ranks third nationally behind Oral Roberts and Boston College. From the second inning of the season opener until the eighth inning on Wednesday vs. B-CU, Florida went 67 1/3 innings without committing an error.
MOUND MILESTONES
Florida’s 102 strikeouts through eight games is the team’s most-ever to open as a season. As a staff, the Gators rank second in the nation with 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings behind Florida State (15.6 K/9).
TRUE FRESHMAN FIREPOWER
Florida true freshman hurlers are off to an unprecedented start this season. The quintet of righty Alex Philpott<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/alex-philpott/16632>, right-hander Liam Peterson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/liam-peterson/16631>, Satin, Smith and righty Reilly Witmer<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/reilly-witmer/16635> has combined to go 4-0 with 27 1/3 scoreless innings, 35 strikeouts and 16 walks. Philpott (2-0, 9.2 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 6 BB, 12 K) and Peterson (1-0, 7.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 4 BB, 13 K) have been particularly brilliant.
THE NEW 12 IN TOWN
Following Hunter Barco and Hurston Waldrep<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/hurston-waldrep/15517> in donning No. 12 in Orange & Blue, Peterson is fresh off SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honors. Peterson made two starts, tossing three shutout innings on one hit, one walk and seven strikeouts in his collegiate debut at North Florida. He then made a Saturday start and shut out Columbia over four frames. The youngster carries a 0.00 ERA, .125 BAA and 16.7 strikeouts per nine into his second-career weekend start on March 2.
THE CAGLIANONE FILE
2023 Golden Spikes Award Finalist and ABCA National Position Player of the Year Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/16365> enters the series slashing .469/.575/.688 on the season with more than twice as many walks (seven) as strikeouts (three). Ranking fourth in the SEC in average, Caglianone owns two homers, one double, 11 RBI and 11 runs. He has hit safely in all eight games this season.
GOING STREAKING
Four Gators have reached base safely in all eight games this season: Caglianone, Heyman, infielder Colby Shelton<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/colby-shelton/16639> and outfielder Michael Robertson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/michael-robertson/16375>. Although Caglianone’s eight-game hit streak leads Florida, Evans owns a seven-game hitting streak after missing the season opener due to injury.
SHELL-O SHOTS
Shelnut and Shelton lead the Gators with three home runs apiece. Both players are hitting over .340 and slugging above .720. Shelton leads the team with 13 runs while Shelnut’s 12 RBI are tied with Heyman for the team high. Shelton and Shelnut join Caglianone as the lone Gators with an OPS above 1.200, ranking first and third on the squad, respectively.
THIS PHILLY AIN’T CHICKEN
Philpott has opened his career with 9 2/3 scoreless innings and a .152 batting average against. He is tied for second on UF with four appearances and his two victories pace the roster. Philpott is one of five qualified SEC hurlers with a 0.00 ERA and wields 11.2 strikeouts per nine.
FRIDAY NIGHT FISH
After a shaky first start, Friday night man Cade Fisher<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/cade-fisher/16369> rebounded vs. Columbia. Fisher logged a career-high 10 strikeouts and zero walks across five innings of two-run ball. The outing paved the way for a Florida program record for single-game strikeout-to-walk ratio with 18 strikeouts and zero walks.
THE ARMANDOLORIAN
Playing in place of infielder Cade Kurland<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/cade-kurland/16372>, transfer senior infielder Armando Albert<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/armando-albert/16619> has gone 4-for-9 (.444/.688/.444) with zero strikeouts and four walks to open the campaign.
MAGIC MIKEY
Robertson is off to a strong start at the dish, having already surpassed his double output (five) in 35 at bats after doubling four times in 186 at bats last season. He is hitting .314/.385/.457 on the year highlighted by nine runs and two steals.
SEE YA SLATER
Philpott is not the only Gator to sit inside the top 10 in the SEC in ERA, as Slater ranks eighth with a 0.90 ERA through a team-high 10.0 innings pitched. Opposing hitters are batting .176 against Slater, who has surrendered six hits and three walks while striking out 13 batters.
TYBO TANKS
Despite missing the season opener due to injury, Evans has hit safely in every game since and is slashing .320/.485/.680 backed by two home runs, one triple, one double, 10 RBI and six runs in 25 at bats.
SULLY SUPERLATIVES
Since O’Sullivan’s 2008 arrival, no college program has more CWS trips (eight), 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 .617 winning percentage (277-172) since 2008 is the top mark in the conference.
YEAR TO REMEMBER
The 2023 Gators finished the season as the NCAA Runner-Up while winning a program-record 54 games and capturing the team’s 16th SEC Regular-Season Championship. In making the program’s 13th MCWS appearance including the eighth under O’Sullivan, the Gators claimed their 15th NCAA Regional Title and posted 50 victories for the seventh time ever. In the process, the Gators set single-season program records in home runs (145), pitching strikeouts (725), strikeouts per nine innings (10.6) and offensive hit-by-pitches (90).
2023 STANDOUTS
Seven different Gators collected All-American honors in 2023 including two unanimous first team selections in outfielder Wyatt Langford<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/wyatt-langford/15497> and Caglianone. That is on top of Florida’s league-high seven All-SEC selections. Of those seven All-Americans, four are back in Orange & Blue including Caglianone, Neely (second team), Kurland (freshman team) and left-hander Cade Fisher<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/cade-fisher/16369> (freshman team). Florida also saw O’Sullivan honored as the ABCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year and Caglianone as the ABCA National Position Player of the Year.
ON DECK
The Gators are back at home next week for five games at Condron Family Ballpark. Florida hosts FAU on Tuesday followed by UCF on Wednesday, before welcoming St. Mary’s to town for a three-game series. All five games will stream on SEC Network+.
