The Gators are 26-4 vs. Mizzou since the Tigers joined the SEC including wins in 20 of the last 21 meetings since 2016.
Columbia, Mo. – The No. 6 Florida Gators trek to the Midwest this weekend, visiting the Missouri Tigers at Taylor Stadium in a three-game series beginning Friday, April 5.
All three games will stream on SEC Network+ with Friday night’s series premiere scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Games two and three will begin on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET and Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
Florida (17-11, 6-3 SEC) visits Missouri (12-18, 1-8 SEC) for the first time since 2022 as the Gators look to remain undefeated in weekend series this season. Florida is 6-3 in SEC play, boasting a trio of top-25 series victories over No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 5 LSU and No. 21 Mississippi State while also taking down Saint Mary’s, Columbia and Miami in non-conference action.
When the Gators last played at Missouri, they won two of three games for a series win (W 13-1, L 5-3, W 4-3). Overall, Florida has won 20 of the last 21 matchups for a 31-5 all-time series lead. The Gators are 26-4 vs. the Tigers under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/kevin-o-sullivan/1752>, including 11-4 on the road.
Pitching Matchups
Friday | 7 ET (SECN+) Saturday | 4 ET (SECN+) Sunday | 2 ET (SECN+)
Florida RHP Brandon Neely<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brandon-neely/16373> (1-0, 6.05 ERA) RHP Liam Peterson<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/liam-peterson/16631> (1-3, 8.31 ERA) LHP Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/16365> (3-0, 2.18 ERA)
Missouri RHP Logan Lunceford (1-2, 7.28 ERA) RHP Javyn Pimental (1-1, 2.60 ERA) TBD
Links WATCH<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/23096622-95cb-4a76-8852-99d6bc72180d> | LISTEN<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5390> WATCH<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/5eb1d2d1-54d3-4d92-b3bc-b7a071965a20> | LISTEN<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5391> WATCH<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/24077112-30b9-4750-9e6a-c6dda1758a4c> | LISTEN<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5392>
The Gators stand at No. 6 in the D1Baseball Top 25 this week, holding steady after a series win at home against then-No. 21 Mississippi State. Baseball America ranks Florida at No. 4 in the country, with Perfect Game tabbing the Gators at No. 6.
GET TO KNOW THE TIGERS
Missouri is 12-18 on the season and 1-8 in SEC play. Through 30 games, the Tigers are slashing .248/.357/.403 with 33 home runs backed by a 5.43 ERA on the mound. Missouri is fielding at a .974 clip on the defensive end.
WEEK IN REVIEW
On Tuesday, Florida put an end to its midweek woes with a 10-7 victory over Florida A&M. Four Gators combined for five homers in the win, as designated hitter Brody Donay<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brody-donay/16621> (twice), shortstop Colby Shelton<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/colby-shelton/16639>, first baseman Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/16365> and second baseman Cade Kurland<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/cade-kurland/16372> all went yard. On the hill, right-hander Blake Purnell<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/blake-purnell/16374> and southpaw Cade Fisher<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/cade-fisher/16369> combined for four shutout innings to close it out.
Prior to that, the Gators posted a series win over Mississippi State, rallying for two walk-off wins on Friday and Sunday off the bats of Kurland (one-run single) and Caglianone (two-run home run). Catcher Tanner Garrison<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/tanner-garrison/16622> had a standout weekend, going 4-for-7 at the plate with a home run on Friday. Garrison provided a much-needed spark from the bottom of the order, improving his batting average by more than 60 points.
SERIESLY WINNING
The Gators have claimed 22 of their last 24 three-game, regular-season series dating back to the 2022 season including 15 of 17 in SEC play. The Gators are 44-16 in weekend series since the start of last season and 53-19 across the team’s previous 24 series at any venue.
THE SEC’S FINEST
Since Florida’s last home series loss vs. Tennessee from April 22-24, 2022, the Gators have gone 43-19 vs. SEC opponents featuring a 35-16 regular-season mark. In that span, Florida has won 15 of its last 17 SEC series. Dating back to O’Sullivan’s first year at UF in 2008, Florida’s .618 winning % is the best in the conference (283-175).
DINGERS, GEMS & WHIFFS APLENTY
The Gators are the SEC’s second-best defensive team in terms of fielding percentage, ranking fourth in the NCAA at .984. Having launched 61 home runs in 28 games (2.2 HR/G), Florida ranks sixth nationally and third in the SEC in big flies. With 300 strikeouts in 247 innings, Florida sits 12th nationally and fourth in the SEC in strikeouts per nine (10.9).
RELENTLESS REPTILES
The Gators came from behind to walk-off No. 21 Mississippi State twice over the weekend, then posted a comeback victory over FAMU on Tuesday. Florida now boasts nine come-from-behind wins on the season, with all six of Florida’s SEC victories coming in comeback fashion. The Gators wield three walk-off victories already this year.
WE’RE GOING STREAKING
The longest active on-base streaks on the team belong to outfielder/infielder Tyler Shelnut<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/tyler-shelnut/16376> (15 games) and Caglianone (14), with the latter pacing UF with a seven-game hit streak.
JAC OF ALL TRADES
Caglianone enters the weekend leading UF in every slash category (.397/.481/.776), as well as hits (46), home runs (14), RBI (30) and OPS (1.257). He is third in the SEC in hits, t-third in homers, sixth in batting and sixth in total bases. On the mound, he paces the team in ERA (2.18, fourth in SEC), WHIP (1.12) and batting average against (.138, second in SEC) across 33 innings. He trails Arkansas’ Hagen Smith (.136 BAA) by .02 for the SEC lead in BAA. In his last five starts, Caglianone has allowed five earned runs across 30 innings on 13 hits, 20 walks and 37 strikeouts. He has not allowed a hit until at least the third inning in five of six starts and has taken three no-hitters into the fourth or later.
YOUNG GUNS
Florida has used 10 freshman pitchers featuring six in SEC play, with both totals pacing the SEC. Tennessee is the next-closest with eight freshman pitchers used this year. Florida’s six freshman hurlers in SEC play is twice as many as the next-closest schools.
McNEILLIE MAGIC
Rookie right-hander Luke McNeillie<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/luke-mcneillie/16629> has turned his season around, earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Monday. He has strung together five-straight scoreless outings spanning 10 innings, striking out 14 against four walks. He earned both of Florida’s wins en route to a series victory over Mississippi State, going 2-0 with 4 1/3 shutout innings, six strikeouts, zero walks and two hits allowed. He has yet to allow a run in SEC play.
TYME TO REMEMBER
Collecting multiple hits in 11 of the last 16 games, outfielder Ty Evans<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/ty-evans/16368> is second in multi-hit contests (13) behind Caglianone (16). Evans is also second on UF in batting (.361), on-base percentage (.448), at bats (108) and hits (39). His 39 hits have come in just 108 at bats, tying his career high in 163 at bats from last season.
FRIDAY NIGHT NEELS
All-American righty Brandon Neely<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/brandon-neely/16373> will be making his second start of the season on Friday night after starting vs. MSU one week ago. Neely logged 13 saves in the closer role last season, but shined as a starter as a freshman in 2022: 2-3, 3.60 ERA, 50.0 IP, 54 K, 16 BB. He has held hitters to a .236 batting average against this season and owns a .216 career mark. Florida is 5-2 in Neely’s seven-career regular season starts, with the last loss in fact coming at Missouri on May 14, 2022 (L 5-3).
MURDERERS’ ROW
Each of the first four hitters in the UF lineup sport an OPS above 1.000 in Shelton (1.085), Evans (1.068), Caglianone (1.257) and Shelnut (1.090). The quartet has accounted for 42 of Florida’s 61 homers this season. All four players are getting on base above a .400 clip while slugging .620 or higher.
THAT REALLY HURT
Florida was hit by five pitches in the finale vs. MSU and six times on Tuesday vs. FAMU (most since 3/7/23 vs. FAU) for 11 hit-by-pitches in the last two games alone. The Gators’ 59 hit-by-pitches this season rank 18th nationally and second in the SEC.
GARY ON GUARD
After leading NCAA Division I in pitch framing last season, Garrison is tied for the SEC lead with seven runners caught stealing (7-for-11) alongside Auburn’s Ike Irish (7-for-28), albeit on 17 fewer attempts. Garrison has thrown out 63.6% of base stealers this season and has a 1.000 fielding percentage over 146 chances.
BLAKE SUPERIOR
Turning a major corner, Purnell has not allowed an earned run in his last seven relief appearances. As a result, he has cut his ERA in half from 12.46 to 5.23. In those seven outings, Purnell has pitched 6.0 innings with five strikeouts against one walk and four hits.
ON DECK
Florida remains on the road with a Tuesday visit to Florida State at 6 p.m. on ESPN 2.
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