It was all Gators from the start of Sunday’s double header vs South Carolina. Florida would go on to beat the Gamecocks 22-3 in game two of the series and 8-0 after seven innings in the finale, completing the sweep and improving to 33-16 (11-13 SEC) on the 2025 season. Game two’s victory marked Florida’s 4th consecutive SEC series win, contributing to a sensational season turnaround after starting 1-11 in conference play.
In order to complete a series sweep on the road you need production from up and down the lineup. Two or three guys is not going to get find you three wins. The Gators got exactly that throughout Saturday’s double header. Outfielders Ty Evans and Hayden Yost, who entered the weekend with one home run a piece on the 2025 season, both homered twice in the series, combining for 16 RBI and 11 runs in three games.
Junior catcher Luke Heyman continued his tear against SEC pitching, launching two monster home runs in Florida’s game two blowout after homering in game one. Freshman infielder Brendan Lawson recorded at least one hit in every game this weekend including a grand slam in game two, scoring five runs while recording five RBI in the series.
Perhaps the most overlooked player of the series, and only because he didn’t homer, was junior outfielder Ashton Wilson, who finished the weekend reaching base in eight straight plate appearances. After not playing on Friday, Wilson combined for four hits, four RBI, four runs, and five stolen bases throughout Sunday’s double header.
I could go on and on about the production as there’s more to talk about then just those five guys, but you get the point. Every player that started two or more games for Florida this weekend scored at least three runs and recorded at least two hits in the series. Eight of Florida’s nine starters recorded at least three hits. That’s simply elite production. In total, Florida outscored the Gamecocks 39-8 in 25 innings.
The Gators put a baserunning clinic on display this weekend, swiping 10 bags in three games. Their only failed attempt was a double steal, where Hayden Yost beat the throw but popped up off the bag while the third baseman applied the tag. Over the last month, Florida has utilized the delayed steal, which has proven to be highly effective especially against left-handed batters. The delayed steal forces the defense to use verbal cues as the catcher can’t always see the base runner, which often times causes the catcher and the middle infield to have a late reaction.
On the pitching side, Florida was put in a difficult situation with back-to-back weather delays in games one and two. The Gators put up football numbers in game two, scoring 16 runs in the final two innings including 11 in the 9th. This put the game away and allowed Florida to give Jake Clemente some much needed rest.
Entering game three, there was some concern as Florida’s top relievers Luke McNeillie and Clemente were done for the weekend. LHP Pierce Coppola posted a scoreless frame in his first start since March 1st vs Miami. With Coppola still heavily limited, the Gators turned to freshman RHP Jackson Barberi, who fired a career high 3.1 scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and striking out four. Redshirt freshman RHP Christian Rodriguez also tossed a career high 2.2 scoreless innings, finishing the game while allowing just two base runners.
It was a much-needed team effort on Sunday.
Florida has won 13 of their last 15 games and ride a four game SEC win streak into Austin next weekend when the Gators take on top ranked Texas Longhorns in a three-game set.