The Florida Gators are set to host UConn, Texas Tech, and Florida A&M inside Condron Family Ballpark for the 2023 NCAA Regional Tournament from June 2-5.
Gator Country continues to break down the competition in the Gainesville Regional.
NO.4 SEED FLORIDA A&M
The Rattlers enter the Gainesville Regional holding a 29-28 (18-12 SWAC) record while fresh off a SWAC Tournament Championship. This marks the third time in program history that FAMU has made it to the NCAA Tournament, all three under current Head Coach Jamey Shouppe.
Florida A&M is a familiar face for Kevin O’Sullivan’s squad as the two teams squared off on April 17th inside Condron Ballpark, with the Gators posting a 17-7 victory in seven innings.
The Rattlers are sound offensively, posting a team slash line of .296/.386/.480 throughout the 2023 season. FAMU has six starters with a .300+ batting average, three of which have an OPS greater than 1.000.
Jamey Shouppe’s ballclub has hit 69 home runs this season, the lowest amount of any team in the Gainesville Regional.
Florida A&M’s pitching staff has worked to a combined 6.99 ERA in 2023, which ranks 229th out of 295 division one teams.
Defensively, the Rattlers have committed 77 errors for a fielding percentage of .963, ranking 226th in the country.
PITCHING MATCHUP
RHP Caleb Granger (6-4, 6.61 ERA) vs LHP Jac Caglianone (6-3, 4.14 ERA)
Florida A&M will not throw their ace against Florida, but instead will pitch their No.2. Granger has tossed 79 innings this year in 18 appearances and 13 starts. The Tallahassee, Florida native holds opposing teams to batting average of .355 while striking out 55 batters and walking 26. Granger did not appear in FAMU’s game against Florida earlier this year.
KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH
RHP Hunter Viets – Florida A&M’s ace won’t pitch against the Gators as they are likely saving him for the second game. However, if the Rattlers do win a game this weekend, it will likely be at the hands of Hunter Viets. The Pensacola, Florida native worked to an 8-2 record across 15 starts this season, holding an ERA of 3.12. Viets has shown the ability to get the swings and misses while commanding the ball, striking out 78 batters and walking just 17. He ranks 41st nationally in strikeout to walk ratio.
Outfielder Janmikell Bastardo – The senior outfielder posted a slash line of .342/.422/.594 while blasting 12 home runs in 2023, the second highest on the team. Bastardo recorded an RBI single against Florida earlier this year and is one of FAMU’s best all-around bats.
First baseman Sebastian Greico – Some of you may recall Sebastian Greico as he homered off of Gators’ freshman pitcher Yoel Tejeda Jr in the second inning of their late season bout. The Tampa native cranked a team high 17 home runs this year while holding a batting average of .271 and a slugging percentage of .623, also a team high. Greico is a large source of FAMU’s offensive production as he plated a team 68 base runners in 2023.
Center fielder Ty Jackson – The Jacksonville, Florida native had his way with Florida pitching earlier this season, totaling three hits and two runs scored from the leadoff spot inside Condron Ballpark. This was nothing new for Jackson as he posted a team high .374 batting average in 2023 while leading the team in runs scored with 64.
ANALYSIS
The Gators are 29-1 all-time against the Rattlers featuring a 13-1 mark and wins in 11-straight under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan.
A singular win this weekend would be considered a huge success for their program. Although FAMU’s offense may be able to keep up, their pitching staff and defensive ability draw major concerns as they are set to face a trio of dangerous offensive lineups.