The fourth-ranked Florida Gators are set to host the Columbia Lions of the Ivy League this upcoming weekend in a three-game series spanning from Friday, Feb. 23 through Sunday, Feb. 25.
Friday’s series opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. while games two and three will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. on Sunday, respectively. All three matchups can be streamed on SEC Network+.
This is the first meeting between Florida and Columbia since the Gators’ 13-5 win over the Lions in the opening game of the 2018 Gainesville Regional. Prior to that, the Gators swept the Lions in a three-game series in March of 2017 and won a midweek contest in 2003 to build a 5-0 all-time series lead. Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan is 4-0 against Columbia. Every game in the series has been played in Gainesville.
Pitching matchups
Friday: LHP Cade Fisher (0-1, 22.50 ERA) vs RHP Joe Sheets (3-4, 4.26 ERA)
Saturday: RHP Liam Peterson: (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP Andy Leon (6-3, 4.79 ERA)
Sunday: LHP Jac Caglianone: (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs LHP JD Ogden (0-2, 10.98 ERA)
Scouting the Lions
Friday night will be opening day for Columbia as the Ivy League starts their 2024 season this weekend. In 2023, Columbia posted a 23-22 (11-10 IVY) record and finished fourth place out of eight teams in their conference. The Lions found a quality series win over No.18 Alabama on the third weekend of last season, defeating the Crimson Tide 15-3 in Sunday’s rubber match in Tuscaloosa. Later in the season, Columbia picked up a midweek win over UConn, who would later become a two-seed in the Gainesville regional, defeating the Huskies by a score of 19-14.
“This weekend is going to be a very challenging weekend,” Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan said on Florida’s upcoming three game series with Columbia. “They got two starters that both I think had 12 starts last year that have experience, their lineup is older, the three-hole hitter looks like a really really good hitter, and they are perennially a team that is in the regionals. We’re going to have our hands full, and it’s an older club, they got a lot of guys back.”
Columbia has made the regional round of the NCAA Tournament twice in the last four seasons (didn’t play in 2020 or 2021), including two wins against No.14 Gonzaga in 2022, knocking them out of the Blacksburg, Virginia regional.
Returning players to watch
INF / RHP Griffin Palfrey: Likely the best returning player on the Lions is INF / RHP Griffin Palfrey. The 6’4, 200-pound two-way player appeared in 42 games as a pitcher and infielder, ranking second on the team in batting average (.356) and RBIs (44) while tying for second on the team in hits (62). Palfrey ranked in the top ten among Ivy League hitters in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, OPS, hits, RBIs, and doubles. He made eight appearances on the mound and struck out 15 batters in 20.1 innings of work, including three scoreless innings in his first outing of the 2023 season on 2/26 at Virginia.
1B / OF Cole Hage: The senior was named First Team All-Ivy League for the second-straight year in 2023, appearing in 40 games for the Lions including 35 starts. Hage posted the highest on-base percentage (.500) in Ivy League play while leading the team in batting average, OPS, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage in conference play. His .328 batting average on the 2023 season ranked 4th on last year’s team while his nine home runs was the 3rd most on the Lions.
RHP Joe Sheets: The junior right hander has tallied 23 starts since joining Columbia’s baseball program in 2022, posting a career 5.04 ERA while striking out 78 batters across 121.1 career innings. Sheets isn’t a guy that’s going to generate a ton of swings and misses, but he won’t allow many free passes, walking just 19 batters in 67.2 innings pitched a season ago. Sheets will start on Friday for the Lions.
RHP Andy Leon: Leon is another pitcher with loads of college experience already, totaling 21 starts in his two years at Columbia. The 6’1, 215-pound right hander has a career ERA of 4.64 and has struck out 79 batters across 95.0 career innings. Leon was named to the Second Team All-Ivy League and tied for second in the Ivy League with six wins in 2023. Leon’s command has been elite in college, walking just 32 batters in 95 innings pitched.