No.13 Florida is set to host No.4 Georgia this weekend in the Gators’ SEC Home Opener from Friday, March 21 through Sunday, March 23.
Friday night’s series opener between the Gators (18-5, 0-3 SEC) and Bulldogs (21-2, 2-1 SEC) is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+. Game two airs on SEC Network on Saturday at 12 p.m. while Sunday’s finale is slated for 1 p.m. on SEC Network+.
Florida enters as winners of four of its last five against the Bulldogs, taking two of three in Athens last season (L 9-4, W 7-4, W 19-11) to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Gators have claimed eight of the last 10 series in the rivalry, going 18-12 in the span. Florida is 195-116-2 overall and 102-45-1 vs. Georgia all-time, including marks of 32-18 (overall) and 18-6 (home) under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: RHP Aidan King (3-1, 0.81 ERA) vs LHP Charlie Goldstein (0-0, 7.36 ERA)
Saturday: TBD vs RHP Brian Curley (1-0, 3.29 ERA)
Sunday: RHP Jake Clemente (1-0, 4.24 ERA) vs TBD
– Florida’s Friday night starter RHP Liam Peterson is expected to miss his start this weekend with general soreness, according to D1Baseball’s Jacob Rudner. Rudner also notes that the Gators could get their ace back as soon as next week.
– Georgia will start their closer Brian Curley on Saturday in an effort to find more consistency with their starting pitching.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Georgia’s offense is among the best in the country as the Bulldogs have scored the third most runs in all of college baseball and average nearly 10 runs a game. Georgia holds a team batting average of .317 and lead the NCAA in home runs with 57.
INF / OF Ryland Zaborowski leads the country in home runs with 12 and his teammate Robbie Burnett is right behind him with 11. Both hold OPS’s over 1.600, which is an astonishing statistic over a third the way through the season. Burnett has stolen 11 bags this season and ranks 2nd in the country in runs scored. Returning starters Tre Phelps and Slate Alford are huge pieces in Georgia’s offense as well. Georgia’s offense is patient at the plate with 159 walks on the season. 12 Bulldogs have an on base percentage over .430.
While Georgia holds a 21-2 (2-1 SEC) record and a No.4 national ranking, their season hasn’t been exactly smooth sailing. The Bulldogs have struggled on the mound, holding a team ERA of 4.95, which ranks 85th in the country. In particular, Georgia hasn’t been able to find quality starts from their weekend starters. According to data pulled on March 19th, Georgia’s starting pitchers have combined for 39.1 innings pitched this season while their relief pitching has combined for 149.2 innings pitched. As clearly seen by the data, Georgia’s bullpen has held their season together to this point.
Georgia has walked 109 batters this season, equating to 4.95 per game, which ranks 161st in the country. In an effort to find more consistent starting pitching, the Bulldogs have shuffled their weekend rotation once again, moving closer Brian Curley into the Saturday spot.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gators are fresh off back-to-back, run-rule victories during the midweek slate. Florida defeated Jacksonville, 16-4, and Florida A&M, 14-4, finishing off both teams in just seven innings. The Gators scored 30 combined runs in 13 offensive innings during its two midweek games. Florida will hope to carry their offensive success into the Georgia series as the Gators desperately need a series win sitting at 0-3 in the conference.