No.4 Florida hosts the Missouri Tigers in a three-game series inside Condron Ballpark this weekend.
The Gators (32-10, 11-7 SEC) took 2/3 from the Tigers a season ago in Columbia. Kevin O’Sullivan holds an astonishing 23-4 record vs Missouri including a perfect 12-0 tally at home.
Florida leads the all-time series 28-5, featuring a 16-1 record in Gainesville.
DATES, TIMES, AND BROADCAST INFO
Game 1: Friday, April 28th at 7:00 PM / SECN+
Game 2: Saturday, April 29th at 12:00 PM / SECN+
Game 3; Sunday, April 30th at 12:00 PM / SECN+
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: RHP Brandon Sproat (5-1, 4.93 ERA) vs. RHP Chandler Murphy (3-3, 4.30 ERA)
Saturday: RHP Hurston Waldrep (6-1, 4.60 ERA) vs. TBA
Sunday: TBA vs. TBA
It appears that Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan will consider making a switch on Sunday. Jac Caglianone has started every series finale for the Gators thus far but has struggled with his command as of late.
Florida’s closer, Brandon Neely, has experience in the Sunday slot and is the likely candidate to take over if the Gators decide to make a move.
Gator Country will update our forums when we hear the official announcement.
MISSOURI BASEBALL
The Tigers (24-16, 5-13 SEC) enter the weekend in last place of the SEC East while holding the second worst conference record, leading only Ole Miss (3-15).
Missouri started off the 2023 season on the right note, sweeping then No.4 ranked Tennessee to kick off conference play, outscoring the Vols 23-6 in the three-game set. This marks the Tigers’ only series win of the season. Missouri found single wins against No.5 Vanderbilt and Texas A&M.
Missouri is slashing .260/.377/.439 as a team, led by Luke Mann (.316/.441/.612, 12 homers). On the mound, the Tigers hold a 4.98 ERA backed by a .970 team fielding percentage.
The Tigers are not particularly sound in any phase of the game, but they are not a team the Gators can overlook as Missouri has been competitive in several SEC series this year. Although they were swept by No.3 South Carolina, two of the losses were by one run, including a 12-inning battle on March 25th.
FLORIDA’S ALL TIME HOME RUN LEADER?
Jac Caglianone is just three home runs shy of tying Florida’s program record of 26 shared by Matt LaPorta (2005) and Wyatt Langford (2022). On pace for 30 long balls in the regular season alone, Caglianone has three more homers than former UF teammate Kris Armstrong (20) as well as three more than any SEC player. He also ranks fifth in the NCAA in slugging (.866 – second in SEC) and T-eighth in RBI (60 – third in SEC).
Caglianone could make history with a huge weekend at the plate as well as solidify himself as a top candidate for the Golden Spikes award.
NOTEABLES
- Caglianone’s career homers/game rate is .439 while the team record is .344 (Matt LaPorta).
- Langford is on track to set Florida’s career slugging percentage record (.721, record is .714).
- UF’s K/9 of 11.2 ranks sixth in the NCAA this season. The team record is 9.9 (2016).
- Langford enters Friday with 99 career games in the field and zero errors (1.000 fielding percentage)
- Luke Heyman is hitting a home run in every 10.25 at bats. For context, Jac Caglianone is hitting a home run every 7.47 at bats and is the Nations’s home run leader by three long balls.