Many thanks to @GatorGrowl for compiling this additional information on the Florida/Auburn series and Gator statistics so far in the 2023 season. If he has time, he'll be doing the same for each weekend series. Gatorgal04
AUBURN PREVIEW: No. 3 Florida and Auburn meet for the first time since 2021, when the Gators took two of three on the road. The last series in Gainesville was in 2018, with UF winning two of three in that set in addition to defeating Auburn in Super Regionals, two games to one. The Gators last lost a series to the Tigers on the road in 2017 and enter with a 19-11 record against Auburn under Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan, including a 10-5 mark at home. Florida and Auburn first met in 1913, as the Tigers dominated the early stages with wins in 16 of the first 20 meetings while Florida has claimed 29 of the last 42
IN THE RANKINGS: Florida remained at No. 3 in the D1Baseball Top-25 this week and rank as highly as No. 2 nationally according to Baseball America, Perfect Game and the NCBWA. The Gators are also USA Today's No. 3 team. NATION'S #1 OFFENSE: The Gators lead the nation with 296 hits while ranking second in runs (260), home runs (61) and slugging (.621). UF is also fourth with 14 triples and fifth with a .328 batting average. Florida paces the SEC in hits, slugging, RBI, at bats, and triples, ranking top three in batting, doubles, homers, and runs. The Gators' 559 total bases are 68 more than the next-closest SEC team (South Carolina 491) POW POW CAGS: After hitting .611/.650/1.333 (11-Pfor-18) last week, Caglianone earned his second SEC Co-Player of the Week nod. The Tampa, Fla. native totaled four home runs, one double, eight RBI, five runs scored and an SEC-leading 24 total bases. During Saturday's doubleheader against the Rebels, Caglianone blasted three home runs including one in each game GIVE US A SEC: Florida has won six-straight SEC series dating back to 2022. Including the SEC Tournament, the Gators are 18-6 across their last 24 games vs. SEC opponents. Since O'Sullivan took the reins in 2008, Florida's .616 winning % in regular season SEC play is tops in the SEC (262-163). WEEKEND WARRIORS: UF is 16-2 in weekend series this year having swept four of a possible six, and 25-5 in series dating back to '22. UF's only weekend losses have come vs. No. 22 Miami and No. 24 Alabama. The Gators are outscoring teams by a plus-95 margin (5.3 runs/game) and out-hitting teams by 81 knocks (4.5 hits/game)
Page 2 IT ALL DA' PENS: Across the last 12 games dating back to March 8 vs. FAU, Gators relievers have combined for a 6-0 record, 2.09 ERA, .211 batting average against and 63 strikeouts against 11 walks in 47 1/3 innings. That translates to a 12.0 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9. Southpaw Philip Abner and right-handed closer Brandon Neely have anchored the turnaround, accounting for 21 1/3 innings with just two earned runs allowed, 29 strikeouts and five walks. In Abner's last six appearances spanning 11.0 frames, he is 3-0 with one save, a 0.00 ERA, .154 batting average against and 14 strikeouts. The lefty owns a 1.32 ERA and 14.5 K.9 while Neely is 5-for-5 in save chances with a 3.66 ERA and 13.3 K/9 OUR RIVERA RUNS THRU IT: Starting shortstop Josh Rivera leads the team in batting (.402), on-base percentage (.500), runs (37), RBI (39) and stolen bases (eight) while wielding a 1.304 OPS. Rivera ranks second in the NCAA in runs and eighth in RBI (third in SEC). Having already set career highs in RBI and home runs (12), the Avon Park, Fla. native boasts more walks (17) than strikeouts (13) and is one of two Gators to start all 26 games thus far. Rivera has six multi-hit games in the last seven contests, and seven in the previous nine. His 28-game on-base streak (25 in 2023) was snapped on Sunday at Ole Miss. COMEBACK KIDS: Of Florida's 22 wins, 10 have come in comeback fashion (45.5%) - just three short of last year's 66-game total of 13 (20.0%). The Gators have three comeback wins in the seventh inning or later in the last six games after having zero such comebacks in all of 2022, as UF was 0-20 when trailing after six innings. In 2023, Florida is 2-2 when trailing after six. Perhaps most impressively, Florida is 9-1 when the opponent scores first, compared to 11-15 last year. THE CHAMP IS HERE: After missing seven games due to injury, All-American outfielder Wyatt Langford returned to the starting lineup at designated hitter during Saturday's doubleheader at Ole Miss. ESPN's No. 1 prospect for the 2023 MLB Draft homered in game two of the twin bill and returned to left field in Sunday's finale. Despite the missed time, Langford is hitting .386/.521/.843 with eight homers, seven doubles, 30 runs and 19 RBI. He has struck out a team-low nine times (min. 2 AB/G) against 17 walks, translating to an impressive 9.6 K% and 18.1 BB% THREE-HEADED MONSTER: Florida's weekend starting rotation of Brandon Sproat, Hurston Waldrep and Jac Caglianone is a combined 11-1 with a 3.94 ERA, .188 batting average against and 141 strikeouts (13.2 K/9) in 96 innings. The trio is averaging 5.3 innings/start and allowing just 6.0 hits and 0.6 home runs per nine.
Page 3 JAC OF ALL TRADES: With a nation-leading 17 home runs, Caglianone has one more homer than former UF teammate Kris Armstrong (16), who is now at Jacksonville. Caglianone has four more homers than the next-closest SEC player (Gavin Casas, SC) and his 102 total bases are 10 more than anyone else in the nation (Armstrong, 92). Backed by a .400/.462/.971 slash line, Caglianone ranks second in the SEC in slugging, T-third in hits (42) and T-fourth in RBI (38, T-ninth in NCAA). The slugger has as many home runs as singles (17) and has already posted four multi-homer games in 2023. Meanwhile, Caglianone is 3-0 on the mound with a 3.41 ERA, .150 batting average against and 35 strikeouts in 29 innings. CAN'T ROCK THE SPROAT, BABY: Right-hander Brandon Sproat has not lost a start since he took over the Friday night role on April 29, 2022 vs. Kentucky. In that span, the Gators are 12-0 and Sproat is 9-0, owning a 2.53 ERA, 83 strikeouts and 27 walks in 74 2/3 frames. His last loss came on April 23 vs. No. 1 Tennessee - a span that reaches 342 days as of his Friday start vs. Auburn. He was named SEC Pitcher of the Week and NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week on March 20 after throwing a one-hit shutout with a career-high 11 strikeouts against No. 24 Alabama on March 16. SWING KINGS: Florida has a run differential of plus-133 and has scored in 53.4% of batted innings this season (109 of 204). The Gators boast 288 hits (11.1 hits/game) including double-digit knocks in 20 of 26 games. BLAST OFF: Florida has homered in 23 of 36 games this season including going yard in 15-straight contests from Feb. 21 through March 12 - the team's longest-such streak in the last 25 years. UF's 61 homers equate to 2.3 per game and rank second in the NCAA behind South Carolina's 64. The Gators are on pace to hit 129 home runs in the regular season alone, which is just three shy of the school record set in 1998 (132) - meaning UF would likely blow past the record during postseason play.
Still surprised how often theyve played, basically same as FSU for UF. Where as have only played Bama 130 ish times total.
I guess because they are closer than anyone else. We always played them and UGA as well in football but seldom played Bama. I remember back in the late 60's and early 70's the baseball games were played on week day afternoons many times. We would ride our bikes up to the games and collect some of the broken bats to tape up and play with.
yeah so do I actually im vaguely recalling wacking divisions/scheduling pre first expansion.. Had div. tourneys etc.. Shouldnt have anything to do w/ home away diff. but maybe games playyed total... were they playing home & homes per year for a bit.. just cant remeber that well.
Parlaying info is always a good thing but if you'd rather read it for yourself in more detail here's a link.... 3 31 Auburn public (PDF) - Florida Gators
