To read all the notes 4 14 Georgia public (PDF) - Florida Gators Readers Digest Version Below RADIO/TV ANNOUNCERS Radio: Steve Russell & Eric Castaldo (Friday & Sunday), Jeff Cardozo & Steve Russell (Saturday) TV: Jeff Cardozo & Nick Belmonte (Friday & Sun- day), Richard Cross & Lance Cormier (Saturday) #3 FLORIDA GATORS vs GEORGIA BULLDOGS FRIDAY, APRIL 14 - 7 PM | SATURDAY, APRIL 15 - 7 PM | SUNDAY, APRIL 16 - 1 PM CONDRON FAMILY BALLPARK AT ALFRED A. MCKETHAN FIELD (GAINESVILLE, FLA.) TV/STREAM SEC NETWORK+ (FRIDAY & SUNDAY) | SEC NETWORK (SATURDAY) RADIO ESPN 98.1FM/850AM WRUF (GNV) | WJXL 1010AM (JAX)
BORDER BATTLE: The series between Florida and Georgia on the diamond dates back to April 6, 1934, with the last meeting in Gainesville occurring two years ago from May 14-16, 2021. The Gators took two of three in that series (W 4-3, W 9-2, L 6-1), but were swept in Athens last season (L 7-6, L 6-1, L 14-8). Florida has not lost a home series to Georgia since 2006 and enters with a 17-8 record in the last 25 home matchups since. The Gators are 28-16 against the Bulldogs under Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan including 16-5 at home. LAST TIME OUT: The Gators are fresh off a comeback win against FSU on Tuesday, using a four-run eighth to overcome a three-run deficit, 5-3. Outfielder Ty Evans provided the go-ahead, three-run double with two outs in the eighth while Cade Fisher tossed two scoreless innings of relief for the win and Brandon Neely struck out the side in the ninth for the save. Prior to that, UF took two of three at No.11 Tennessee (W 6-1, W 9-3, L 14-2). Starters Brandon Sproat (5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 9 K) and Hurston Waldrep (7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K) earned wins in the first two games, with seven different Gators homering in the series. IN THE RANKINGS: Florida remained at No. 3 in the D1Baseball Top-25 this week and rank as highly as No. 2 nationally at Baseball America, Perfect Game and the NCBWA. MURDERER'S ROW:Three qualified Gators head into the series with an OPS above 1.250 in Wyatt Langford (1.369), Jac Caglianone (1.302) and Josh Rivera (1.254). No other SEC program even has three qualified hitters all with an OPS above 1.200. GOLDEN SPIKES: Rivera and Caglianone were named to the Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List on April 5. The duo was among 24 athletes to be added to the 45-player list. WEEKEND WARRIORS: Florida has won eight straight series which stretches to 12-consecutive dating back to 2022. That features eight-straight SEC series wins including four in a row this season. The Gators are 20-4 in weekend series this year and 29-7 over their last-12 series. JUST A SEC: With wins in eight-straight SEC series, UF last dropped an SEC series from April 22-24, 2022 vs. No. 1 Tennessee. Since then, the Gators are 22-8 against conference opponents. Since O'Sullivan took the reins in 2008, Florida's .617 winning % in regular season SEC play is tops in the SEC (266-165)
RELENTLESS REPTILES: 14 of Florida's wins this season have been in comeback fashion, surpassing last year's 66-game total of 13. After going 0-20 last season when trailing after six innings, Florida is 3-4 in that scenario already in 2023. Even more impressively, the Gators are 12-3 when the opponent scores first this season, compared to 11-15 last year. OFFENSIVE JUGGERNAUT: Florida is found near the top of the leaderboard for nearly every offensive statistic, ranking top-10 nationally in slugging percentage (second - .592), home runs (third - 74), runs (fifth - 320), hits (seventh - 369) and triples (seventh - 17). The Gators also rank 15th in the NCAA with a .316 batting average (second in SEC) and pace the SEC in hits, slugging, triples, at bats and total bases, as the Gators' 690 bases are 64 more than the next-closest team (South Carolina, 626). FILLING UP FRAMES: 34 games into the season, the Gators are scoring in nearly half (49.3%) of their batted innings (134 of 272). Florida has a run differential of plus-146, averaging 9.4 runs/game and 10.9 hits/game. DON'T ROCK THE SPROAT, BABY:Right-hander Brandon Sproat has lost one decision across his last 14 starts. In that span, Sproat is 10-1 with a 3.30 ERA and 10.4 K/9 across 81 2/3 innings, equating to an average of 5.8 innings/start. The Gators are 13-1 in Sproat's last 14 starts. His 13.1 strikeouts per nine ranks 26th nationally. THE BIG HURST:Ranking second in the country behind LSU's Paul Skenes with 75 strike-outs, righty Hurston Waldrep has won three-straight starts and delivered quality starts in four of his last five outings. Waldrep's 15.0 strikeouts per nine ranks sixth nationally while his six wins are tied for the SEC lead (T-sixth in NCAA). NEELY'S NINTH: Gators closer Brandon Neely leads the SEC with three more saves (seven) than the next-closest pitcher. Neely has not allowed a run over his last four outings spanning 6 2/3 innings, and across UF's last 20 games owns five saves, a 1.20 ERA, .196 batting average against and 24 strikeouts (14.4 K/9) against four walks (2.4 BB/9) in 15 frames. On the season, Neely has a 2.96 ERA, .209 BAA and 14.1 K/9.
PHIL OF THE HILL: Left-handed reliever Philip Abner has allowed an earned run in just one of his 12 appearances this year (March 1 vs. JU). Across UF's last 20 games, Abner is 3-0 with one save, a 0.00 ERA, .160 BAA, 13.2 strikeouts per nine and one extra-base hit allowed. Over those 20 games, the UF bullpen is 9-0 with eight saves, a 3.01 ERA and 11.4 K/9. OUR RIVERA RUNS THRU IT: Holding a seven-game hitting streak, Josh Rivera leads UF with a .397 batting average, 46 runs (T-second in NCAA), 47 RBI (T-10th) and 11 stolen bases, having already set career highs in the latter three categories along with homers (13). The Avon Park, Fla. native ranks top-10 in the SEC in runs (second), RBI (T-fourth), batting (sixth), hits (T-seventh, 50), home runs (T-seventh), total bases (eighth, 95), slugging (eighth, .754) and on-base percentage (T-eighth, .500). Perhaps most impressively, Rivera is hitting .404/.491/.766 in SEC play, ranking fourth in the SEC in batting and slugging. As one of two Gators to start all 34 games, Rivera has drawn more walks (24) than strikeouts (16). Rivera has more total bases than Dylan Crews, more homers than Blake Burke and is slugging higher than Kemp Alderman. SECOND TO CAGLIA-NONE: Two-way player Jac Caglianone remains atop the national leaderboard with 19 home runs, one ahead of former teammate Kris Armstrong of Jacksonville. Caglianone has three more homers than any player in the SEC while ranking fourth nationally in slugging (.873), T-10th in RBI (47) and first in total bases, as his 124 are 12 more than Jake Gelof of Virginia. He has nine multihit games in Florida's last 12 contests. GATORBOMBS: Florida's 74 home runs are on pace for 119 in the regular season alone and 143 across 66 games - the length of the 2022 season. The school record of 132 home runs was set in 64 games in 1998 (2.1 homers/game). Averaging 2.2 homers/game in 2023, UF has homered in seven-straight games.
I remember back in 2005 we went to Athens, Ga., to take on the dawgs at Foley Field. We were standing on the field level concourse prior to the game behind our dugout when our pitching staff came out of the dugout to make their way down to the bullpen. When one of our two closers emerged from the dugout obviously you could see his name on the back of his jersey….”Faulkenbauch”….. One of the UGA fans standing there that had just poured himself one more Jim Beam & Coke saw Conner’s name on his back and said “Please promise me you’ll bring him into the game tonight”!…… Everybody laughed!
