The sixth-seeded Florida Baseball team saw their first win of the SEC Tournament Monday when they defeated Kentucky 4-1. Next up, Florida will face Mississippi State today at 10:30 a.m. ET. The Mississippi Bulldogs earned a first-round bye making the Gators their first opponent of the tournament.
https://twitter.com/GatorsBB/status/1397358541254574087
Florida v. Mississippi State
The Gators will be meeting the Bulldogs for the first time this season this morning. Mississippi State finished 20-10 in the conference and 40-13 overall to grant themselves a first-round bye and a third seed seat. The Bulldogs finished their season strong with a three-game sweep at Alabama.
Head Coach Chris Lemonis revealed that his weekend starting pitchers Christian MacLeod or Will Bednar will not see the mound in hopes to utilize them further in the tournament.
“We do have a lot secured and a lot to play for,” explained Coach Lemonis. “But, this game is about competing and we are getting a chance to face the best in the country this week. So, hopefully, we can do some damage.”
On the mound for the Bulldogs will be Brandon Smith. The right-handed pitcher is 4-2 with an ERA of 2.76.
Florida’s pitcher on the mound will be Hunter Barco. Barco is 9-2 on the season with a 4.04 season ERA.
Following the Kentucky win, head coach Kevin O’Sullivan expressed that he would like to see his Gators be more aggressive at the plate. The Gators enter with a .277 batting average and average 6.4 runs on 9.4 hits in 55 games. Florida will aim to set the right tone early on in the game.
https://twitter.com/HailStateBB/status/1397271446020308997