Florida
Florida Gators baseball player Cade Kurland (Photo from floridagators.com)

Gators Baseball Set to Host North Florida

Florida baseball gets back to action in Condron Family Ballpark Tuesday night. The No. 4 Gators return home for a non-conference clash against the North Florida Ospreys. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

The Gators have won 12 of their last 13 matchups with the Ospreys and have won the last five. The Gators also have a 20-3 non-conference record this season including a victory against UNF earlier in the season. Florida beat UNF 7-2 at home on March 14 and is ready for the rematch.

Rough Weekend the Gators

In their series against the then No. 6 South Carolina Gamecocks last week, the Gators were swept. With a combined score of 25-10 across three games, Florida was humbled after coming into the game having yet to lose a conference series.

The previously No. 3 Gators team have now fallen to No. 4 in the national rankings while the Gamecocks have improved to No. 3.

Although the Gators post a 31-10 record, their 11-7 conference record leaves some concerns. Major losses to conference rivals South Carolina and Tennessee may prove impactful in the tournament.

Ospreys are Flying

North Florida has had a successful season, thus far. The Ospreys are 22-8 on the season and have won five of its last seven.

The major player for UNF this season has been junior catcher Jakob Runnels. Runnels has recorded 11 home runs and 44 RBIs this season. Runnels leads the team in home runs and posts a .339 batting average.

North Florida is a major underdog coming into the game against the SEC giants, but midweek games are never easy wins for the top teams in the country.

Gainesville Rematch

The Ospreys are in enemy territory once again for its matchup with the Gators. Florida needs to put last week’s series behind them and get the bats going again. Some pitching woes will need to be patched up, but this game is a golden opportunity for the Gators to get back on track.

About Nick Abreu

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