Gators Baseball Gearing Up For NCAA Tournament

For the 16th straight season, the Gators are in the NCAA Tournament. Florida finished its regular season going 28-26 before losing in the first round of the SEC Tournament to the Vanderbilt Commodores.

In the first game of the NCAA Stillwater Regional at O’Brate Stadium, the third-seeded Gators face the Big Ten Tournament champion Nebraska Cornhuskers (39-20), the regional’s third seed, on Friday. Oklahoma State (40-17) is the tournament’s No. 11 overall seed and will play No. 4 regional seed Niagara (38-15) later Friday.

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Freshman right-hander Liam Peterson (2-4, 5.83 ERA) will take to the mound for Florida in the regional opener. For Nebraska, junior right-hander Brett Sears (9-0, 2.00 ERA) will get the start.

Peterson Finding His Way

After a stellar high school career, Peterson’s success has carried on to the Gators, where he now works as their primary pitcher. UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan praised Peterson on how much he has overcome this season. He also noted how the young ace has been able to step up as a freshman.

Peterson had to battle back from a forearm injury after being hit by a ball early in the regular season. He was able to recover and get back on the mound to build his confidence back up, eventually working his way to getting the start in his first NCAA Tournament game.

Junior two-way star Jac Caglianone has also boosted the Gators with one of the best seasons of his collegiate career. Caglianone ranks fourth among the NCAA with 29 home runs this season. On the mound, Caglianone holds a 5-1 record with a 4.35 ERA.

This is the second meeting between the Gators and Cornhuskers, with Florida having the series edge after securing a 7-4 win in their 2005 meeting in the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha.

Gators have arrived in Stillwater 🛬 #GoGators pic.twitter.com/WBqSk5aJe9

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 29, 2024

O’Sullivan has acknowledged Nebraska’s strengths. The contest features a pair of SEC honorees from the Gators (Caglianone and Peterson), as well as NU’s Sears, the Big Ten pitcher of the year, and junior catcher Josh Caron, the Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten Tournament.

First pitch in Friday’s matchup is set for 3 p.m. ET. You can catch the game on ESPN+, or tune in to listen on ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.