Florida Baseball Looks To Soar Over FlyBoys

Florida baseball is back at Condron Family Ballpark, set to play Dayton in a weekend series.

Harnessing Momentum

The Gators are undefeated after Week One of the regular season. They swept the series against Air Force and only gave up four runs all weekend. Their first midweek game against Jacksonville started out slow, allowing two runs in the first inning, but they quickly recovered, scoring 10 runs by the end of the game. Florida was also scheduled to play Florida A&M Wednesday, but the game got postponed to March 19 due to weather concerns.

Key players have moved the Gators forward and helped the team come out of ruts. Brody Donay has hit four home runs so far this season — one per game. His power at the plate created a routine for the rest of the lineup, allowing rallies. Donay’s performance named him SEC player of the Week.

🏆 SEC Player of the Week 🏆

🗞️ https://t.co/ZRjjl6BkNG | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/ltZDTph35h

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) February 17, 2025

This week proved that the Gators could produce offensively. Other than Donay, Bobby Boser, Colby Shelton and Landon Stripling hit homers. Out of the 13 guys who have been at the plate, 11 of them have at least one RBI.

On the defensive side, the pitching lineup has continued to improve from preseason. The weekend starters threw a combined 31 strikes, each individually striking out more than seven batters.

Clemson transfer Billy Barlow struggled in the first inning against Jacksonville, allowing two runs in the first, but quickly recovered with four strikeouts in three innings.

This weekend will see the same starting pitchers with Liam Peterson on Friday, Jake Clemente on Saturday and Pierce Coppola on Sunday.

If the Gators continue to harness the momentum built in Week One, they will be strong contenders during conference play.

Dayton Disadvantage

The Dayton FlyBoys were picked sixth in the 2025 Atlantic 10 Preseason poll. The team lost its first two games of the season in a doubleheader against Monmouth. The FlyBoys started out hot, scoring the first run of the NCAA Division 1, but could not stop the Hawks defensively. They lost game one 5-2 and game two 13-3. However, they were able to bounce back in their next double header as they swept Western Michigan.

In order to have a chance against the Gators, the FlyBoys have to channel their win against Vanderbilt from last season. This is the second consecutive season they have met a top 10 SEC opponent, and against No.6 Vandy at the time, they won 8-5 in the last few innings.

Tuning In

The three-game series will be aired on SEC Network+ and ESPN 98.1FM/840AM WRUF, starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

The first 500 students will receive free sweatshirts on Friday and first 1,000 fans will get berm blankets on Sunday.

Weekend Giveaways at Condron 🏟️

Friday > 500 sweatshirts for UF students
Sunday > 1,000 berm blankets for fans

First come, first serve 👕🎁#GoGators pic.twitter.com/MebyRUSLDi

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) February 20, 2025