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After a challenging road series in Oxford, the Florida Gators (19-11, 1-8 SEC) return home Tuesday night for a midweek matchup against the University of North Florida (17-11).
Despite dropping two of three against Ole Miss over the weekend, the Gators picked up their first SEC win of the season on Friday in the second half of a doubleheader, a hard-fought 11-8 victory that offered glimpses of what this talented team is capable of.
Heyman on Fire
Junior catcher Luke Heyman was the offensive spark plug for Florida during the Ole Miss series. Across the three games, Heyman went an astounding 8-for-13 at the plate with six RBIs, five runs scored, and three home runs. His standout performance came in the second half of Friday’s doubleheader, where he went 3-for-4 with four runs scored, four RBIs, and two home runs.
Heyman’s recent hot streak could prove vital as Florida looks to bounce back from its early SEC struggles and keep its midweek momentum rolling.
Pitching Carousel Continues
Florida’s pitching staff saw heavy rotation over the weekend, with 15 different pitchers appearing across the three-game series. While the Gators gave up 25 runs to the Rebels, they matched that offensive output with 25 runs of their own, showing that the bats are starting to click — even if the pitching remains in flux.
The midweek game against UNF presents a chance for the Gators to reset on the mound and potentially get quality innings from their bullpen in preparation for this weekend’s home series against No. 14 Vanderbilt.
Last Time They Met
The Gators narrowly escaped with a 7-6 win in their earlier matchup with the Ospreys on Feb. 26. In that contest, redshirt-freshman Caden McDonald earned his first win of the season, closing the game with one inning of relief while allowing one earned run and one strike out.
Offensively, Cade Kurland and Brendan Lawson led the way — each going 3-for-5, with Lawson scoring twice and Kurland crossing the plate once. Their ability to get on base and produce timely hits will be critical again Tuesday as Florida faces a confident UNF squad looking for revenge.
Looking Ahead
The Gators know they’ll need to tighten things up before a pivotal SEC series against Vanderbilt, but Tuesday’s game provides a chance to keep trending upward. With the offense heating up and young arms continuing to gain experience, Florida will look to take care of business against the Ospreys and show flashes of the complete team they know they can be.
First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Condron Family Ballpark on SEC Network+ and 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF. Florida will pitch right-hander Jackson Barberi (1-1, 5.63 ERA) against UNF righty Ryan Furey (0-2, 4.87).
