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Florida baseball enters the third weekend of SEC play still looking for its first win against a conference opponent and riding a four-game losing streak. The Ole Miss Rebels are this week's three-game series, and it's desperation time for Kevin O'Sullivan and his squad as they hit the road.
The Gators have lost seven of their last nine games, including two weekend sweeps against Tennessee and Georgia and a heart-wrenching midweek loss to Florida State on Tuesday. Hopefully, things are as bad as they can be for the Orange and Blue, and few believe they will soon turn things around. Still, the college baseball is not even at its midway point, so there's plenty of time for Florida to get right.
A series win over Ole Miss would go a long way, especially being a road trip against a ranked opponent. Florida will have to playa around several injuries, though. The starting rotation remains in shambles, with all three original weekend starters left off the expected starters list. Freshman Aidan King has been solid enough, despite a rough outing against Georgia, to give Florida a chance, but ace Liam Peterson and Pierce Coppola are still working their way back. The good news is that Peterson is not listed on this week's SEC availability report, signaling a potential return.
Cade Kurland is out once again for the weekend after playing in the opener against Georgia and again in Jacksonville against Florida State, and right-hander Mathew Jenkins is a new addition to the injury list. Kyle Jones and Frank Menendez remain out for the year with significant injuries.
Here's what to expect this weekend as Florida travels to Oxford for a three-game set with Ole Miss.
NOTES: Aidan King got roughed up by Georgia last week, but he's proven himself capable of handling top talent in the SEC with a dominant performance against Tennessee two weeks ago. Florida desperately needs the good version of King, which is a lot of pressure to put on an 18-year-old freshman, but that's what players sign up for when they commit to the Orange and Blue.
Hunter Elliott has solid numbers this year, but a closer look reveals some trouble over his past three starts. Elliott's best start over that period came against Arkansas, where he struck out eight over five innings and allowed two runs. Jacksonville State scored four against him and knocked him out after 3 1/3 innings the week prior, and he went 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs at Missouri last week. None of those numbers suggest things will be easy for Florida, but there's a chance to get the bullpen early in the series.
Elliott sits 90-92 mph with his fastball and can get up to 94 at times with some ride. He also has a low-80s slider, but it's the changeup that's most effective against opposing bats, coming in between 76 and 80 mph. The changeup is an elite out pitch and draws plenty of swing and miss in the zone.
NOTES: It's hard to say who Florida will go with on Friday. Liam Peterson is the ideal option, but Billy Barlow is the more likely starter if he can't go. For now, it's wait and see what Sully comes up with.
Maddox's ERA is inflated from a seven-run onslaught at Missouri last week that lasted only 2 1/3 innings. Arkansas scored three runs over four frames against him the week before, starting the downward trend for him. He works with a low-90s sinker and low-80s breaking ball that reaches 2800 revolutions per minute regularly. He generates nearly two feet of horizontal break on the secondary pitch, which could give some of Florida's lineup trouble. Elliott could be in the minor leagues right now, but he wanted to finish things off at Ole Miss on the right note; don't underestimate his ability to compete.
NOTES: It appears as if Jake Clemente is moving to the bullpen after a couple of shortened starts. An opener and Clemente going three or four innings could be the plan, but again, it's wait and see for now.
Mason Nichols has a true three-pitch mix that's served him well so far this season. He has a solid fastball at 91-94 mph (top 96-97), a swing-and-miss slider in the low 80s and a 78-mph curveball. He'll also mix in a high-80s cutter at times. Missouri scored five off him last week, but Nichols went five innings in that game — his longest appearance of the year.
Ole Miss's biggest strength is their starting rotation, but the bullpen has some solid weapons as well. Right-handed junior Mason Morris is the top option out of the 'pen, posting a 2.84 ERA and .182 batting average against over 19 innings this year. He has a mid-to-upper-90s fastball and a decent slider with the ability to go more than one inning in relief. St. Joseph's transfer Will McCausland is another decent righty who has made at least one start for the Rebels. A 6.89 ERA and .303 BAA aren't as sexy as Morris' numbers, but he has 26 strikeouts this year with just four walks.
Freshman lefty Walker Hooks is the southpaw specialist in the bullpen, and he's adjusted well to the college game with a 3.14 ERA and .204 BAA over 14 1/3 innings. Another high-strikeout (21), low-walk (3) guy, he could give the Gators some trouble. Seniors Alex Canney (0.90 ERA, .244 BAA) and Connor Spencer (0.93 ERA, .147 ERA) have also been solid through about 10 innings apiece.
There are six regulars with an OPS over 1.000 in Ole Miss' lineup. Senior designated hitter Ryan Moerman (1.151 OPS) is the biggest threat, with a .330/.440/.711 slash line, a team-high nine homers and team-high 29 runs batted in. He's prone to striking out, but the power trade off makes him an elite DH. Senior right fielder Mitchell Sanford (1.145 OPS) is the team leader in batting average (.337) and on-base percentage (.459) among lineup regulars. He hits for extra bases regularly, with seven doubles, six homers and three triples on the year. Sanford also walks (18) almost as much as he strikes out (19)
Senior center fielder Isaac Humphrey is the final Rebel with an OPS above 1.100 at 1.114 with seven homers and 27 RBIs. Sophomore catcher Austin Fawley (1.054 OPS) has a good eye (20 K, 14 BB) and some pop, junior third baseman Judd Utermark (1.022 OPS) is tied for the team lead in homers but is strikeout-prone (33.0 K%) and junior second baseman Luke Hill (1.009) rounds out the list with an elite eye (21 BB, 10 K).
THURSDAY (8 p.m. EDT)
FRIDAY (7:30 EDT)
SATURDAY (2:30 p.m. EDT)
* Watch links go directly to game feed
GAME 1: Florida, 6-5
GAME 2: Ole Miss, 7-5
GAME 3: Florida, 9-7
Aidan King bouncing back feels likely, and Florida needs to win a game in the SEC at some point, right? With the rotation questionable over the rest of the weekend, it's hard to see Florida winning the series, but miracles do happen. The offense needs to back up the arms this week, and hopefully, Liam Peterson can get some work in one of those days.
Series prediction: King gets his first SEC win on Thursday, Ole Miss evens the series on Friday and Florida claims its first series win against an SEC opponent with Peterson back on the mound Sunday. Florida, 2-1.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators baseball at Ole Miss series preview
Continue reading...
The Gators have lost seven of their last nine games, including two weekend sweeps against Tennessee and Georgia and a heart-wrenching midweek loss to Florida State on Tuesday. Hopefully, things are as bad as they can be for the Orange and Blue, and few believe they will soon turn things around. Still, the college baseball is not even at its midway point, so there's plenty of time for Florida to get right.
A series win over Ole Miss would go a long way, especially being a road trip against a ranked opponent. Florida will have to playa around several injuries, though. The starting rotation remains in shambles, with all three original weekend starters left off the expected starters list. Freshman Aidan King has been solid enough, despite a rough outing against Georgia, to give Florida a chance, but ace Liam Peterson and Pierce Coppola are still working their way back. The good news is that Peterson is not listed on this week's SEC availability report, signaling a potential return.
Cade Kurland is out once again for the weekend after playing in the opener against Georgia and again in Jacksonville against Florida State, and right-hander Mathew Jenkins is a new addition to the injury list. Kyle Jones and Frank Menendez remain out for the year with significant injuries.
Here's what to expect this weekend as Florida travels to Oxford for a three-game set with Ole Miss.
Projected Starting Lineup: Florida Gators
| Pos. | Player Name | AVG | OBP | SLG | AB | R | H | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Luke Heyman | .239 | .364 | .394 | 71 | 14 | 17 | 3 | 13 |
| 1B/2B | Brendan Lawson | .330 | .474 | .568 | 88 | 24 | 29 | 6 | 28 |
| 2B/OF | Justin Nadeau | .286 | .444 | .397 | 63 | 15 | 18 | 1 | 10 |
| 3B | Bobby Boser | .287 | .402 | .584 | 101 | 34 | 29 | 8 | 26 |
| SS | Colby Shelton | .368 | .438 | .575 | 106 | 25 | 39 | 3 | 23 |
| LF | Blake Cyr | .321 | .417 | .519 | 81 | 20 | 26 | 4 | 15 |
| CF | Hayden Yost | .266 | .337 | .405 | 79 | 15 | 21 | 1 | 19 |
| RF | Ty Evans | .264 | .322 | .377 | 53 | 11 | 14 | 0 | 13 |
| DH/C/1B | Brody Donay | .366 | .495 | .756 | 82 | 25 | 30 | 8 | 20 |
| DH/1B | Landon Stripling | .283 | .405 | .450 | 60 | 14 | 17 | 2 | 12 |
Probable Starters: Game 1 - Thursday (8:30 p.m. EDT)
| Team | Pitcher | Record | ERA |
| FLORIDA | RHP Aidan King | 3-1 | 2.39 |
| OLE MISS | LHP Hunter Elliott | 4-0 | 2.79 |
NOTES: Aidan King got roughed up by Georgia last week, but he's proven himself capable of handling top talent in the SEC with a dominant performance against Tennessee two weeks ago. Florida desperately needs the good version of King, which is a lot of pressure to put on an 18-year-old freshman, but that's what players sign up for when they commit to the Orange and Blue.
Hunter Elliott has solid numbers this year, but a closer look reveals some trouble over his past three starts. Elliott's best start over that period came against Arkansas, where he struck out eight over five innings and allowed two runs. Jacksonville State scored four against him and knocked him out after 3 1/3 innings the week prior, and he went 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs at Missouri last week. None of those numbers suggest things will be easy for Florida, but there's a chance to get the bullpen early in the series.
Elliott sits 90-92 mph with his fastball and can get up to 94 at times with some ride. He also has a low-80s slider, but it's the changeup that's most effective against opposing bats, coming in between 76 and 80 mph. The changeup is an elite out pitch and draws plenty of swing and miss in the zone.
Probable Starters: Game 2 - Friday (7:30 p.m. EDT)
| Team | Pitcher | Record | ERA |
| FLORIDA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| OLE MISS | RHP Riley Maddox | 3-2 | 6.20 |
NOTES: It's hard to say who Florida will go with on Friday. Liam Peterson is the ideal option, but Billy Barlow is the more likely starter if he can't go. For now, it's wait and see what Sully comes up with.
Maddox's ERA is inflated from a seven-run onslaught at Missouri last week that lasted only 2 1/3 innings. Arkansas scored three runs over four frames against him the week before, starting the downward trend for him. He works with a low-90s sinker and low-80s breaking ball that reaches 2800 revolutions per minute regularly. He generates nearly two feet of horizontal break on the secondary pitch, which could give some of Florida's lineup trouble. Elliott could be in the minor leagues right now, but he wanted to finish things off at Ole Miss on the right note; don't underestimate his ability to compete.
Probable Starters: Game 3 - Saturday (2:30 p.m. EDT)
| Team | Pitcher | Record | ERA |
| FLORIDA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| OLE MISS | RHP Mason Nichols | 2-0 | 4.74 |
NOTES: It appears as if Jake Clemente is moving to the bullpen after a couple of shortened starts. An opener and Clemente going three or four innings could be the plan, but again, it's wait and see for now.
Mason Nichols has a true three-pitch mix that's served him well so far this season. He has a solid fastball at 91-94 mph (top 96-97), a swing-and-miss slider in the low 80s and a 78-mph curveball. He'll also mix in a high-80s cutter at times. Missouri scored five off him last week, but Nichols went five innings in that game — his longest appearance of the year.
Other Players to Watch
Ole Miss's biggest strength is their starting rotation, but the bullpen has some solid weapons as well. Right-handed junior Mason Morris is the top option out of the 'pen, posting a 2.84 ERA and .182 batting average against over 19 innings this year. He has a mid-to-upper-90s fastball and a decent slider with the ability to go more than one inning in relief. St. Joseph's transfer Will McCausland is another decent righty who has made at least one start for the Rebels. A 6.89 ERA and .303 BAA aren't as sexy as Morris' numbers, but he has 26 strikeouts this year with just four walks.
Freshman lefty Walker Hooks is the southpaw specialist in the bullpen, and he's adjusted well to the college game with a 3.14 ERA and .204 BAA over 14 1/3 innings. Another high-strikeout (21), low-walk (3) guy, he could give the Gators some trouble. Seniors Alex Canney (0.90 ERA, .244 BAA) and Connor Spencer (0.93 ERA, .147 ERA) have also been solid through about 10 innings apiece.
There are six regulars with an OPS over 1.000 in Ole Miss' lineup. Senior designated hitter Ryan Moerman (1.151 OPS) is the biggest threat, with a .330/.440/.711 slash line, a team-high nine homers and team-high 29 runs batted in. He's prone to striking out, but the power trade off makes him an elite DH. Senior right fielder Mitchell Sanford (1.145 OPS) is the team leader in batting average (.337) and on-base percentage (.459) among lineup regulars. He hits for extra bases regularly, with seven doubles, six homers and three triples on the year. Sanford also walks (18) almost as much as he strikes out (19)
Senior center fielder Isaac Humphrey is the final Rebel with an OPS above 1.100 at 1.114 with seven homers and 27 RBIs. Sophomore catcher Austin Fawley (1.054 OPS) has a good eye (20 K, 14 BB) and some pop, junior third baseman Judd Utermark (1.022 OPS) is tied for the team lead in homers but is strikeout-prone (33.0 K%) and junior second baseman Luke Hill (1.009) rounds out the list with an elite eye (21 BB, 10 K).
Series History
| OVERALL | 57-53 |
| AT HOME | 33-17 |
| AWAY | 22-33 |
| NEUTRAL | 2-3 |
Follow the Action
THURSDAY (8 p.m. EDT)
- Watch: ESPNU
- Listen: ESPN 98.1FM/850AM WRUF
- Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)
FRIDAY (7:30 EDT)
- Watch: SEC Network+
- Listen: ESPN 98.1FM/850AM WRUF
- Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)
SATURDAY (2:30 p.m. EDT)
- Watch: SEC Network+
- Listen: ESPN 98.1FM/850AM WRUF
- Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)
* Watch links go directly to game feed
Predictions
GAME 1: Florida, 6-5
GAME 2: Ole Miss, 7-5
GAME 3: Florida, 9-7
Aidan King bouncing back feels likely, and Florida needs to win a game in the SEC at some point, right? With the rotation questionable over the rest of the weekend, it's hard to see Florida winning the series, but miracles do happen. The offense needs to back up the arms this week, and hopefully, Liam Peterson can get some work in one of those days.
Series prediction: King gets his first SEC win on Thursday, Ole Miss evens the series on Friday and Florida claims its first series win against an SEC opponent with Peterson back on the mound Sunday. Florida, 2-1.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators baseball at Ole Miss series preview
Continue reading...
