No. 9 Florida baseball laces up its cleats for a final non-conference weekend series, hosting High Point.
The Gators (13-1) are looking to extend their 13-game win streak into a week that features crucial matchups with Florida State and South Carolina. After a loss to UAB on opening, Florida hasn’t fallen again, maintaining the longest active streak in the country. That hasn’t come easy, though, after the Gators pulled off a comeback victory Wednesday night against Florida A&M.
Trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh, the Gators rallied with two outs to score three runs and regain the lead. Subsequently, their current streak is their longest since 2020, and they’ll look to keep the momentum going with another series win.
Florida is expected to start junior right-handed pitcher Liam Peterson on Friday, as he has in the first three weekend series this year. Although he was projected to make a big impact this season, gaining All-SEC preseason honors, he’s now looking to prove he was worthy of being named the preseason SEC Pitcher of the Year. Peterson (1-0) will aim for more consistency against High Point.
On the opposite side, High Point (7-6) looks for its first ranked win of the season. The only other ranked team it has faced was No. 22 Wake Forest, which it narrowly lost to, 7-6. But the Panthers come into this weekend following a shutout loss to Liberty on Tuesday.
Redshirt senior infielder Landen Johnson paces High Point’s offense. In 2025, Johnson had 16 home runs and was the nation’s leader in RBIs, driving in 86. He currently has 12 hits and three home runs this season, but he is outpaced by Brooks Wallace Award watch list shortstop Willie Ponce and infielder Lane Allen, who both have 16 hits.
Florida, in its own right, will rely on the consistency of sophomore star Brendan Lawson and standout outfielder Kyle Jones. Lawson and Jones are both crucial pieces of Florida’s offense, with Lawson leading the team in home runs (5) and RBIs (22), and Jones doing the same in hits with 23.
The pair, though, aren’t the only bats that’ve revamped Florida’s offense. Senior shortstop Sam Miller delivered a breakout performance against FAMU, hitting 2-for-4 to drive in a season-high three runs. Miller and freshman Colton Schwarz each recorded their second multi-hit games of the season, while senior Blake Cyr added his fifth multi-hit performance of the year.
So both the Gators and the Panthers are not short on good hitters, which means this might come down to the pitching. If so, Florida has a distinct edge.
While all opponents (as UAB showed) can be challenging in college baseball, this series could be a chance for the Gators to focus on solidifying their pitching. With SEC play starting in just a week, Florida looks to secure another win to maintain confidence and build momentum, aiming to extend its current streak to 16 before hosting the Seminoles.
The series will start on Friday, at 6:30 p.m. at Condron Family Ballpark.
