As the end of the regular season approaches, No. 20 Florida Baseball can’t find consistency on the mound.

In Florida’s 13-7 loss on Tuesday to Bethune-Cookman (26-11, 12-3 SWAC), the Gators played six pitchers, including first-time starting pitcher Jackson Hoyt. Florida (27-11, 9-6 SEC) completely fell apart in the seventh inning of the game, giving up seven runs before recording two outs.

Coming into the game, Florida won a huge series against then-ranked No. 4 Georgia. And, in the series win, the Gators’ pitching did not disappoint. Florida held the Bulldogs to 14 runs across the three games, with dominant performances from starters Aidan King and Liam Peterson.

With Gator pitchers constantly switching as coach Kevin O’Sullivan manages workload, will Florida benefit in the postseason when it can rely more heavily on its starting pitchers all the time? It’s possible.

During the postseason, the Gators will need to put their best foot forward, meaning that King and Peterson will probably be on the mound a lot. The tandem will most likely have a longer leash, but not necessarily more workload. 

Florida can then support its starters with strong relievers. Arms like Rickey Reeth, Joshua Whritenour, Luke McNeillie, Ernesto Lugo-Canchola, and Jackson Barberi, who are also typically rested throughout the week, can be used more often. Barberi, who is out 3 to 4 weeks with an oblique injury, will hopefully ease back into the lineup in the next few weeks.

Regionals, though, may be the biggest threat to the Gators, who are 17-10 against unranked opponents. Luckily, postseason play also brings more quads-1 opponents. Florida, 10-1 against ranked opponents, must continue its momentum, starting with this weekend.

The Gators turn around to face No. 13 Auburn in a home series. The series kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday.