Gators Baseball Rides Momentum, Caden McDonald into Final SEC Series
With just one final regular-season series remaining before postseason play begins, Florida baseball heads to Baton Rouge this weekend with momentum building at the right time.
The No. 19 Gators (34-18, 15-12 SEC) have climbed to sixth in the SEC standings after back-to-back conference series wins over Oklahoma and Kentucky. Entering a three-game series against LSU, starting Thursday, Florida is in position to secure a bye in the SEC Tournament and a projected 10-seed to host the NCAA Regional.
The team’s success has coincided with the emergence of Caden McDonald.
Two weeks ago against then-No. 15 Oklahoma, McDonald showcased his skills on both sides after earning a spot in the lineup against Texas A&M the week prior. He became the first Gator to bat and pitch since Jac Caglianone in 2024.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery during his first year at Florida, McDonald made 20 relief appearances last season, posting a perfect 4-0 record with a 5.14 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched.
“Some people may question, ‘why didn’t you hit him earlier?’ But in all fairness, some other guys had played well, and he wanted to focus on his pitching,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “The lack of production, it’s easy to second guess because he’s having so much success, but better late than never.”
In Florida’s 10-5 win in game two against Oklahoma, McDonald hit 4-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs. On the mound, he followed starting pitcher Liam Peterson’s 4 ⅔ innings with three innings of relief, allowing just one hit while striking out four to record the win.
The Gators carried that momentum into last weekend’s rainy series against Kentucky. Despite seven total hours of weather delays over the three days, Florida secured the series with a walk-off win Friday and a strong showing Sunday.
McDonald shined once again in the finale, hitting 2-for-3 with a two-run home run during a rain-soaked afternoon. The organic chemistry major also recorded the win on the mound, bringing his record to 5-1 with 4 ⅓ shutout innings and six strikeouts.
“I always envisioned myself doing this ever since I was in high school doing it as well,” McDonald said. “It’s been awesome the past few weeks.”
Following Brian Johnson (2010-2012) and fellow Tampa native Caglianone (2022-2024), McDonald is the third Gator in program history to record a home run, throw three or more scoreless innings and earn the win in a single game. He achieved the feat twice over the last two weekends.
“It’s not easy to do at this level,” O’Sullivan said. “Usually one side of the game has got to come a little bit easier than the other, like for Cags, hitting was a little bit easier than the pitching side. There’s only so many hours in the day.
“Going back to Brian Johnson, pitching was easy for him, strikes were easy, and the hitting thing took a little bit more time. With Caden, I haven’t figured it out yet, honestly. He’s just playing really well right now, and we’re going to ride it as long as we can.”
Looking ahead, the Gators travel to Baton Rouge for one final regular-season test before tournament play begins.
The LSU Tigers baseball (30-23, 10-17 SEC) have had a rough season following last year’s national title and enter the series 14th in the conference standings after getting swept at Georgia last weekend.
D1Baseball projects that LSU will not make the NCAA Tournament and is no longer on the bubble after its last outing.
Florida last played the Tigers in the 2024 regular season, taking the final two games in Baton Rouge. With a chance for history to repeat itself in this storied rivalry, the Gators could have an opportunity to climb from sixth place in the SEC standings.
Tied with Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball and Arkansas Razorbacks baseball in conference play, Florida would need help from seeds two through five — Texas A&M Aggies baseball (16-10), Texas Longhorns baseball (16-10), Alabama Crimson Tide baseball (16-11) and Auburn Tigers baseball (16-11) — to have a shot at a double-bye in the SEC Tournament. Georgia Bulldogs baseball has already secured the SEC regular-season title with a 21-6 record.
The SEC Tournament begins May 19, before NCAA Regional play starts 10 days later.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Baseball
