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Last time the Florida Gators (13-4) played the Florida State Seminoles (6-6), it was the final game at McKethan Stadium. Florida fell 2-0 for their first loss of the season, and that would be it for 2020.
Now, the Gators look to get payback for last year’s only loss and the unplanned whimper of a finale. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
Marching Into Enemy Territory
The Gators will need to leave home field to face their in-state rival. It’s only the second game this year the Gators will play a road game.
Florida State is just coming back from playing on the road for the first time this season, winning their series against Virginia Tech.
There’s a streak on the line for the Gators in this game. While Florida saw its 11-game winning streak against the Seminoles snapped last season, they still have the road winning streak to keep up. The last time the Gators lost in Tallahassee was April 14, 2015. That was nearly six years ago.
The Matchups
The Gators will turn to redshirt junior Garrett Milchin to start yet another midweek game. Milchin has appeared in three games thus far for the Gators this season.
Milchin is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts through exactly nine innings pitched. Each game, Gators head coach has sent out Milchin for an extra inning each time. First appearance two innings. The second, three. And the most recent four. He will likely try to go at least four again, and if he really deals, perhaps Sully will let him go back out for a fifth inning.
The Gators will want every inning they can get from Milchin, as their bullpen’s consistencies leave the final innings of the game a wild card.
Meanwhile, Florida State sends freshman Carson Montgomery to the mound. Montgomery has made two starts for the Noles this season. While he has given four runs in five innings pitched, his ERA remains at 0.00. The explanation could come from Florida State’s 16 errors in 12 games. Perhaps this is something Florida could exploit.
No Jud In Center?
The Gators could be without a key player batting second in the lineup and playing centerfield. Per GatorsTerritory, Jud Fabian has been listed as questionable due to a hamstring injury.
Despite the slow start, Fabian has been a key bat in the Gators lineup with a slash line of .284/.366/.600, six home runs and 19 RBIs. He’s also an acrobat in the outfield, to say the least.
