Gators will try to navigate a tricky Conway regional

The NCAA baseball Tournament starts Friday for all 64 teams striving to be the last ones standing two weeks from now in Omaha. For the Florida Gators, it means trying to navigate through a tricky Conway, SC, Regional that might be trouble for the Gators despite being the betting favorite.

Florida kicks off its tournament run against the East Carolina Pirates, winners of the American Athletic Conference (AAC), at noon Eastern Friday to get into Saturday’s winner’s bracket and avoid the feared four games in three days losers bracket.

Coastal Views ✌️#GoGators pic.twitter.com/YQ1cWYtpMC

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 29, 2025

With a strong chance that one of the SEC’s hottest teams entering the postseason might play all three teams in the Regional, let’s break down what to expect from each potential opponent.

No.1-seed Coastal Carolina

The Chanticleers roll into the tournament as one of two Sun Belt Conference teams hosting a Regional – Coastal Carolina (13th overall seed) and Southern Mississippi (16th overall seed). Even so, many think this Coastal group might have gotten the short end of the stick when it came to its draw for the big dance.

Under first-year head coach Kevin Schnall, Coastal went 48-11, won the Sun Belt regular season and conference tournament, and finished with the No.8 RPI, which is higher than six of seven top-16 national seeds ahead of Coastal Carolina.

Still, the Chanticleers are not to be taken lightly, as this is a team with legit starters on the mound and a dangerous offense at the plate. 

On the mound, Jacob Morrison, Cameron Flukey, and Riley Eikhoff make up this three-headed monster. Morrison leads the group with a 1.81 ERA and a perfect 11-0 record. In 84.1 innings this season, Morrison has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 83-and-19 and a 0.84 WHIP. He was also named Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year.

Behind him are Flukey and Eikhoff, who each have sub-3.20 ERAs, a combined record of 12-3, and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 151-to-24. All three pitchers have started 14 games this season. 

Offensively, Coastal Carolina hits .288, with Blake Barthol and Sebastian Alexander leading the charge. Barthol hits .282 and leads the team with 12 homers and 49 RBIs. Alexander hits .301 and leads the team with 25 stolen bases. Stealing bags is a significant aspect of this offense, which ranks 57th in the nation, with 99 incidents reported in the year. 

Another guy to keep an eye on is catcher Caden Bodine. There is a good chance he will hear his name early in this year’s MLB Draft due to his play behind the dish and at the plate. Bodine rolls into the postseason with a .998 fielding percentage and has caught runners trying to steal 36% of the time.

The nation's best catcher#ChantsUp I #Selfless pic.twitter.com/OONq6nmlWI

— Coastal Carolina Baseball (@CoastalBaseball) May 23, 2025

What might be even more impressive is the discipline he shows at the plate. This year, Bodine has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 19-to-44. He also leads the team with a .333 average and is tied for the team lead in doubles (16).

No.3-seed East Carolina Pirates

It was the season most East Carolina fans envisioned when the season started – finishing the year 33-25 and 13-14 in conference play. But the Pirates had quite the run through the AAC tournament to punch their ticket to the postseason. Needing to win out, East Carolina won four games in five days, including two wins over USF. 

With an NCAA tournament bid fully secured, ECU enters as one of the hottest teams in the field. It’s one that Florida will have to deal with on Friday. 

“Anytime you win a conference tournament, [East Carolina] playing their best baseball at the end of the year. I know they’ve had some injuries, similar to us,” said Kevin O’Sullivan on Thursday at the regional media availability. ” They have a real number one in [Ethan] Norby. They try and apply pressure on the bases and in the short game. They’ve had a ton of success under Cliff [Godwin], and it’s gonna be challenging for us, there is no question.”

That No.1 pitcher, Ethan Norby, has been a rock for the Pirates’ pitching staff. In 82.2 innings, Norby has struck out 109 batters this year, including a 19-strikeout performance against Coastal Carolina back in March. Norby is the scheduled starter for Friday’s showdown against the Gators. 

.@ECUBaseball's Ethan Norby will be a MAJOR X-Factor in the Conway Regional ❌

"He has a chance to single-handedly tip the direction of this regional, thanks to his toughness and his ability to miss bats with an elite sweeper, good changeup and lively low-90s heater." pic.twitter.com/tE5aa5v9WZ

— D1Baseball (@d1baseball) May 28, 2025

A player to watch for is infielder Dixon Williams, who has emerged as one of ECU’s biggest threats in the lineup and the infield with his .975 fielding percentage. Williams is batting .296 with 13 home runs and 12 doubles to go along with his 22 stolen bases.

No.4-seed Fairfield Stags

While Florida likely has the best overall offense in this region, the Fairfield Stags statistically have the best offense. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) champs average 8.3 runs per game, which ranks 31st in the nation. Compared to Florida’s 7.6 runs per game, which is ranked 74th. They also have five guys batting .300 or higher and four with at least eight home runs.

A big reason for the success is how experienced this Stags’ lineup is, with eight upperclassmen in the everyday lineup. Leading the pack is Dean Ferrara, hitting .381 with a school and conference record 98 hits. He adds eight homers to his name, along with 57 RBIs, which is second-best on the team.

The big bats in the lineup come from Matt Bucciero and Luke Nomura, who each have 14 home runs and 78 hits. Bucciero is hitting .351 and leads the team with 66 RBIs, while Nomura is up to .331 with a team-leading 16 doubles. 

Regional Schedule

Friday, May 30:

Game 2: No.2-seed Florida v. No.3-seed East Carolina at noon ET on ESPN2

Game 1: No.1-seed Coastal Carolina v. No.4-seed Fairfield at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Saturday, May 31:

Game 3: Elimination bracket – Losers of games 1 and 2 at noon ET 

Game 4: Winners bracket – Winners of games 1 and 2 at 6 p.m. ET

Sunday, June 1:

Game 5: Elimination bracket – winner of game three and loser of game four at noon ET

Game 6: Regional final – Winners of Game 4 and Game 5 

Monday, June 2 (If Necessary)

Game 7: Regional Final