Florida Baseball At Rival Miami For First Test of Season
No. 10 Florida baseball is in Coral Gables to start the weekend series against undefeated No. 17 Miami.
The Gators have won nine straight coming off a two-game series sweep against FIU this week. It’s the second longest streak in the country, only beaten by Miami’s run of 10 straight wins.
In that series, the Gators rained in a season-high 17 runs in Tuesday’s game with a combined total of 28 hits and runs in the series.
Gators shortstop Brendan Lawson headed the series with five hits and 10 RBIs.
The Hurricanes lead the rivalry series by a game with a 132-131-1 record. However, the Gators are 7-3 in the last 10 matchups and have dominated by winning 10 of the last 11 series, including the last five games in Coral Gables.
One of Florida’s weekend starters, Cooper Walls (1-0), the Hawaii transfer and 2025 Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year, is expected to make his third start of the season Sunday. Both his starts have come from weekend series, one against UAB and the other against Kennesaw State.
This will be his first trip as a Gator to rowdy Mark Light Field.
“Got to go out there and give it your best,” Walls said. “It might get a little chirpy.”
Walls has a 4.82 ERA on 9.1 innings pitched with five strikeouts.
Miami has three hitters with batting averages at or more than .500: Dylan Dubovik (.750), Derek Williams (.563) and Alonzo Alvarez (.500).
For the Gators, center fielder Kyle Jones has been raking with a team-high .487 batting average, 19 hits and an SEC-leading 19 runs. The second-year Gator has had four straight games with a hit and run.
Florida shortstop Brendan Lawson has been at work this season with a .469 batting average and 19 RBIs, which lead the Gators and is third in the SEC.
The Hurricanes have six pitchers with an ERA below 4.00 and will have to deal with the swinging Gators.
Miami’s ace AJ Ciscar (2-0) has a 2.45 ERA and only allowed three runs this season. Ciscar came in relief twice in the series last year, pitching 1.2 innings and allowing two runs.
The Hurricanes are the first-ranked team the Gators have faced and will be tested against Ciscar’s strong arm.
You can listen to each game on WRUF 98.1FM/850 AM 103.7 HD-2 starting with Friday’s opener at 6:55 p.m. The game will also air on the ACC Network. Game 2 on Saturday is at 6 p.m. and Sunday’s series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m., with both games on ACC Network Extra. WRUF 98.1FM/850 AM will also have coverage beginning five minutes before each game.
Florida will start right-hander Liam Peterson (1-0, 4.15 ERA) and UM will go with Ciscar on Friday. The Gators will start righty aidan King (2-0, 0.00) Saturday vs. Miami lefty Rob Evans (2-0, 6.00 ERA). The Hurricanes will throw righty Tate DeRias (1-0) against Walls.
Category: Baseball, College Baseball, Feature Sports News, Gators Baseball
