Florida Baseball Earns No. 8 Seed, Set to Host Gainesville Regional

After a two-year wait, Florida baseball is starting the postseason in Gainesville. 

Condron Family Ballpark will host NCAA Regional action for the fourth time in six seasons, as Florida was named one of 16 host sites for the 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament on Sunday night.

Florida baseball’s NCAA Regional opponents were announced Monday by the NCAA Selection Committee. The No. 8 seed Gators will welcome Rider, Miami and Troy to Gainesville for the NCAA Regional at Condron Family Ballpark. Regional play begins Friday and runs through Monday, if necessary.

Florida opens the tournament Friday at 1 p.m. against the Rider Broncs. 

As the No. 8 national seed, Florida is also in position to host a Super Regional with a Regional championship. If the Gators advance, they will face the winner of the Hattiesburg Regional, featuring Southern Miss, Little Rock, Jacksonville State and Virginia.

The Gators enter the tournament having won 10 of their final 12 games and remain in play for a top-eight national seed despite an SEC Tournament semifinal loss to Georgia after surrendering a six-run lead.

“I know a lot of people asked if we should be a top-eight national seed,” Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “My answer every year is the same thing. It’s out of my hands. It’s in the committee’s hands. 

“I do think that we are one of the top-eight teams in the country, but it’s not my decision to make.”

This will be the 13th time Florida has hosted a Regional under O’Sullivan and the 20th time overall. O’Sullivan has reached the NCAA Tournament in each of his 18-full seasons in the dugout. 

If Florida earns a top-eight seed, the Gators would host a Super Regional at Condron Family Ballpark should they advance through regional play next weekend.

Super Regionals are scheduled for June 5-8, while the 2026 College World Series will take place June 12-22 at Charles Schwab Field Omaha.

Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Baseball