GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 7 Florida takes a five-game winning streak into SEC Opening Weekend against undefeated, No. 2 Tennessee with a top-10 face-off in Knoxville, Tenn.
 
Friday night’s series opener is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network+ while game two airs on SEC Network on Saturday at 6 p.m. Sunday’s series finale is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. on SEC Network+.
 
The Gators (16-2) are looking to knock off their second undefeated opponent of the week, having handed No. 5 Florida State its first loss of the year on Tuesday. Entering Friday night’s opener, Florida wields a commanding 157-97 all-time advantage in the head-to-head series against Tennessee (17-0), including a 69-49 mark on the road.
 

The Orange & Blue is 27-23 overall and 14-10 in Knoxville vs. the Volunteers under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan. The Gators took two out of three for a series victory in their last trip to Knoxville in 2023 (W 6-1, W 9-3, L 14-2).

Pitching Matchups

	Friday | 6:30 ET (SECN+)	Saturday | 6 ET (SECN)	Sunday | 1 ET (SECN+)
Florida	RHP Liam Peterson (4-0, 0.86 ERA	RHP Aidan King (3-0, 0.55 ERA)	TBA
Tennessee	LHP Liam Doyle (3-0, 0.44 ERA)	RHP Marcus Phillips (1-0, 1.42 ERA)	TBA
Links	WATCH | LISTEN	WATCH | LISTEN	WATCH | LISTEN

CHECKING OUR POLLS
Florida held steady at No. 7 in the D1Baseball Top 25 after going 4-1 last week with a series sweep of Harvard. The Gators are a unanimous top-10 team and are ranked as highly as No. 6 in the country per Baseball America.

SEC OPENING WEEKEND

The Gators have won four-straight SEC opening series dating back to 2021, going a combined 9-3 against Alabama (2022, 2023) and Texas A&M (2021, 2024). Florida’s last sweep on SEC Opening Weekend was against the Aggies in 2021: W 13-4, W 3-1, W 8-4. Since 2008, Florida is 32-16 on SEC Opening Weekend. With a 290-189 record (.605) in SEC play since 2008 overall, Florida leads the conference as the only school above .600 in that span.

SULLY SUPERLATIVES

Coming off the program’s 14th trip to the College World Series and second in as many seasons, O’Sullivan is in his 18th season at the helm of the Gators. Since O’Sullivan’s 2008 arrival, Florida leads the sport with 290 SEC wins, 37 MLB debuts, 16 NCAA berths (T-1st), 10 top-eight seeds, nine College World Series trips, nine Super Regionals hosted and six SEC titles. The Gators have advanced to nine of the last 14 College World Series overall.

 

LAST TIME OUT

The Gators took down the No. 5 Seminoles in Tallahassee on Tuesday, 7-2, in the first of three regular-season meetings. Florida took the lead in the second inning and never relinquished it to give FSU (15-1) their first loss. Infielder Colby Shelton (2-for-3) reached base safely four times while homering and driving in a team-high three runs. Starter Billy Barlow (3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K), right-hander Jackson Barberi (3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K) and righty Luke McNeillie (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K) limited the Seminoles to one run across the first eight innings, with Barberi earning his first-career win.

 

NATIONAL RANKINGS

After 18 games, Florida is ranked inside the top-20 teams nationally across 15 different statistical categories. Leading the SEC with the third-most shutouts (three) in the country, the Gators boast the fourth-most strikeouts per nine (12.9) and fifth-best strike-to-walk ratio (4.35) nationally. Florida also ranks sixth in the nation with 45 doubles, eighth in WHIP (1.08), 12th in hits (193), 12th in walks per nine (2.96), 12th in winning percentage (.889), 13th in batting average (.331), 13th in slugging percentage (.564), 13th in ERA (3.14), 15th in homers (29), 15th in hit-by-pitches (39), 16th in hits allowed per nine (6.8) and 17th in runs (161).

 

ROTATION ROCKING

After posting five quality starts in 66 games last season, Florida starting pitching has been dominant to start the 2025 campaign. Gators weekend starters are a combined 8-0 with a 1.91 ERA, .145 batting average against and 90-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 56 2/3 innings. With four quality starts in 12 weekend outings, the Gators have already nearly matched their total from last season.

 

MOUND MONSTERS

As a whole, Florida pitchers have produced a 213-to-49 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Gators have fanned double-digit batters in 15 of 18 games while registering at least eight strikeouts in every contest. Showing excellent control, Florida has walked two batters or fewer 11 times this season, and four or less in 15 games.

 

FRESH LP JUST DROPPED

Last week, ace Liam Peterson was ranked by Baseball America as the top college pitcher for the 2026 MLB Draft, coming in at No. 3 overall. Peterson has lived up to the billing, owning a perfect 4-0 record across four starts with a 0.86 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, .164 batting average against and 34-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. One of the main drivers behind Peterson’s breakout has been his ability to limit the long ball. After giving up 15 homers in 63 frames last year for 2.1 HR/9, he has allowed zero big flies in 21 innings this season.

 

AID IN KING

Florida true freshman right-hander Aidan King was honored as the SEC Pitcher of the Week last Monday, giving the Gators a third-straight conference award winner to open the season. King followed up the act with six shutout, two-hit innings in his starting debut on Saturday vs. Harvard. Improving to 3-0. King struck out eight batters against just one walk. The rookie now has a 0.55 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, .155 batting average against and 20-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 16 1/3 innings pitched.

 

LINEUP LENGTH

Florida enters the weekend led by five qualified hitters who are batting over .325 with an on-base percentage of at least .430 and slugging .500 or higher. All six players have an OPS above .950. This does not factor in utilityman Justin Nadeau (.438/.571/.531), who is just two at bats shy of qualifying. 12 Gators have posted multi-hit games while eight different UF players have logged three-hit efforts.

 

REPECT THE B-LAW

Hitting his fourth homer of the year in the series finale against Harvard, infielder Brendan Lawson has started all 18 games in the UF infield to begin his true freshman campaign. His 19 RBI rank second on the Gators behind Boser (25). Creating a four-headed behemoth in the UF lineup alongside Donay (1.494), Boser (1.162) and Shelton (1.017), Lawson (1.019) is one of four qualified Florida hitters with an OPS above 1.000.

 

STREAKY MARKERS

Both Shelton and outfielder Blake Cyr have reached base safely in all 18 games this season. Owning knocks in 16 of 18 contests, Shelton leads the Gators with nine multi-hit games.

 

BELTIN’ SHELTON

In addition to being on base in every game, Shelton ranks first in the SEC and fourth nationally with 10 doubles. Showing an improved ability to hit to all fields, the junior is slashing .361/.434/.583 while tallying more free bases (10 – 6 BB, 4 HBP) than strikeouts (seven). Shelton’s strikeout rate sits at a minuscule 8.4% after fanning at a 26.4% clip one year ago.

 

DONAY DEMOS

Leading Florida in every slash category (.404/.547/.947) as well as home runs (eight), catcher/designated hitter Brody Donay ranks 12th in the country in homers and 13th in slugging percentage, respectfully. As an on-base machine this season, Donay reached safely in eight of his nine plate appearances across Saturday’s twin bill vs. Harvard to finish with a .619 OBP and team-high 17 total bases on the week. This year, Donay is averaging 7.1 at bats per home run and is on pace for 24 homers in the 56-game regular season alone. In 2024, Donay hit a home run every 11.9 at bats – meaning he has nearly doubled an already-efficient home run rate.

 

COME ON BARBIE, LET’S GO PARTY

There are not one, but two true freshman hurlers dominating in Orange & Blue this season. Barberi has allowed just one run across his first-six career appearances, wielding a 0.96 ERA, .161 batting average against and 12-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 9 1/3 frames. He is fresh off his first win after tossing a career-high three innings of one-run relief at No. 5 FSU on Tuesday.

 

STEALING THE SHOW

The Gators have swiped 31 bases in 34 attempts (91.2%), equating to 1.7 steals per game. For reference, the Gators averaged 0.7 steals per game last season. After 18 contests, the Gators are already 72.1% of the way to their 2024 steals total (43). Cyr, outfielder Hayden Yost and infielder Bobby Boser are all a perfect 5-for-5 on steals this season.

 

BIG-TIME BOSER

In Florida’s Saturday doubleheader vs. Harvard, Boser went a combined 4-for-8 with two homers, one double, eight RBI and four runs scored. Swatting his sixth and seventh home runs in the first two innings of the first game, Boser is now batting .328/.446/.716 on the season while leading the Gators in RBI (25) and runs (24). His seven homers and 1.162 OPS rank second on the roster behind Donay. Florida is 6-0 this season when Boser homers. With the bases loaded this year, Boser is 1-for-2 with one home run and seven RBI.

 

ALEX FILTH-POTT

To start his sophomore campaign, right-handed pitcher Alex Philpott has tossed 8 1/3 innings with a 2.16 ERA, .167 batting average against and 14-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Leading the SEC with six games finished, Philpott has shut the door in every game he has appeared in. Philpott has two saves on the season and has recorded a strikeout in all six of his relief outings.

 

RELENTLESS REPTILES

Florida has already secured six come-from-behind victories in its 16-2 start. Last season, the Gators delivered 21 wins in comeback fashion, featuring 12 of the team’s 13 SEC wins. Florida trailed in six of its 2024 postseason victories and claimed five-straight NCAA Tournament elimination games to keep its season alive. Going back two seasons, 22 of the 2023 Gators’ program-record 54 victories came via comebacks.

ON DECK

The Gators return home to host a pair of midweek matchups on Tuesday against JU and Wednesday vs. Florida A&M, with both contests set for 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+. Florida then welcomes Georgia to town for another top-10 battle in the Gators’ home conference opener.

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