Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After taking a 6-2 decision in Jacksonville on Tuesday, thanks to a four-run eighth inning, No. 1 Florida (13-1) welcomes North Florida (6-7) to McKethan Stadium on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Gators will be kicking off a season-high nine-game homestand.
 
The game can be heard through FloridaGators.com on the Gator IMG Sports Network with Steve Russell and will be streamed on SEC Network+ with Nick Belmonte and Jeff Cardozo.
 
QUICK HITS ABOUT THE GATORS

• Florida has a season-high seven-game winning streak after taking both meetings in a home-and-home series with UCF (9-5, 4-0), sweeping Dartmouth at McKethan Stadium (7-0, 4-3 (12), 8-6) and downing North Florida, 6-2, in Jacksonville.
• Head coach Kevin O'Sullivan's club opened the campaign with six straight wins before falling to No. 6 Miami on Feb. 27, 5-3.
• The Gators are 8-1 (.889) against in-state foes this season, sweeping the opening weekend set against FGCU, taking a 2-1 series from No. 6 Miami, claiming two matchups versus UCF and winning Tuesday at North Florida.
• Florida has six positional starters hitting above .300 and sport a team batting average of .296.
• UF's pitching staff has compiled an earned run average of 2.46 and is holding foes to a .189 average, while the squad boasts a fielding percentage of .981.
• Junior Dane Dunning had a career-high 10 strikeouts over six innings in the first meeting with the Ospreys, while junior Kirby Snead followed with three perfect frames and a total of 18 pitches (17 strikes) to secure his first victory of the campaign.
• Sophomore catcher JJ Schwarz (.318, 17 R, 15 RBI, 13 BB) batted .500 (4-for-8) in the sweep of the Big Green, with five RBI and three walks, while freshman second baseman Deacon Liput (.391, 12 RBI, 6 2B) had a .417 (5-for-12) clip on the weekend and has reached base in all 14 games this season.
• Freshman third baseman Jonathan India (.275) went 3-for-8 (.375) and notched team highs in runs (5) and stolen bases (2) against Dartmouth, while junior first baseman Peter Alonso (.370, 18 RBI) and sophomore second baseman Dalton Guthrie (.379, 12 RBI) drove in four runs apiece.
• On the mound, junjor RHP Logan Shore (3-0, 0.43) and sophomore RHP Alex Faedo (3-0, 2.12) claimed their third straight starts this season.
• Junior outfielder Buddy Reed batted .350 (7-for-20) over UF's five victories last week, with six runs, five RBI, four walks and four extra-base hits (two doubles, one triple, one homer). He tied Sunday's finale with Dartmouth by roping a two-run triple in the fifth inning after belting a walk-off homer to open the Gators' 12th inning on Saturday.
• Reed is currently on an nine-game hitting streak in which he is 13-for-36 (.361), with 10 runs and seven walks.
• Florida's starters are 8-1 with a 2.17 earned run average, with 94 strikeouts in 70.2 innings and a .187 average against.
• This week will mark the Gators' final stretch with five non-conference games (Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday-Sunday). The 10 consecutive SEC series gauntlet begins next Friday and the squad will usually play one midweek contest, except during semester exams.
• Florida will host Harvard (2-2) of the Ivy League in a three-game series starting Friday in its final non-conference weekend set.

 
DRAWING THE START
Freshman right-hander Jackson Kowar (1-0, 2.25) will oppose North Florida sophomore right-hander Zach Drury (1-0, 5.40). Kowar has made three appearances totaling eight innings and will be making his second collegiate start. The righty notched eight strikeouts and yielded three singles over five innings in a 4-0 shutout of UCF on March 2. Kowar faced two batters above the minimum and struck out the side in the fourth inning. 
 
LAST MEETING BETWEEN THE GATORS & OSPREYS
Tied at two runs apiece entering the eighth inning, No. 1 Florida scored four runs on five hits in the frame to defeat North Florida, 6-2, on Tuesday night at Harmon Stadium. In winning their season-high seventh game in a row, the Gators claimed the front end of the home-and-home mid-week series and downed the Ospreys in Jacksonville for the first time in four meetings.
 
After junior right-hander Dane Dunning registered a career-high 10 strikeouts over a season-high six innings, junior Kirby Snead (1-0) retired all nine batters he faced to collect his first victory of the campaign. The southpaw retired UNF on 18 pitches over three perfect innings, 17 of which were strikes.
 
In the decisive eighth, sophomore Dalton Guthrie (3-for-5, two runs) doubled to left center with one down and junior Buddy Reed (2-for-4) followed with a base-hit into left field for runners on the corners. Sophomore JJ Schwarz gave Florida its first lead of the night by sending a 3-2 pitch from junior Matthew Naylor (1-2) into left field to drive in Guthrie. Junior Peter Alonso (2-for-4, two RBI) followed with a double to left field to plate Reed and sophomore Jeremy Vasquez was walked intentionally to load the bases with one down. The move backfired when sophomore Mike Rivera (2-for-4) stroked a two-run single through the right side of the infield to bring Schwarz and Alonso across the dish to build a four-run cushion.
 
SERIES NUGGETS
The Gators hold a 9-6 (.600) advantage over the Ospreys. Eight of the 15 contests have been decided by two runs or less. Kevin O'Sullivan is 9-4 (.692) against North Florida: 8-2 (.800) in Gainesville and 1-2 (.333) in Jacksonville.
 
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