Kevin O'Sullivan and the Gators are No. 1 in five different preseason polls.
Gators No. 1 In USA Today Preseason Top 25 Coaches’ Poll
Thursday, January 28, 2016 | Baseball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida was voted No. 1 in USA Today's Preseason Coaches' Poll released on Thursday. It marks the second time in school history that the Gators have been at the top of the publication's preseason rankings (2012). Head coach Kevin O'Sullivan's club had previously been tabbed No. 1 by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball and Perfect Game.
Florida headlines the top five, followed by Louisville and the SEC trio of Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and LSU. The Orange and Blue will begin the 2016 campaign on Feb. 19 at McKethan Stadium, when Florida Gulf Coast visits for the opener of a three-game series, and the squad opens practice this Friday, Jan. 29.
Last season, UF went 52-18 and ranked third in the final polls after becoming the only program in the country to earn a top-eight national seed for NCAA play for the sixth time in seven years. The Gators also swept through the Gainesville Regionals and Super Regionals held at McKethan Stadium. The incoming class has been ranked No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball, the program's seventh consecutive time in the top eight classes in the country.
Florida joins six other SEC programs in the poll: Vanderbilt, 3rd, Texas A&M, 4th, LSU, 5th; Mississippi State, 17th, Arkansas, 22nd and South Carolina, 23rd The Gators will host the Commodores (May 13-15), Aggies (April 1-3) and the Bulldogs (April 8-10), will visit the Hogs (April 14-16), Gamecocks (April 29-May 1) and Tigers (May 19-21).
The contest with FGCU begins the 33-game home schedule at McKethan Stadium, where the Gators boast a 231-69 (.770) mark in O'Sullivan's tenure.
2016 USA Today Preseason Coaches' Poll
Others Receiving Votes
Coastal Carolina 77; Texas 68; Maryland 61; Dallas Baptist 54; Michigan 48; Tulane 36; Oklahoma 35; Georgia Tech 23; Notre Dame 20; Southeastern Louisiana 15; Stanford 12; USF 10; Ole Miss 10; Long Beach State 10; Charleston 10; Arizona State 8; Florida Atlantic 7; North Carolina-Wilmington 6; Texas Tech 6; South Alabama 5; St. John's 4; Iowa 4; Indiana 3; Missouri 3; Tennessee 3; Winthrop 2; Illinois 2; Kentucky 1; East Carolina 1; Marist 1; North Florida 1; Stony Brook 1; San Diego 1; Pepperdine 1.
Gators' 2016 opponents in Bold Italics and first-place votes in parentheses
Select-A-Seat Event
The 2016 Gator Baseball Select-A-Seat Event on Saturday, Jan. 30, will be an opportunity for fans to enter McKethan Stadium to choose their seats for the upcoming season of Florida Baseball. New fans will be able to see what seats are available for purchase and current season-ticket holders are invited to attend, explore upgrade options and exchange their seats if they wish. The preseason No. 1 Gators will also be practicing during the event and will host an open scrimmage as they prepare for debut on Feb. 19.
When: Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016
Parking Information:
McKethan Stadium:
Season tickets and the Gator Baseball Weekender Mini-Plans can also be purchased online at FloridaGators.com or by calling the Gator Ticket Office at 1-800-34-GATOR from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. People can purchase a Weekender Mini-Plan by choosing eight (8) different games from the 16 Friday and Saturday contests that the Gators will play on their home turf.
For all of the latest information on Florida baseball, log on to FloridaGators.com or follow the team's Twitter account @GatorsBB.
Florida headlines the top five, followed by Louisville and the SEC trio of Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and LSU. The Orange and Blue will begin the 2016 campaign on Feb. 19 at McKethan Stadium, when Florida Gulf Coast visits for the opener of a three-game series, and the squad opens practice this Friday, Jan. 29.
Last season, UF went 52-18 and ranked third in the final polls after becoming the only program in the country to earn a top-eight national seed for NCAA play for the sixth time in seven years. The Gators also swept through the Gainesville Regionals and Super Regionals held at McKethan Stadium. The incoming class has been ranked No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball, the program's seventh consecutive time in the top eight classes in the country.
Florida joins six other SEC programs in the poll: Vanderbilt, 3rd, Texas A&M, 4th, LSU, 5th; Mississippi State, 17th, Arkansas, 22nd and South Carolina, 23rd The Gators will host the Commodores (May 13-15), Aggies (April 1-3) and the Bulldogs (April 8-10), will visit the Hogs (April 14-16), Gamecocks (April 29-May 1) and Tigers (May 19-21).
The contest with FGCU begins the 33-game home schedule at McKethan Stadium, where the Gators boast a 231-69 (.770) mark in O'Sullivan's tenure.
2016 USA Today Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank | School | 2015 Record | Points | 2015 Final Rank |
| 1. | FLORIDA | 52-18 (21) | 758 | 3 |
| 2. | Louisville | 47-18 (2) | 709 | 9 |
| 3. | Vanderbilt | 51-21 (3) | 698 | 2 |
| 4. | Texas A&M | 50-14 (1) | 638 | 10 |
| 5. | LSU | 54-12 (1) | 627 | 5 |
| 6. | Miami (FL) | 50-17 | 597 | 6 |
| 7. | Virginia | 44-24 (3) | 538 | 1 |
| 8. | Oregon State | 39-19-1 | 511 | 25 |
| 9. | UCLA | 45-16 | 497 | 15 |
| 10. | Oklahoma State | 38-20 | 394 | 18 |
| 11. | TCU | 51-15 | 380 | 4 |
| 12. | California | 36-21 | 364 | NR |
| 13. | UL-Lafayette | 42-23 | 346 | 16 |
| 14. | Florida State | 44-21 | 298 | 13 |
| 15. | Oregon | 38-25 | 285 | NR |
| 16. | Cal State Fullerton | 39-25 | 273 | 7 |
| 17. | Mississippi State | 24-30 | 255 | NR |
| 18. | Houston | 43-20 | 253 | 23 |
| 19. | NC State | 36-23 | 250 | NR |
| 20t. | Southern California | 39-21 | 200 | 22 |
| 20t. | North Carolina | 34-24 | 200 | NR |
| 22. | Arkansas | 40-25 | 156 | 8 |
| 23. | South Carolina | 32-25 | 116 | NR |
| 24. | Rice | 37-22 | 95 | NR |
| 25. | Missouri State | 49-12 | 88 | 12 |
Others Receiving Votes
Coastal Carolina 77; Texas 68; Maryland 61; Dallas Baptist 54; Michigan 48; Tulane 36; Oklahoma 35; Georgia Tech 23; Notre Dame 20; Southeastern Louisiana 15; Stanford 12; USF 10; Ole Miss 10; Long Beach State 10; Charleston 10; Arizona State 8; Florida Atlantic 7; North Carolina-Wilmington 6; Texas Tech 6; South Alabama 5; St. John's 4; Iowa 4; Indiana 3; Missouri 3; Tennessee 3; Winthrop 2; Illinois 2; Kentucky 1; East Carolina 1; Marist 1; North Florida 1; Stony Brook 1; San Diego 1; Pepperdine 1.
Gators' 2016 opponents in Bold Italics and first-place votes in parentheses
Select-A-Seat Event
The 2016 Gator Baseball Select-A-Seat Event on Saturday, Jan. 30, will be an opportunity for fans to enter McKethan Stadium to choose their seats for the upcoming season of Florida Baseball. New fans will be able to see what seats are available for purchase and current season-ticket holders are invited to attend, explore upgrade options and exchange their seats if they wish. The preseason No. 1 Gators will also be practicing during the event and will host an open scrimmage as they prepare for debut on Feb. 19.
When: Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016
- The event will be held from 2-4 p.m. at McKethan Stadium
Parking Information:
- Parking is first-come, first-serve, in the surface lot and garage adjacent to the Stephen C. O'Connell Center
- Please keep in mind that the Gator men's basketball team is facing West Virginia at 12 p.m. in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center
McKethan Stadium:
- Fans can enter through the main gate in the O'Connell Center Lot
- Fans will be provided with a map that has pricing on one side, with season-ticket information & pricing on the other side
- Fans will then be able to walk around to "Select a Seat"
- Any seat available will have tape on it, any seat without tape will not be available for purchase
- Fans will be able to purchase seats on the day of the event at the main entrance gate Ticket Office
- All a fan will need to do is take their order form to a ticket window at that time
Season tickets and the Gator Baseball Weekender Mini-Plans can also be purchased online at FloridaGators.com or by calling the Gator Ticket Office at 1-800-34-GATOR from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. People can purchase a Weekender Mini-Plan by choosing eight (8) different games from the 16 Friday and Saturday contests that the Gators will play on their home turf.
For all of the latest information on Florida baseball, log on to FloridaGators.com or follow the team's Twitter account @GatorsBB.
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