Tuesday, April 18
Gainesville, FL
6 PM
Florida Gators
vs
Florida A&M
No. 3 Gators and Rattlers Meet in Midweek Cameo
Monday, April 17, 2023 | Baseball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The third-ranked Florida Gators host the Florida A&M Rattlers on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. on SEC Network+ in a standalone midweek tilt.
The Gators (30-7, 11-4 SEC) welcome the Rattlers (18-17, 12-3 SWAC) to Condron Family Ballpark once this season after facing off with FAMU twice one year ago. All 29 games in the series have taken place in Gainesville, as the Gators are 28-1 vs. Florida A&M including 12-1 under Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan. Florida outscored FAMU, 30-3, last season, winning by scores of 17-0 (March 2) and 13-3 (April 5)
Pitching Matchups
Florida remained at No. 3 in the D1Baseball Top-25 this week and ranks as highly as No. 2 nationally at Baseball America, Perfect Game and the NCBWA. The Gators are also USA Today's No. 3 team.
SCOUTING THE RATTLERS
Florida A&M has won five-straight games and enters Tuesday fresh off a three-game road sweep of Alabama A&M. Picked to finish second out of six teams in the SWAC Eastern Division with three first-place votes, the Rattlers are hitting .296/.392/.488 as a team while pitching to a 7.08 ERA.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gators went 3-1 across four home games last week, defeating Florida State in come-from-behind fashion on Tuesday (W, 5-3) before taking two of three against Georgia (L 13-11, W 2-1, W 11-6). Outfielder Ty Evans shocked FSU with a go-ahead, three-run homer with two outs in the eighth. Florida then posted its 15th comeback win of the season in game two vs. Georgia, with outfielder Michael Robertson walking off the Dawgs with a single in the ninth. Jac Caglianone pitched five innings of two-run ball to earn the win in the rubber match while also hitting two home runs including a grand slam en route to seven RBI.
STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
Last week, Florida starters combined for a 3.24 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and .170 batting average against in 25 innings while going 1-0. Gators starting pitchers struck out 21 batters against seven walks, translating to a 3.0 strikeout-to-walk-ratio.
WE'RE OUT OF OUR LEAGUE
Florida has won 10-straight non-conference games dating back to March 5 vs. No. 22 Miami, owning a 19-3 record (.864) in non-con action this season. The Gators went 20-5 (.800) against non-conference regular season opponents in 2022, featuring a 19-3 record following the opening weekend of the year. Adding the totals together, UF is 38-6 across its previous 44 non-conference games (.864). This season, Florida is hitting .341/.439/.628 with 10.5 runs/game, 11.7 hits/game and an average margin of victory of 5.9 runs/game in non-con play.
RELENTLESS REPTILES
Half of Florida's wins this season have been in comeback fashion (15), surpassing last year's 66-game total of 13 (19.7%). After going 0-20 last season when trailing after six innings, Florida is 3-4 in that scenario already in 2023, and 3-0 when tied after six innings. Even more impressively, the Gators are 13-4 when the opponent scores first this season, compared to 11-15 last year.
OFFENSIVE JUGGERNAUT
Florida is found near the top of the national leaderboards for nearly every offensive statistic, ranking top-10 in slugging percentage (third - .581), home runs (third - 79), runs (fifth - 344), triples (seventh - 17) and hits (ninth - 396). The Gators also rank 25th in the NCAA with a .312 batting average (third in SEC) and sit first in the SEC in hits, triples, at bats and total bases, and second in slugging and runs. The Gators' 737 bases are 57 more than the next-closest team (South Carolina, 680).
TRIPLE THREAT / TRIPLE SLASH
Three qualified Gators head into Tuesday with an OPS above 1.250 in Wyatt Langford (1.320), Caglianone (1.291) and Josh Rivera (1.252). No other SEC program even has three qualified hitters all with an OPS above 1.200. Interestingly enough, each player leads Florida in a different triple-slash category: Rivera in batting (.399), Langford in on-base percentage (.537) and Caglianone in slugging (.865).
RIVERA SIZZLING
Rivera is riding a 10-game hitting streak, slashing .432/.511/.730 with three homers, two doubles, 13 RBI and eight walks vs. four strikeouts over the course of it. Rivera is hitting .50 points higher than the next-closest Gator over the last 10 games. The Avon Park, Fla. native is also UF's best hitter by a wide margin in SEC play, owning a .407/.471/.780 line and hitting .74 points higher than any other Gator. He leads the team in hitting (.399), runs (49, T-fourth in NCAA) and stolen bases (11), and ranks T-10th nationally in RBI (52). Rivera is among the top-10 SEC hitters in runs (T-second), RBI (T-fourth), batting (fifth), total bases (105, T-fifth), hits (T-fifth), sacrifice flies (four, T-seventh), home runs (eighth), slugging (T-eighth) and on-base percentage (10th).
RECORD PACE JACS
With two homers including a grand slam on Sunday vs. Georgia, Caglianone now leads the nation with 21 home runs - two more than former teammate Kris Armstrong and three more than any SEC player. Caglianone is the fastest Gator ever to 20 homers, accomplishing the feat in 37 games and besting Jud Fabian's previous record by 12 games (49). Caglianone's 54 RBI rank T-6th in the NCAA and T-third in the SEC, and his .865 slugging percentage is good for T-sixth in the nation and third in the conference. Caglianone is on pace for 31 homers in the regular season alone, which would blow past the program record of 26.
GOLDEN SPIKES
Rivera and Caglianone were named to the Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List on April 5. The duo was among 24 athletes to be added to the 45-player list
BABY GRANNIES
Freshmen Cade Kurland (2-for-5) and Luke Heyman (2-for-5) both launched grand slams in game one vs. Georgia. It marked the first time UF hit multiple grand slams in the same game since swatting three on March 3, 2019 vs. Winthrop.
KURLAND CHASING HISTORY
Kurland is hitting .326/.420/.601 on the year with 10 home runs, just six shy of moving into the top-three all-time for a Florida freshman. JJ Schwarz holds the freshman record with 18 in 2015, followed by Austin Maddox (17 - 2010) and Jason Dill (16 - 1998).
FILLING UP FRAMES
37 games into the season, the Gators are scoring in nearly half (48.0%) of their batted innings (142 of 272). Florida has a run differential of plus-150, averaging 9.3 runs/game and 10.7 hits/game.
GATORBOMBS
Florida's 79 homers are on pace for 117 in the regular season and 140 across 66 games - the length of the 2022 season. The school record of 132 home runs was set in 64 games in 1998 (2.1 homers/game).
ON DECK
Florida hits the road for a three-game series in Columbia at No. 6 South Carolina from Thursday, April 20 to Saturday, April 22.
TRAFFIC PATTERNS ON GAME DAY
Those visiting Condron Family Ballpark on game day should be aware of updated traffic patterns surrounding the ballpark. Fans are advised to utilize Ballpark Way, which will serve as a connecting route to the ballpark from Archer Road. For departures, a postgame traffic flow pattern guide can be found here.
PARKING/SHUTTLES
General Parking is available in the west Condron Family Ballpark baseball lot and the Fifield parking lot located directly across Hull Road. Disabled parking is available on a first-come, first-serve basis in the Condron Family Ballpark west lot with a valid Disabled Placard. Click HERE for a Parking map.
There will be a free shuttle service provided to and from the Fifield parking lot each day of the weekend series.
MOBILE TICKETING & FLORIDA GATORS APP
As a reminder, mobile ticketing is required. There will be two ways to access your tickets:
1) through the Florida Gators app from your mobile device or
2) through FloridaGators.com/myaccount. Fans will also be able to transfer or donate their tickets easily within the app or online.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are currently on sale for the 2023 season, including both season tickets and single-game options. Tickets can be purchased online or by contacting the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683. Season ticket prices and availability can be accessed directly here, while single-game sales can be found here.
Continue to check FloridaGators.com for additional updates related to the 2023 baseball season.
Follow the Gators
#GoGators
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
The Gators (30-7, 11-4 SEC) welcome the Rattlers (18-17, 12-3 SWAC) to Condron Family Ballpark once this season after facing off with FAMU twice one year ago. All 29 games in the series have taken place in Gainesville, as the Gators are 28-1 vs. Florida A&M including 12-1 under Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan. Florida outscored FAMU, 30-3, last season, winning by scores of 17-0 (March 2) and 13-3 (April 5)
Pitching Matchups
| Tuesday | 6 p.m. (SECN+) | |
| FAMU | LHP Jared Townsend (0-3, 13.50 ERA) |
| Florida | RHP Yoel Tejeda Jr. (0-0, 5.93 ERA) |
| Links | WATCH | LISTEN |
Florida remained at No. 3 in the D1Baseball Top-25 this week and ranks as highly as No. 2 nationally at Baseball America, Perfect Game and the NCBWA. The Gators are also USA Today's No. 3 team.
SCOUTING THE RATTLERS
Florida A&M has won five-straight games and enters Tuesday fresh off a three-game road sweep of Alabama A&M. Picked to finish second out of six teams in the SWAC Eastern Division with three first-place votes, the Rattlers are hitting .296/.392/.488 as a team while pitching to a 7.08 ERA.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gators went 3-1 across four home games last week, defeating Florida State in come-from-behind fashion on Tuesday (W, 5-3) before taking two of three against Georgia (L 13-11, W 2-1, W 11-6). Outfielder Ty Evans shocked FSU with a go-ahead, three-run homer with two outs in the eighth. Florida then posted its 15th comeback win of the season in game two vs. Georgia, with outfielder Michael Robertson walking off the Dawgs with a single in the ninth. Jac Caglianone pitched five innings of two-run ball to earn the win in the rubber match while also hitting two home runs including a grand slam en route to seven RBI.
STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
Last week, Florida starters combined for a 3.24 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and .170 batting average against in 25 innings while going 1-0. Gators starting pitchers struck out 21 batters against seven walks, translating to a 3.0 strikeout-to-walk-ratio.
WE'RE OUT OF OUR LEAGUE
Florida has won 10-straight non-conference games dating back to March 5 vs. No. 22 Miami, owning a 19-3 record (.864) in non-con action this season. The Gators went 20-5 (.800) against non-conference regular season opponents in 2022, featuring a 19-3 record following the opening weekend of the year. Adding the totals together, UF is 38-6 across its previous 44 non-conference games (.864). This season, Florida is hitting .341/.439/.628 with 10.5 runs/game, 11.7 hits/game and an average margin of victory of 5.9 runs/game in non-con play.
RELENTLESS REPTILES
Half of Florida's wins this season have been in comeback fashion (15), surpassing last year's 66-game total of 13 (19.7%). After going 0-20 last season when trailing after six innings, Florida is 3-4 in that scenario already in 2023, and 3-0 when tied after six innings. Even more impressively, the Gators are 13-4 when the opponent scores first this season, compared to 11-15 last year.
OFFENSIVE JUGGERNAUT
Florida is found near the top of the national leaderboards for nearly every offensive statistic, ranking top-10 in slugging percentage (third - .581), home runs (third - 79), runs (fifth - 344), triples (seventh - 17) and hits (ninth - 396). The Gators also rank 25th in the NCAA with a .312 batting average (third in SEC) and sit first in the SEC in hits, triples, at bats and total bases, and second in slugging and runs. The Gators' 737 bases are 57 more than the next-closest team (South Carolina, 680).
TRIPLE THREAT / TRIPLE SLASH
Three qualified Gators head into Tuesday with an OPS above 1.250 in Wyatt Langford (1.320), Caglianone (1.291) and Josh Rivera (1.252). No other SEC program even has three qualified hitters all with an OPS above 1.200. Interestingly enough, each player leads Florida in a different triple-slash category: Rivera in batting (.399), Langford in on-base percentage (.537) and Caglianone in slugging (.865).
RIVERA SIZZLING
Rivera is riding a 10-game hitting streak, slashing .432/.511/.730 with three homers, two doubles, 13 RBI and eight walks vs. four strikeouts over the course of it. Rivera is hitting .50 points higher than the next-closest Gator over the last 10 games. The Avon Park, Fla. native is also UF's best hitter by a wide margin in SEC play, owning a .407/.471/.780 line and hitting .74 points higher than any other Gator. He leads the team in hitting (.399), runs (49, T-fourth in NCAA) and stolen bases (11), and ranks T-10th nationally in RBI (52). Rivera is among the top-10 SEC hitters in runs (T-second), RBI (T-fourth), batting (fifth), total bases (105, T-fifth), hits (T-fifth), sacrifice flies (four, T-seventh), home runs (eighth), slugging (T-eighth) and on-base percentage (10th).
RECORD PACE JACS
With two homers including a grand slam on Sunday vs. Georgia, Caglianone now leads the nation with 21 home runs - two more than former teammate Kris Armstrong and three more than any SEC player. Caglianone is the fastest Gator ever to 20 homers, accomplishing the feat in 37 games and besting Jud Fabian's previous record by 12 games (49). Caglianone's 54 RBI rank T-6th in the NCAA and T-third in the SEC, and his .865 slugging percentage is good for T-sixth in the nation and third in the conference. Caglianone is on pace for 31 homers in the regular season alone, which would blow past the program record of 26.
GOLDEN SPIKES
Rivera and Caglianone were named to the Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List on April 5. The duo was among 24 athletes to be added to the 45-player list
BABY GRANNIES
Freshmen Cade Kurland (2-for-5) and Luke Heyman (2-for-5) both launched grand slams in game one vs. Georgia. It marked the first time UF hit multiple grand slams in the same game since swatting three on March 3, 2019 vs. Winthrop.
KURLAND CHASING HISTORY
Kurland is hitting .326/.420/.601 on the year with 10 home runs, just six shy of moving into the top-three all-time for a Florida freshman. JJ Schwarz holds the freshman record with 18 in 2015, followed by Austin Maddox (17 - 2010) and Jason Dill (16 - 1998).
FILLING UP FRAMES
37 games into the season, the Gators are scoring in nearly half (48.0%) of their batted innings (142 of 272). Florida has a run differential of plus-150, averaging 9.3 runs/game and 10.7 hits/game.
GATORBOMBS
Florida's 79 homers are on pace for 117 in the regular season and 140 across 66 games - the length of the 2022 season. The school record of 132 home runs was set in 64 games in 1998 (2.1 homers/game).
ON DECK
Florida hits the road for a three-game series in Columbia at No. 6 South Carolina from Thursday, April 20 to Saturday, April 22.
TRAFFIC PATTERNS ON GAME DAY
Those visiting Condron Family Ballpark on game day should be aware of updated traffic patterns surrounding the ballpark. Fans are advised to utilize Ballpark Way, which will serve as a connecting route to the ballpark from Archer Road. For departures, a postgame traffic flow pattern guide can be found here.
PARKING/SHUTTLES
General Parking is available in the west Condron Family Ballpark baseball lot and the Fifield parking lot located directly across Hull Road. Disabled parking is available on a first-come, first-serve basis in the Condron Family Ballpark west lot with a valid Disabled Placard. Click HERE for a Parking map.
There will be a free shuttle service provided to and from the Fifield parking lot each day of the weekend series.
MOBILE TICKETING & FLORIDA GATORS APP
As a reminder, mobile ticketing is required. There will be two ways to access your tickets:
1) through the Florida Gators app from your mobile device or
2) through FloridaGators.com/myaccount. Fans will also be able to transfer or donate their tickets easily within the app or online.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are currently on sale for the 2023 season, including both season tickets and single-game options. Tickets can be purchased online or by contacting the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683. Season ticket prices and availability can be accessed directly here, while single-game sales can be found here.
Continue to check FloridaGators.com for additional updates related to the 2023 baseball season.
Follow the Gators
#GoGators
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
LHP/1B
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP/1B
/ BaseballFlorida Baseball | A Day in the Life with Cole Stanford
Sunday, December 28
Florida Baseball | The Righties | Meet the Gators
Saturday, December 06
Meet the Gators: The Righties
Friday, December 05
Florida Baseball | Mic'd Up with Sam Miller
Tuesday, November 25
