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Florida baseball: Gators ranked in top 10 nationally

By Matthew Clark

OMAHA, NE - JUNE 27: Players of the Florida Gators hold up the National Championship Trophy after defeating the LSU Tigers 6-1 at the College World Series on June 27, 2017 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE - JUNE 27: Players of the Florida Gators hold up the National Championship Trophy after defeating the LSU Tigers 6-1 at the College World Series on June 27, 2017 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /
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Yup, baseball season is right around the corner and Florida baseball has earned national rankings to kick things off.

Last season wasn’t the best season for Florida baseball.

The Gators finished the season 34-26 and was bounced from the NCAA Regional Tournament by Dallas Baptist. They finished the season unranked.

However, head coach Kevin O’Sullivan returned a solid corps which was enough to earn Florida baseball preseason national rankings.

USA Today Sports ranked the Gators No. 10 in their preseason poll and also ranked eight of the Gators’ 2020 opponents.

Defending champion Vanderbilt came in at No. 1 while Georgia was No. 4 and Arkansas was at No. 5. Miami earned a No. 7 ranking and Auburn was at No. 9. The Gators will also take on No. 14 Florida State, No. 21 Texas A&M and No. 23 Ole Miss.

Baseball America had the Gators much higher at No. 4 behind No. 1 Vanderbilt, No. 2 Louisville and No. 3 Arizona State.

Behind the Gators in the Baseball America poll was Miami at No. 5, Georgia at No. 7, Mississippi State at No. 9, Arkansas at No. 11, Florida State at No. 12, Auburn at No. 13 and LSU at No. 14.

Florida baseball also earned the No. 4 ranking from D1Baseball’s preseason poll.

D1Baseball ranked Louisville No. 1, Vanderbilt No. 2 and Miami No. 3.

D1Baseball also ranked the Florida baseball 2019 signing class at No. 1 nationally.

Florida baseball is three seasons removed from its last national title.

The Gators have one preseason win under their belt already. In November, Florida baseball defeated Georgia, 5-3 in the Duuuuval Bold City Bash in Jacksonville behind a 3-run double from Jud Fabian in the third inning.

Freshman starting pitcher Brandon Sproat picked up the win while sophomore Christian Scott threw a perfect ninth inning for the save.

Florida baseball opens the 2020 campaign with a three-game homestand against Marshall on Feb. 14-16 at McKethan Stadium. They will follow that with a home-and-home split with Jacksonville Feb. 18-19.

dark. Next. Former Gator Pete Alonso earns All-Star nod

The Gators will get their first ranked test of the season after that when they take on Miami Feb. 21-23 in Coral Gables.

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