Coming into the Conway Regional, the Florida Gators were one of the hottest teams in the country. Florida had won their final six SEC series, and even though they weren't selected as a Regional host, they were considered one of the trendy picks to reach Omaha in 2025.
The season isn't over yet for the Gators, but Florida looked like they wanted to be anywhere but Conway on Friday as Florida lost 11-6 to ECU to send the Gators to the loser's bracket of the Conway Regional.
Florida Gators look like a bad travel ball team in loss to ECU
Don't be fooled by the final score of 11-6; it was never that close. Liam Peterson got the start for Florida, and it went as poorly as one could have dreamed up.
Just remember that nightmares are dreams too.
ECU got the first runner on base after a bunt that Peterson and Brody Donay got caught in no man's land on. From there, it was evident Peterson didn't have fastball command and couldn't get himself out of trouble.
Even when Florida had a chance to get out of the inning with no damage, Donay couldn't squeeze the tag on a play at home, and from there, everything snowballed.
Peterson was pulled in the second inning, but Luke McNeillie and Blaine Rowland couldn't stop the bleeding as ECU jumped out to a 9-0 lead after four innings.
Florida hitters were largely kept in check and stuck out ten times to ECU starter Ethan Norby and it wasn't until some pity runs from a three-run home run from Bobby Boser in the 9th inning that made the score at least look respectable.
Glass half full, glass half empty
There is no getting around; this was as poor of a game as Florida could have played. Baseball is usually not the type of game to make sweeping generalizations after one game, but Florida looked like a U10 AAU squad playing in the bottom bracket of a Disney Tournament who are just they get to stay in a hotel.
If you want a glass-half-full approach, Florida isn't done yet, and if you squint enough, you can come up with a pathway for the Gators to still escape.
Assuming Coastal Carolina beats Fairfield, and that is assuming, Florida will play Fairfield tomorrow. If the Gators can't win that, then we have a whole set of deeper questions to ask.
If Florida can win that, they will be in the exact same position they have been in the past three Regionals. In 2022, 23, and 24, Florida had to play in the Sunday morning "punishment game" before winning both games on Sunday to force a Monday game seven.
There are a ton of things that need to go right for Florida to get out of Conway, and Florida is capable of doing it.
But if they look on Saturday the same way they looked on Friday, their stay in the NCAA Tournament will be over after two games.