The comeback season is alive and well.
After a historically poor start to conference play with a 1-11 record, the Gators have climbed the SEC standings, now with a conference record of 11-13. Kevin O'Sullivan's squad is seeing its postseason position surge just weeks after they were left dead in the water.
On3's Jonathan Wagner has updated his projections for the NCAA Tournament, where the Gators hope to make yet another return trip to Omaha.
Florida Baseball Climbing the Ranks
A notable upgrade from last week's projection, Florida is now projected to be a two seed in its respective regional, continuing to push further and further away from the bubble. A two seed would secure home team advantage in the opening game (of course on the hosting teams's campus), which could come in handy if Florida aims to have some late-game heroics like former years. But the seeding status doesn't come as important as the proximity to the ultra coveted right of hosting a regional right in their home ballpark.
Kevin O'Sullivan's team is now within striking distance (needing a strong finish) of hosting yet another "Gainesville Regional" within the confines of Condron Family Ballpark, which would provide the Gators with a monumental advantage over regional opponents.
For now, Florida will have to settle for the projected two-seed ranking, but will have ample opportunities to cement itself as a regional host.
Not Travelling far
Florida landed in the Tallahassee Regional in Wagner's projection, a less than three-hour drive from Gainesville. The regional would present another opportunity for the fierce rivals to meet, with the winners claiming the bragging rights through the offseason.
The Gators claimed the regular season series with two wins matched to the Seminoles' one.
Florida and Florida State would be joined by third-seeded Connecticut (who Florida defeated twice in the 2023 Gainesville Regional) and fourth-seeded Bryant, an automatic-qualifying representative of the America East Conference.
The winner of the Tallahassee Regional would advance to play the winner of the Knoxville Regional (Tennessee, TCU, Michigan, Columbia) with a trip to Omaha on the line.