After Florida's midweek wins against Stetson and North Florida, the Gators will welcome head coach J.D. Arteaga and the Miami Hurricanes to Gainesville.
The series presents a resume-boosting opportunity for Kevin O'Sullivan and the Gators, who are set to face their first power conference opponent of the season.
Florida won the first matchup 6-2, handing Miami their second loss of the season. Their lone loss prior to that was an away matchup against Florida Atlantic.
With the fierce rivalry on the center stage, the Gators and the Canes will clash in front of what is expected to be a packed Condron Family Ballpark.
Starting Pitchers
Liam Peterson took to the mound on Friday and went six innings with seven strikeouts. Florida is changing the order of their rotation against Miami compared to what the Gators did in their first two weekend series.
1. Pierce Coppola
A change from the previous two weeks, Pierce Coppola will now get the start on Saturday, moving from his regular Sunday spot. Coppola has been utterly dominant so far, recording just a 1.80 ERA and a whopping twenty strikeouts, leading the team. Coppola looks to continue his path of dominance against the Hurricanes.
2. Jake Clemente
Moving from the Saturday spot, Clemente will serve as starter on Sunday, in what may be a "rubber match." Clemente has also impressed so far this season, recording a 1.80 ERA and 15 strikeouts. He leads the starting rotation in opponent batting average, with teams just mustering an average of.118 against Clemente
A look at the Canes
Following a disappointing season, the Canes have gotten off to quite a quick start, notably with series wins over Niagara and Princeton. Scoring a whopping 86 runs in just nine games, Miami's offense can seemingly strike fire at any time. The Hurricanes have an undefeated record of 8-0 in their home park, only dropping their lone away game in Boca Raton.
Despite their offensive success, Miami has only hit eight total home runs so far this season, relying on a smaller and less flashier version of the game. Six of their lineup regulars are currently batting over .300, headlined by infielder Jake Ogden, a transfer from North Carolina Greensboro, who is currently batting .444 through nine games. He also leads the team in total bases (23) and is tied for team home run leader (2).
The Gators will serve as Miami's first power conference opponent of their 2025 campaign.
How to watch
All three games will be exclusively streamed on SEC Network Plus (SECN+). SEC Network Plus is a broadcast streaming network under ESPN that costs $10.99 per month
Saturday's game will start at 4:30 P.M. The final game will begin at 1:00 P.M. on Sunday.