Alabama Baseball 2025 Opponent Preview: Florida Gators
Alabama Baseball 2025 Opponent Preview: Florida Gators
After picking up a big series win at home last weekend over Georgia, the Alabama Crimson Tide are now set to travel for their final SEC series of the regular season this week to Gainesville for a three-game set with the Florida Gators.
A ranked matchup, Florida comes into this weekend fresh off an impressive weekend series as well, one in which the Gators took two-of-three from Texas in Austin. As a result, the Gators catapulted themselves into many Top 25 polls this week, and are playing very well as we inch closer to the postseason.
An opponent that could certainly give Alabama some problems, especially on their home field, can the Crimson Tide go into Gainesville to pickup yet another series win to boost their chances at hosting a regional?
Here is a preview of Alabama's final regular season opponent, the Florida Gators.
Florida Gators 2025 Team Overview
Conference: SEC
SEC Stadium: Condron Family Ballpark, Gainesville, Florida
Condron Family Ballpark, Gainesville, Florida 2025 Record: 35-18 overall (13-14 in SEC)
35-18 overall (13-14 in SEC) Ranking: No. 21 in USA TODAY Sports College Baseball Coaches Poll, No. 23 in D1Baseball Top 25
As mentioned previously, Florida comes into this weekend ranked in the latest Top 25 polls, sitting at No. 21 in the nation following their weekend series win over Texas. The Gators also come into the weekend with a 35-18 overall record for the season that includes a 13-14 mark in SEC play, and have won each of their last five SEC series'.
Florida Gators 2025 Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Kevin O'Sullivan
Kevin O'Sullivan Associate Head Coach: Chuck Jeroloman
Chuck Jeroloman Assistant Coach: Taylor Black
Taylor Black Pitching Coach: David Kopp
Leading the Florida Gators baseball program is Kevin O'Sullivan, who is currently in season No. 18 in Gainesville. Since his arrival at Florida back in 2008, O'Sullivan, a three-time SEC Coach of the Year, has led the Gators to nine College World Series appearances, six SEC regular season titles, and a national championship back in 2017.
Florida Gators 2025 Hitting Stats
AVG: .296 (.272 in SEC)
.296 (.272 in SEC) OBP: .407 (.375 in SEC)
.407 (.375 in SEC) SLG: .507 (.453 in SEC)
.507 (.453 in SEC) OPS: .914 (.828 in SEC)
.914 (.828 in SEC) HR: 81 (36 in SEC)
81 (36 in SEC) RBI: 374 (159 in SEC)
374 (159 in SEC) SB: 80-of-97 (37-of-50 in SEC)
Florida enters this weekend batting for a combined .296 AVG as a team, while also owning a .272 AVG in SEC play. The Gators have also been active on the base paths this season stealing 80 bags, and have a combined .914 OPS as a team.
Florida Gators 2025 Pitching Stats
ERA: 5.01 (6.37 in SEC)
5.01 (6.37 in SEC) WHIP: 1.45 (1.65 in SEC)
1.45 (1.65 in SEC) K: 568 (271 in SEC)
568 (271 in SEC) BB: 220 (134 in SEC)
220 (134 in SEC) AVG: .248 (.272 in SEC)
Florida's pitching staff has struggled at times this season, owning a 5.01 ERA for the year with opponents owning a combined .248 AVG against. Some of those same struggles have continued into SEC play as well, as Florida owns a 6.37 ERA in conference action with a .272 AVG against.
Florida Gators 2025 Hitters to Know
Colby Shelton, Infielder - Junior
- Junior Bobby Boser, Infielder/Outfielder - Senior
- Senior Brody Donay, Catcher - Junior
- Junior Luke Heyman, Catcher - Junior
- Junior Brendan Lawson, Infielder - Freshman
Likely the biggest name to know for Florida offensively is a familiar face to Alabama in former transfer Colby Shelton, who is leading the Gators with a .377 AVG across 45 games this season. Among the additional names to know at the plate for Florida are Bobby Boser and Brody Donay, each of which own an OPS over 1.000+ with 14 home runs, while Luke Heyman is also an experienced member of the Gators lineup.
Florida Gators 2025 Pitchers to Know
Aidan King, Right-Handed Pitcher - Freshman
- Freshman Liam Peterson, Right-Handed Pitcher - Sophomore
- Sophomore Jake Clemente, Right-Handed Pitcher - Redshirt Sophomore
- Redshirt Sophomore Caden McDonald, Right-Handed Pitcher/First Baseman - Redshirt Freshman
- Redshirt Freshman Jackson Barberi, Right-Handed Pitcher - Freshman
Florida's pitching staff is likely headlined by a pair of right-handed starters in freshman Aidan King and sophomore Liam Peterson, who own a combined 2.90 ERA and 3.81 ERA for the season, respectively. In the bullpen, Florida's biggest name to know is likely right-hander Jake Clemente, who owns a 3.66 ERA with six saves and a .183 AVG against across 46.2 innings this season.
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
10 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Maurice's message to Nosek after game-deciding penalty in Florida's Game 1 Cup Final loss
All Tomas Nosek could do is watch from the penalty box as the Florida Panthers' hopes to win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final slipped away. He was an observer for the casualty he committed, flipping a puck over the boards with just less than two minutes left in overtime to give the Edmonton Oilers a power play. Edmonton struck on that chance, with Leon Draisaitl beating Sergei Bobrovsky to seal the Oilers' 4-3 come-from-behind victory on Wednesday to open the best-of-7 series. It's a tough moment to take for Nosek, Florida's fourth-line center whose play typically slips under the radar. But the Panthers are doing what they can to make sure Nosek doesn't hang his head too much. 'That stuff happens in the game of hockey,' veteran forward Brad Marchand said. 'You know, it's a bad break. He's been a great player for us all year, all playoffs. So, yeah, we have his back on that one.' While the blunder is the moment fresh in fans' minds, a reminder of what Nosek has done for the Panthers this postseason. He was a healthy scratch through the first seven games of the playoffs — all five games in the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the first two of the second round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. After Florida dropped the first two games to Toronto, Maurice made a wholesale change to his fourth line, dropping Mackie Samoskevich, Nico Sturm and Jesper Boqvist and inserting Nosek, A.J. Greer and Jonah Gadjovich in their place. The trio was integral in the Panthers winning Game 3 against the Maple Leafs and turning the tide of that series, which Florida ultimately won in seven games. Nosek has been in the lineup every game since, is integral on the penalty kill and on multiple occasions has had to move up in the lineup midgame to fill in for injured teammates. Through 11 playoff games, the Panthers have not allowed a goal at 5-on-5 in the 98:12 Nosek has been on the ice despite opponents having an expected goals for mark of 4.73. 'We're not here without Tomas Nosek,' Maurice said. 'It's a tough break. We make sure he doesn't eat alone tonight, he has lots of people sitting at his table reminding him of how good he has been for us. It's going to be tough. He's going to eat that one for a day. But from his penalty kill to that line changing the flow of that Toronto series, we'll remind him of that a whole bunch of times.''
USA Today
17 minutes ago
- USA Today
Texans HC DeMeco Ryans named to 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot
Texans HC DeMeco Ryans named to 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot DeMeco Ryans might never make it to Canton, Ohio, for his efforts as a player with the Houston Texans, but he could represent the University of Alabama in Atlanta, Ga. The former Alabama Crimson Tide star and future 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year was named to the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot The 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted on Dec. 8, 2026. Ryans dominated the college ranks during his time in Tuscaloosa. He was a 2005 unanimous First Team All-American and won the Lott Trophy during his final season. The defender was also an All-SEC first-team honoree, a two-time All-SEC second-team honoree and won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2005. The Texans landed Ryans with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2006 draft and never looked back. He became a captain in 2007 after winning the DPOY, and was considered the leader in the clubhouse until his trade to Philadelphia in 2012. Over his decade-long career in the league, Ryans totaled 970 tackles, 72 tackles for loss, seven interceptions and 13.5 sacks. He was a two-time Pro Bowl representative as well.
USA Today
22 minutes ago
- USA Today
Florida football a candidate for first College Football Playoff berth in 2025
Florida football a candidate for first College Football Playoff berth in 2025 Florida football is earning national attention as one of the top programs poised to make their first College Football Playoff appearance in 2025, according to CBS Sports' Carter Bahns. Following the CFP's expansion to a 12-team format in 2024, the door has opened wider than ever for rising programs to break through. The Gators' late-season surge–powered by DJ Lagway's rapid development, a veteran offensive line and improved defense–helped shift the narrative surrounding Billy Napier's tenure as Florida's skipper. Entering his fourth season with the Orange and Blue, Napier now leads one of the SEC's most intriguing rosters heading into the fall. With the CFP now allowing multiple teams from power conferences like the SEC, Florida doesn't need to win the league to earn a postseason spot. Instead, a top-three finish in the conference could be enough to secure a long-awaited playoff berth. Here is everything Bahns wrote about the Florida Gators and why they could have a real shot at the playoffs next season. Everything CBS Sports said about the Gators "Florida sure looked like it turned a corner last November. Consecutive wins over ranked opponents, a four-game winning streak to close the year and a freshman-year breakout from DJ Lagway could not have come at a more opportune time for Billy Napier," Bahns notes. "If the last month of 2024 was a harbinger of success to come, the Gators coach could go from the hot seat to the playoff in just over a calendar year. It does not take much imagination to envision a breakthrough season, especially since Lagway has a talented receiving corps and one of college football's strongest offensive lines at his side." CBS Sports' teams poised to make 2025 playoff debut appearance Miami Hurricanes Illinois Fighting Illini South Carolina Gamecocks Florida Gators Louisville Cardinals Texas A&M Aggies Ole Miss Rebels Auburn Tigers Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
