4 days ago
The Athletic predicts Florida baseball's Conway Regional outcome
The Athletic predicts Florida baseball's Conway Regional outcome
Florida baseball opens up its endeavor to earn the 2025 College World Series title on Friday as the second seed in the Conway Regional following a season that saw some significant ups and downs en route to a postseason bid.
The Gators opened up the spring with 11 straight wins before back-to-back losses to the Miami Hurricanes and UCF Knights, respectively, in non-conference play. Kevin O'Sullivan's team would win the next five games, but everything changed once the Southeastern Conference schedule began.
The first dozen games of the SEC slate left the Orange and Blue black and blue, struggling to a 1-11 start against fellow conference foes. However, following a home sweep at the hands of the Vanderbilt Commodores, Florida took the rubber match in the season series against the Florida State Seminoles to start an epic run to end the season.
It is worth noting that the team's late-season surge began immediately after the men's basketball team earned its third-ever national championship.
Alas, that final push ended short after the Gators lost to the Ole Miss Rebels in the second round of the SEC Tournament, eliminating any chance of hosting a regional. The good news is that O'Sullivan's squad is favored to emerge from the opening bracket — at least The Athletic's Mitch Light feels this way in his college baseball NCAA regional predictions.
Take a look below at his breakdown of Florida's regional bracket.
Conway Regional
Coastal Carolina (13) Florida East Carolina Fairfield
"Coastal Carolina is second nationally in ERA (3.29) and third in WHIP (1.19) and OPS against (.648). The Chanticleers are hosting a Regional for the fifth time in program history," Light begins.
"For the first time in Kevin O'Sullivan's 18 seasons at Florida, the Gators are not hosting a Regional for the second consecutive season. Florida was a No. 3 seed in the Stillwater Regional last year and advanced to the College World Series," he continues.
"East Carolina went 13-14 in the American Athletic Conference, only the fourth time this century the Pirates have had a losing record in league play. But Cliff Godwin's club is back in a Regional, for the seventh consecutive season, after winning the AAC tournament title," Light notes.
"Fairfield is 108-23 in the MAAC over the last five years with two Regional appearances. The Stags went 2-2 as a No. 3 seed in the Austin Regional in 2021."
Prediction: Florida
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