Southeastern Conference Play Opens for Baseball with Trip to Second-Ranked Florida
3/15/2023 1:23:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Gators will meet for the 126th time in series history on Thursday
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 22 Alabama baseball begins Southeastern Conference play with a trip to Gainesville to take on the second-ranked Florida Gators. The two teams will open the series on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. CT followed by a 5:30 p.m. start on Friday and a 3 p.m. first pitch in the series finale. The Tide and Gators will be televised nationally on SEC Network for Thursday's matchup with the final two games airing on SEC Network+.
Follow the Tide
Fans can follow the series via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network (Thursday) / SEC Network+ (Friday and Saturday)
Listen: 100.9 FM / CTSN / The Varsity App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: FloridaGators.com
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
THURSDAY: UA – TBA vs. UF – Brandon Sproat (Jr., RHP)
FRIDAY: UA – Ben Hess (So., RHP) vs. UF – Hurston Waldrep (Jr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Grayson Hitt (Jr., LHP) vs. UF – Jac Caglianone (So., LHP)
Leading Off
- Alabama and Florida will meet for the 126th time in history when the series opens on Thursday night. The Gators lead the all-time series, 67-58, including a 33-18 mark in Gainesville.
- The most recent meeting between the two teams came at the SEC Tournament on May 28 of last season with the Gators claiming an 11-6 win. It was the fourth matchup of the season as Florida traveled to Tuscaloosa for a weekend series from March 18-20. That series saw UF earn wins in games one and two before the Tide came away with an 8-7 victory in the finale.
- Alabama's last trip to Gainesville came from March 29-31, 2019. The Gators swept that series.
- Alabama's starter for the series opener will be sophomore right-hander Hagan Banks. The Crimson Tide will then look to its regular game two starter in right-hander Ben Hess on Friday night with lefty Grayson Hitt getting the call in Saturday's series finale.
- Florida will send right-hander Brandon Sproat to the mound for the series opener with fellow righty Hurston Waldrep to follow on Friday. Things wrap up on Saturday with the Gators throwing left-hander Jac Caglianone.
About Alabama
- Alabama heads to Gainesville after going 2-2 over the last four games. The Tide earned one win last weekend over Columbia before shutting out South Alabama in Mobile on Tuesday evening.
- The duo of Luke Holman and Alton Davis II combined to shut out South Alabama 4-0 on Tuesday evening at Stanky Field in Mobile.
- Holman was impressive once again, picking up his team-leading fourth win of the year. The sophomore tossed a career-high 7.0 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just three hits while striking out nine. Davis II followed with 2.0 frames that included one punchout to secure the 4-0 victory.
- Alabama's offense was powered by Will Hodo. The sophomore finished 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and a run scored. Hodo's two hits were a part of the Tide's 10 total in the contest.
- The Tide came up short in a 10-7 loss to Columbia last Friday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
- Despite trailing from the second inning on, Alabama never stopped battling. The Crimson Tide traded runs with the Lions all night and headed to the ninth down four.
- UA was able to plate one in the final frame and had the bases loaded with two down, but a difficult over the shoulder catch on the run by the Columbia shortstop went for the last out and the 10-7 final.
- Alabama split a doubleheader with Columbia on Saturday afternoon. The 18th-ranked Crimson Tide came away with a 6-2 win in game one before a 15-3 loss in the nightcap.
- The Tide used a six-run fifth to provide all its offense in game one. The Lions were first on the board with one in the third but a six-run fifth proved more than enough. That fifth included a two-run shot by Colby Shelton and a grand slam from Ed Johnson. Columbia was able to add one in the sixth but would get no closer.
- Alabama starter Ben Hess was solid in the start, picking up his third win of the season. The sophomore allowed one run on three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts across his 5.0 innings.
- The Crimson Tide fell, 15-3, in game two of the doubleheader. Columbia posted an 11-run fourth inning to put the game out of reach for the series-clinching win.
About Florida
- Kevin O'Sullivan is in his 16th season as a collegiate head coach, all coming at Florida. He entered the 2023 campaign with a 627-302 career record. A 1991 graduate of Virginia, O'Sullivan is assisted by Taylor Black and Chuck Jeroloman along with volunteer assistant coach David Kopp.
- Florida finished the 2022 season at 42-24 overall, including a 15-15 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Gators advanced to the postseason, hosting an NCAA Regional in Gainesville where UF finished 2-2, falling in the championship game to ninth-ranked Oklahoma.
- The Gators were selected to finish second in the Eastern Division and third overall in the SEC in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches. Florida also received two first-place votes in the poll.
On Deck
Alabama will return home for a midweek matchup with UAB on Tuesday, March 21. The Crimson Tide and Blazers are scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch at Sewell-Thomas Stadium with the game airing on SEC Network+.
