The Gators ended the SEC’s opening weekend with a clean sweep against Texas A&M. Almost half of the team tried playing for the SEC for the first time at the Florida Ballpark and emerged victorious.
Florida now looks forward to the next series of conferences, this time away from the comfort of Gainesville. The Gators travel to Columbia, South Carolina, on Friday, to face 20th place in South Carolina in their first series outside the SEC.
The series marks the third time the Gators have hit the road so far this season, and the first time they have traveled on the weekend.
While Florida enters the weekend series after a SEC sweep, the out-of-shape Gamecocks stagger into the top 25 clash.
South Carolina dropped from 12th to 20th place in the ranking of Baseball America after its series against Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks lost two games to the Commodores, but managed to avoid a sweep on Sunday.
Prior to this series, Gamecocks abandoned all three in their series against Texas. South Carolina’s recent fights give the Gators the opportunity to claim possession of Columbia with another sweep.
The Gators also enter this weekend outside of their longest rest period. The team did not play any games in the middle of the week for the first time this season.
But to win, Florida needs its initial pitch rotation to stay consistent.
Lately, fourth year holders, Tommy Mace, fourth year Jack Leftwich and second year Hunter Boat have catapulted the Gators to success. His ability to battle in games keeps the Florida bullpen full and up to date.
Both Mace and Leftwich played seven full entries in their respective games against the Aggies, while Barco played six. The team used only four relievers over the weekend.
The Gators freshman momentum is also central to the series. Over the weekend, catcher Mac Guscette and second baseman Colby Halter shone on the roster.
Guscette was 7 to 12 over the weekend with three RBIs, while Halter was 5 to 11 with three RBIs. Now that the majority of the team has faced opponents from the SEC, their nerves are expected to decrease and the bats to become stronger.
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The Gators head to South Carolina to begin the weekend series on Friday, with the first pitch set for 7pm. The game will be broadcast by SEC +.
Contact Sara Kate Dyson at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @sarakatedyson
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