The Florida-Miami rivalry has always been one of the biggest in college sports.
And it will be renewed tonight as No. 1 UF begins a three-game series against No. 6 Miami at 7 p.m. in Coral Gables.
"It’s always a big series against Miami," UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said.
"It will be another challenge, another test for us. This is a long season and a long journey. It’s an important series for our fans and for their fans."
Added Hurricanes coach Jim Morris: "It’s probably the biggest series in the country in college baseball."
But the rivalry has been one-sided as of late.
The Gators have dominated the series in recent memory, winning four of five matchups last season and taking two out of three in Gainesville, before beating the Hurricanes twice in the College World Series.
"They just have a complete team," Morris said.
"They can really pitch, they can hit and they can play good defense. They’re just a very solid club."
Miami (4-0) got its only win against UF last year when it sent Thomas Woodrey to the mound.
Woodrey stymied Florida’s lineup, allowing just five hits over 6.2 innings while striking out one as the Hurricanes won 7-2 in Gainesville.
Woodrey is scheduled to draw the start for Miami tonight and he’ll have added motivation going into the series.
"We’re just going into it with a chip on our shoulder," Woodrey said. "We want to play them good and we want to win. They finished us off last year and we have to use that as motivation going into this weekend."
The Gators (5-0) will counter with Logan Shore, who threw just 10 pitches in the opening game of the regular season series last season before being pulled because of a hip flexor injury.
It will also be a chance for Florida’s freshmen, Deacon Liput and Jonathan India, to experience a true road game.
Liput leads the Gators with a .500 batting average (8-for-16) with five extra base hits and 10 RBIs.
And while India hasn’t had the same success at the plate as Liput — he’s hitting .250 — the series against Miami will be a homecoming of sorts for the third baseman, who played at American Heritage in Coral Springs.
"That’s one of the best atmospheres we get to play in front of," Florida shortstop Dalton Guthrie said.
"And from what I’ve heard, going to Miami, they always love to bring people out to the game and taunt the Gators."
While the game is just the sixth and fifth games for Florida and Miami, respectively, the magnitude of the rivalry is as large as ever.
"We want to go out here and kick their butts," Miami outfielder Jacob Heyward said.
"That’s all it’s about."
Contact Luis Torres at ltorres@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @LFTorresIII.
Florida shortstop Dalton Guthrie hits during UF's 4-2 win over Florida Gulf Coast on Feb. 19, 2016, at McKethan Stadium.
