The Gators capped off the short-lived 2020 season with a crushing defeat at the hands of their longest standing rival: Florida State. Now, the Gators finally have their chance to take back the rivalry in a midweek showdown on Tuesday night.
While Florida’s season has consisted of many games against in-state teams, the midweek matchup on Tuesday showcases a rivalry that runs much deeper.
The rivalry between Florida and Florida State baseball extends back to 1956. Over the history of the matchups on the diamond, the Gators are 121-129-1 against the Seminoles.
While the Gators have overwhelmed Florida State in recent years, the most recent loss hangs menacingly over the team.
It was the last game of 2020 and the Gators’ only loss during their pandemic-shortened 17-game season.
Though that sour of a note still rings rather loudly, the Gators have the tools needed to take revenge.
The Gators, despite a rough opening weekend against Miami, they have won every weekend series since.
The unranked Seminoles are just 6-6 this season. They dropped three in the ACC Opening Weekend series against Pitt. However, they did manage to take the most recent weekend series 2-1 against Virginia Tech.
More good news for the Gators is the 4-5 home record the Seminoles hold. Tuesday’s game will be only the second away game the Gators have played this season. However, the Seminoles’ losing home record gives the Gators a bit of an advantage away from home.
Major keys for the Gators include the success of Garrett Milchin on the mound. Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said after Sunday’s game that Milchin was slated to start on Tuesday.
The right-hander has been a solid midweek starter for the Gators so far. The March 9 game against Georgia State was Milchin’s best showing thus far. He looked strong through four innings and only gave up three hits and no runs. The ability for him to continue further into games is critical for the Gators’ midweek success.
Another player to watch is Kirby McMullen. The third baseman has hit four home runs over five games in one week of games. McMullen went 4-8 with 4 RBIs across the final two games against Jacksonville.
The rivalry continues and the Gators try and redeem last season against Florida State on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Contact Sara Kate Dyson at skatedyson@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @sarakatedyson
