After losing two of three games against unranked Kentucky, Kevin O’Sullivan wanted to see more from his team.
He witnessed it slightly in Florida’s 3-2 win over No. 12 Florida State on Tuesday, but as the Gators trudge through Southeastern Conference play, the ninth-year head coach wants his team to toughen up and show some grit.
"We need to be forced into playing at a higher level mentally," he said.
A showdown with the No. 1 team in the country might do the trick.
No. 2 Florida (24-3, 4-2 SEC) clashes with top-ranked Texas A&M in Gainesville at McKethan Stadium at 7 p.m., the first of a three-game set this weekend.
"I wanna see how we play against one of the best teams in the country, if not the best team in the country," O’Sullivan said.
"Playing a team like A&M is going to force our dugout and our players to kind of rise to the occasion."
Texas A&M has won nine of the last 11 contests with the Gators, including two of three the last time the two teams met in 2014.
Although O’Sullivan is 5-1 against top-ranked teams, he’s just 1-3 versus the Aggies in his career.
And when they come to Gainesville, throw out the rankings.
"Whether they’re ranked or not, ranked first or 25th, you’re gonna have your hands full," O’Sullivan said.
This year, Texas A&M (22-3, 4-2 SEC) has won each of its first two SEC series and squashed No. 15 Houston 7-2 on Tuesday.
The similarities between UF and TAMU are seemingly endless.
Both teams boast nearly identical records.
And as O’Sullivan said, both teams do everything well — from pitching and hitting to running the bases and playing solid defense.
Put simply, Texas A&M is a well-rounded club, one that the Gators could easily see in June.
"These are the types of teams that you’re going to have to play if you want to hoist that trophy at the end of the year," O’Sullivan said. "These are the types of teams you’re going to have to beat."
The Aggies' strength is their hitting. Led by senior outfielder J.B. Moss’ .410 mark, they’re hitting .335, which leads the conference and is fourth best in the nation.
Countering TAMU's offense will be Florida’s pitching staff, headlined by junior Logan Shore (5-0, 2.89 ERA), who will start tonight.
Shore said TAMU’s hitters are, for the most part, older and consistent. He said the challenge will be to keep them off balance.
"As a pitching staff, we’ve got to execute pitches this weekend if we want to have success," Shore said.
Although his season’s been a bit inconsistent to his standards, Shore said he feels confident.
Despite the hype, the Coon Rapids, Minnesota, native is treating this start just like any other.
"You only get to pitch once a week," Shore said. "Every Friday comes around, I’m excited to pitch, whether it’s Texas A&M or whoever we’re playing."
Sophomore right-hander Alex Faedo (5-0, 2.70 ERA) will start Saturday at 7:30 p.m. after having served as the Sunday starter all season.
Junior lefthander A.J. Puk (1-2, 3.49 ERA) will take the mound Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tonight’s game can be watched on SEC Network+, while the Saturday and Sunday contests will air on ESPNU.
Contact Patrick Pinak ppinak@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @Pinakk12
