GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville baseball team travels south to rekindle its in-state rivalry against the No. 21 Florida Gators on Tuesday, March 31.
This midweek matchup marks the 106th meeting between the two programs, with the Gators holding a 69-36 advantage. The teams have met 28 times since 2010, with Jacksonville earning seven wins during that span. Notably, the Dolphins have secured two victories in the last five meetings against Florida.
The series is heavily tilted in favor of the Gators when played in Gainesville, where they own a 45-17 record. When the action shifts to Jacksonville, the gap narrows, with the Dolphins closing to just 19-24.
Florida is slated to counter with RHP Schuyler Sandford, who owns a 3.00 ERA and has been effective in limited action this season.
Scouting Report
The Florida Gators (23-6, 6-3 SEC) are coming off a good week of baseball, rebounding impressively after briefly falling out of most major top 25 rankings.
On Tuesday, the Gators secured a series win against in-state rival No. 10 Florida State with a 5-0 shutout just five miles from John Sessions Stadium at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville. It marked Florida's sixth shutout of the season, the most by any team this year. Gator pitchers have tallied 34 strikeouts in only two games against the Seminoles.
Last weekend, UF swept No. 4 Arkansas in Fayetteville, marking the first top-five road sweep for head coach Kevin O'Sullivan. The Gators have recorded double-digit strikeouts in 21 of their last 25 games.
Florida's offense is powered by standout sophomore Brendan Lawson, who boasts a .373 average and a 1.454 OPS, leading the team with 11 home runs. The shortstop also paces the Gators in RBIs and runs scored.
Transfers Blake Cyr and Ethan Surowiec have each made significant contributions. Cyr, in his second year with the Gators, ranks second on the team in OPS (1.007) and batting average (.352). Surowiec is the only Gator to play in all 29 games and leads the team in hits.
The Gators are currently undefeated against other Florida teams at 11-0 and have compiled a 23-4 in-state record dating back to the start of last season.
Florida is slated to counter with RHP Schuyler Sandford, who owns a 3.00 ERA and has been effective in limited action this season.
Jacksonville Notes
The Dolphins (12-16, 2-7 ASUN) enter Tuesday's matchup looking to bounce back after dropping seven of their last 10 contests, including a weekend series against North Florida. Jacksonville picked up a midweek win over Bethune-Cookman last week and will look to carry that momentum into Gainesville.
Offensively, Jacksonville has leaned on a core group that has started all 28 games this season in
Roger Vergara,
Cade Walter,
Sammy Mummau, and
Logan Baratta.
Vergara ranks among the ASUN leaders with 40 hits (7th) and is tied for 4th in RBIs (27) while hitting .351 on the season. Walter has been one of the conference's most productive bats, ranking 6th in on-base percentage (.477) while also sitting 6th in runs scored (28) and tied for 4th in RBIs (27).
Mummau, in his second season with the Dolphins after beginning his career at Florida, has started all 28 games at shortstop and is hitting .267 with 24 RBIs. The redshirt sophomore has emerged recently, tallying three hits and five RBI in the series versus North Florida
Baratta adds depth to the lineup with 15 RBIs on the season. He hit his second homer of the year in game two of the North Florida series.
Jacksonville has also seen recent production from
Sam Grunberg, who has a hit in six of his last seven games. Connor Spelman, a preseason All-ASUN selection, has a hit in each of his last four games and added two RBI across that span.
On the mound, Jacksonville is expected to start LHP
Kyle Powers, a decision that will grant Powers the first start of his young career. The sophomore has struck out 10 batters across 16.0 innings this season and is coming off a scoreless outing against North Florida. He will look to limit a Florida lineup that has been one of the most productive in the country.
Tuesday marks the first regular-season meeting between the two programs this year after Florida took a 5-1 decision in a fall exhibition on Halloween 2025.
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