GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville baseball team heads to Gainesville for the second time this season, aiming to clinch the season series against the No. 21 Florida Gators on Tuesday.
On March 31, the Dolphins defeated the Gators with a three-run eighth inning, taking a 4-3 lead that Jacksonville never relinquished.
Getting Hot
Since that first meeting in Gainesville, Jacksonville has surged, rattling off nine wins in its last 11 games to establish itself as one of the hottest teams in the ASUN. Tuesday also marks the third time this season the Dolphins will face the No. 21 team in the nation on the road, having already secured wins over both Florida and UCF in those matchups.
Orlando proved magical for the Dolphins, who upset the No. 21 UCF Knights 4-3 on Tuesday. The game went to extra innings, with clutch hitting and pitching by Jacksonville. The winning run came in the top of the 11th, when Roger Vergara drove in Cade Walter from second. It marked Vergara's second crucial RBI hit against ranked teams. He also tied the ballgame in Gainesville earlier this season with a two-run single to right.
After defeating their second ranked opponent in as many weeks, Jacksonville returned home to face West Georgia, who had previously taken the opening conference series against the Dolphins. Jacksonville fell behind early in every game, surrendering runs in each first inning and facing sizable deficits. Nevertheless, the Dolphins mounted three impressive comebacks.
In game one against the Wolves, the Dolphins trailed 7-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth. In game two, they were down 5-2 entering the fourth, and in the finale, they faced a 7-2 deficit in the bottom of the fifth. Remarkably, the Dolphins outscored the Wolves 30-3 after falling behind in those games.
No one in the green and gold is hotter at the plate than Sam Grunberg, who just wrapped up one of the most impressive offensive weeks in college baseball this season.
Over his last four games, Grunberg is hitting .550 with 11 hits, seven RBIs, and eight runs scored. He added two doubles and blasted a 395-foot home run to tie the game against UCF and force extra innings. Grunberg also led the Dolphins this week in all slashing categories, posting a .524 OBP, .800 SLG, and a 1.342 OPS.
Scouting Report
The Florida Gators (28-13, 10-8 SEC) are coming off a tough 1-3 week, dropping a midweek game to Bethune-Cookman, 13-7, and losing their weekend series to No. 13 Auburn.
However, prior to last week, the Gators surged into several Top 10 rankings after an impressive 3-1 stretch. They completed a season sweep of in-state rival Florida State and took two out of three on the road against No. 4 Georgia.
Florida's offense is led by standout sophomore Brendan Lawson, who boasts a .333 average and a 1.264 OPS, while leading the team with 11 home runs. The shortstop also ranks among the team leaders in RBIs (34) and runs scored (40).
Despite the Gators' disappointing weekend, Blake Cyr delivered a standout performance, tallying seven hits, 10 RBIs, and four home runs. He lifted his batting average from .310 to .326 over just four games.
Pitching Matchup
Jacksonville will hand the ball to right-hander Ben Baker-Livingston on Tuesday, as he continues to serve as a dependable arm in the Dolphins' pitching mix. He has appeared in 12 games this season, logging 21.2 innings while providing length in a variety of roles. In the first meeting with Florida on March 31, Baker-Livingston turned in one of his more extended outings of the year, working 3.0 innings and helping bridge the game late in Jacksonville's 4-3 win.
Florida is expected to counter with right-hander Cooper Walls, who has thrown the fifth-most innings on the staff this season (29.0) and will be making his eighth appearance of the year. In that same March 31 matchup, Walls worked 1.1 innings, allowing one run while striking out two in the Gators' 4-3 loss.
Coverage
First Pitch: 6:30 PM
Location: Gainesville, Fla. Condron Family Ballpark
Watch: ESPN+
Follow along: Live Stats
