Florida’s top-10 matchup with South Carolina over the weekend should be the toughest test of the Gators’ season so far.
The Gamecocks are ranked No. 6 in the country by D1Baseball.com and feature one of the most dangerous bats in the country in freshman right fielder Ethan Petry. Vanderbilt managed to snag two from South Carolina last weekend, and Florida hoping it can do the same.
To do so, the duo of [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] and Hurston Waldrep need to continue to be elite for the Gators. Waldrep has worked himself into top-10 draft pick territory with some big strikeout numbers, and Sproat is starting to show some of the consistency scouts have been hoping for since laying eyes on his 99 mph fastball.
[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] had his first good start in almost a month last weekend against Georgia, and a repeat performance this week would be a major confidence boost.
Regardless of what he does on the mound, Caglianone is going to hit. He’s four homers shy of the school record and there are still 17 games left in the season. A big weekend could get him there on the road.
South Carolina’s starting rotation is strong, though. Maybe not as good as Florida’s, but it should be one of the best Florida sees all year. Of course, the same could have been said before the Tennessee series too.
Here’s a look at the weekend ahead and everything you need to know going into a major SEC series for the Gators.