UF roundup: Baseball team plays at FSU, softball hosts Team USA
No. 5 Florida will travel to Tallahassee to face Florida State in what was shortened to a two-game series this year because of the pandemic. Today's game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start at Dick Howser Stadium with the ACC Network providing television coverage.
The annual game in Jacksonville will not be played this year. The teams will meet again at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 13 in Gainesville, with the SEC Network providing TV coverage.
The Seminoles (6-6) are coming off a series win at No. 18 Virginia Tech, while the Gators (13-4) won 2-of-3 at home against Jacksonville.
FSU is expected to start right-handed pitcher Carson Montgomery (0-1, 0.00 ERA), while the Gators, who remained at No. 5 in the latest D1Baseball.com poll, are expected to go with righty Garrett Milchin (1-0, 2.0 ERA).
Florida State won last season’s game in Gainesville 2-0 that snapped an 11-game losing streak for the 'Noles in the series and was the first time that Mike Martin Jr. faced the Gators as head coach.
At the time, Florida was No. 1 in the country and the last remaining undefeated team in the nation. The season was canceled due to COVID-19 three days later.
The Gators have won 11 of the last 12 meetings vs. the Seminoles, including the last four in Tallahassee. The last time the two instate foes met in the state's capitol was a 3-1 win for Florida on April 9, 2019.
Florida is playing only its second road game of the season, as the Gators won the lone contest away from Gainesville, 9-5, against North Florida on Feb. 23.
Florida will then open SEC play this week against Texas A&M for a three-game series at Florida Ballpark. The conference season will begin Thursday on SEC Network at 7 p.m.
Softball
The No. 6 Gators (17-2, 2-1 SEC) will play an exhibition game against USA Softball Women's National Team at 6 p.m. (SEC Network+) today at Katie Seashole Stadium. Team USA beat the Gators 5-3 in last year's exhibition in Gainesville.
Gator Greats Michelle Moultrie, Kelsey Stewart and Aubree Munro will return to KSP Stadium to play while preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed last year because of COVID-19.
UF will stay in town Wednesday to play North Dakota at 7 p.m. before the weekend series at Mississippi State starting at 7 p.m. Friday.