First-round exit from SEC Tournament puts Florida’s playoff hopes in limbo
Florida baseball’s first-round loss in the SEC Tournament has the Gators waiting through the weekend to find out whether they will play another game in the 2024 season.
Winning two out of three against Georgia allowed Florida to finish the regular season above .500, which is a requirement to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Thanks to a top-30 ranking in the latest RPI report from D1Baseball, Florida is well-positioned to make the Field of 64.
If the right combination of Cinderella runs happens, Florida could miss the tournament for the first time under Kevin O'Sullivan. Here’s what the D1Baseball staff had to say after Thursday’s action:
“Oddly enough, from a bubble ladder standpoint, there aren’t many changes to make. We entered the night thinking there might be a reason to move Kansas State or Florida to the Last Four In, and there’s simply no reason to do that with Northeastern and James Madison both losing.”
Another working in Florida’s favor is the Gators’ top-ranked strength of schedule.
“We do that for a reason: For us to be able to be battle-tested when we get into the postseason,” O’Sullivan said after Tuesday’s loss. “We play three against Florida State, three against Miami every year.”
Florida has more Quadrant 1 wins than most teams in the country and only has one Quadrant 4 loss.
Gators fans should be rooting against Indiana, California, Cincinnati, Georgia Southern, Louisville, Old Dominion, St. John’s and Xavier — the first eight outside the projected field.
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
