Series Preview: Florida headed to South Carolina for top-10 matchup

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 Brandon Sproat 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.

Jac Caglianone 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.

Projected Starting Lineup

Notes: It’s unclear if Evans will return for this series, but Matt Prevesk would likely start in right field if he can’t go. Evans slid into the wall last Sunday and left the game early. He got the midweek game against Florida A&M off to rest up.

Probable Starters: Thursday (7:30 p.m. EDT)

NOTES: Brandon Sporat went seven innings against Georgia last weekend, which is the most he’s pitched since the complete game against Alabama on March 16. He gave up four runs but still struck out eight and gave up just three hits and two walks.

Sproat tends to turn it up for big games, so expect him to go at least five and be chucking 99 mph right out of the gate.

Will Sanders is another draft guy that scouts loved coming out of high school, and he’s likely to go in the first round this summer. His fastball sits 92-94 mph with good run and he’s got a changeup that falls right off the plate against lefties.

Sanders hasn’t been lights out against the SEC this season, but he did hurl three shutout innings against LSU. The Tigers and Gators share similar strengths, so that could be a bad omen for UF.

Probable Starters: Friday (7 p.m. EDT)

NOTES: Hurston Waldrep might be the best pitcher in college baseball not named Paul Skenes. The strikeout numbers have hardly dropped off after the move to the SEC, and Waldrep’s splitter is among the most devastating pitches in the sport right now.

Waldrep has given Florida a quality start in four of his five starts against conference opponents. He’s pitched through the seventh inning in each of the last two weeks, so all sign point to another lights-out night.

Jack Mahoney has had a completely different season than Sanders. He’s shut down most of the SEC clubs he’s faced, but LSU gave him trouble. Mahoney is coming off UCL repair and looks like one of the top arms in the conference.

His fastball is similar to Sanders’ in speed. It sits in the 92-94 range and touches 94-95 with some horizontal movement. Command is a plus for him, and his low 80s sweeper is a nice putaway pitch. His changeup shows promise, especially against lefties.

Probable Starters: Saturday (2 p.m. EDT)

NOTES: The big thing with Jac Caglinaone is fastball command. When he doesn’t have it, getting out of the first inning isn’t a guarantee. But when he does have command, Caglianone is one of the tougher first-year arms in baseball. His fastball regularly hits 98-99 mph and his slider has a big, sweeping movement that fools lefties.

Kevin O’Sullivan will probably have Cags on a short leash, but last week’s five-inning outing against Georgia was a good way to bounce back before this start.

South Carolina has been going with TBD on Sundays since Noah Hall went down with back injuries and an uncertain timetable to return. Matthew Becker might be the favorite to start after getting the call against Vanderbilt a week ago.

Other Players to Watch

Gary Cosby Jr.-The Tuscaloosa News

Petry was already mentioned in the intro, but it’s worth going over his stats to give an idea of how truly dangerous he is. The Golden Spikes candidate is slashing .426/.487/.879 with 56 hits, 18 home runs and 56 RBIs. The only downside in his game is that he strikes out (31) a lot more than he walks (13), but the same can be said about Caglianone.

Limiting Petry is the key this weekend. A big home run at the right moment from him could completely turn the series in favor of South Carolina, especially being in Columbia.

Series History

NOTES: South Carolina has gotten the better of Florida in Columbia and in Hoover, Alabama, historically, but this is one of the best Gators teams we’ve seen in a while. Winning the series means taking the all-time lead.

Follow the Action

THURSDAY (7:30 p.m. EDT)

• Watch: ESPNU

• Listen: ESPN 98.1FM/850AM WRUF

• Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)

FRIDAY (7 p.m. EDT)

• Watch: SEC Network+

• Listen: ESPN 98.1FM/850AM WRUF

• Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)

SATURDAY (2 p.m. EDT)

• Watch: SEC Network+

• Listen: ESPN 98.1FM/850AM WRUF

• Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)

* Watch links go directly to game feed

Predictions

GAME 1: Florida, 5-4

GAME 2: Florida, 6-1

GAME 3: Florida, 8-7

SERIES: Waldrep is the only starter I’m confident will give the Gators a chance to win, but this team plays like they have something to prove every night so I’m trusting the offense and picking a sweep. Sproat might give up four, but he’ll battle to keep Florida in it in the series opener.

South Carolina’s injuries on the mound might give UF the advantage on Sunday, too, but you never which Caglianone Florida is going to get.

Florida makes a statement with a sweep of No. 6 South Carolina.

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Story originally appeared on Gators Wire