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The Gators will host the Jacksonville Dolphins for a three-game weekend series at Florida Ballpark. Jacksonville comes into Gainesville riding a three-game winning streak. They got their first three wins of the season against the Wofford Terriers.
As for the Gators, they are also on a winning streak as they have won their last five games. During their winning streak, Florida has beaten FAMU three times, Georgia State and Stetson.
The Gators are 2-0 on the week after beating Georgia State on Tuesday and Stetson on Wednesday. They will also be looking for their second 5-0 week of their 2021 season. The last time Florida went 5-0 in a week was during the second week of the season when Florida swept North Florida in two games and Samford in three.
The Dolphins will take on the Gators in Gainesville and be led by Chris Hayes. The Jacksonville head coach is the middle of the fifth season as the program’s head man.
The Jacksonville Dolphins pitching staff will be led by their fifth year senior Tyler Santana. The Coral Gables native is Jacksonville’s Friday starter as he been their best arm this season. In three starts, Santana has a 1-2 record with a 3.18 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 12.2 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.
Sixth year senior Mike Cassala is the Saturday pitcher for the Dolphins. Cassala has been a really solid with a 1-1 record, 3.60 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 9 K/9. The projected Sunday starter for Jacksonville is Mason Adams.
The Florida Southwestern transfer replaced Austin Temple as one of Jacksonville’s rotation arms. Adams looked great in his first start at Jacksonville. The redshirt-sophomore threw seven innings allowing one hit, one runs, one walk and four strikeouts.
As for the offense, Jacksonville has really struggled as its team batting average is .220 which ranks 221st in the country. They have also scored 39 runs in eleven games which averages out to 3.5 runs per game which ranks 234th in the country.
The Dolphins do have some guys that are producing at the plate, especially true freshman Jackson Grabsky. The Sunshine State native is currently leading his team in hitting. Grabsky is hitting .324 with twelve hits, three doubles, two walks and a .359 on base percentage.
Leadoff hitting centerfield Ruben Someillan is off to a decent start for the Dolphins but provides a lot more than just hitting. He is batting .261 with twelve hits, one home run and four RBIs.
The Gators are coming toward the end of their 13-game homestead with a three-game weekend series vs. the Dolphins. They come into the series with an 11-3 record with wins vs. Miami, Samford, Stetson and North Florida.
The Gators will feature the same weekend rotation as they have had all season. Junior right-handed pitcher Tommy Mace will be on the mound Friday night. Mace has been terrific to start the 2021 season. In three starts, he has a 3-0 record with a 1.50 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 12 K/9 and 1 BB/9.
Junior right-handed pitcher Jack Leftwich will get the start on Saturday, and freshman left-hander Hunter Barco will be on the mound for the series finale on Sunday. Leftwich has been really good this season with a 2-0 record, 2.41 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and .162 opponent batting average. Barco is coming off his best start of the season against FAMU. He threw five innings allowing two hits, no runs, one walk and nine strikeouts.
Florida’s offense has been off to a nice start in the 2021 season. In 14 games, Florida has scored 115 runs which ranks fourth in the country. The Gators are also averaging 8.2 runs per game, which is ranked 38th in the country. The Gators also have a .305 team batting average that ranks 29th in the country.
UF’s offense is off a red hot start due to the production from their entire lineup and freshmen. Leadoff hitter Jacob Young leads Florida in hitting. Young is slashing .385/.425/.554 with 25 hits, eight doubles, one home run, and a .979 OPS.
Second-year catcher Nathan Hickey has been really good to start the season and is coming off a four-hit game against Stetson. Hickey is slashing .327/.446/.596 with seventeen hits, three home runs, a team-high 18 RBIs, and a 1.042 OPS.
Florida also has the luxury of three true freshmen that are absolutely tearing the cover off the ball. Infielder Colby Halter has been very impressive from the bottom of the order. Halter is second on the team in batting with a .375 batting average. He also has 18 hits, two home runs, 17 RBIs, and a team-high 1.068 OPS.
Right fielder Sterlin Thompson is fourth on the team in hitting with a .314 batting average, eleven hits, five RBIs, seven walks, and .896 OPS. Middle infielder Jordan Carrion has also been big for the Gators this season. Carrion is batting .303 with ten hits, five RBIs, and three stolen bases.