Saturday, February 14
Gainesville, Fla.
2 PM
Florida Gators
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11
vs
0
UAB
1-1
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7
R
H
E
UAB
0
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Florida
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X
11
16
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No. 13 Florida Sweeps Doubleheader for Series Win Over UAB
Saturday, February 14, 2026 | Baseball
Kyle Jones (5-for-8) and Cash Strayer (5-for-8) had 10 of UF’s 25 hits while starters Aidan King and Cooper Walls cruised to victories.
No. 13 Florida Sweeps Doubleheader for Series Win Over UAB
Kyle Jones (5-for-8) and Cash Strayer (5-for-8) had 10 of UF's 25 hits while starters Aidan King and Cooper Walls cruised to victories.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 13 Florida stormed back for a series win by sweeping UAB in dominant fashion across both ends of a doubleheader via tallies of 11-0 and 6-1 at Condron Family Ballpark on Saturday.
The Gators (2-1) outscored the Blazers (1-2) by a 17-1 margin while collecting 25 hits to UAB's eight. Florida's series-evening, 11-0 victory in game one of the twin bill came courtesy of the run-rule in seven innings. The Orange & Blue totaled 15 extra-base hits including 10 doubles over the course of the day.
Although the UF offense exploded, the Gator pitching staff was equally brilliant. Led by six shutout innings in Aidan King's first start of the season in game one, UF pitchers allowed one run and walked just one batter across 16 innings en route to a 0.56 ERA and .145 batting average against on the day. Transfer sophomore Cooper Walls anchored the staff in the finale, going 5 1/3 frames and nabbing the victory in his Gators debut
Two Gators had five-hit days at the dish in outfielders Kyle Jones (5-for-8) and Cash Strayer (5-for-8). Jones racked up four doubles on Saturday to bring his season total to five in three games – four of which have led off innings and three leading off games. Strayer swatted a homer and two doubles in his first taste of collegiate action while Blake Cyr (3-for-6) popped two homers and drove in four runs.
Game 1 | Florida 11, UAB 0 (7)
Earning the starting nod, King made his season debut with a scoreless top half of the first inning and from there, it was all the Gators. Florida opened the bottom half of the first with nine runs, as Jones promptly led off with a double down the left-field line for the second-straight game. The outburst then began with a two-run shot to left by Cade Kurland, followed by back-to-back doubles by Ethan Surowiec and Karson Bowen. Cyr then smashed a two-run blast of his own while the lineup turned over as Jones, Kurland (two RBI) and Bowen chipped in their second hits of the inning to drive in runs.
Strayer and Kolt Myers each collected their first-career hits in their first-career at bats in the opening frame. Both came around to score in the nine-run explosion.
After a clean frame from King in the second, Cyr launched his second homer in as many innings to extend the Gator lead to an even 10-0. Another one-two-three inning from King followed, as did a leadoff double from Jones in the home half of the third.
The score held into the fourth as Jones was left stranded due to a double-play ball, but King produced another zero in the fourth by working around a two-out single. Florida stranded two runners in the home half, but Cyr singled to join Jones in a 3-for-3 day at the dish.
King cruised through the fifth while notching his fourth strikeout and the Orange & Blue returned to the scoring column in the following half inning. Bowen came through with his third hit of the game with a two-out, RBI double down the left-field line to make it 11-0.
Following six scoreless frames with four strikeouts, King was lifted in favor of right-hander Schuyler Sandford. Making his collegiate debut, Sandford retired the side in order – finishing with a strikeout – to cement UF's first win of the season.
King (1-0) dominated across six shutout frames, allowing just three hits without issuing a free pass. He struck out four batters – all in the fourth inning or later.
UAB starter Braxton Shelton (0-1) was saddled with the loss after surrendering 10 earned runs on 12 hits, one walk and one strikeout in two-plus innings.
Game 2 | Florida 6, UAB 1
Taking the mound in his Orange & Blue debut, Walls stole the script from the onset of the finale. He quickly retired the first two batters including one strikeout and then made a nifty play down the third-base line and zipped a clean throw to first base for the final out.
The UF bats picked up where they left off, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Jones led off with a double for the third-consecutive game to begin the season and was plated moments later, as Brendan Lawson demolished a two-run shot to right-center for his first long ball of the campaign. After a Surowiec double and Strayer double, Cyr provided a sacrifice fly to deep center for the frame's third and final run.
Walls worked a scoreless second inning, aided by a line-drive double play at first base to end the inning. The sophomore righty blanked UAB with another strikeout in the third before firing a clean frame in the fourth. A lone runner reached on Walls via an error at shortstop in the fifth, but he navigated around the traffic to keep the shutout intact.
UAB finally broke through in the sixth on an RBI double down the left-field line by JP Head to cut the UF edge to 3-1. That forced Walls' departure with one out and one in scoring position, as the Gators called on southpaw Ernest Lugo-Canchola out of the bullpen. Making his UF debut, Lugo-Canchola retired the next two Blazers in order to maintain a two-run advantage.
The Gators quickly got the run back and then some in bottom-six to push further ahead at 5-1. Surowiec doubled and later scored on a groundout by Cole Stanford while Colton Schwarz used his first-career hit and RBI to plate Cyr.
Lugo-Canchola was nails in top-seven, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts. The lefty chucked another clean inning in the eighth to finish with 2 2/3 shutout frames of relief. He retired all eight batters he faced.
Florida staked an insurance claim in the bottom of the eighth, as Strayer went the other way to left field for his first-career home run. Holding a 6-1 lead, the Gators called on redshirt freshman right-hander Joshua Whritenour for his collegiate debut in the ninth. Whritenour fanned the first batter he faced and utilized a 6-4-3 double play to close out the game with minimal drama.
Walls (1-0) earned the win in his Florida debut, going 5 1/3 frames with one earned run allowed on four hits and one walk. He struck out four.
Blazers starter Chase Ingram dropped to 0-1 after allowing three earned runs on six hits, one walk and one strikeout in 4 1/3 innings.
NOTABLES
On the offense setting the tone with a nine-run inning…
"Well, not to disagree with you, but I thought the tone was set by our pitching. We just played a lot of innings today, and we only walked one hitter. Aidan King was outstanding in game one, and Schuyler [Sandford] came in behind him for that seventh inning. No walks and no errors, so the tone was set on the mound in game one. Our guys did a really good job sticking to an approach against their starting pitcher. They game planned well for them and really had a good approach at the plate."
On Wall's debut in Orange & Blue…
"He induced a lot of soft contact. In game two, talk about setting the tone, Coop goes out there and a lot of heavy sink... just really tone was set today by our pitchers. Ernie [Lugo-Canchola] did a heck of a job coming in behind him. Obviously, Josh [Whritenour] has a big arm to finish out the game."
On what Jones does for the rest of the batting order…
"Kyle's doing a great job for us in that leadoff hole. Obviously, any time he gets on base, especially with Law Dog behind him, it's just outstanding. So, KJ was in a really good spot all weekend long, swung the bat really, really well, and he's worked really hard…"
On Strayer's big day at the plate…
"He can really hit, guys. Just another guy from Plant that's really good. Brauny (Dennis Braun), who's the high school coach there, he always says there's something in the water fountain there and Cash is just another guy from Plant that can really swing the bat, and there's a long list of them. Again, another guy who had a really good fall, really good preseason work here. We knew we were going to play him today and he's just a good player, man. Good outfielder, he can swing the bat, and what's fun with him, too, is his ability to use the whole field. He drove a double and a homer both oppo today and he stays on the ball really well."
UP NEXT
Florida's first midweek slate of 2026 entails a home-and-home with Stetson. The Gators travel to DeLand, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 17 for a 6:30 p.m. tilt before hosting the Hatters at Condron Family Ballpark on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m.
Kyle Jones (5-for-8) and Cash Strayer (5-for-8) had 10 of UF's 25 hits while starters Aidan King and Cooper Walls cruised to victories.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 13 Florida stormed back for a series win by sweeping UAB in dominant fashion across both ends of a doubleheader via tallies of 11-0 and 6-1 at Condron Family Ballpark on Saturday.
The Gators (2-1) outscored the Blazers (1-2) by a 17-1 margin while collecting 25 hits to UAB's eight. Florida's series-evening, 11-0 victory in game one of the twin bill came courtesy of the run-rule in seven innings. The Orange & Blue totaled 15 extra-base hits including 10 doubles over the course of the day.
Although the UF offense exploded, the Gator pitching staff was equally brilliant. Led by six shutout innings in Aidan King's first start of the season in game one, UF pitchers allowed one run and walked just one batter across 16 innings en route to a 0.56 ERA and .145 batting average against on the day. Transfer sophomore Cooper Walls anchored the staff in the finale, going 5 1/3 frames and nabbing the victory in his Gators debut
Two Gators had five-hit days at the dish in outfielders Kyle Jones (5-for-8) and Cash Strayer (5-for-8). Jones racked up four doubles on Saturday to bring his season total to five in three games – four of which have led off innings and three leading off games. Strayer swatted a homer and two doubles in his first taste of collegiate action while Blake Cyr (3-for-6) popped two homers and drove in four runs.
Game 1 | Florida 11, UAB 0 (7)
Earning the starting nod, King made his season debut with a scoreless top half of the first inning and from there, it was all the Gators. Florida opened the bottom half of the first with nine runs, as Jones promptly led off with a double down the left-field line for the second-straight game. The outburst then began with a two-run shot to left by Cade Kurland, followed by back-to-back doubles by Ethan Surowiec and Karson Bowen. Cyr then smashed a two-run blast of his own while the lineup turned over as Jones, Kurland (two RBI) and Bowen chipped in their second hits of the inning to drive in runs.
Strayer and Kolt Myers each collected their first-career hits in their first-career at bats in the opening frame. Both came around to score in the nine-run explosion.
After a clean frame from King in the second, Cyr launched his second homer in as many innings to extend the Gator lead to an even 10-0. Another one-two-three inning from King followed, as did a leadoff double from Jones in the home half of the third.
The score held into the fourth as Jones was left stranded due to a double-play ball, but King produced another zero in the fourth by working around a two-out single. Florida stranded two runners in the home half, but Cyr singled to join Jones in a 3-for-3 day at the dish.
King cruised through the fifth while notching his fourth strikeout and the Orange & Blue returned to the scoring column in the following half inning. Bowen came through with his third hit of the game with a two-out, RBI double down the left-field line to make it 11-0.
Following six scoreless frames with four strikeouts, King was lifted in favor of right-hander Schuyler Sandford. Making his collegiate debut, Sandford retired the side in order – finishing with a strikeout – to cement UF's first win of the season.
King (1-0) dominated across six shutout frames, allowing just three hits without issuing a free pass. He struck out four batters – all in the fourth inning or later.
UAB starter Braxton Shelton (0-1) was saddled with the loss after surrendering 10 earned runs on 12 hits, one walk and one strikeout in two-plus innings.
Game 2 | Florida 6, UAB 1
Taking the mound in his Orange & Blue debut, Walls stole the script from the onset of the finale. He quickly retired the first two batters including one strikeout and then made a nifty play down the third-base line and zipped a clean throw to first base for the final out.
The UF bats picked up where they left off, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Jones led off with a double for the third-consecutive game to begin the season and was plated moments later, as Brendan Lawson demolished a two-run shot to right-center for his first long ball of the campaign. After a Surowiec double and Strayer double, Cyr provided a sacrifice fly to deep center for the frame's third and final run.
Walls worked a scoreless second inning, aided by a line-drive double play at first base to end the inning. The sophomore righty blanked UAB with another strikeout in the third before firing a clean frame in the fourth. A lone runner reached on Walls via an error at shortstop in the fifth, but he navigated around the traffic to keep the shutout intact.
UAB finally broke through in the sixth on an RBI double down the left-field line by JP Head to cut the UF edge to 3-1. That forced Walls' departure with one out and one in scoring position, as the Gators called on southpaw Ernest Lugo-Canchola out of the bullpen. Making his UF debut, Lugo-Canchola retired the next two Blazers in order to maintain a two-run advantage.
The Gators quickly got the run back and then some in bottom-six to push further ahead at 5-1. Surowiec doubled and later scored on a groundout by Cole Stanford while Colton Schwarz used his first-career hit and RBI to plate Cyr.
Lugo-Canchola was nails in top-seven, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts. The lefty chucked another clean inning in the eighth to finish with 2 2/3 shutout frames of relief. He retired all eight batters he faced.
Florida staked an insurance claim in the bottom of the eighth, as Strayer went the other way to left field for his first-career home run. Holding a 6-1 lead, the Gators called on redshirt freshman right-hander Joshua Whritenour for his collegiate debut in the ninth. Whritenour fanned the first batter he faced and utilized a 6-4-3 double play to close out the game with minimal drama.
Walls (1-0) earned the win in his Florida debut, going 5 1/3 frames with one earned run allowed on four hits and one walk. He struck out four.
Blazers starter Chase Ingram dropped to 0-1 after allowing three earned runs on six hits, one walk and one strikeout in 4 1/3 innings.
NOTABLES
- Game 1
- Florida opened game one with nine runs in the first inning, marking the team's most since May 4, 2025 (Game 1) at South Carolina (11).
- The Gators sent 14 batters to the plate in the first inning.
- Across his last six starts dating back to last season, King is 4-1 with a 0.78 ERA and 33-to-10 K-to-BB ratio over 34 2/3 innings pitched.
- King registered his first strikeout of the season for the final out of the fourth inning.
- Kurland drove in four runs on two hits including a two-run homer in the first inning.
- Kurland was one of three Gators (Jones, Bowen) with multiple hits in the first inning.
- Jones led off the first and third innings with doubles.
- Cyr connected for his first two home runs of the campaign in the first and second innings.
- Florida's outfield started 8-for-9 with two home runs across the first four frames.
- Jones, Bowen, Cyr and Strayer all posted three-hit games.
- Myers made his collegiate debut with the start at third base in game one and went 1-for-4.
- Strayer made his collegiate debut with the start in right field in game one and went 3-for-4.
- Sandford made his collegiate debut in the seventh inning and pitched a clean inning with one strikeout.
- Florida opened game one with nine runs in the first inning, marking the team's most since May 4, 2025 (Game 1) at South Carolina (11).
- Game 2
- Walls started the finale in his UF debut and earned the win behind 5 1/3 innings with one run allowed and four strikeouts.
- Lugo-Canchola followed Walls with a Gators debut of his own, pitching 2 2/3 perfect relief innings with two strikeouts.
- Jones led off the home half of the first with a double for the third-consecutive game and has now led off four different frames with a two-bagger this season.
- Lawson connected for his first home run of the season in the first inning.
- Jones hit his fifth double of the series with one out in the fifth inning of the series finale.
- Strayer launched his first-career home run in the eighth inning.
- Stanford made his UF debut with the start behind the plate in the finale and was 1-for-3 with one RBI.
- Schwarz made his collegiate debut with the start at designated hitter in the finale and was 1-for-3 with one RBI.
- Doubleheader Notes
- Florida outscored UAB, 17-1, and out-hit the Blazers, 25-to-8, on Saturday.
- The Gators allowed just one run and one walk in 16 innings along with 13 strikeouts and just eight hits allowed for a 0.56 ERA and .145 BAA.
- Across the first inning of the doubleheader (two half innings), Florida combined to score 12 runs on 13 hits including three homers and five doubles.
- Florida scored multiple runs in the first innings of all three games for a total of 14 runs scored in the opening frame.
- The Gators collected 15 extra-base hits including 10 doubles over the course of the day.
- Jones finished 5-for-8 on the day with four doubles, three runs scored and one RBI.
- Jones had five doubles on the season in three games.
- Strayer also went 5-for-8 in his first collegiate action, logging one home run, two doubles, two runs and one RBI.
- Cyr went 3-for-6 with two homers, four RBI and three runs on Saturday.
- Florida has won 19 of its last 25 regular-season games dating back to the 2025 season.
- The Gators are 46-9 in season-opening series since 2008.
- Florida welcomed a crowd of 6,721 across the doubleheader.
On the offense setting the tone with a nine-run inning…
"Well, not to disagree with you, but I thought the tone was set by our pitching. We just played a lot of innings today, and we only walked one hitter. Aidan King was outstanding in game one, and Schuyler [Sandford] came in behind him for that seventh inning. No walks and no errors, so the tone was set on the mound in game one. Our guys did a really good job sticking to an approach against their starting pitcher. They game planned well for them and really had a good approach at the plate."
On Wall's debut in Orange & Blue…
"He induced a lot of soft contact. In game two, talk about setting the tone, Coop goes out there and a lot of heavy sink... just really tone was set today by our pitchers. Ernie [Lugo-Canchola] did a heck of a job coming in behind him. Obviously, Josh [Whritenour] has a big arm to finish out the game."
On what Jones does for the rest of the batting order…
"Kyle's doing a great job for us in that leadoff hole. Obviously, any time he gets on base, especially with Law Dog behind him, it's just outstanding. So, KJ was in a really good spot all weekend long, swung the bat really, really well, and he's worked really hard…"
On Strayer's big day at the plate…
"He can really hit, guys. Just another guy from Plant that's really good. Brauny (Dennis Braun), who's the high school coach there, he always says there's something in the water fountain there and Cash is just another guy from Plant that can really swing the bat, and there's a long list of them. Again, another guy who had a really good fall, really good preseason work here. We knew we were going to play him today and he's just a good player, man. Good outfielder, he can swing the bat, and what's fun with him, too, is his ability to use the whole field. He drove a double and a homer both oppo today and he stays on the ball really well."
UP NEXT
Florida's first midweek slate of 2026 entails a home-and-home with Stetson. The Gators travel to DeLand, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 17 for a 6:30 p.m. tilt before hosting the Hatters at Condron Family Ballpark on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: King, Aidan (1-0)
L: Braxton Shelton (0-1)
Batting:
2B: JP Head 1
Batting:
2B: Jones, Kyle 2 ; Bowen, Karson 2 ; Surowiec, Ethan 1 ; Strayer, Cash 1
HR: Kurland, Cade 1 ; Cyr, Blake 2
RBI: Jones, Kyle 1 ; Kurland, Cade 4 ; Bowen, Karson 2 ; Surowiec, Ethan 1 ; Cyr, Blake 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Jones, Kyle 2 ; Lawson, Brendan 1 ; Kurland, Cade 2 ; Bowen, Karson 1 ; Surowiec, Ethan 1 ; Cyr, Blake 2 ; Strayer, Cash 1 ; Myers, Kolt 1
HBP: Lawson, Brendan 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
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/ BaseballFlorida Baseball Recap | UAB | February 14, 2026
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Aidan King Postgame Press Conference Feb. 14, 2026 | UAB
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