Gators outfielder Blake Cyr enters the Gainesville Regional coming off a red-hot performance at the SEC Tournament. (Photo: Madilyn Gemme/UAA Communications)
Gainesville Regional Primer: Gators Seek to Stay Hot
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 | Baseball, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Any NCAA regional that features in-state rivals Florida and Miami draws eyeballs.
Welcome to the 2025 Gainesville Regional, which starts Friday afternoon, with the host Gators facing Rider in the first game and Miami playing Troy in the nightcap.
This marks the first time the Hurricanes have visited UF in the postseason since 2021. That was the first year of Condron Ballpark.
The anticipated Florida-Miami clash for the regional title never materialized. By the time of the championship game between South Alabama and South Florida, the Hurricanes were back in Coral Gables, and the Gators were packing their bags for the summer.
Five years later, Florida and Miami are once again the favorites to meet for the regional championship. When they played earlier this season, Florida won both road games. The final game of the series was canceled due to inclement weather.
The likelihood of inclement weather this weekend is the same as a politician saying something stupid on social media in the next 24 hours, so come prepared.
Still, rain or shine, the games will be played. And the winner will be a round closer to the College World Series.
Here is a closer look at the Gainesville Regional as the Gators open their quest to return to Omaha for the 15th time in program history:
1. FLORIDA
Record: 39-19, 18-12 in Southeastern Conference Coach:Kevin O'Sullivan, 19th season (795-390, .671) NCAA Tournament: 41st appearance all-time (18th consecutive) Tournament record: 138-90 (14 College World Series appearances)
Season highlight: Following a 13-1 start, the Gators played inconsistently until winning three consecutive SEC series to close the regular season. Florida was at its best in a three-game sweep at LSU, outscoring the Tigers 37-20 while batting .318 with 10 home runs and 15 extra-base hits.
Player to watch: No one in Florida's lineup is hotter than left fielder Blake Cyr, the former Miami player in his second season with the Gators. Cyr went 9-for-13 with two homers and eight RBI in the SEC Tournament.
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 26, 2026
Quote of note: "I'm really proud of the way our team played [in the SEC Tournament]. I think we may have opened up some eyes to other people around the country that may not have seen us play. And we've come such a long way. This weekend kind of puts us in a position for our team to be ready for the postseason." – UF head coach Kevin O'Sullivan following Saturday's loss to Georgia
The buzz: The Gators enter the NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the field, winners of 10 of their last 12 games. Florida's late-season surge earned it a No. 8 national seed and extended the NCAA's longest active streak of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances to 18. If the Gators can take care of business in the Gainesville Regional, they will host a Super Regional at Condron Ballpark for the second time since the program moved into the stadium five years ago. A point of intrigue for UF revolves around which pitcher will start Friday's first game against Rider. Will O'Sullivan stay on schedule with SEC Pitcher of the Year Aidan King, his Friday night starter? Will he choose to go with Liam Peterson, a projected first-round pick in the MLB Draft later this summer? Or could he use No. 3 starter Russell Sandefer, whose outing in the SEC Tournament was cut short after he was hit on his right forearm by a line drive? Or maybe O'Sullivan will go another direction against the No. 4-seed Broncs. Regardless, the Gators have the deepest pitching staff in the field and a lineup humming at the right time, led by Cyr (see above), shortstop Brendan Lawson (.308, 16 HR, 43 RBI) and third baseman Ethan Surowiec (.328, 11, 61).
2. MIAMI
Record: 38-18, 16-14 in Atlantic Coast Conference Coach: J.D. Arteaga, third year (100-75, .571) NCAA Tournament: 51st appearance all-time (second consecutive) Tournament record: 184-99 (25 CWS appearances)
Season highlight: The Hurricanes blew away the competition to start the season, winning their first 10 games before losing back-to-back games to the Gators at the end of February. And then in early May, Miami won two of three at home against Louisville, which ended the Hurricanes' season last year in the Louisville Super Regional.
Player to watch:Daniel Cuvet is Miami's top-rated MLB prospect, a power-hitting third baseman who is hitting .305 with 12 homers and 45 RBI. However, Cuvet is unlikely to play in the Gainesville Regional, according to Arteaga. Cuvet has been sidelined with a stress fracture in his lower back.
Miami third baseman Daniel Cuvet is doubtful for the Gainesville Regional. (Photo: Scott Kinser/Imagn Images)
Quote of note: "When we play good, clean baseball, don't make errors, we're a really good team. A tough team to beat, and we can beat anybody in the country." — Hurricanes head coach J.D. Arteaga on his team's potential
The buzz: Miami is in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season after the program's 44-year streak ended in 2024. Miami is led by its potent offense, which averages 8.5 runs (15th nationally) and boasts a .304 team average, best among the teams in the Gainesville Regional. It's another story once the Hurricanes put on their gloves. Miami's .958 fielding percentage ranks 276th out of 304 teams in Division I. The Hurricanes committed 85 errors in 56 games and made three miscues in their 9-3 loss to Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament semifinals. Senior lefty Rob Evans is the star on the mound, posting a 10-3 record with a 3.16 ERA over 82 2/3 innings. Offensively, outfielder Derek Williams (.376, 15 HR, 66 RBI), catcher Alex Sosa (.332, 17, 66) and Cuvet (when healthy) offer plenty of pop and the ability to change the game with one swing. Former UF lefty reliever Frank Menendez, coming off arm surgery, has not been a factor. He has pitched only five innings over eight appearances with an 18.00 ERA.
3. TROY
Record: 32-29, 17-13 Sun Belt Conference Coach: Skylar Meade, fifth season (180-118, .604) NCAA Tournament: Ninth appearance all-time (first since 2023) Tournament record: 7-16
Season highlight: The Trojans were 22-25 on May 2 after getting swept in a doubleheader by Appalachian State. They got hot at the right time, winning nine of their final 13 games to earn an at-large bid.
Player to watch: Catcher Jimmy Janicki was the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. A sophomore from Downers Grove, Illinois, Janicki led the Sun Bet in homers (17), RBI (73) and total bases (159).
Troy catcher Jimmy Janicki is a dangerous bat in the middle of the Trojans' lineup. (Photo: Courtesy of Troy University athletics)
Quote of note: "It was a battle in so many ways this year, but we were more than deserving of this, and we will compete our tails off." — Troy head coach Skyler Meade
The buzz: Despite a top-50 RPI and 39 wins a season ago, the Trojans did not make the NCAA Tournament. Meade did not want a repeat, so he beefed up the schedule in 2026 with matchups against powers such as Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Georgia and Alabama. The strategy paid off as Troy, armed with the sixth-ranked strength-of-schedule metric on its resumé, convinced the selection committee it belonged in the field. "Last year was a travesty, and I've made that crystal clear,'' Meade told AL.com on Monday. "And we answered the bell." Meanwhile, Meade might see a familiar face at Condron Ballpark this weekend. He was hired at Troy the same year the Trojans hired Jon Sumrall to lead the football program. Sumrall left Troy after two seasons and spent two seasons at Tulane before Florida hired him in December.
4. RIDER
Record: 33-18, 22-8 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Acting head coach: Barry Davis, 21st season overall (516-538-1, .489) NCAA Tournament: 16th appearance all-time (first since 2023) Tournament record: 10-28 (one CWS appearance)
Season highlight: The Broncs responded with a gutsy performance on Saturday in a winner-take-all MAAC Tournament championship game. Rider beat Fairfield, 6-1, after losing the first game of the day to the Stags, forcing a rematch 30 minutes later. Senior right-hander PJ Craig delivered in the clutch, tossing seven shutout innings. Craig was named tournament MVP, giving up two runs and five hits over his two appearances (16 innings, 12 strikeouts).
Player to watch: Sophomore first baseman Charley Magoulick has been a tough out, especially of late. Magoulick has a 20-game hitting streak and is batting .345 with a team-high nine homers, 48 RBI and .565 slugging percentage.
The Broncs celebrate their NCAA Tournament berth on Monday. (Photo: Courtesy of Rider University athletics)
Quote of note: "It's been a long year for these guys, and they're truly deserving of the accomplishment." — Acting head coach Barry Davis following Rider's victory in the MAAC Tournament championship game
The buzz: The season started with a surprise when head coach Lee Lipinski, who replaced longtime Rider coach Davis last season, left the team in January for personal reasons. Davis was named acting head coach, and the Broncs put together another strong season after going 34-18 in 2025 in their first season under Lipinski, a former Rider player and assistant coach. The Broncs feature a lineup that battered MAAC pitchers, averaging 7.7 runs per game (47th nationally) and hitting .297 (51st). Outfielders Kyle Neri (.352, 7 HR, 49 RBI) and Anthony Paskell (.328, 6, 43) bat in the middle of the order, and when he gets on base, Paskell is a threat to run (16-for-16 in stolen bases). Rider, located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, has one trip to the College World Series in its record book. The Broncs advanced to Omaha in 1967 out of district play, losing to Boston College, beating Oklahoma State, and then being eliminated with a 4-3 loss to Auburn. If you want a Gators connection, former UF player Kris Armstrong's father, major-league pitcher Jack Armstrong, played at Rider in the mid-1980s before transferring to Oklahoma.
