Landon Stripling, No. 13, is greeted by teammates after his home run in Tuesday's win over North Florida. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
Carter's Corner: Gators Have Some Wins at Their Back as Stakes Rise
Friday, May 8, 2026 | Baseball, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators baseball team has a crumb of something you either believe in, or you don't.
You've heard of it. You've read about it. You've seen it and felt it — that is, if you believe in it.
Of course, in the modern age of analytics and 24/7 scrutiny of each pitch and pass, some consider momentum a myth. The term is overused in sports — right up there with icon, legend and GOAT. Still, Florida enters this weekend with something that at least feels real.
In our subject of the hour, we're talking about Florida's three-game win streak entering this weekend's home series against Kentucky. Before winning back-to-back games at Oklahoma and Tuesday's home win over North Florida, the Gators had not won three games in a row since late March.
Whatever you call it — momentum, confidence, rhythm — the Gators suddenly have it.
Florida has a 34-8 run advantage during the win streak and a lineup that appears to be waking up from top to bottom. The late, great Earl Weaver had plenty of Baltimore teams during his Hall of Fame career that reeled off winning streaks, helping him sleep well. He also had a roster of great players.
Weaver defined momentum his way: Momentum is the next day's starting pitcher. There's some truth in that, and Aidan King, Liam Peterson and Russell Sandefer will test Weaver's theory against the Wildcats.
Still, I'm in the camp of believers. Yes, momentum is difficult to define, but you know it when you see it. The thing is, you often can't specify the moment it starts or ends. It just happens. It happens in games. It happens over the course of a season. And one side's positive momentum is the other side's downslide.
UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan, following his team's 11-1 win over North Florida, alluded to momentum in one of the game's most familiar expressions when talking about a hot lineup.
"Hitting is contagious, in a good way and sometimes in a bad way,'' he said. "Same thing with pitching."
The Gators seek to build on a three-game win streak with Kentucky in town for the final regular-season home series at Condron Ballpark. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications).
Florida is batting .324 with 10 homers and eight doubles in the past three games. National Two-Way Player of the Week Caden McDonald has done his part since moving into the lineup as the designated hitter seven games ago. He is 12-for-29 (.414) with four homers, three doubles and 12 RBI over that span.
Stripling has followed McDonald's lead and chipped in two homers and four extra-base hits over the past three games. The Gators (32-17, 13-11) face Kentucky (29-16, 11-13) with an opportunity to clinch a winning SEC record with a sweep. After hosting the Wildcats, they finish the regular season with three games at LSU. The Gators need three wins for their first SEC regular-season winning record since 2023.
While O'Sullivan is pleased with the lineup's production in the past three games, he understands that's only part of the equation. The pitching in Tuesday's win was as important as the 11 runs. Starter Cooper Walls tossed three shutout innings, reliever Billy Barlow followed with three scoreless frames, and then Christian Rodriguez and Ricky Reeth closed out the win. O'Sullivan was able to rest closer Joshua Whritenour and lefty Ernesto Lugo-Canchola for the Kentucky series, in part because of Sandefer's strong outing (seven innings) in Sunday's win at Oklahoma.
"Everything is a domino effect. When we've struggled on Tuesdays, we haven't gotten length from our starting pitcher on Sunday,'' O'Sullivan said. "Really, Russ' outing had a lot to do with how to manage the game, especially from a bullpen standpoint."
Kentucky visits Condron Ballpark after taking two of three at home against Tennessee last weekend. Shortstop Tyler Bell, who missed 14 games earlier this season with a shoulder injury, is a top big-league prospect. Bell was the highest-draft player (second round, No. 66 overall) in the 2024 MLB draft to attend college. He leads the Wildcats with a .374 average as a draft-eligible sophomore.
While Bell's season is trending upward, Gators shortstop Brendan Lawson has gone in the opposite direction after a Barry Bonds start. A top prospect in the 2027 MLB Draft, Lawson is 4-for-37 (.108) over his last 10 games and could use some positive momentum.
"Everybody goes through these phases. It doesn't matter how talented you are,'' O'Sullivan said. "He'll get through it. Everybody is going to go through some ups and downs, even at the big-league level. This is just part of the game. That's what makes this game so difficult. He is certainly going to work his way through it. I'm not worried at all."
Besides the boost of the past three games, O'Sullivan said outfielder Cash Strayer and pitcher Jackson Barberi will be available for the Kentucky series. Both have missed significant time due to injuries after hot starts.
How important is late-season momentum? That's up for debate.
Take O'Sullivan's Florida program, for example. What is Florida's longest winning streak to end the regular season during his tenure? In 2008, O'Sullivan's first season, Florida won its final four regular-season games. The Gators then lost two in a row in the SEC Tournament and back-to-back games in the Tallahassee Regional.
Season over.
So, let those who believe in momentum continue to believe, and the skeptics continue to doubt.
Stripling was asked about the team staying hot against Kentucky and LSU, with postseason positioning still to be determined. He answered with a ballplayer's perspective.
"It's super important. All of them are important, but obviously these last two for us are extremely important when we're talking about not only hosting, but a possible national seed still being in the picture,'' he said. "It's good just to have good vibes in the clubhouse. Stay positive and keep it rolling."
Momentum may be impossible to measure. But inside Florida's clubhouse right now, the Gators sound like they have it.
