Florida Gators Stunned by Troy, Setting Up Crucial Rematch in NCAA Regionals

GAINESVILLE — Following a remarkable offensive display against Miami, the Florida Gators faced a disappointing defeat at the hands of Troy on Sunday night. The Trojans claimed a 16-11 victory, forcing a decisive rematch set for 6 p.m. Monday in the NCAA Regionals, while Gators’ head coach Kevin O’Sullivan is left to reconsider his pitching strategy.

O’Sullivan has not yet announced a starting pitcher for Monday's game, indicating that he may utilize multiple players to counter Troy’s potent lineup. Redshirt sophomore Cade McDonald, who boasts a 5-1 record in relief this season, expressed confidence in his team's capabilities, stating, “We’ve obviously seen Troy can hit. We just have to be confident in our stuff and really execute. We trust everybody; we know how good our staff is. We just got to go out there and dominate.”

The Gators (41-20) struggled to contain the Trojans’ offense, which set a new school record for runs scored against an SEC opponent, surpassing the previous record of 14 runs achieved against Auburn in 1984 and 2011. The game attracted a notable crowd of 4,751, including Jon Sumrall, the Gators' football coach and former Troy coach, who witnessed a challenging night for Florida’s pitching staff.

Troy’s offense was relentless, racking up 17 hits, including five home runs. Gators starter Liam Peterson faced difficulties early on and was replaced in the sixth inning after giving up nine earned runs on 10 hits over 104 pitches. Peterson allowed two home runs to catcher Jimmy Janicki, the first of which was a two-run blast that soared 440 feet into left field.

In a disastrous sixth inning for Florida, Troy scored nine runs, highlighted by a grand slam from designated hitter Jabe Boroff. O’Sullivan made multiple pitching changes in an attempt to stem the tide, but the Gators could not recover despite late-game efforts, including a grand slam from Cade Kurland that narrowed the lead to 16-9.

As the Gators prepare for the critical rematch, they aim to secure a spot in the Super Regionals for the first time since their national runner-up finish in 2023. “This has been an exciting weekend,” said Troy right fielder Houston Markham. “Just to see some of the best teams in the country. We talk about this all the time. Just sitting on the couch, watching TV, it’s like, ‘Man, that could be us.’”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com