Gator baseball team No. 7 in D1 baseball’s preseason poll

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) -In exactly one month, the Gator baseball team gets its 2023 season underway, and Florida will do so ranked No. 7 in the country. That preseason billing comes courtesy of D1 baseball, the one poll out of many that UF actually recognizes when discussing its national ranking.

The Gators play 20 of their first 22 games at Condron Ballpark, inlcuding series against Charleston Southern (Feb. 17-19), Cincinnati (Feb. 24-26), and Miami (March 3-5).

The quality of returning talent includes pitcher Brandon Sproat (9-4 last season, 3.41 ERA), outfielder Wyatt Langford (.355, 26 HR’s) , and First Team All-SEC catcher BT Riopelle (.304, 15 HR’s). Six of nine positional starters return from last season’s team that finished 42-24 overall, hosted an NCAA regional, and made the SEC tournament championship game.

There is this to consider--Four of the six teams ahead of Florida in the poll are in the SEC. Those are LSU at No. 1, Tennessee at No. 2, then defending national champion Ole Miss fourth, and Texas A&M fifth.

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