Live Blog: Updates from Florida’s season opener vs. Air Force
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators baseball team opens the 2025 season Friday in their first-ever meeting against Air Force. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. at Condron Family Ballpark.
Due to severe weather on Sunday, the Gators and Falcons will play a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Game 3 will begin roughly one hour following the conclusion of Game 2.
Sophomore pitcher Liam Peterson got the start for UF. Here are live updates from series opener Friday between Florida and Air Force.
Florida vs. Air Force Live Blog
END OF 3RD: FLORIDA 4, AIR FORCE 0
After three straight strikeouts by Peterson to mark five in a row and seven for the game, the bats came alive for the Gators in the bottom of the third. They four hits and four runs scored in the inning, including their first homer of the season by Brody Donay and Cade Kurland’s 2 RBI single.
END OF 2ND: FLORIDA 0, AIR FORCE 0
Peterson once again finishes the frame with two straight strikeouts after giving up his first hit, but the Gators also struck out twice.
END OF 1ST: FLORIDA 0, AIR FORCE 0
Peterson retired the side with back-to-back strikeouts, while Colby Shelton had Florida’s first hit of the season but was left on.
Florida Gators starting lineup
1. CF Kyle Jones
2. SS Colby Shelton
3. 3B Bobby Boser
4. RF Ty Evans
5. 2B Cade Kurland
6. C Luke Heyman
7. 1B Brendan Lawson
8. DH Brody Donay
9. LF Blake Cyr
SP: RHP Liam Peterson
Game notes
* Opening Night marks the first-ever meeting between Florida and Air Force on the diamond. However, the Gators have a limited history competing against service academies. From 1938-1946, Florida went 2-4-1 against Naval Air Station/Naval Air Base. The Gators have also faced off against Army a total of seven times with a 6-1 record, most recently taking down the Knights in the 2019 Lubbock Regional, 13-5. Collectively, Florida is 8-5-1 vs. service academic dating back to 1938.
* Coming off the program’s 14th trip to the College World Series and second in as many seasons, head coach Kevin O’Sullivan enters his 18th campaign at the helm of the Gators. Since O’Sullivan’s 2008 arrival, Florida leads the sport with 290 SEC wins, 37 MLB debuts, 16 NCAA berths (T-1st), 10 top-eight seeds, nine College World Series trips, nine Super Regionals hosted and six SEC titles. The Gators have advanced to nine of the last 14 College World Series overall.
* Since the start of O’Sullivan’s tenure, the Gators are 15-2 (.938) in season openers while featuring a 41-8 resume (.854) in the first series of the year. The Orange & Blue has claimed victories in 10 of its last 11 openers dating back through 2014. Across the history of the program, Florida is 69-42-1 all-time in openers, featuring a 49-22-1 mark at home.
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