ChompTalk.com

The No. 8 Florida Gators are a perfect 7-0 on the year and, barring any more inclement weather, are set to play their first full midweek slate of the year.

Florida will head to DeLand for a one-off against Stetson Tuesday before returning home for a matchup against the North Florida Ospreys. While the weekend series with Miami looms large, the Gators mustn’t let rivalry excitement damper their performance ahead of time. Here’s three things to look out for in the midweek:

Arms, arms, arms

Coach Kevin O’Sullivan and staff have been committed to working through the bullpen to see what they have. Even so, there’s still some arms they haven’t seen enough of just yet.

Expect Billy Barlow to get another midweek start, a role he’ll be in all season, likely on Tuesday again. He got up and moving in the bullpen Sunday but unsurprisingly didn’t not go in the game.

O’Sullivan implied that Alex Philpott would get some time in the midweek. It’s possible he starts Wednesday. The Gators didn’t get to play their Wednesday game last week, so it’s unclear what the plans for the year are in terms of a starting pitcher.

Florida also needs to take inventory of its left-handers. Frank Menendez is the only southpaw to come out of the bullpen so far, and he didn’t make his 2025 debut until Saturday, tossing 3.0 innings against Dayton. Look for Niko Janssens, who did at least throw in the bullpen over the weekend, to be next up.

Jones’ homecoming in DeLand

After Justin Nadeau went 3-for-3 with an RBI in his return to Jacksonville last week, sophomore outfielder Kyle Jones has a homecoming opportunity against Stetson. He returned Sunday after being out since opening day and should be good to go Tuesday night.

Jones had a standout year with the Hatters in 2024. He started 62 games at playing center and batting leadoff. He scored a team-high 53 runs and slashed .355/.476/.459 on the way to ASUN Freshman of the Year honors.

In two games played, Jones is 2-2 with an RBI and a walk. He should be a consistent contributor in the Gators lineup, a solid outfield glove and provide some speed on the base paths. Look for him to show off what he’s capable of in his old stomping grounds.

North Florida no scratch

Florida lost six midweek games last year. Improving that figure is certainly a necessary step towards presenting itself as a contender and setting up for a more favorable postseason. With that in mind, the Gators need to come ready to play at home Wednesday.

The Ospreys are 6-2, dropping their first two to Notre Dame before salvaging the series in game three Feb. 15 and winning out since then. Don’t get it confused: the Gators should win. But they should have won a lot of the games they didn’t last season. If there is any trouble this week, expect it from UNF.

Both games will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday’s game against Stetson will stream on ESPN+, and Wednesday’s matchup versus North Florida will stream on ESPN SEC Network+.