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The Florida Gators’ entered the weekend, whether they like it or not, with next week’s SEC opener against No. 2 Tennessee looming large. Despite the major conference series ahead, Florida could not afford to overlook the Crimson and miss an opportunity to tune up before the competition becomes much more fierce.

UF stayed locked in, and showed it might be hitting its stride at the perfect time.

No. 7 Florida (15-2) picked up the series win and sweep in a doubleheader against Harvard (0-8) Saturday. With the wins, the Gators’ non-conference weekend schedule is now over.

Game 1

Freshman right-handed pitcher Aidan King made the first start of his career in Saturday’s opener. He went six scoreless innings, tossing eight strikeouts and allowing just two hits and one walk.

“I thought he was outstanding,” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said.

Bobby Boser’s bat stayed hot early. He took a ball 425 feet off the batter’s eye for a two-run bomb in the bottom first inning. After one frame, the Gators led 2-0.

The third baseman had no intentions of letting up after just one deep ball. His next at-bat, he crushed a pitch into right field for a grand slam to put Florida up 6-0 after two innings.

King gave up his first hit of the game on a one-out single after 2.1 innings. He flushed it quick, picking up his fourth strikeout of the game on his way to closing the frame.

“It’s a little different coming in from a closer role to a starter,” King said. “I was just trying to figure out what I need to do get my body prepared.”

Florida tacked on another insurance run in the fifth on an RBI single from Hayden Yost. The Gators led by seven runs headed into the final two innings.

Freshman right-handed reliever Caden McDonald took over for King in the seventh seeking to close game two. He’d retire the side in order, including two strikeouts, to secure the win.

Game 2

Right-handed sophomore Matthew Jenkins got the start for UF in game two. Harvard took advantage, making solid contact in the opening frame and plating two runs on a double. After the initial frame, Florida found itself down 2-0.

Jenkins would finish with four hits, two earned runs, two walks and four strikeouts in 3.0 innings pitched.

UF wasted no time answering to the defecit. A pair of RBIs from Boser and Brendan Lawson tied the game up before Brody Donay stole home on a wild pitch. After one, the Gators led 3-2.

Donay’s destructive campaign continued in game two. He crushed a pitch into left field for his eighth bomb of the year, plating two runs to give the Gators a 5-2 lead in the bottom third.

Florida added some more insurance in the third on an RBI single from Yost. Ty Evans singled and later scored on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch. By the end of the inning, Florida led 7-2.

Right-handed sophomore Luke McNeillie took over for Jenkins in the fourth. He’d let up three runs in the inning before finally closing the frame. Halfway through four, the Gators led 7-5.

Donay made it around the basepaths again in the fourth, this time by way of pitching errors rather than his mammoth strength. Evans added two more runs on a double. Yost joined the fun as well, scoring Blake Cyr on a sacrifice grounder. Then, Nadeau scored Evans on a single before Harvard finally made the third out.

UF led 12-5 at the end of the fourth inning.

Christian Rodriguez replaced McNeillie in the fourth. He plunked one batter before striking out two to close the frame.

Lawson made himself known again in the bottom fifth with a two-run bomb into Dizney Grove. Evans tripled to add another run and scored himself on a wild pitch to give Florida a 16-5 lead.

Harvard would add one back on a solo-shot homer in the sixth after lefty McCall Biemiller took over for Rodriguez. It didn’t matter much as Florida answered on a grounder where Nadeau crossed home plate.

Landon Stripling added two more runs on a single. A bases-clearing double from Yost made it 22-6 before the final frame.

Jackson Barberi came in for the close in the seventh. He struck out the side to secure the win and turn the page to a tough slate of road games for UF.

“This weekend should’ve definitely gave quite a few guys confidence going forward,” O’Sullivan said.

Next up, the Gators travel to Tallahassee for the first of three midweek games this season against the Florida State Seminoles. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. and the game will stream on ACCNX.