The 2021 Florida Gators baseball team represented the University of Florida in the sport of baseball during the 2021 college baseball season. Florida competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Home games were played at Florida Ballpark on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus, in the first season at the ballpark. The team was coached by Kevin O'Sullivan in his fourteenth season as Florida's head coach. The Gators entered the season looking to return to the College World Series after an early regional exit from the 2019 NCAA tournament (no tournament held in 2020 due to COVID-19).

Entering the season as the unanimous No. 1 ranked team, the Gators were swiftly eliminated from their own regional after losing 5–3 to South Florida and 19–1 to South Alabama.

Previous season The Gators finished the abridged 2020 season with a 16–1 record – highlighted by a 16–0 start – and did not play any conference games. They finished ranked No. 1 in all five major polls.

Preseason

SEC media poll

Personnel

By player

By position

Coaching staff 2021 Florida Gators coaching staff Name Position Seasons atFlorida Alma mater Kevin O'Sullivan Head coach 14 Virginia (1991) Craig Bell Assistant coach 13 North Florida (1989) Chuck Jeroloman Assistant coach 2 Auburn (2005) Lars Davis Volunteer Assistant Coach 7 Illinois (2007)

Schedule Legend Florida win Florida loss PostponementBoldFlorida team member

2021 Florida Gators baseball game log Regular season February (6–2) Date Opponent Rank StadiumSite Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord SECRecordFebruary 19 No. 21 Miami (FL)Rivalry No. 1 Florida BallparkGainesville, FL W 7–5 T. Mace (1–0) 1,418 1–0 — No. 21 Miami (FL)Rivalry No. 1 Florida Ballpark B. Wagner (1–0) J. Butler (0–1) None 1,583 1–1 —February 21 No. 21 Miami (FL)Rivalry No. 1 Florida Ballpark L 6–8 A. Arguellas (1–0) H. Barco (0–1) None 1,668 1–2 –February 23 Jacksonville, FL W 9–6 J. Butler (1–1) E. Jones (0–1) B. Specht (1) 125 2–2 –February 24 North Florida No. 7 Florida Ballpark W 8–3 C. Centala (1–0) M. McKinley (1–1) None 1,562 3–2 –February 26 Samford No. 7 Florida Ballpark W 8–4 T. Mace (2–0) S. Strickland (1–1) None 1,743 4–2 –February 27 Samford No. 7 Florida Ballpark W 18–2 J. Leftwich (1–0) J. McCord (0–1) None 1,770 5–2 –February 28 Samford No. 7 Florida Ballpark W 10–9 B. Sproat (1–0) C. Isbell (0–1) None 1,673 6–2 – March (10–6) Date Opponent Rank StadiumSite Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord SECRecordMarch 3 No. 21 Florida Atlantic No. 6 Florida Ballpark L 2–310 M. Entenza (1–0) F. Aleman (0–1) None 1,626 6–3 –March 5 (1) No. 6 Florida Ballpark W 10–2 T. Mace (3–0) None 1,510 7–3 – Florida A&M No. 6 Florida Ballpark W 5–1 J. Leftwich (2–0) K. Fox (0–1) None 1,724 8–3 –March 7 Florida A&M No. 6 Florida Ballpark W 8–0 H. Barco (1–1) J. Hancock (0–3) None 1,865 9–3 –March 9 Georgia State No. 5 Florida Ballpark W 5–1 G. Milchin (1–0) S. Clark (0–1) None 1,657 10–3 –March 10 No. 5 Florida Ballpark W 10–7 B. Sproat (2–0) N. Chiseri (0–1) None 1,680 11–3 –March 12 Jacksonville No. 5 Florida Ballpark L 9–10 T. Santana (2–2) C. Scott (0–1) J. McCoy (1) 1,769 11–4 –March 13 Jacksonville No. 5 Florida Ballpark W 9–0 J. Leftwich (3–0) M. Cassala (1–2) B. Sproat (1) 2,052 12–4 –March 14 Jacksonville No. 5 Florida Ballpark W 5–2 H. Barco (2–1) M. Adams (1–1) F. Aleman (2) 1,844 13–4 –March 16 at Florida StateRivalry No. 5 Tallahassee, FL L 2–10 C. Haney (2–0) G. Milchin (1–1) None 1,581 13–5 –March 18 No. 5 Florida Ballpark T. Mace (4–0) D. Saenz (3–2) None 1,773 14–5 1–0March 19 Texas A&M No. 5 Florida Ballpark W 3–1 C. Jozwiak (1–2) C. Scott (1) 1,993 15–5 2–0March 20 Texas A&M No. 5 Florida Ballpark W 8–4 H. Barco (3–1) 2,078 16–5 3–0March 26 No. 5 Founders ParkColumbia, SC J. Bosnic (2–1) B. Specht (0–1) None 1,938 16–6 3–1March 27 at No. 25 South Carolina No. 5 Founders Park L 1–4 B. Jordan (2–2) J. Leftwich (4–1) B. Kerry (2) 1,938 16–7 3–2March 28 at No. 25 South Carolina No. 5 Founders Park L 5–8 H. Barco (3–2) None 1,938 16–8 3–3March 30 vs. No. 18 Florida StateRivalry 121 Financial ParkJacksonville, FL Canceled (COVID-19 pandemic)March 30 No. 15 Florida Ballpark Canceled (inclement weather) Rescheduled from March 6 due to the threat of rain. April (12–5) Date Opponent Rank StadiumSite Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord SECRecordApril 1 No. 3 Ole Miss No. 15 Florida Ballpark W 4–1 F. Aleman (1–1) G. Hoglund (3–1) T. Mace (1) 2,335 17–8 4–3April 2 No. 3 Ole Miss No. 15 Florida Ballpark L 2–8 D. McDaniel (4–0) J. Leftwich (4–2) T. Broadway (7) 2,009 17–9 4–4April 3 No. 3 Ole Miss No. 15 Florida Ballpark W 6–5 H. Barco (4–2) D. Diamond (3–3) R. Cabarcas (1) 2,894 18–9 5–4April 6 Stetson No. 12 Florida Ballpark W 7–6 G. Milchin (2–1) J. Gonzalez (2–1) F. Aleman (4) 2,061 19–9 –April 7 Florida A&M No. 12 Florida Ballpark C. Centala (2–0) K. Wilson (1–4) None 2,042 20–9 –April 9 at No. 6 Tennessee No. 12 Knoxville, TN L 4–6 C. Dallas (5–0) C. Scott (0–2) S. Hunley (4) 1,477 20–10 5–5April 10 at No. 6 Tennessee No. 12 Lindsey Nelson Stadium L 4–5 M. McLaughlin (2–0) K. Connell (1) 1,430 20–11 5–6April 11 at No. 6 Tennessee No. 12 Lindsey Nelson Stadium W 7–6 C. Scott (1–2) S. Hunley (4–2) None 1,537 21–11 6–6April 13 Rivalry No. 18 Florida Ballpark W 3–210 J. Leftwich (5–2) C. Kwiatkowski (1–2) None 2,972 22–11 –April 16 Missouri No. 18 Florida Ballpark W 8–5 C. Scott (2–2) S. Halvorsen (3–2) None 2,102 23–11 7–6April 17 (1) Missouri No. 18 Florida Ballpark W 8–6 J. Leftwich (6–2) L. Veinbergs (1–1) None 2,628 24–11 8–6 Missouri No. 18 Florida Ballpark W 6–4 H. Barco (5–2) Z. Hise (0–5) T. Van Der Weide (1) 2,236 25–11 9–6April 20 at Jacksonville No. 15 John Sessions StadiumJacksonville, FL W 8–7 J. Carver (1–2) J. Carrion (1) 809 26–11 –April 23 at Auburn No. 15 Plainsman ParkAuburn, AL W 4–2 C. Scott (3–2) T. Bright (3–4) J. Leftwich (1) 1,551 27–11 10–6April 24 at Auburn No. 15 Plainsman Park Postponed (rain) Makeup: April 25 as a 7-inning doubleheaderApril 25 (1) at Auburn No. 15 Plainsman Park L 8–107 J. Gonzalez (1–3) J. Leftwich (6–3) W. Morrison (1) 1,137 27–12 10–7April 25 (2) at Auburn No. 15 Plainsman Park W 6–47 H. Barco (6–2) M. Barnett (2–3) 1,535 28–12 11–7April 30 No. 2 Vanderbilt Florida Ballpark L 7–11 K. Rocker (10–1) F. Aleman (1–2) None 3,341 28–13 11–8 The boxscore incorrectly lists Aleman as the winning pitcher and Mace as having earned a save. According to Rule 10, Section 25, a starting pitcher must pitch for at least five innings to receive credit as the winning pitcher, and per Section 26, a save may not be credited to a winning pitcher.NCAA 2021 and 2022 Baseball Rules Book Aleman, the starting pitcher, pitched for the first four innings, and Mace for the remaining five. Therefore, Mace should have been credited as the winning pitcher. Rescheduled from April 18 due to the threat of rain. May (7–6) Date Opponent Rank StadiumSite Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord SECRecordMay 1 No. 2 Vanderbilt Florida Ballpark T. Mace (5–0) J. Leiter (7–2) None 3,390 29–13 12–8May 2 No. 2 Vanderbilt No. 14 Florida Ballpark W 5–3 H. Barco (7–2) C. McElvain (3–1) J. Leftwich (2) 2,986 30–13 13–8May 4 Stetson No. 10 Florida Ballpark W 9–6 N. Long (0–1) C. Scott (2) 2,222 31–13 –May 6 at Kentucky No. 10 Kentucky Proud ParkLexington, KY L 5–7 D. Harper (3–0) None 1,161 31–14 13–9May 7 at Kentucky No. 10 Kentucky Proud Park W 8–5 C. Scott (3–3) A. Strickland (1–1) J. Leftwich (3) 1,598 32–14 14–9May 8 at Kentucky No. 10 Kentucky Proud Park W 9–2 H. Barco (8–2) Z. Lee (4–5) 1,406 33–14 15–9May 11 at Stetson No. 9 Conrad ParkDeLand, FL L 1–6 D. Garcia (3–1) B. Specht (0–2) None 425 33–15 –May 14 Georgia No. 9 Florida Ballpark W 4–3 J. Leftwich (7–3) B. Harris (4–1) None 3,009 34–15 16–9May 15 Georgia No. 9 Florida Ballpark W 9–2 H. Barco (9–2) J. Woods (3–1) None 3,471 35–15 17–9May 16 Georgia No. 9 Florida Ballpark L 1–6 J. Cannon (3–2) F. Aleman (1–3) None 2,715 35–16 17–10 No. 9 Fayetteville, AR L 1–6 P. Wicklander (5–1) T. Mace (5–1) K. Kopps (8) 11,084 35–17 17–11May 21 at No. 1 Arkansas No. 9 Baum–Walker Stadium L 3–4 K. Kopps (10–0) J. Leftwich (7–4) None 11,084 35–18 17–12May 22 at No. 1 Arkansas No. 9 Baum–Walker Stadium L 3–9 Z. Vermillion (3–0) F. Aleman (1–4) None 11,084 35–19 17–13 Postseason SEC Tournament (3–1) Date Opponent Rank StadiumSite Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord SECTRecord vs. (11) KentuckyFirst Round Hoover, AL W 4–1 T. Mace (6–1) 3,499 36–19 1–0May 26 Second Round No. 13 (6) Hoover Metropolitan Stadium B. Smith (4–3) None 5,235 37–19 2–0May 27 vs. (10) AlabamaThird Round No. 13 (6) Hoover Metropolitan Stadium W 7–2 F. Aleman (2–4) D. Smith (1–8) None 8,625 38–19 3–0May 29 vs. No. 4 (2) TennesseeSemifinals No. 13 (6) Hoover Metropolitan Stadium L 0–4 C. Sewell (4–1) B. Sproat (2–1) None 8,735 38–20 3–1 NCAA tournament: Gainesville Regional (0–2) Date Opponent Rank StadiumSite Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord RegionalRecord (4) First round L 3–5 D. Burns (5–5) T. Mace (6–2) 3,581 38–21 0–1June 5 (3) South Alabama No. 14 (1) Florida Ballpark None 3,673 38–22 0–2 Schedule source:floridagators.com *Rankings are based on the team's current ranking in the D1Baseball poll. Parentheses indicate tournament seedings.

Record vs. conference opponents

Rankings

2021 MLB draft Player Position Round Overall MLB team Jud Fabian OF 2 40 Boston Red Sox Tommy Mace RHP B 69 Cleveland Indians Nathan Hickey C 5 136 Boston Red Sox Christian Scott RHP 5 142 New York Mets Jack Leftwich RHP 7 216 Cleveland Indians Franco Aleman RHP 10 306 Cleveland Indians Fabian did not sign with the Red Sox and returned to Florida.

References