AP Baseball Preview: Texas A&M at Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Interstat) — The Southeastern Conference series between Texas A&M and Florida concludes with a Sunday afternoon rubber match at 1 p.m. at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium.

The Aggies (32-8, 13-6 SEC) evened the series Saturday with an 8-4 victory, snapping a two-game skid after dropping the opener 9-2 on Friday. Texas A&M has won four of its last five games overall and holds a two-game lead in the SEC standings.

Florida (29-15, 11-8 SEC) saw its four-game winning streak end Saturday. The Gators had taken the series opener behind a dominant start from right-hander Aidan King, who threw eight innings of four-hit ball with six strikeouts in the 9-2 win.

King has been electric in SEC play. Over his last four starts, the Gators ace has allowed just five earned runs in 28.2 innings (1.57 ERA) with 28 strikeouts. He most recently worked eight innings against Texas A&M on Friday, yielding two earned runs.

Texas A&M is expected to counter with right-hander Shane Sdao, who struggled in the series opener, allowing three earned runs over 3.2 innings in a no-decision. Sdao has been inconsistent of late, posting a 7.20 ERA over his last three outings covering 12.1 innings with 14 strikeouts.

The Aggies offense rebounded Saturday, scoring eight runs on 12 hits after managing just two runs in the opener. Texas A&M has won six of its last eight road games.

Florida’s lineup will look to support King after managing just four runs Saturday. The Gators are 7-4 in their last 11 games at McKethan Stadium.

Weather at first pitch is expected to be 86 degrees and clear.

A win Sunday would give Texas A&M its third consecutive SEC series victory and maintain its lead atop the conference. Florida seeks its second straight series win and to improve its positioning in the league standings.

Following this series, Texas A&M returns home to face Tarleton State on Tuesday before hosting Auburn next weekend. Florida travels to Oklahoma for a three-game set beginning May 1.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a Texas A&M win, 8-5.