JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida baseball team learned on Monday afternoon that it was awarded the No. 3 national seed for the 2017 NCAA Baseball Tournament that begins on Friday at McKethan Stadium.
This will be the Gators 33rd Regional appearance and school-record 10th in a row under head coach Kevin O'Sullivan, the third-seeded Gators (42-16) will face fourth-seeded Marist (32-21) to open the Regional on Friday. The Red Foxes won the MAAC Championship last week to earn an automatic bid into the tournament.
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"I think we've been a national seed eight of the last nine years, and that's probably been the most remarkable thing that we've been able to do here," said O'Sullivan. "We play a difficult schedule each year and to be able to be one of the top eight national seeds gives us a chance to stay at home for both the Regionals and Super Regionals."
This marks the eighth time under O'Sullivan that UF has been a national seed (No. 8 in 2009, No. 3 in 2010, No. 2 in 2011, No. 1 in 2012, No. 2 in 2014, No. 4 in 2015, No. 1 in 2016) – the highest amount in the country in that time frame.
The Regional continues through Sunday, with a final game to be played Monday night, if necessary. The Gainesville Regional winner will face the winner of the Winston Salem Regional in a Super Regional series next weekend. The eight Super Regional winners advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
Florida is 98-69 (.587) all-time in NCAA Tournament action and has reached the CWS 10 times: 1988, 1991, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016.