Florida

Florida baseball opens 2025 season with Air Force

Published

12 months ago

February 14, 2025

Florida baseball opens 2025 season with Air Force

Baseball season has returned, and the Florida Gators open the 2025 campaign with a three-game series against the Air Force Falcons at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, starting Friday.

Kevin O’Sullivan is looking to lead his program to a third-straight College World Series appearance, but the team looks much different than it did last June. Jac Caglianone is in the minor leagues, only five members of the starting lineup are returners and there’s a new crop of freshmen to fill out the bullpen.

As always, hopes are high in Gainesville, but last year proved that it doesn’t take a strong regular season record for a team to be competitive down the stretch. The SEC schedule could get rough, but opening the year against Air Force should allow the Gators to find their footing.

Projected Starting Lineup: Florida Gators

Pos.	Player Name	AVG	OBP	SLG	AB	R	H	HR	RBI
C	Luke Heyman	.246	.342	.481	264	46	65	16	52
1B	Brendan Lawson	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2B	Cade Kurland	.245	.346	.457	245	51	60	14	44
3B	Bobby Boser	.299	.351	.667	117	28	35	12	32
SS	Colby Shelton	.254	.374	.551	256	60	65	20	56
LF	Blake Cyr	.847	.397	.537	95	22	27	7	21
CF	Kyle Jones	.355	.459	.476	248	53	88	5	32
RF	Ty Evans	.316	.406	.580	193	44	61	13	43
DH	Brody Donay	.250	.329	.520	152	28	38	12	27

Notes: All stats are from last year.

Probable Starters: Friday (6:30 p.m. ET)

Team	Pitcher	Record	ERA
FLORIDA	RHP Liam Peterson	3-6	6.43
AIR FORCE	RHP Dylan Rogers	5-5	7.49

NOTES:

Liam Peterson is back in the Friday night role for Florida after moving around the weekend rotation as a freshman. Although his numbers leave something to be desired, there’s optimism that he’ll be a true ace this year for the Gators. Peterson’s fastball can run into the high-90s and his breaking stuff (curve/slider) is devastating. Peterson also works in a changeup. He’s looking to simplify his delivery this year in hopes of better results. Avoiding the “big inning” is key.

Dylan Rogers was a part of the weekend rotation a year ago at Air Force but saw limited success, similar to Peterson. Now he’s the team ace and is looking to complete the puzzle. His slider has been a work in progress and is leading to more strikeouts and fewer walks. He’s also improved his flyball percentage, but that could work against him with a power-heavy lineup like Florida.

Probable Starters: Saturday (4 p.m. EDT)

Team	Pitcher	Record	ERA
FLORIDA	RHP Jake Clemente	2-0	5.34
AIR FORCE	RHP Gaines Estridge	1-0	8.10

NOTES: Redshirt sophomore Jake Clemente moves into the Saturday spot this year for Florida after a breakout summer in the Cape Cod League. Another player Gators Wire is familiar with from the high school circuit, Clemente has the mental makeup and stuff to thrive in the starting rotation.

“91-93 fastball, topped 94,” said Clemente’s high school pitching coach Michael Cimilluca. “Slider sits 79-82 and is a sweeping wipeout pitch that draws lots of swings and misses. 82-84 changeup with good run.”

That fastball might be able to touch the mid-90s at this point, but it’s the secondary stuff that’s going to lead to success as a starter.

Gaines Estridge made 23 appearances out of the bullpen for Air Force last year. His 8.10 ERA as a freshman is a bit high for a starter, but that’s the roster the Falcons have to work with. He has decent command of his fastball and secondary, but a 10.9% strikeout rate says there’s not a ton of swing-and-miss there.

Probable Starters: Sunday (1 p.m. EDT)

Team	Pitcher	Record	ERA
FLORIDA	LHP Pierce Coppola	1-4	8.75
AIR FORCE	RHP John Mitchell	DNP	DNP

NOTES: Pierce Coppola has been a draft darling for some time, but he hasn’t played a full season of baseball in years. injuries plagued all three of his collegiate seasons with Florida, but now he’s healthy to start the season. Coppola posted a ridiculous 31.3% strikeout rate last season over 23 2/3 innings. For a 6-foot-7 guy, a fastball in the low-90s may seem slow, but he paired it with a mid-to-high-70s slider that draws a 40-50% whiff rate.

Air Force will throw freshman John Mitchell on Sunday. On the travel circuit, Mitchell threw a high-80s fastball that reached 92 at times, an 87-mph curve and an 84-mph slider.

Other Players to Watch

Air Force’s roster went through a lot of churn this offseason, and the expectation is a rebuilding season for the Falcons. Still, there are some returning names worth knowing, including right fielder Zach Peters, who batted .290 and had a .830 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, and designated hitter Tripp Garrish (.289/.881).

Dawson Thrush is a freshman to keep an eye. Gators Wire got a first-hand look at him last year with Dwyer High School during its state championship run. Thrush was a key member of the Dwyer lineup and rotation.

Series History

OVERALL	0-0
AT HOME	0-0
AWAY	0-0
NEUTRAL	0-0

NOTES: Florida has never played Air Force on the baseball diamond before.

Follow the Action

FRIDAY (6:30 p.m. EDT)

SATURDAY (4 p.m. EDT)

SUNDAY (12 p.m. EDT)

* Watch links go directly to game feed

Predictions

GAME 1: Florida, 9-2

GAME 2: Florida, 13-3

GAME 3: Florida, 10-0

The pitching matchups in this series favor Florida as the weekend carries on. Because there are so many new faces in the lineup, I expect the offense to click at the same rate, putting the run rule victories into play. It’s a new season, so expectations are high and there’s not much negative to go off of.

Series prediction: Florida sweeps the series convincingly, 3-0.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

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Florida

Looking for a job in Florida? The post office is hiring

Published

1 hour ago

January 28, 2026

Press Room

UPS announced plans to cut 30,000 jobs in the coming year. Amazon is slashing 16,000.

The post office is hiring.

In recent weeks, the U.S. Postal Service has been holding job fairs to fill vacant positions for carriers, assistant carriers, and auto techs at Florida locations, with salaries starting at $21.89 per hour. The next two are in Tallahassee and Lake City.

Recent job fairs were held at Fernandina Beach and Jacksonville.

Here’s what to know.

Is the Post Office hiring?

The USPS in Tallahassee and Lake City are looking for “committed and motivated individuals,” according to press releases. The positions are:

Rural Carrier Associates (RCA) – $21.89 per hour, paid bi-weekly, full-time with health benefits. You would deliver mail on a full-time schedule that may include weekend and holidays.
Assistant Rural Carriers (ARC) – $21.89 per hour, paid bi-weekly, part-time. You would deliver packages.
Automotive Technician (AT) – $66,586 annually, paid bi-weekly, health benefits. You would perform repairs and maintenance on all types of motor vehicles used in the postal fleet. (Tallahassee only)

Benefits include multiple health and life insurance choices, pension benefits and a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) like a 401(k), and vacation time and sick leave, the USPS said.

When are the USPS job fairs?

Tallahassee: Friday, Jan, 30, at the Tallahassee Post Office, 2800 S Adams Street
Lake City: Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Lake City Post Office, 250 NW Main Blvd.

Interested applicants who can’t make it to the job fairs may also apply at usps.com/careers.

What are the requirements to work for the post office?

You must be 18 years old or older at the time of appointment or 16 years old with a high school diploma
You must be a United States citizen or permanent resident
You must be able to pass a criminal background check and drug screening
If driving is part of the job, you must have a valid state driver’s license and a safe driving record

C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.

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Florida

Florida Democrats seek guardrails on immigration enforcement

Published

13 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Florida Democrats seek guardrails on immigration enforcement

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — As cities across the country see growing protests over immigration enforcement, Florida Democrats are pushing bills they say would protect residents and undocumented migrants — and counter Republican proposals to expand enforcement across the state.

“We stand at a crossroads where we need to decide what world we live in,” said Rep. Dotie Joseph, D-North Miami.

One measure, Senate Bill 316, known as the Visible Act, would ban the public use of masks, require police officers to identify themselves and create safe zones around schools and houses of worship.

“We are not a dictatorship,” said Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville. “Secret police belong in the history books, not Florida streets.”

Democrats are also spearheading efforts to grant in-state college tuition to recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, often called DREAMers. Florida lawmakers ended that benefit in 2025.

“I dream and I dream big.I will always work as hard as I have to make my dreams come true,” said Alexander Vallejos, a DACA recipient and student at the University of Central Florida. “I love my beautiful Sunshine State of Florida, and I’m a Florida kid through and through.”

Republicans argued in-state tuition diverted state funds from legal residents during the 2025 debate.

“I don’t think it’s fair to ask hardworking Floridians who are struggling to make ends meet to spend $45 million subsidizing the education of people who shouldn’t even be here,” said U.S. Rep. Randy Fine, a former state legislator.

Gov. Ron DeSantis defended Florida’s continued cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calling it “positive cooperation” that “has certainly made a difference here in Florida.”

Tensions over enforcement have deepened nationally after ICE agents in Minneapolis fatally shot two U.S. citizens, drawing condemnation from lawmakers and activists.

“They feel they can do anything they want — even including executing a United States citizen in broad daylight,” said Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando.

The Visible Act must pass three committees before it can reach the full Senate floor for a vote.

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Florida

Florida cold snap prompts AAA warnings for dead car batteries, frozen pipes

Published

1 day ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Florida cold snap prompts AAA warnings for dead car batteries, frozen pipes

ORLANDO, Fla. – With overnight temperatures expected to drop into the 20s and 30s across parts of Florida, AAA is urging drivers and homeowners to act quickly to safeguard their vehicles and homes.

“Whenever temperatures drop this quickly, the calls start pouring in. Dead batteries become extremely common,” Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA – The Auto Club Group, said in a news release. “At the same time, homeowners face the risk of frozen pipes that can burst and cause thousands of dollars in damage.”

Cold weather can severely reduce a car battery’s ability to hold a charge, especially if the battery is older or weakened, and AAA said it expects a spike in roadside assistance calls for dead batteries during the cold snap.

Jenkins added, “Cold weather is tough on older batteries. If yours gives out, AAA can come to you. Our technicians can test, charge, or even replace your battery on the spot for members who request help.”

AAA recommends having your battery tested if it’s more than three years old, listening for slow engine cranking as a warning sign, and replacing batteries that show signs of weakness.

Frozen or burst pipe prevention

Homeowners should also be aware that freezing temperatures can cause water inside pipes to freeze and expand, potentially rupturing plumbing hidden behind walls or under sinks. Multiple nights of hard freeze conditions increase this risk.

To prevent frozen or burst pipes, AAA advises the following:

Let faucets drip slightly to keep water moving.
Open cabinet doors to allow warm air circulation.
Keep the thermostat set to at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Know the location of your main water shutoff valve.

Keeping tabs on tire pressure

Cold weather also lowers tire pressure, often by 1 to 2 PSI for every 10-degree drop in temperature. Underinflated tires can reduce fuel economy, affect handling, and increase the risk of blowouts.

[WATCH: Tire pressure light on? Why cold weather can set it off]

AAA suggests:

Check tire pressure in the morning when tires are cold.
Inflate tires to the manufacturer’s recommended PSI found on the driver’s door jamb.
Don’t rely solely on tire-pressure monitoring systems.
Inspect tires for wear or damage.

“With weather like this, preparation is everything,” Jenkins said. “A few simple steps today can prevent a breakdown on the road or a disaster at home tomorrow.”

AAA recommends members download the AAA mobile app for fast access to roadside help, weather updates, and safety information.

To schedule a vehicle inspection, click here to locate a nearby AAA Approved Auto Repair Facility.

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