Baseball America projects Florida Gators as top 8 national seed

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Baseball America has released its latest projections for the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket. Following a series win against Kentucky, the Florida Gators are in contention to earn a national seed, according to BA.

One week away from Selection Monday, Baseball America projected Florida as the No. 8 seed in this year’s tournament. The Gators would not only host a Gainesville Regional with that spot but also the Super Regionals.

Baseball America has UCLA as the No. 1 seed, following by Georgia Tech (2), Auburn (3), Georgia (4), North Carolina (5), Texas (6), Alabama (7) and Florida as the final top 8 seed.

Baseball America projects the Gators to be joined in the Gainesville Regional by No. 2 seed Oklahoma State (Big 12), No. 3 seed NC State (ACC) and No. 4 seed Florida Gulf Coast (ASUN).

Florida is paired with No. 9 overall seed FSU, which is projected to host the Tallahassee Regional. UF would face the winner of the Tallahassee Regional in Gainesville for Super Regionals.

The Seminoles are matched up in the Tallahassee Regional with No. 2 seed Coastal Carolina (Sun Belt), No. 3 seed Miami of Ohio (MAC) and No. 4 seed Holy Cross (Patriot).

The SEC leads all conferences with 12 total bids in the latest Baseball America projection, followed by the ACC (9), Big 12 (7), Big Ten (6), Conference USA (3) and the Sun Belt (3).

Baseball America ranked the Gators (34-18, 15-12 SEC) in the top 10 in its latest poll on Monday, moving them from No. 13 up four spots to No. 9 following the team’s 3-1 record last week.

After run-ruling North Florida in its final midweek game, UF had a 7-6 comeback win the series opener vs. UK. Florida rallied from a 6-1 deficit with a five-spot in the eighth, including a bases-clearing double by Brendan Lawson, and then walked it off on Kyle Jones’ RBI single.

After Kentucky won on Saturday behind Jaxon Jelkin’s complete game, the Gators clinched the series Sunday with a 9-6 victory in the rubber match. Caden McDonald pitched 4.1 scoreless, no-hit innings of relief while bashing a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fourth. 

The Gators have won 11 of their last 15 SEC series dating back to last year, going 29-16 across 45 SEC games in that span. Florida wraps up its regular season schedule with a three-game series at LSU this week. The series opener is on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.

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