Florida kicks off its 2026 NCAA Tournament run with a regional game against the Rider Broncs on Friday at 1 p.m. ET. Follow along below for live updates and highlights throughout the game.
As the top seed and host of the Gainesville Regional, Florida gets to face the No. 4 seed in its first game of double-elimination play. Rider finished 2026 as the MAAC regular-season and tournament champions, securing an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, but the Broncs are considered major underdogs against a surging Gators club.
Because of the perceived talent discrepancy, Florida will throw its No. 3 arm, Russell Sandefer, in hopes of saving its best pitchers for the rest of the weekend. The Miami Hurricanes are the No. 2 seed, and the Troy Trojans are the No. 3 seed, both of which should be tougher to beat than Rider. Still, the Gators can’t afford to get complacent and suffer an early upset, even in double-elimination play.
The hope is for Florida’s offense to jump on Rider’s all-conference ace, PJ Craig, early, despite his 3.39 ERA.
Stream Florida vs. Rider with ESPN+
Florida vs. Rider starting pitchers, lineups
Florida Gators starting lineup
Check back closer to first pitch for official lineups from both teams.
Rider starting lineup
Check back closer to first pitch for official lineups from both teams.
What time is Florida vs. Rider?
What channel is Florida vs. Rider?
The Florida vs. Rider game starts at 1 p.m. ET from Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, Florida.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Live updates, score from Florida vs Rider in Gainesville Regional
Reporting by David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
