The Southeastern Conference rescheduled the SEC Tournament quarterfinal matchup between the Florida Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide to Thursday afternoon, May 21, 2026, to avoid forecasted inclement weather.
The game will now start at approximately 4:30 p. m.
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ET in Hoover, Alabama, instead of the originally scheduled 8:00 p. m.
ET.
Fifth-seeded Florida will face fourth-seeded Alabama following the opening game between Georgia and Mississippi State.
Florida enters the quarterfinals after an 8-3 victory over Vanderbilt and seeks redemption after being swept by Alabama during the regular season.
Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan announced that right-hander Liam Peterson will start on the mound.
Alabama is expected to counter with ace Tyler Fay, who threw a no-hitter against the Gators earlier this season.
The regular-season sweep included that no-hitter on March 20 and a 14-7 defeat on March 22, marking the only time Florida was swept this year.
"I would expect it to be a very competitive game," said O'Sullivan.
The coach noted that the team has moved past those earlier losses to focus entirely on the upcoming matchup.
"I've truly tried to put that series in the back of my mind.
So no matter how hard you try, I'm not going to reflect back on it," said O'Sullivan.
During the previous round against Vanderbilt, Florida successfully utilized the Automated Ball-Strike system, going a perfect 3-for-3 on challenges initiated by catcher Karson Bowen.
