Who will win Texas A&M vs Florida baseball series? 3 things to know and a prediction

Florida is 10th in the conference in hits (364) and home runs (54), while sitting 14th in on-base percentage (.373) and 12th in slugging percentage (.443). Four players are hitting better than .300 entering the weekend, but six have tallied at least 25 strikeouts, including four with 30 or more.

Gators' pitching keeping them afloat

Florida has largely leaned on its pitching to help scrape out wins. Against the Aggies, who boast one of the best offenses in the country, it will be a tall task for the staff to continue that trend. The Gators are fifth in the SEC in ERA (3.91), second in home runs allowed (24) and fourth in strikeouts (448).

Right-hander Aidan King (6-2, team-best 1.71 ERA) has been Florida's strongest starter. Liam Peterson hasn't been as effective but has still been strong. The righty has a 3.42 ERA and a team-high 71 strikeouts, but is 1-3 in 10 starts. Out of the bullpen, Ernesto Lugo-Canchola has led the team in appearances with 20. He's 1-0 with a 3.95 ERA in 27⅓ innings.

Florida playing better than predicted

While the season hasn't been perfect for the Gators, they're currently outpacing expectations. In the SEC preseason poll, they were picked to finish seventh in the conference. Peterson was named first-team All-SEC, while third baseman Brendan Lawson was named to the second team.

Texas A&M baseball vs Florida series prediction

Texas A&M 2-1. The Aggies have won four consecutive series, including two on the road. Playing on the road for a second consecutive weekend series is no small task, but A&M has proven to be battle-tested and with the pitching finding some stability lately, things appear to be progressing.

Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com