For nearly a century, the Gators and Bulldogs have been trading blows on the baseball diamond.
A rivalry that began in 1931, Georgia and Florida have been battling it out each year since 1949. It’s a series largely controlled by the Gators, who lead the all-time series 195-119-2.
The past four years’ games have been nailbiters, as each team took home two wins of the four matches.
Recent history
In 2023, Florida led the game before Georgia secured a game-tying grand slam in the ninth inning. The Bulldogs tacked on three more in the inning and held on for a 13-11 win. Florida rallied to win the next two games and clinch the series.
Last year, Florida had just dropped its sixth straight SEC series and headed to Athens, Georgia, for its final regular-season series. Already on the edge for the NCAA Tournament, the Gators had to win or risk their season coming to a close. Meanwhile, Georgia was fighting for a top eight national seed after a 9-4 Game 1 win.
With its season on the line and trailing 4-2 in the eighth inning of Game 2, Florida’s Cade Kurland came up clutch again with a game-tying two-run home run to tie the game. From there, Florida maintained its momentum, winning the game and securing the 19-11 series-clinching win that helped propel the Gators’ run to the College World Series.
“That was honestly one of my favorite series since I’ve been here,” Kurland said. “It’s just kind of a matter of bearing down and giving all you got because whatever happens, happens, and if it doesn’t go your way, you’re done.”
Georgia returned the favor in March 2025 with a one-sided sweep over the Gators in Gainesville, outscoring Florida 40-13 and hitting 13 home runs in three games.
“I can’t recall a weekend quite like this, to be honest with you, obviously disappointing,” said UF head coach Kevin O’Sullivan after a mercy-rule 15-4 loss in Game 3. “I had a team meeting yesterday after the game, pressed on them a little bit, and obviously they did not respond today.”
Exhibition game
The historic rivalry also brought a series of fall games played in Jacksonville the night before the Florida-Georgia football game. From 2019 to 2023 — minus the 2020 game canceled due to COVID-19 — the two teams faced off at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville for a 10-inning exhibition game.
The game gave both teams a chance to play against real opponents and assess where they stood.
“Both teams would try not so much win or lose, but use the game as an opportunity to play all the players, get as many pitchers in as possible,” said Anthony Dasher, a writer for UGASports.com.
Florida controlled the series, winning three of the four exhibition games. Despite the lopsided overall record, the games were competitive, with the largest margin of victory being four runs (8-4 UF in 2022).
Kurland, now a senior for Florida, is one of the few remaining players from either team to have played in the exhibition more than once. The middle infielder said he’s enjoyed playing against an SEC rival like Georgia. One of his fondest memories from his freshman year came in this game, he added.
“I think I went 2-for-4, which is kind of funny, because as a freshman, everything’s moving so fast, so you’re caught up in the game itself,” Kurland said. “But the rivalry speaks for itself. It’s gone on for way longer than I’ve been here. It’s going to continue for way longer or after I leave.”
Although the schools agreed to play the exhibition until 2025, Georgia backed out of the deal after the 2023 game.
The biggest reason the game wasn’t played in 2024 was that Georgia’s home venue, Foley Field, was under renovation, forcing the Bulldogs to practice at various high schools around Athens. It was difficult for Georgia to prepare, and UGA head coach Wes Johnson did not want to play a game he did not feel comfortable in, according to Dasher.
When the fall series began in 2019, Georgia was led by a different coaching staff. So when Johnson took over in the summer of 2023, he felt the game was unnecessary, and it would be more convenient for his team to play and host local schools.
“It's a hassle to pack up the whole team and drive down to Jacksonville for a game, then to turn around and come back,” Dasher said. “I know a couple of times they would stay over and watch the football game, I don’t think Wes (Johnson) really wanted to do that. They really didn’t get a ton out of it, anything more than what they would normally get in just a regular scrimmage here in Athens.”
Once Georgia backed out, Florida instead played the 2024 game against the hometown Jacksonville University Dolphins. While it lacks Georgia’s name recognition, JU is still a solid mid-major opponent that has held its own against the Gators in recent years.
"The bottom line is that I think Georgia just decided not to play in the game," O'Sullivan said on WRUF’s Sportscene with Steve Russell in November 2024. "But we're excited about playing JU."
Florida played two six-inning exhibition games against the Dolphins last season, winning both 2-1 and 7-6. The Gators will take on JU again this year on Oct. 31 at 6:30 p.m.
Looking forward
While Florida is not scheduled to play Georgia for another six months, Florida junior outfielder Kyle Jones said his excitement for the game is off the charts. Jones, an Athens native and a lifelong Georgia Bulldog fan, grew up dreaming of playing for his hometown team.
But Georgia didn’t recruit him out of high school, and Jones wound up at Stetson, where he was named ASUN Freshman of the Year. He hit the portal after the 2024 season, with Florida and Georgia competing for his commitment. The Gators ultimately prevailed, picking up one of the top outfielders in the portal.
Today, Jones said he’s happy with his decision and would not change it for anything.
“My whole life, my grandparents from way back, we were all Georgia fans,” Jones said. “People ask me that all the time, ‘Why did you go to Florida?’ I was like, ‘Well, I’m supposed to be at Florida.’”
While he wears the orange and blue now, his blood still runs Bulldog red and black, especially during football season, when he has to keep a low profile around Gainesville. But in the spring, his allegiance with the Bulldogs washes away, and it’s all business for Jones and the Gators.
Jones will make his return to where it all started April 10-12, when Florida will visit the Classic City, looking to avenge last season's sweep. Jones has had this series marked on his calendar since the schedule was released and expects his family and friends to be at the ballpark cheering him on.
“I’m super excited to go back,” Jones said. “I knew they came to us last year, so I was like, ‘Oh, that means next year we’re gonna be in Georgia.’ So I’ve been planning for a long time.”
Contact Hunter DeLauder at hdelauder@alligator.org. Follow him on X @DelauderHunter.
