Who: Kentucky vs Florida

When: Tuesday, May 25

Time: 10:30 am ET

Where: Hoover Metropolitan Complex, Hoover, Alabama

TV: SEC Network

Losers of four straight baseball games the No. 13 Florida Gators are looking to put the past week behind them and finish the 2021 season strong with a good showing in Hoover, Alabama for the SEC Tournament.

Florida and Kentucky are playing the opening game of the tournament. The game and all four games on Tuesday will be single elimination, win, or go home contests. When the tournament moves to Wednesday the format changes to double elimination until there are only four teams left.

The Gators went into their season finale against Arkansas as the No. 9 team in the country and an outside chance at becoming a National Seed. After being swept by the No. 1 Razorbacks those dreams are dashed but the Gators can still host a Regional at Florida Ballpark. Florida does not want to end the season on a five-game losing streak and needs to have a good SEC Tournament.

Kevin O'Sullivan doesn't typically place a lot of importance on the SEC Tournament, using it more to get his pitching staff ready for the following weekend and the NCAA tournament but Florida's current losing streak has changed the tone of the season. That sense of urgency is seen by O'Sullivan's decision to go with Friday night starter Tommy Mace to open the tournament.

Mace threw 104 pitches on Thursday against Arkansas in a loss. The four days of rest isn't typical for a college pitcher but Mace gives the Gators the best chance to win their first game in Hoover.

Tuesday's game will be the fourth meeting between the two teams in 2021. The Gators traveled to Lexington for a three-game series from May 6-8. Florida dropped the first game of the series but was able to bounce back to win the final two games and get a road series win.

The winner of Tuesday's game advances to take on No. 3-seed Mississippi State on Wednesday, May 26 at 10:30 a.m ET.