Florida baseball kept its 2025 season alive for at least another day.

Freshman Aidian King pitched another gem and the Florida Gators gave him more than enough support as No. 2 seed UF routed No. 4 seed Fairfield 17-2 in a Conway S.C. Regional game on May 31.

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UF pounded out 17 runs on 16 hits while drawing 11 walks, successfully bouncing back from an 11-3 loss to East Carolina to start regional play. The Gators (39-21) improved to 7-0 in their last seven regional elimination games.

Florida will face the loser of the game between No. 1 seed Coastal Carolina and No. 3 seed East Carolina on June 1 (time TBD). UF needs to win three more games to advance to Super Regional play.

With the wind blowing out at Spring Brooks Stadium, Florida blasted three home runs to take an early 7-1 lead. Blake Cyr started the power barrage with a solo home run in the fourth inning to put Florida up 1-0.

After Fairfield tied the score at 1 in the bottom of the fourth on a Matt Bucciero solo homer, shortstop Bobby Boser put Florida ahead to stay 3-1 with a two-run homer to left field, sparking a four-run fifth inning. UF added two more runs in the inning on a Cyr RBI single and a fielder’s choice, with Ty Evans making a nice hook slide to score from third base with the infield in after Hayden Yost grounded to second.

In the sixth inning, Brody Donay put Florida up 7-1 with a towering, two-run homer to left field.

From there, Florida put the game away with eight runs in the eighth inning, which included two-RBI singles by Cyr and freshman Brendan Lawson.

That was more than enough support for King (7-2), who pitched a season-high eight innings, allowing a run on four hits with two walks and seven strikes. King won his third straight start and has allowed just two earned runs over his last 21 1/3 innings.

Florida scored eight runs in the 8th inning to take a 15-1 lead on Farfield. Brendan Lawson and Blake Cyr belted two-RBI singles in the inning, and the Gators also scored runs on a Landron Stripling sac fly, bases loaded walks by Bobby Boser and Brody Donay and an RBI single by Hayden Yost.

Starter Aidian King has turned in another gem in a big spot so far for Florida, allowing just a run on four hits through six innings. King has walked two and struck out four. Florida 7, Fairfield 1 end 6th

Brody Donay belts UF’s third home run of the game, a two-run shot to extend UF’s lead to 7-1 in the top of the sixth inning. The Gators leave the bases loaded for the second straight inning, though. Florida 7, Fairfield 1 mid 6th.

Florida baseball has extended its lead to 5-1 on a Blake Cyr RBI single and fielder’s choice, with Ty Evans scoring from third with the infield in on a terrific break and slide. UF has knocked starter Bowen Baker out of the game. Righty Matthew Grabmann on in relief for the Stags. Florida 5, Fairfield 1 top 5th.

Justin Nadeau leads off the inning with a single, then Bobby Boser blasts a two-run homer to left to put Florida up 3-1. Florida 3, Fairfield 1 Top 5.

Farfield answers with a solo home run as Matt Bucciero blats an Aidian King fastball over the center field fence. Florida 1, Fairfield 1 end 4th.

Blake Cyr gets Florida on the board first with a solo home run, a 364-foot blast to left field. Ninth home run of the season for Cyr and second in last two days. Gators 1, Fairfield 0 top 4th.

Florida baseball and Fairfield remain scoreless through three innings. Florida starter Aidan King works out of a first and second jam by getting third baseman Dean Ferrera to ground into a double play to end the inning. Gators 0, Fairfield 0 end 3.

Despite being the higher seed, Florida will be the visiting team and bat first against Fairfield. The Stags will be the home team.

HP: Alan Gorewitz, 1B: Eddie Newsom, 2B: Billy Van Raaphorst, 3B: Jeff Head

3B Ferrera, SS Nomura, 1B Bucclero, C Kuczik, CF Schmalzle, DH Kipp, LF McIlroy, 2B Colby, RF Lussier

SS Boser, 1B Lawson, DH Evans, C Donay, LF Cyr, CF Yost, RF Wilson, 3B Stripling, 2B Nadeau

For the second straight game, Florida will face a lefty starter as Fairfield will send lefty Bowen Baker (8-1, 3,20 ERA) to the mound against the Gators.

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Florida baseball vs Fairfield start time

• Date: Saturday, May 31
• Time: 3 p.m. ET

First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Spring Brooks Stadium.

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com

On his way to being named the National Player of the Year while leading Duke to a Final Four, Cooper Flagg reportedly racked up millions upon millions of dollars for his year of service with the Blue Devils.

It doesn’t take an insider to assume Flagg made a boatload of money as the country’s best freshman and soon-to-be No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but when reports are coming out that he made nearly $30 million off just two NIL deals, it’ll make you take a step back. And that’s exactly what we heard when sports reporter Howard Bryant sat down with Bob Costas for a recent interview.

“He had a $13 million deal with New Balance and then $15 million with Fanatics,” Bryant said of Flagg’s NIL contracts from this past season, which equals $28 million across just two deals, when Costas asked Bryant how much the 18-year-old made in 2024-25.

That’s a lot of money just to lose in the national semifinal…

Is that $28 million figure a yearly payout or the total amount throughout the course of the two contracts, however long they might be? These are more than likely multi-year deals with Fanatics and New Balance, but with how much money is being pumped into NIL funds right now, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Flagg received all of that money in one calendar year at Duke.

The school itself certainly wasn’t going to be able to pay out that much money for one year of Flagg’s service (that number was reported at around $5 million), no matter how good he is/was. It’s why the idea of him possibly returning to Durham for a sophomore season was also nonsensical — Flagg is likely going to sign a four-year, roughly $62 million contract (according to Spotrac) as the number one overall pick in next month’s draft when the Dallas Mavericks inevitably scoop him up. Other endorsements will sweeten the pot even more.

Flagg recently signed with CAA Basketball as his representation. He joins an agency that includes the likes of All-Star clients such as Devin Booker, Julius Randle, and Karl-Anthony Towns, who are all signed to multi-year NBA contracts worth upwards of $30 million per season.

Money won’t be an issue for the Flagg family ever again.

Cooper Flagg may have earned much more through NIL deals in a single season at Duke than he will in salary during his rookie NBA campaign.

ESPN’s Howard Bryant said in a recent interview with Bob Costas (51:15 mark) that Flagg made at least $28 million in his lone season with the Blue Devils.

That total came from a $13 million deal with New Balance and a $15 million contract with Fanatics, according to Bryant.

Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick of the upcoming draft, is projected by Spotrac to sign a four-year, $62.7 million contract once he lands with the Dallas Mavericks.

That total is significantly higher than the $4.8 million NIL valuation originally estimated by On3.

Adrian Wojnarowski originally reported for ESPN in August 2024 that Flagg had signed a “significant” deal with New Balance.

Boardroom’s Nick DePaula wrote at the time that the deal was expected to span one year in college in addition to “multiple NBA seasons.”

Fanatics then announced in January that Flagg had inked an “exclusive, multi-year deal” with the company.

Flagg also became the first men’s college basketball player to sign an NIL deal with Gatorade in October.

These contracts could potentially continue into Flagg’s rookie NBA season, during which he is projected to make about $13.8 million in salary as the presumptive top pick.

The Dallas Mavericks are slated to draft first when the 2025 NBA draft begins on June 25 at 8 p.m. ET.

These deals are an example of both the hype surrounding Flagg’s single college season, as well as some of the NIL resources head coach Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils could have at their disposal when building a new roster this summer.

On3’s Pete Nakos previously reported that Duke is expected to spent between $8-10 million to build the 2025-26 roster through revenue sharing, but that one source described the program’s NIL resources as “unlimited.”

After a successful debut season in Lexington, Mark Pope reloaded Kentucky’s roster through the transfer portal. Most of the Wildcats’ incoming portal additions for 2025-26 are considered among the best in the country, too.

On Friday morning, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello updated the worldwide leader’s top 100 men’s college basketball transfers of the offseason. Five of Kentucky’s six portal acquisitions cracked the top 80, led by one especially promising big man in the top 10. The only transfer who did not make the cut was Reece Potter, a 7-foot-1 Lexington native who transferred to UK after two seasons at Miami (OH).

Here is where ESPN ranked the other five:

7. Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State) 6-9, PF, Fr.
25. Jaland Lowe (Pitt) 6-3, PG, So.
60. Kam Williams (Tulane) 6-8, SF, Fr.
61. Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama) 6-7, F, So.
76. Denzel Aberdeen (Florida) 6-5, CG, Jr.

Kentucky is one of just two schools with five portal commits ranked among ESPN’s top 100. The other? Rick Pitino‘s St. John’s program, of course. The former UK head coach is bringing in Ian Jackson (No. 10), Bryce Hopkins (No. 12), Joson Sanon (No. 33), Dillon Mitchell (No. 68), and Oziyah Sellers (No. 81) for next season. Only 15 programs are bringing in at least three of ESPN’s top 100 portal prospects.

In a similar vein, Kentucky finished with the 6th-best freshman group in ESPN’s final 2025 recruiting class update. Despite losing Acaden Lewis to Villanova, the Wildcats’ four-man rookie class still sits comfortably in the top 10. Jasper Johnson (No. 18), Malachi Moreno (No. 25), and Braydon Hawthorne (No. 81) make up UK’s incoming high schoolers for 2025-26. They also included Croatian big man Andrija Jelavić in this freshman group, but as an international recruit, he does not hold a ranking by ESPN.

Mix a deep and talented portal class and a top 10 group of freshmen with four key returning pieces, headlined by All-SEC guard Otega Oweh, and it’s no wonder Kentucky is being mentioned as a preseason top 10 program going into next season.

AUSTIN, Texas – Second-seeded UTSA scored seven runs over the sixth and seventh innings to defeat No. 3-seed K-State, 10-2, Friday night on the first day of the NCAA Austin Regional at UFCU Disch-Falk Field
 
K-State fell to 31-25 on the year and will play an elimination game against No.4-seed Houston Christian (32-24) at 2 p.m. Saturday, followed by a matchup between UTSA (45-13) and No. 2 national seed and regional host Texas (43-12) at 8 p.m.
 
“UTSA put a lot of pressure on us and put the ball in play,” head coach Pete Hughes commented following the loss. “We had our opportunities, but bottom line is they got big two-out hits, and we didn’t.”
 
UTSA’s pitching staff of starter Zach Royse, and relievers Robert Orloski and Christian Okerholm limited the Wildcats to just two runs on six hits, with Royse (9-4) earning the victory. The right-hander surrendered one run and scattered just three hits in 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts.
 
Offensively, four players for UTSA turned in multi-hit efforts with James Taussig generating a game-high three RBI with a three-run homer in the sixth.
 
“The three-run homer was the deciding point of the game, and then they damage controlled the fourth inning. [UTSA] did a great job there with the bases load and no outs and come out of there with only one run scoring. That’s pretty good job by them. [Royse] their starter battled and did a good job,” Hughes added.
 
Lefty Jacob Frost, who was tagged for the loss and moved to 1-5 on the year, held the Roadrunners to five hits in his 5 1/3-innings. The senior allowed five runs and struck out five in his 15^th start, while issuing four walks.
 
Six different Wildcats produced a hit in the opening round, that included a solo blast by pinch-hitter Nick English, while AJ Evasco drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
 
Saturday’s elimination game will stream on ESPN+ and the ESPN app, while radio coverage is available on the K-State Sports Network with a free live streaming audio on kstatesports.com/watch.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
After retiring the Cats in order, UTSA jumped on the board in the opening frame behind catcher Andrew Stucky’s single up the middle. UTSA’s Norris McClure homered to left field to expand the lead, 2-0, in the third inning.
 
Maximus Martin worked a walk, the third walk from Royse, to lead off the fourth before Seth Dardar laced the Cats’ first hit into center to position runners on first and third. Keegan O’Connor was hit in the next at bat to load the bases, forcing a mound visit for UTSA.
 
With one out, freshman AJ Evasco lifted a sacrifice fly to center, allowing Martin to score from third and pull the score within one.
 
The Roadrunners recovered the run handed over in the top of the inning, utilizing one hit and a fielding error to stretch their lead back out to two, but Frost’s fourth strikeout of the game left the bases loaded.
 
Shintaro Inoue beat the shift and lined his lone hit– a two-out single – between the Roadrunners’ second baseman and shortstop to register the Cats second hit of the game. Martin flared a 1-0 pitch into left field, but a diving catch by Garrett Gruell ended the threat.
 
Royse carried a two-hitter into the sixth, until O’Connor took a 2-2 pitch into right field, leading UTSA to make the first pitching change of the nightcap. Kennedy singled through the left side in his first at bat against reliever Orloski, until a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. The Roadrunners picked up two quick outs to strand the duo.
 
The Cats tacked a run to the board in the seventh, as Nick English stepped off the bench and blasted a solo shot 404-feet to left center.  
 
UTSA spotted K-State for seven runs over a two-inning stretch to put the game away, highlighted by a three-run homer from James Taussig in the sixth.
 
INSIDE THE BOX

• UTSA scored 10 runs on 10 hits with no errors committed and left nine men on base.
• K-State scored two runs on six hits, committed two errors and stranded nine runners on base.
• Royse logged 5 1/3 innings of one-run, one hit ball with five strikeouts and three walks.
• Frost (1-4) was tagged for the loss, surrendering five runs, all earned, on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. The lefty issued four walks and struck out five.
• Six different players produced a hit for K-State.
• English homered in the seventh – his second of the year.
• Four Roadrunners turned in multi-hit efforts, led by three RBI from Taussig with his three-run homer in the sixth.
• UTSA drove in four runs with two outs, hitting .273 (3-for-11) with two away and .267 (4-for-15) in scoring position.
• K-State went 1-for-10 with two outs and was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.  

 TEAM NOTES

• UTSA pulled ahead, 3-2, in the all-time series between the two squads, while Friday marked the first meeting since 2009.
• K-State posts an all-time record of 9-7 during the regional round of the NCAA Tournament.
• The loss snapped a six-game winning streak in the regional round.
• K-State is 28-12 when hitting one or more home runs in a game.

2025 NCAA AUSTIN REGIONAL

Friday, May 30
1 p.m. CT – Game 1: No. 1 Texas 7, Houston Christian 1
6 p.m. CT – Game 2: No. 2 UTSA 10, K-State 2
 
Saturday, May 31
2 p.m. CT – Game 3: No. 4 Houston Christian vs. No. 3 K-State
8 p.m. CT – Game 4: No. 2/1 Texas vs. No. 2 UTSA                      

• Kentucky baseball was able to avoid elimination Saturday with a 7-3 victory over Big South champion USC Upstate in the NCAA Tournament at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.
• Luke Lawrence paced the Kentucky Wildcats, going 3 for 4 at the plate.

Kentucky baseball was able to avoid elimination Saturday with a 7-3 victory over Big South champion USC Upstate in the NCAA Tournament at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

The Wildcats (30-25) will either play Clemson or West Virginia in the regional tournament on Sunday to stay alive.

Luke Lawrence paced the Wildcats, going 3 for 4 at the plate.

More from UK’s win over USC Upstate: 3 takeaways as Wildcats survive and advance in NCAA Tournament

Game recap from Kentucky vs. USC Upstate in the college baseball regionals:

Stream Kentucky baseball vs. USC Upstate (free trial)

Final: Kentucky 7, USC Upstate 3

The Spartans recorded one hit and left two on base in the top of the ninth.

Walker pitched five innings for UK, struck out seven batters, and only allowed one hit.

The Wildcats scored three runs on three hits. Hage and Hudson Brown recorded RBIs in the inning.

Walked downed the Spartans order again, striking out 2 of the 3 batters he faced.

Three out and no hits for the Wildcats in the bottom of the inning.

All three batters grounded out for the Spartans in the inning. Walker hasn’t allowed a hit in three innings pitched for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats regain the lead in the bottom of the sixth, behind great baserunning by McCoy. He was walked at the plate, then he stole second, and he made it to third after a wild pitch.

Patrick Herrera recorded a sacrifice-bunt to bring McCoy in for the run.

Walker hit one batter with a pitch, but struck out three others to get out of the inning.

The Wildcats go down 1-2-3 in the fifth, and they haven’t recorded a hit in their last two innings.

Ethan Walker subbed in to pitch for the Wildcats, and he downed the Spartans in order.

Another 1-2-3 inning for the Wildcats at the plate.

The Spartans had hot bats at the top of the fourth inning. They recorded three hits and scored three runs.

Preston Lucas hit a 2-run RBI double to left center field to bring in runners Scott Campbell and Vance Sheahan.

Gage Griggs hit a sac-fly to bring Johnny Sweeney home for the tying run.

Kentucky recorded one hit and left one on base in the inning.

The Spartans went down in order. McCay has not given up a hit through three innings.

1-2-3 inning for UK at the plate.

McCay walked the lead off batter, but then struck out the next two batters in the lineup. Then Gage Griggs flied out to right field.

In the bottom of the first, the Wildcats scored three runs on three hits. Junior Carson Hansen hit a three-run home run to put Kentucky on the board.

Three up, three down for UK’s starting pitcher Nic McCay.

• Date: Saturday, May 31
• Time: Noon

First pitch for Kentucky and USC Upstate is scheduled for noon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

It’s expected to be sunny for Kentucky’s game against USC Upstate. The high for Saturday in Clemson, South Carolina is 81 degrees with winds at 10 to 20 mph.

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Below is UK’s postseason schedule.

Clemson Regional

• Friday, May 30: West Virginia, 4, Kentucky 3
• Saturday, May 31: Kentucky vs. USC Upstate, noon

Below is USC Upstate postseason schedule.

Clemson Regional

• Friday, May 30: Clemson, 7, USC Upstate 3
• Saturday, May 31: USC Upstate vs. Kentucky, noon

The Wildcats and Spartans have never met in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats have beaten the Spartans the last eight times they faced each other and have won nine of their last 10 meetings. Expect Kentucky to jump out to an early lead again against USC Upstate, but this time hold on to it to secure the victory. Kentucky 4, USC Upstate 2.

No. The closest UK has been to winning the College World Series was last year, when it appeared in the event for the first time in program history. Kentucky posted a 1-2 record in its double-elimination CWS bracket, beating N.C. State but losing to Texas A&M and Florida.

No, this is the first time in program history that the Spartans have made it to the NCAA Tournament. They beat Winthrop, High Point and Charleston Southern in the Big South tournament to earn an automatic bid to this year’s tournament.

Friday

• Game 1: West Virginia 4, Kentucky 3
• Game 2: Clemson 7, USC Upstate 3

Saturday

• Game 3: Kentucky vs. USC Upstate, noon; ESPN+
• Game 4: West Virginia vs. Clemson, 6 p.m.; ESPN+

Sunday

• Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, noon; TV TBD
• Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6 p.m.; TV TBD

Monday (if necessary)

• Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, TBD

Livestream: ESPN + | Fubo

TV: ESPN

Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory.