One of the oldest rivalries in the state of Florida will be renewed on Tuesday night at Melching Field when the Stetson Hatters host the Florida Gators at 6:30 p.m.
 
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Evan Weston and Messod Bendayan calling the action.
 
The rivalry actually dates back to even before there was an official "University of Florida", when the games were between Stetson and the East Florida Seminary School in Ocala and against the Florida Agricultural College in Lake City as well as the South Florida Military College in Bartow.
 
Combined, Stetson has officially played those schools, as well as the modern University, a total of 136 times, with Florida holding an all-time series lead of 83-53.
 
The Hatters enter the game this year with a 2-1 record on the young season after earning hard-fought wins over Delaware and Manhattan opening weekend. The Gators, ranked 15^th in this week's DiBaseball.com poll, are 1-2 after losing a home series to ASUN favorite Liberty.
 
Stetson snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Gators last May with a 6-1 victory at Melching Field. Stetson scored all of its runs in the game against the Florida bullpen after getting just two hits through the first six innings. The Hatters scored a single run to tie the game in the seventh inning before plating five runs in the eighth.
 
Prior to that win for Stetson, Florida had won four straight games in the series, by a total of seven runs, since the 2016 game in Gainesville was halted in the fifth inning with the Hatters holding a 10-1 lead. Stetson will be trying to win consecutive games against Florida for the first time since the 2006-07 seasons.
 
The Hatters are expected to send sophomore left-hander Anthony DeFabbia to the mound for his first outing of the year. DeFabbia, who started in right field twice over the weekend, was 2-1 last spring on the mound with a 5.06 ERA in 16 appearances, including six starts. He earned ASUN Pitcher of the Week honors after throwing a complete game (seven inning) shutout in his first college start.
 
Florida is expected to counter with sophomore left-hander Timmy Manning. The Pompano Beach native appeared on the mound in eight games last spring, twice pitching against the Hatters. He worked a combined four innings in those two outings, allowing eight hits and eight runs.
 
Redshirt senior outfielder Cameron Hill comes into the game swinging the hottest bat. The Kentucky transfer hit .462 with a triple among his six hits during the opening weekend of play. No stranger to facing the Gators, Hill has hit .454 (10-for-22) with eight RBI in six games in his career against Florida.
 
Florida comes into the game having hit just .186 as a team during the series against Liberty. Sterlin Thompson got off to the best start, hitting .333 with two home runs and five RBI in the series.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS. Get in on the conversation on social media by following Stetson Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channels: Stetson Hatters, Stetson Athletics and, for live events, Hatter Vision.