The fifth-seeded Florida Gators took revenge against the fourth-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday, run-ruling their opponents, 13-3, in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. SEMIFINALS BOUND 🐊➡️@WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/1iTh0i3bsW— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 21, 2026Here are three takeaways from the Gators' triumph. Florida's next game is against Georgia on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET with television coverage on SEC Network.From No Hitter to Hitting ClinicIn the first edition of this meeting, Alabama no-hit Florida in Tuscaloosa. However, Florida’s bats made sure that was a thing of the past. For the second straight game in Hoover, the Gators' offense notched 10 or more hits, tallying 16 against the Crimson Tide. Moreover, it produced nine extra-base hits. Florida got production up and down the lineup on Thursday, as every Gator to have an at-bat recorded a hit. Leading the charge was third baseman Ethan Surowiec. Surowiec went 4-for-5 against Alabama, with one homer, two doubles and three RBIs. — Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 21, 2026Another Gator who had a strong day was shortstop Brendan Lawson. He went 2-for-4 at the plate, with one homer, one double and one RBI. — Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 21, 2026Peterson Continues to Deal on the MoundDespite being removed from the Friday night role earlier in the season, starting pitcher Liam Peterson's quality never disappeared. The dynamic righty pitched five innings against the Crimson Tide, striking out eight, walking none and surrendering just one run en route to a run-rule victory. One highlight from his start is the way he finished his day. After catcher Karson Bowen lost the ball on a strikeout pitch, allowing the batter to reach, Peterson was forced to face another. However, he fanned the next batter he faced with a fastball that touched 100 miles per hour."I think my fastball command was pretty good today," Peterson said after the win. "I thought if I missed my spot, it was in a good place. So it wasn't too much middle. Then I thought my curveball was really well as well. A little bit harder today. So maybe it played a little better, but I think those two pitches really helped a lot.— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 21, 2026If this version of Peterson is the one that the Gators get as the postseason begins, then they will be among the front-runners for a spot in Omaha. Case for National Seed Grows StrongerFlorida is now 39-18 on the year and has logged 19 SEC wins in 2026, including the wins over Vanderbilt and Alabama in the conference tournament. Combine those numbers with the Gators holding the No. 2 strength of schedule, the No. 10 spot in RPI and 16 quad one wins, and their chance to enter the NCAA postseason as a top eight seed has become a real possibility. However, there are two other SEC teams still in contention for the last two spots inside the top eight. Auburn and Texas A&M both have great cases for a national seed, including both taking down Florida in Gainesville. Luckily for the Gators, the Tigers and Aggies play each other in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, which could help Florida. Additionally, if the Gators can advance past the No. 1 seed Georgia Bulldogs and into the SEC Tournament Final, their resume will be even more stacked. Sign up for our free Florida Gators newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow