University of Florida first baseman Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) was named as the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday after leading the Gators with a .500 (9-for-18) batting average in five games last week, four of them wins. It marks the second week in a row that a UF player has earned the accolade, as left-hander Alex Panteliodis (Tampa, Fla.) garnered the award on March 23.

Tucker keyed Florida's first sweep of Alabama since 1994 by going 7-for-14 (.500) with a .786 slugging percentage, six RBI and three extra-base hits versus the Crimson Tide. He provided insurance with a bases-loaded, three-run double with two down in the eighth on Friday, when he was 3-for-4. After trailing 4-0 in the fifth inning, the Gators seized the lead with a three-run seventh and busted the game wide open with a six-run outburst in the eighth.

On Saturday, Tucker had both a leadoff triple and a game-tying two-run single in the bottom of the ninth as UF rallied from an 8-2 deficit to pull out a remarkable 9-8 win to clinch the series. It was the greatest ninth-inning comeback in school history. He was 3-for-5 and collected three RBI in that contest, giving him consecutive three-hit outings for the first time in his collegiate career.

Tucker is batting .304 on the season with 15 RBI, nine runs, five doubles, two triples and a homer and has a .333 (10-for-30) clip with eight RBI in SEC play. Over Florida's last 10 games, the rookie has a .406 (13-for-32) average with nine RBI and four extra-base hits.

The Gators received other positive news with the release of the national polls, as head coach Kevin O'Sullivan's squad climbed to 19th from 23rd in Collegiate Baseball's version and moved into the rankings issued by Baseball America (20th) and USA Today/ESPN (21st).

Florida (18-8) returns to action on Tuesday at 7 p.m. by traveling to Jacksonville to face No. 23 Florida State (16-8) in a game to be televised by Sun Sports. Senior LHP Stephen Locke (Tampa, Fla.) (0-0, 0.00) will draw the start against Seminole right-hander Geoff Parker (2-1, 6.33). The Gators nipped FSU, 5-4, on St. Patrick's Day at McKethan Stadium.

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