Florida to be without captain JJ Schwarz for SEC tourney, possibly longer

Published May. 23, 2018 3:08 p.m. ET

HOOVER, Ala. (AP) -- Top-ranked and defending national champion Florida will be without all-Southeastern Conference catcher JJ Schwarz for the league tournament and maybe longer.

Schwarz broke a bone in his right hand when he was hit by a foul ball last Friday at Mississippi State. He sat out the regular-season finale, the first game he's missed all season.

He will be re-evaluated after the tournament and before regional play.

The senior captain is hitting .325 this season, with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs.

The Gators (41-15) are the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament and open play against LSU (33-24) on Wednesday afternoon in Hoover, Alabama.