Gators Earn Consensus Top-Two Recruiting Class
Florida is the only program in the nation to be ranked inside the top two by D1Baseball, Baseball America and Perfect Game and the only school to make the top 10 in all seven years of D1Baseball's rankings.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida baseball program's 2021 recruiting class was ranked No. 2 nationally and as the top class in the Southeastern Conference, as announced by D1Baseball on Friday.
D1Baseball is the third publication to rank the Gators' 2021 class inside the top two, joining Baseball America tabbed the Orange & Blue as the best in the land. No other college program was ranked inside the top two by all three publications.
With the announcement, Florida is the only NCAA program to land inside the top 10 in all seven years of D1Baseball's rankings, peaking at No. 1 in 2019. Dating back to the 2015-16 season, Florida has ranked inside the top six in six out of seven seasons and within the top two nationally on four occasions.
From D1Baseball: "The Gators are a fixture near the top of these rankings, landing in the top 10 in each of the seven years we have ranked recruiting classes and topping the list in 2018. Florida has been a recruiting juggernaut ever since Kevin O'Sullivan and Craig Bell arrived in Gainesville, but this class stacks up with any of the best classes they have brought in. It's built around the nation's best group of freshman arms and another strong collection of freshman position players."
2021: No. 2
2020: No. 6
2019: No. 1
2018: No. 10
2017: No. 2
2016: No. 5
2015: No. 2
As the top-ranked program in the conference, Florida's No. 2 status leads a group of a nation-leading nine schools inside the top 25 for the SEC. The remaining SEC schools trailing Florida in the top 25 are Arkansas (No. 3), Mississippi State (No. 4), Texas A&M (No. 5), LSU (No. 9), Georgia (No. 12), Tennessee (No. 15), Vanderbilt (No. 17) and Alabama (No. 19). Only UCLA (No. 1) of the Pacific-12 Conference topped Florida in the rankings.
Despite having each of its top-three ranked signees ink Major League Baseball contracts this summer, the Gators still managed to recruit an impressive collection of sixteen freshmen and one transfer to Gainesville. Florida's highly-touted crop of newcomers can be found below.
2021-22 Florida Baseball Newcomers
Name Position B/T Class Hometown High School/Previous
Philip Abner LHP L/L Freshman Charlotte, N.C. Charlotte Christian
Jac Caglianone LHP/1B L/L Freshman Tampa, Fla. Plant HS
Pierce Coppola LHP L/L Freshman Verona, N.J. Verona HS
Jorge De Goti INF R/R Freshman Miami, Fla. Belen Jesuit Prep
Carsten Finnvold LHP L/L Freshman Boca Raton, Fla. American Heritage HS
Ty Evans OF R/R Freshman Lakeland, Fla. Lakeland Christian School
Deric Fabian INF R/R Freshman Ocala, Fla. North Marion HS
Karl Hartman RHP R/R Freshman Merritt Island, Fla. Rockledge HS
Fisher Jameson RHP R/R Freshman Lake Worth, Fla. Park Vista Community HS
Rene Lastres C R/R Freshman Hialeah Gardens, Fla. Calvary Christian Academy
Brandon Neely RHP R/R Freshman Seville, Fla. Spruce Creek HS
Matt Prevesk OF L/L Freshman Apopka, Fla. Apopka HS
BT Riopelle C L/R Junior* Belleair, Fla. Coastal Carolina (transfer)
Michael Robertson OF L/R Freshman Venice, Fla. Venice Senior HS
Corey Robinson OF R/R Freshman Port Orange, Fla. Spruce Creek HS
Sam Sloan RHP R/R Freshman Bartow, Fla. Lakeland Senior HS
Anthony Ursitti RHP R/R Freshman Fort Myers, Fla. Canterbury HS
Florida is set to open the 2022 season at home the weekend of Feb. 18-20 in the form of a three-game series against Liberty of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Florida is the only program in the nation to be ranked inside the top two by D1Baseball, Baseball America and Perfect Game and the only school to make the top 10 in all seven years of D1Baseball's rankings.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida baseball program's 2021 recruiting class was ranked No. 2 nationally and as the top class in the Southeastern Conference, as announced by D1Baseball on Friday.
D1Baseball is the third publication to rank the Gators' 2021 class inside the top two, joining Baseball America tabbed the Orange & Blue as the best in the land. No other college program was ranked inside the top two by all three publications.
With the announcement, Florida is the only NCAA program to land inside the top 10 in all seven years of D1Baseball's rankings, peaking at No. 1 in 2019. Dating back to the 2015-16 season, Florida has ranked inside the top six in six out of seven seasons and within the top two nationally on four occasions.
From D1Baseball: "The Gators are a fixture near the top of these rankings, landing in the top 10 in each of the seven years we have ranked recruiting classes and topping the list in 2018. Florida has been a recruiting juggernaut ever since Kevin O'Sullivan and Craig Bell arrived in Gainesville, but this class stacks up with any of the best classes they have brought in. It's built around the nation's best group of freshman arms and another strong collection of freshman position players."
2021: No. 2
2020: No. 6
2019: No. 1
2018: No. 10
2017: No. 2
2016: No. 5
2015: No. 2
As the top-ranked program in the conference, Florida's No. 2 status leads a group of a nation-leading nine schools inside the top 25 for the SEC. The remaining SEC schools trailing Florida in the top 25 are Arkansas (No. 3), Mississippi State (No. 4), Texas A&M (No. 5), LSU (No. 9), Georgia (No. 12), Tennessee (No. 15), Vanderbilt (No. 17) and Alabama (No. 19). Only UCLA (No. 1) of the Pacific-12 Conference topped Florida in the rankings.
Despite having each of its top-three ranked signees ink Major League Baseball contracts this summer, the Gators still managed to recruit an impressive collection of sixteen freshmen and one transfer to Gainesville. Florida's highly-touted crop of newcomers can be found below.
2021-22 Florida Baseball Newcomers
Name Position B/T Class Hometown High School/Previous
Philip Abner LHP L/L Freshman Charlotte, N.C. Charlotte Christian
Jac Caglianone LHP/1B L/L Freshman Tampa, Fla. Plant HS
Pierce Coppola LHP L/L Freshman Verona, N.J. Verona HS
Jorge De Goti INF R/R Freshman Miami, Fla. Belen Jesuit Prep
Carsten Finnvold LHP L/L Freshman Boca Raton, Fla. American Heritage HS
Ty Evans OF R/R Freshman Lakeland, Fla. Lakeland Christian School
Deric Fabian INF R/R Freshman Ocala, Fla. North Marion HS
Karl Hartman RHP R/R Freshman Merritt Island, Fla. Rockledge HS
Fisher Jameson RHP R/R Freshman Lake Worth, Fla. Park Vista Community HS
Rene Lastres C R/R Freshman Hialeah Gardens, Fla. Calvary Christian Academy
Brandon Neely RHP R/R Freshman Seville, Fla. Spruce Creek HS
Matt Prevesk OF L/L Freshman Apopka, Fla. Apopka HS
BT Riopelle C L/R Junior* Belleair, Fla. Coastal Carolina (transfer)
Michael Robertson OF L/R Freshman Venice, Fla. Venice Senior HS
Corey Robinson OF R/R Freshman Port Orange, Fla. Spruce Creek HS
Sam Sloan RHP R/R Freshman Bartow, Fla. Lakeland Senior HS
Anthony Ursitti RHP R/R Freshman Fort Myers, Fla. Canterbury HS
Florida is set to open the 2022 season at home the weekend of Feb. 18-20 in the form of a three-game series against Liberty of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
