This, That, and More: Florida Baseball News & Notes 2025
SULLY SUPERLATIVES: Coming off the program's 14th trip to the College World Series and second in as many seasons, HC Kevin O'Sullivan enters his 18th season. Since O'Sullivan's 2008 arrival, Florida leads the sport with 290 SEC wins, 37 MLB debuts, 16 NCAA berths (T-1st), 10 top-eight seeds, nine College World Series trips, nine Super Regionals hosted and six SEC titles. The Gators have advanced to nine of the last 14 College World Series overall.
STARTING STRONG: Since the start of O'Sullivan's tenure, the Gators are 15-2 (.938) in season openers while featuring a 41-8 resume (.854) in the first series of the year. The Orange & Blue has claimed victories in 10 of its last 11 openers since 2014. Across the history of the program, Florida is 69-42-1 all-time in openers, featuring a 49-22-1 mark at home.
GATORS IN THE POLLS: Florida embarks on the 2025 campaign as a unanimous preseason top-11 team. The Gators came in at No. 10 in the D1Baseball preseason poll, but were ranked as highly as No. 7 in the country per Baseball America.
2025 ROSTER OUTLOOK: The Gators return 17 total players (15 letterwinners) from last year’s roster headlined by five positional starters in 2B Cade Kurland, SS Colby Shelton, OF Ty Evans, C Luke Heyman and C/DH Brody Donay. Seven pitchers who saw action on the mound in 2024 will also be returning, led by RHP Liam Peterson, LHP Pierce Coppola and RHP Jake Clemente.
PRESEASON HYPE: Three Gators were named to the SEC Preseason All-SEC Teams as voted on by the league’s 16 head coaches: Kurland (First Team), Heyman (Second Team) and Shelton (Second Team). Florida was also picked to finish fifth overall in the new-look SEC, highlighted by one vote to win the conference outright.
TALE OF 2024: The 2024 Gators were an underdog story despite being the preseason No. 2 team in the country. Finishing with a 36 30 record overall, Florida entered the final two games of the regular season as an unranked team with a 26-26 record (11-17 SEC). The Gators rebounded to win a road series over No. 9 Georgia, going 10-4 down the stretch to make the postseason and advance through the Regional and Super Regional rounds as a No. 3 seed. Florida finished 2-2 in Omaha and as the No. 8 team in the D1Baseball Top 25.
2024 RANKINGS REVIEW: Florida concluded the 2024 campaign ranked among the top-eight teams in the country in fielding percentage (third - .982), home runs (fourth - 136) and strikeouts per nine innings (eighth - 10.7). The Gators also posted the top fielding percentage in the SEC, committing just 42 errors across 2,350 chances in 66 games.
FANTASTIC FOUR: Four Gators tested the waters of the 2024 MLB Draft but ultimately elected to return to the Orange & Blue in pursuit of a National Championship: Shelton, Evans, Heyman and Coppola. The latter three members of the quartet have experienced Omaha each of the last two seasons while Shelton made his College World Series debut one year ago.
THUNDER ONE THRU NINE: Florida boasts 10 position players that posted an .800-plus OPS and slugged over .450 at the Division I level last season. Of the 12 UF hitters to have started a game, all 12 posted an OPS above .750 one year ago. With five positional starters back and 3B Bobby Boser, OF Blake Cyr and CF Kyle Jones projected to start as well, the UF lineup will be composed of eight returning DI starters that had an OPS over .800 in the 2024 campaign.
BELTIN' SHELTON: Most players who bat .254/.374/.551 with 20 homers, 14 doubles and six steals are not viewed as having a down year, but such was the story of Shelton’s 2024 campaign after his 2023 Freshman All American season at Alabama (.300/.419/.729, 25 HR). Even so, Shelton’s 20 home runs last season were tops at the position amongst active Division I shortstops while his 56 RBI tied for seventh. His 45 career homers are the fourth-most among active SEC players.
INITIATING TRANSFER: Florida brought in nine transfers during the offseason, featuring projected starters in Boser (USF), Cyr (Miami) and Jones (Stetson), the latter of which was a Freshman All-American for the Hatters last year. UT Justin Nadeau (Jacksonville) and INF Landon Stripling (Texas Tech) bolster the stellar positional class while RHP Billy Barlow (Clemson) and RHP Matthew Jenkins (Santa Fe College) project as the top contributors on the mound.
JONESIN' FOR A RING: Expected to command center field for Florida, Jones was not only an NCBWA Second Team Freshman All-American last season at Stetson but also collected ASUN Freshman of the Year honors and was an NCAA Division I Gold Glove Finalist. In his first collegiate campaign, Jones slashed .355/.459/.476 with five homers and 23 steals while drawing more walks (33) than strikeouts (27). The former 163rd-ranked outfielder in the 2023 recruiting class led the Hatters in hits (88), runs (53) and doubles (15) while enjoying a 34-game on-base streak in the middle of the season.
ARM BARN: The Gators return 198 2/3 innings pitched from the 2024 roster as compared to the 273 innings pitched that returned from the 2023 CWS Runner-Up squad. However, of the seven returning pitchers, six received postseason experience while five pitched in Omaha. These returners, led by projected weekend starters in Peterson, Coppola and Clemente, aim to lead a Gators pitching rotation that ranked f ifth in the SEC in strikeouts one year ago.
NUKE HEYMAN: Among active Division I catchers, Heyman’s 16 home runs last season are the sixth-most of any returning player at the position. With 28 long balls and 20 doubles in 121 games, the junior backstop owns a .275/.352/.512 career slash line. He finished on a tear last season, clubbing seven homers and slugging .592 across the final 17 contests.
THE BRODY BUNCH: Donay will be looked to as a major contributor in this year's lineup after showing flashes of power in 2024. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound catcher finished with 14 home runs in 167 at bats, a number that averaged a homer every 12 at bats. His sophomore season was highlighted by a two-homer, five-RBI showing in the College World Series against Kentucky. Donay will see time at designated hitter and first base as well as catcher in 2025.
PHILLY SPECIAL: Rising sophomore RHP Alex Philpott started off his Gators career in dominant fashion last year, posting four-straight scoreless appearances in which he recorded 12 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings pitched. Philpott also received valuable postseason experience, pitching two scoreless innings against Kentucky in the College World Series. The sophomore right-hander is expected to be a contributing factor for the Gators bullpen after a strong fall where he was clocked up to 97 miles per hour.
All PETERSON PRIMED: Peterson, who threw the most innings of any returning UF pitcher last year, is set to become the Gator’s Friday night starter. After ranking fourth on the team in innings (63.0) and strikeouts (77) one year ago en route to Freshman All-SEC honors, the rising sophomore produced strong performances throughout fall practice and over the summer with the USA Collegiate National Team. While repping the stars and stripes, Peterson was one of four pitchers on the roster to not allow a walk.
CLEMENTE IN THE CLUTCH: Expected to be a key piece of the pitching rotation in 2025, Clemente had a strong summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League, posting a 3.00 ERA in 27 innings along with 29 strikeouts and a 1.00 WHIP. This performance led to Clemente being named the starting pitcher for the East Division in the Cape Cod All-Star Game, as well as earning the Brewster Whitecaps’ Most Valuable Pitcher award. Clemente looks to build off last year’s late season momentum, where he allowed one run across three appearances in the College World Series and struck out nine batters over six postseason outings.
CYR'S YEAR: Ranked as the 10th-best player on Baseball America’s list of the top-100 transfers from the past offseason, Cyr looks to make an immediate impact in Orange and Blue. In limited action with the Hurricanes last year, Cyr recorded a .933 OPS and seven home runs while making the transition from second base to the outfield. In 85 career games, he slashed .298/.418/.593 with 24 homers, 15 doubles and 84 RBI. The junior outfielder performed well against the Gators during his time in Miami, recording five hits, four runs and eight RBI in six games, including a two-homer performance on March 3, 2023 at Condron Family Ballpark.
CAPTAIN COPPOLA: As a redshirt junior and team leader, Coppola remains in Florida’s weekend rotation after a 2024 season in which he made his first pitching appearance in 783 days. Coppola, who recorded his first career win last season in Omaha against Kentucky, made eight weekend starts for the Gators and is projected as UF’s Sunday starter to open the year. Coppola and Evans are the two remaining Gators on the roster from UF’s 2021 recruiting class.
WILSON FINDS A WAY: Wilson, who entered the Stillwater Regional with just 26 at bats on the year, became a hero for the Gators during their 2024 postseason run. Transferring from Charleston Southern before the season, Wilson recorded nine hits and six RBI in the Stillwater Regional, claiming All-Tournament Team and Regional MVP honors in the process. Across 11 NCAA Tournament games, Wilson batted .310/.423/.548 with two homers, four doubles and 11 RBI.
RELENTLESS REPTILES: After delivering 22 comeback wins one year ago, Florida delivered 21 victories in come-from behind fashion in 2024 featuring 12 in SEC play alone. Florida trailed in six of its postseason wins and claimed five-straight NCAA Tournament elimination games to keep its season alive. Dating back to 2023, Florida went 9-1 across a span of 10 postseason elimination matchups before being shut out by Texas A&M in the final game of the year.
SULLY SUPERLATIVES: Coming off the program's 14th trip to the College World Series and second in as many seasons, HC Kevin O'Sullivan enters his 18th season. Since O'Sullivan's 2008 arrival, Florida leads the sport with 290 SEC wins, 37 MLB debuts, 16 NCAA berths (T-1st), 10 top-eight seeds, nine College World Series trips, nine Super Regionals hosted and six SEC titles. The Gators have advanced to nine of the last 14 College World Series overall.
STARTING STRONG: Since the start of O'Sullivan's tenure, the Gators are 15-2 (.938) in season openers while featuring a 41-8 resume (.854) in the first series of the year. The Orange & Blue has claimed victories in 10 of its last 11 openers since 2014. Across the history of the program, Florida is 69-42-1 all-time in openers, featuring a 49-22-1 mark at home.
GATORS IN THE POLLS: Florida embarks on the 2025 campaign as a unanimous preseason top-11 team. The Gators came in at No. 10 in the D1Baseball preseason poll, but were ranked as highly as No. 7 in the country per Baseball America.
2025 ROSTER OUTLOOK: The Gators return 17 total players (15 letterwinners) from last year’s roster headlined by five positional starters in 2B Cade Kurland, SS Colby Shelton, OF Ty Evans, C Luke Heyman and C/DH Brody Donay. Seven pitchers who saw action on the mound in 2024 will also be returning, led by RHP Liam Peterson, LHP Pierce Coppola and RHP Jake Clemente.
PRESEASON HYPE: Three Gators were named to the SEC Preseason All-SEC Teams as voted on by the league’s 16 head coaches: Kurland (First Team), Heyman (Second Team) and Shelton (Second Team). Florida was also picked to finish fifth overall in the new-look SEC, highlighted by one vote to win the conference outright.
TALE OF 2024: The 2024 Gators were an underdog story despite being the preseason No. 2 team in the country. Finishing with a 36 30 record overall, Florida entered the final two games of the regular season as an unranked team with a 26-26 record (11-17 SEC). The Gators rebounded to win a road series over No. 9 Georgia, going 10-4 down the stretch to make the postseason and advance through the Regional and Super Regional rounds as a No. 3 seed. Florida finished 2-2 in Omaha and as the No. 8 team in the D1Baseball Top 25.
2024 RANKINGS REVIEW: Florida concluded the 2024 campaign ranked among the top-eight teams in the country in fielding percentage (third - .982), home runs (fourth - 136) and strikeouts per nine innings (eighth - 10.7). The Gators also posted the top fielding percentage in the SEC, committing just 42 errors across 2,350 chances in 66 games.
FANTASTIC FOUR: Four Gators tested the waters of the 2024 MLB Draft but ultimately elected to return to the Orange & Blue in pursuit of a National Championship: Shelton, Evans, Heyman and Coppola. The latter three members of the quartet have experienced Omaha each of the last two seasons while Shelton made his College World Series debut one year ago.
THUNDER ONE THRU NINE: Florida boasts 10 position players that posted an .800-plus OPS and slugged over .450 at the Division I level last season. Of the 12 UF hitters to have started a game, all 12 posted an OPS above .750 one year ago. With five positional starters back and 3B Bobby Boser, OF Blake Cyr and CF Kyle Jones projected to start as well, the UF lineup will be composed of eight returning DI starters that had an OPS over .800 in the 2024 campaign.
BELTIN' SHELTON: Most players who bat .254/.374/.551 with 20 homers, 14 doubles and six steals are not viewed as having a down year, but such was the story of Shelton’s 2024 campaign after his 2023 Freshman All American season at Alabama (.300/.419/.729, 25 HR). Even so, Shelton’s 20 home runs last season were tops at the position amongst active Division I shortstops while his 56 RBI tied for seventh. His 45 career homers are the fourth-most among active SEC players.
INITIATING TRANSFER: Florida brought in nine transfers during the offseason, featuring projected starters in Boser (USF), Cyr (Miami) and Jones (Stetson), the latter of which was a Freshman All-American for the Hatters last year. UT Justin Nadeau (Jacksonville) and INF Landon Stripling (Texas Tech) bolster the stellar positional class while RHP Billy Barlow (Clemson) and RHP Matthew Jenkins (Santa Fe College) project as the top contributors on the mound.
JONESIN' FOR A RING: Expected to command center field for Florida, Jones was not only an NCBWA Second Team Freshman All-American last season at Stetson but also collected ASUN Freshman of the Year honors and was an NCAA Division I Gold Glove Finalist. In his first collegiate campaign, Jones slashed .355/.459/.476 with five homers and 23 steals while drawing more walks (33) than strikeouts (27). The former 163rd-ranked outfielder in the 2023 recruiting class led the Hatters in hits (88), runs (53) and doubles (15) while enjoying a 34-game on-base streak in the middle of the season.
ARM BARN: The Gators return 198 2/3 innings pitched from the 2024 roster as compared to the 273 innings pitched that returned from the 2023 CWS Runner-Up squad. However, of the seven returning pitchers, six received postseason experience while five pitched in Omaha. These returners, led by projected weekend starters in Peterson, Coppola and Clemente, aim to lead a Gators pitching rotation that ranked f ifth in the SEC in strikeouts one year ago.
NUKE HEYMAN: Among active Division I catchers, Heyman’s 16 home runs last season are the sixth-most of any returning player at the position. With 28 long balls and 20 doubles in 121 games, the junior backstop owns a .275/.352/.512 career slash line. He finished on a tear last season, clubbing seven homers and slugging .592 across the final 17 contests.
THE BRODY BUNCH: Donay will be looked to as a major contributor in this year's lineup after showing flashes of power in 2024. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound catcher finished with 14 home runs in 167 at bats, a number that averaged a homer every 12 at bats. His sophomore season was highlighted by a two-homer, five-RBI showing in the College World Series against Kentucky. Donay will see time at designated hitter and first base as well as catcher in 2025.
PHILLY SPECIAL: Rising sophomore RHP Alex Philpott started off his Gators career in dominant fashion last year, posting four-straight scoreless appearances in which he recorded 12 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings pitched. Philpott also received valuable postseason experience, pitching two scoreless innings against Kentucky in the College World Series. The sophomore right-hander is expected to be a contributing factor for the Gators bullpen after a strong fall where he was clocked up to 97 miles per hour.
All PETERSON PRIMED: Peterson, who threw the most innings of any returning UF pitcher last year, is set to become the Gator’s Friday night starter. After ranking fourth on the team in innings (63.0) and strikeouts (77) one year ago en route to Freshman All-SEC honors, the rising sophomore produced strong performances throughout fall practice and over the summer with the USA Collegiate National Team. While repping the stars and stripes, Peterson was one of four pitchers on the roster to not allow a walk.
CLEMENTE IN THE CLUTCH: Expected to be a key piece of the pitching rotation in 2025, Clemente had a strong summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League, posting a 3.00 ERA in 27 innings along with 29 strikeouts and a 1.00 WHIP. This performance led to Clemente being named the starting pitcher for the East Division in the Cape Cod All-Star Game, as well as earning the Brewster Whitecaps’ Most Valuable Pitcher award. Clemente looks to build off last year’s late season momentum, where he allowed one run across three appearances in the College World Series and struck out nine batters over six postseason outings.
CYR'S YEAR: Ranked as the 10th-best player on Baseball America’s list of the top-100 transfers from the past offseason, Cyr looks to make an immediate impact in Orange and Blue. In limited action with the Hurricanes last year, Cyr recorded a .933 OPS and seven home runs while making the transition from second base to the outfield. In 85 career games, he slashed .298/.418/.593 with 24 homers, 15 doubles and 84 RBI. The junior outfielder performed well against the Gators during his time in Miami, recording five hits, four runs and eight RBI in six games, including a two-homer performance on March 3, 2023 at Condron Family Ballpark.
CAPTAIN COPPOLA: As a redshirt junior and team leader, Coppola remains in Florida’s weekend rotation after a 2024 season in which he made his first pitching appearance in 783 days. Coppola, who recorded his first career win last season in Omaha against Kentucky, made eight weekend starts for the Gators and is projected as UF’s Sunday starter to open the year. Coppola and Evans are the two remaining Gators on the roster from UF’s 2021 recruiting class.
WILSON FINDS A WAY: Wilson, who entered the Stillwater Regional with just 26 at bats on the year, became a hero for the Gators during their 2024 postseason run. Transferring from Charleston Southern before the season, Wilson recorded nine hits and six RBI in the Stillwater Regional, claiming All-Tournament Team and Regional MVP honors in the process. Across 11 NCAA Tournament games, Wilson batted .310/.423/.548 with two homers, four doubles and 11 RBI.
RELENTLESS REPTILES: After delivering 22 comeback wins one year ago, Florida delivered 21 victories in come-from behind fashion in 2024 featuring 12 in SEC play alone. Florida trailed in six of its postseason wins and claimed five-straight NCAA Tournament elimination games to keep its season alive. Dating back to 2023, Florida went 9-1 across a span of 10 postseason elimination matchups before being shut out by Texas A&M in the final game of the year.
