Category: Player Profile Card

Franco Alemán will look to build off up-and-down season in 2022

The former FIU and JUCO player worked his way into the weekend starting rotation this season for UF, but he’ll need to be better in 2022.

Name: Franco Alemán

Number: 35

Position: Right-Handed Pitcher

Class: Junior (COVID-19)

Height: 6’6″

Weight: 215 lbs

Hometown: Tampa, Florida

High School: Alonso

Previous School: St. Johns River State College

Twitter: @franc0_26

2021 statistics:

G GS W-L IP H R BB K ERA WHIP
23 9 2-4 69 75 52 21 65 5.74 1.39

Overview:

Alemán was one of the nation’s better prospects coming out of high school, ranking 80th overall and No. 30 among right-handed pitchers. He could’ve gone to the professional ranks out of high school as he was drafted in the 38th round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves. Instead, he chose to maintain his commitment to Florida International, where he saw significant action as a true freshman in 2019.

With the Panthers, he made 12 starts and had two relief appearances, netting a 3-5 record and 3.97 ERA on the season. After that season, he transferred to JUCO St. Johns River State College, where he made seven starts and posted a 3-1 record. His ERA that season was 3.26, and he totaled 51 strikeouts, two shy of his total at FIU despite appearing in half as many games as he did the season before.

Due to COVID-19, the 2020 season was cut short, and Alemán signed with the Gators as a junior heading into 2021. He was expected to be a significant reliever, and he saw closing action early in the season. However, with struggles from Saturday starter Jack Leftwich, Alemán was moved to a starting role midway through the season with Leftwich taking his place at closer.

Alemán had his moments as a starter, but all in all the experiment didn’t really work. His ERA of 5.74 was the highest among UF’s weekend starters, and his 2-4 record left a lot to be desired. He did have a lot of strikeouts on the year with a career-best 65, though.

With ace pitcher Tommy Mace likely heading to the professional ranks this summer, Alemán will likely be a weekend starter once again in 2022 as a “COVID” senior. But Florida will need him to be much more effective and consistent on the bump than he was this season.

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Jack Leftwich found success in a new role in 2021

Erstwhile starting pitcher Jack Leftwich moved to a closer role in 2021 after struggling early in the season and found some success.

Name: Jack Leftwich

Number: 23

Position: Right-Handed Pitcher

Class: Junior (COVID-19)

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 220 lbs

Hometown: Orlando, Florida

High School: TNXL Academy

Twitter: @Jacklefty21

2021 statistics:

G GS W-L IP H R BB K ERA WHIP
24 6 7-4 69.2 54 28 22 78 3.36 1.09

Overview:

Leftwich was a big-time recruit in the class of 2017, ranked as the No. 45 player in the country and the No. 7 overall player in the state of Florida. The Orlando native was drafted in the 39th round out of high school by the Detroit Tigers, but he decided to enroll at UF and play college baseball under Kevin O’Sullivan instead.

He started the 2018 season in the bullpen, but a 1.78 ERA earned him a starting role. He ended up starting 12 games as a true freshman, finishing with a 5-5 record and 4.20 ERA. He began his sophomore season in 2019 as a weekend starter, appearing in 13 games. Injuries limited him, and though he struggled at times, he had a 1.77 ERA in his final three appearances.

Leftwich entered 2020 as one of UF’s top-two starters alongside Tommy Mace, and he made four appearances in weekend starts before the season was canceled. He was 2-0 in those games with a 4.15 ERA.

Though he was expected to leave after the season, he returned to Florida after he wasn’t selected in the shortened five-round MLB draft. He began the 2021 season as a weekend starter once again, but he was up-and-down in that role. He eventually transitioned into a closer role, which improved his play. He finished with a 7-4 record and a career-best 3.36 ERA.

Though many thought this would be his final season in Gainesville, now it seems likely that he will return for one more season, either to solidify himself as a closer or attempt to earn back a starting job.

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Jacob Young was Florida baseball’s best hitter in 2021

Jacob Young’s hitting streak came to an end in 2021 but he was the leader of a UF lineup that was the strength of the team this season.

Name: Jacob Young

Number: 1

Position: Outfield

Class: Sophomore (COVID-19)

Height: 6’0″

Weight: 175 lbs

Hometown: Ponte Vedra, Fla.

High School: Ponte Vedra

2021 statistics:

G PA R H HR RBI BB K BA OBP SLG
60 292 56 80 5 41 27 45 .314 .385 .461

Overview:

Young was expected to be a bit of a project player when he arrived at Florida, and he was just the No. 500 player in the nation according to Perfect Game. However, he ended up appearing in 54 games as a true freshman, starting 48 of them with the bulk of them coming at second base despite playing mostly outfield in high school.

He batted .311 on the season and notched eight doubles, and he had the lowest strikeout rate of any batter on the team. Heading into his sophomore season in 2020, Young moved primarily to right field, where most of his 15 starts came. He appeared in every game and was batting a phenomenal .450 when the season was canceled. In just 71 plate appearances, he had 27 hits.

Young started all 60 games during his “COVID” sophomore season in 2021, moving to left field for 59 of them. He was easily Florida’s most consistent player, leading the team in hits (80), doubles (16), runs (56), stolen bases (13) and outfield assists (seven).

He stretched a school-record 30-game hitting streak, and he was named a member of the SEC All-Tournament Team. Eligible for the draft, it’s certainly possible Young could hed to professional baseball this offseason. The Gators will hope their best offensive player is back in the orange and blue in 2022.

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Tommy Mace likely heading to pros after a good yet underwhelming season

After three years as Florida’s ace, it seems likely that Tommy Mace’s UF career has come to an end in Gainesville as he heads to the draft.

Name: Tommy Mace

Number: 47

Position: RHP

Class: Junior (COVID)

Height: 6’6″

Weight: 215 lbs

Hometown: Tampa

High School: Sunlake

2021 statistics:

G GS W-L IP H R BB K ERA WHIP
16 15 6-2 90.1 91 49 21 113 4.38 1.24

Overview:

The No. 72 prospect in the country and 23rd-best right-handed pitcher according to Perfect Game, Mace was drafted in the 12th round by the Cincinnati Reds out of high school. However, he chose not to sign and instead ended up at Florida, where he appeared in 26 games as a freshman and started six of them. He had a 3.00 ERA in the games he started, and in his first SEC start, he held Mississippi State to just one run.

He transitioned from primarily pitching out of the bullpen to being a full-time starter as a sophomore, starting every weekend series with an 8-5 record in 16 starts. He took over the ace role in the fourth week of the season, never relinquishing it.

The best play of Mace’s UF career came before the cancellation of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. He made just four appearances, but they were all Friday starts and he finished with a 3-0 record and just a 1.67 ERA. He wasn’t selected in the five-round 2020 MLB draft, returning to Florida with high expectations.

Though he retained his ace role for most of the season, his play dropped off a bit. His ERA fell to 4.38, likely signifying a regression to the mean after mostly facing non-conference opponents last year. He was UF’s best pitcher, but his play was one of several disappointing factors in 2021. Still, his play was likely good enough to make him an early-round pick, and it seems his time in Gainesville has likely reached an end.

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Inconsistent play held Jud Fabian back as a sophomore

Jud Fabian entered the 2021 season with high expectations, and though he didn’t live up to them all, he accounted for some major moments.

Name: Jud Fabian

Number: 4

Position: Outfield

Class: Sophomore (third-year)

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 195 lbs

Hometown: Ocala, Florida

High School: Trinity Catholic

Twitter: @judfabe

2020 statistics:

G PA R H HR RBI BB K BA OBP SLG
59 269 51 56 20 46 40 79 .249 .364 .560

Overview:

One of the top players in the country coming out of high school, Fabian ranked 13th nationally and No. 6 among players in the state of Florida, according to Perfect Game. He was also the No. 4 outfielder in the country.

Fabian skipped his senior season of high school to enroll early at the nearby University of Florida ahead of the team’s 2019 season. He started 54 of the 56 games he appeared in at center field and though he batted just .232, he hit seven home runs with 26 RBI and tied for the team lead in walks.

He entered his sophomore year in 2020 as a Preseason Second Team All-SEC selection, and he looked the part before the season was canceled, batting .294 in the first 17 games. He had also already almost matched his season total in home runs from the prior year with five.

Naturally, Fabian entered his “COVID sophomore” season in 2021 with high expectations. In fact, some projected that he would be the first overall pick in the MLB draft. That didn’t exactly come to fruition, as Fabian’s inconsistency held him back. He had 20 home runs and 46 RBI, impressive numbers, but his .249 average left a lot to be desired. He also struck out 79 times, the most on the team, by far.

The latest mock draft from MLB.com still has Fabian in the first round, largely due to the upside with his hitting and his tremendous fielding, which was a strong point for a Florida defense that led the SEC in errors in 2021. But he was far from impressive enough to be a legitimate first-overall pick candidate.

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Center Colin Castleton will be a leader for Gators if he returns from the draft

Castleton had a breakout junior season at Florida after not producing much at Michigan, and if he returns from the draft, he could shine.

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Name: Colin Castleton

Number: 12

Position: Forward

Class: Junior

Height: 6’11”

Weight: 231 lbs

Hometown: Deland, Fla.

High School: Father Lopez Catholic

Previous School: Michigan

Twitter: @Castleton_

2020-21 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST BLK PTS
24 59.7 6.4 1.1 2.3 12.4

Overview:

A four-star recruit and a top 150 recruit on the 247Sports Composite as a prospect out of Deland, Castleton originally signed with Michigan in the class of 2018. He appeared in 19 games as a freshman and didn’t make much of an impact, averaging 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds.

He saw a bit of an increase in production in 2019-20, but not by much. He averaged 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds as a backup, and following the cancelation of the season, he entered the transfer portal.

Castleton found a home with the Gators, who were looking for another big man transfer after the departure of Kerry Blackshear Jr. He came out of nowhere in his first season in Gainesville, starting 21 of 24 games and averaging 12.4 points in addition to a team-high 6.4 rebounds. His 2.25 blocks per game ranked second in the SEC, and he took home a pair of conference Player of the Week awards.

Following his breakout junior season, he declared for the draft without hiring an agent to retain his eligibility. He’s expected to return before the deadline to withdraw, where he would be one of the few familiar faces on UF’s roster next season.

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Lewis tries his hand at the draft after disappointing two years at Florida

Scottie Lewis heads to the NBA to try and play after two seasons of college in which he didn’t exactly live up to his five-star billing.

Name: Scottie Lewis

Number: 23

Position: Guard

Class: Sophomore

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 189 lbs

Hometown: Hazlet, N.J.

High School: Ranney School

Twitter: @Scottie23L

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
21 44.5 3.1 1.5 7.9

Overview:

Lewis committed to the Gators as a five-star recruit and the No. 7 overall player in the country (according to the 247Sports Composite), making him the highest-rated recruit coach Mike White has ever signed at Florida. Naturally, expectations were high early on for Lewis.

His freshman year was a bit up-and-down. Though he averaged just 8.5 points, he scored in double figures 10 times and scored at least 15 points six times. He really shined on the defensive end, though, becoming the first guard in program history to lead the team in blocks, totaling 36. His season-high in scoring (19) came in the final game against Kentucky in the final game of the season before the season was canceled.

Lewis made headlines off the court during the COVID-19 pandemic for his leadership during the summer’s unrest, speaking at a protest by players in Downtown Gainesville voicing their support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

When the Gators returned to the court this fall, it was with Lewis in a preeminent role. But after starting the first eight games, he only started one more the rest of the way. His scoring average decreased to 7.9, and though he averaged 3.1 rebounds, his blocks dropped to just 22.

Following a disappointment of a sophomore season in which he was expected to take a major leap forward, Lewis decided to cut his losses and declare for the draft with an agent, ending his college eligibility. Though he’s a talented player that could develop into something special with the right coaching, his career at UF didn’t live up to the hype.

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Locke heads to Louisville after three productive seasons in Gainesville

Locke has been arguably Florida’s most consistent scorer over the last three years, but he’s now heading elsewhere for his final season.

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Name: Noah Locke

Number: 10

Position: Guard

Class: Junior

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 203 lbs

Hometown: Baltimore

High School: McDonogh School

Twitter: @_NoahLocke

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
25 42.5 2.4 0.7 10.6

Overview:

Originally a four-star recruit and the No. 15 shooting guard in the class of 2018, Noah Locke joined the Gators over offers from big-time programs like Michigan and Ohio State. As a freshman in 2018-19, he finished second on the team in scoring with 9.4 points per game and averaged 2.3 three-pointers, fifth-best in the SEC. He started 26 of 36 games that season and scored a season-high 27 points against Texas A&M.

He assumed a starting role once again as a sophomore (for 29 of 31 games, albeit), and his numbers only increased. He averaged 10.6 points and 2.5 rebounds, and his 48.1% mark from downtown was the best for any SEC player with 50+ makes since 1996. He also notched his first (and only) career double-double in a win over Long Beach State.

As a junior in 2020-21, Locke almost entirely replicated his stat line from the previous season. He had the same points (10.6), assists (0.7) and steals (0.6) averages, and his rebounding dropped to just 2.4 while his field-goal percentage dropped by just 0.4 percentage points. Despite his consistency as a shooter, he didn’t run the point much and rarely facilitated the offense.

Apparently in search of a bigger role, he entered the transfer portal this offseason. He announced that he would be joining Louisville, where he will hope he’s more productive under coach Chris Mack.

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Phlandrous Fleming Jr. hopes to bring his dominating play to major college basketball

Fleming was a dominant player in the Big South. Now, he joins the big-time and hopes his talent will translate to the SEC.

Name: Phlandrous Fleming Jr.

Number: TBA

Position: Guard

Class: Senior

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 210 lbs

Hometown: Athens, Ga.

High School: Cedar Shoals

Previous School: Charleston Southern

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
18 39.5 7.4 2.3 20.1

Overview:

Originally a nearly unknown recruit out of Athens, Georgia, Fleming quickly made a name for himself as a freshman at Charleston Southern. He averaged 10.6 points (second-best among Big South freshman) and was named to the conference’s All-Freshmen Team for his efforts. His role increased as a sophomore, and he started 11 of the 22 games he appeared in for the Bucs. He averaged 12.5 points per game, second on the team, and he also averaged 5.5 boards.

He became a full-time starter his junior year, starting 31 of 32 games and taking home First Team All-Big South honors while also being named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. He led the league with 8.7 rebounds per game, and he also notched 47 blocks and 40 steals. Though his defensive play got the most attention, he also boosted his scoring average to 17.7 points.

His senior year in 2020-21 was his best yet. He averaged 20.1 points and 7.4 rebounds while racking up his second conference Defensive Player of the Year award in a row. He also added 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. Following a disappointing season for CSU, he announced that he would transfer for his final season of eligibility. Though Florida wasn’t initially high on his radar, he eventually announced his decision to join the Gators’ program, where he will compete to start next year.

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Hoops transfer CJ Felder should provide an immediate impact for Florida

The Gators added a talented scoring forward and rim protector in CJ Felder, who was one of the best players on a bad Boston College team.

Name: CJ Felder

Number: TBA

Position: Forward

Class: Junior

Height: 6’7″

Weight: 230 lbs

Hometown: Sumter, S.C.

High School: Sumter

Previous School: Boston College

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
19 45.9 5.9 0.9 9.7

Overview:

A three-star recruit in the 2019 recruiting class out of Sumter, S.C., Felder chose Boston College over offers from major programs closer to home like Auburn, Clemson and Georgia Tech. He was an immediate impact player for the Eagles as a freshman in 2019-20, starting 18 of the 31 games he appeared in. He averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds, and he came close to a double-double in a game against Syracuse, scoring nine points with nine boards.

He saw a much bigger role this past season with Boston College, starting all but two of the 19 games the team played. He boosted his scoring average to 9.7 points, and his rebounding average increased to 5.9. He managed his first career double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds in a game against Wake Forest, and in an early-season matchup against Florida, he scored 11 points but was held to just one rebound. Despite his size, he also demonstrated his presence as an elite rim defender with 2.2 blocks per game.

After a 4-16 season in which the Eagles finished last in the ACC, Felder announced that he would be entering the transfer portal on March 21. On April 2, he announced his commitment to the Gators. He returns closer to home, where he will help replace the production of Omar Payne, who transferred to Illinois.

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