Tag: Alex Philpott

Florida baseball up to 10 players in transfer portal

Several Gators in the transfer portal, but some are expected to return to Gainesville.

Kevin O’Sullivan was doing a good job balancing Florida baseball’s transfer activity, but a mass exodus of mostly pitchers over the weekend has the Gators up to 10 players in the portal with only five incoming.

Florida’s losses over the weekend include right-handers [autotag]Alex Philpott[/autotag] and Reilly Witmer as well as a pair of southpaws — Jacob Gomberg and Robert Satin. Right fielder Blake Brookins is the final name to enter the portal, according to 64Analytics.

The weekend exodus doubles Florida’s total in the transfer portal to 10 outgoing players. Infielders John Martinez (FAU) and Sammy Mummau, right-handers Hunter Jones and Grayson Smith (Tulane) and two-way JUCO transfer Landon Russell were already in the portal.

Brookins, Gomberg and Philpott likely staying

The good news is that Brookins, Gomberg and Philpott will all likely stay with Florida. The portal movement is necessary as it allows the Gators to make scholarship changes, but they are all part of the plan for next year, according to sources close to the program.

Gomberg could have played the left-handed specialist role split between Frank Menendez and Satin this season, but he underwent Tommy John surgery after one appearance. He has a plus slider that will play at all levels, but we won’t see it again until at least the middle of next year.

Philpott was a major contributor in the Florida bullpen this season, throwing 30 innings. He ended the year with a 6.90 earned run average, but that number is inflated a bit by a string of bad outings. He should be a top option out of the bullpen once again next year for the Orange and Blue.

Brookins appeared in seven games for Florida as a true freshman, but he should play a much larger role next year. There’s a lot of optimism in Gainesville when it comes to his bat and he can play the outfield.

LHP Robert Satin and RHP Reilly Witmer

Satin was the bigger contributor of the two this year for Florida. He got early opportunities on the mound for the Gators, making four appearances in February, but his usage slowly trickled down as SEC play picked up.

He failed to get an out in two of his last three appearances, walking a batter on four pitches against Jacksonville. However, Satin did enter a regional game against Oklahoma State and earn a key double play.

Witmer appeared in four games for Florida, throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He walked as many as he struck out (3) and allowed two hits.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida routs Kentucky in College World Series elimination game

Florida batted around in the first inning and never looked back against Kentucky in a 15-4 rout at the College World Series on Wednesday.

A seven-run first inning set the tone for Florida’s 12-4 win over Kentucky at the College World Series on Wednesday.

Both teams faced elimination coming into the day, but this iteration of the Gators appear to thrive with their backs against the wall. Hustle was at an all-time high, and the entire lineup backed up [autotag]Pierce Coppola[/autotag] in his eighth start of the season.

The Gators get a break before playing the Texas A&M Aggies at 7 p.m., hoping to force a winner-takes-all matchup on Thursday. With little time to relive the big win this morning, here’s how it all went down.

Gators came to play

Putting [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] in the leadoff spot forced Kentucky to pitch to him, and the future first-rounder delivered with a single through the shift that turned into a two-bagger thanks to some laziness getting the ball to the infield.

[autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] should have popped out, but Kentucky’s first baseman lost the ball which led to a hit by pitch. With two on and one out, C[autotag]olby Shelton[/autotag] doubled off the wall in right field to score Caglianone. Shelton thought he had a two-run triple, but Kurland got the stop sign ahead of him. 1-1, UF.

[autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] lined one to left center, and Shelton’s aggressiveness on the basepaths allowed him to score easily. 3-1, UF. [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] ate another pitch that ran too far inside, and that was it for Kentucky starter Dominic Niman.

[autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] greeted UK right-hander Cam O’Brien with a single to reload the bases. Then, [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] took the first pitch he saw over the right field wall with some help from the wind. Grand salami. Florida leads, 7-1.

Kentucky actually struck first, scoring on a two-out single to right field, but that seemed like ancient history by the end of the frame.

K-oppola cruises

A quiet second from both clubs was broken in the third when Kurland drove in another pair of runs for the Gators. Wilson started the rally with another hit by pitch, forcing Kentucky to the bullpen once again. Donay single to put two on, and Caglianone loaded things up with an intentional walk. 9-1, UF.

Kentucky managed to plate another run in the fourth, but Coppola was cruising otherwise. He ran into some more trouble in the fifth — a two-out walk turned into a two-run homer — but he still struck out the side, including five of the last seven batters he faced.

Even though four runs crossed, this was Coppola’s best start of the year. He threw a career-high 98 pitches (60 strikes) and worked through five full frames for the first time.

No mercy (rule)

Kentucky’s offensive outburst went mostly unnoticed thanks to an immediate response from the Gators. Donay homered for the second time on the day, a no-doubter to left field. 10-4, UF.

An unintentional intentional walk (four straight balls) put Caglianone on, and he quickly scampered around the bases. A wild pitch gave him second base and Caglianone straight-up stole third. [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] drove him in with an infield single. 11-4, UF.

Shelton walked, initiating another pitching change for Kentucky, and Heyman promptly rocketed a ball past third to score Shelnut. Wilson brought in both runners with a poke to right. 14-4, UF.

Cags makes history

Only one more run crossed over the final four innings, but it’s the one that’s going to be remembered the most 20 years from now.

Jac Caglianone broke the program record for home runs with his 75th as a Florida Gator, passing Matt Laporta. At times, it felt impossible that he would break this record, but Caglianone was intent on cementing himself as the greatest slugger in program history. 15-4, UF.

Save the bullpen

Perhaps the most important outcome of this game was the rest Florida’s bullpen got. [autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] threw two scoreless innings in relief of Coppola. He struck out four, walked just one and only allowed one base hit.

[autotag]Alex Philpott[/autotag] looked stellar in his first appearance since April 9. Philpott was dealing with an injury for a bit, but he showed no signs of rust in Omaha. He retired all six batters he faced, in order, including three strikeouts.

Liam Peterson is expected to start against Texas A&M.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.