Tag: BT Riopelle

Wyatt Langford leads Florida over Miami in Game 1 of weekend series

Things got off to a bad start, but Florida eventually overpowered Miami on Friday night and claimed the first game of the weekend series.

Florida got off to a slow start against the Miami Hurricanes on Friday night, but the Gators never looked back once the offense got going and powered the team to a 10-4 victory in Game 1 of the series.

Three Gators combined for four home runs on the night, including a pair from [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] who has been waiting for the right game to make some noise. Langford’s first came in the bottom of the first inning and helped chip away at an early 3-0 Miami lead. The second came in the sixth to add to a three-run lead. He also drove in a run in the fourth on a double to finish the night with a team-high three RBIs.

[autotag]Richie Schiekofer[/autotag], who pinch hit for [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] in the sixth, also homered in the inning, and [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] hit a two-run shot to left field in the eighth to make bring the lead up to six. Kurland is now on a nine-game hitting streak to begin his collegiate career.

[autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] and [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag] drove in runs on back-to-back singles in the third, and [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] also drove in a run in the fourth.

With all the scoring happening throughout the night, it’s hard to believe that things looked grim at one point for Florida, but right-hander [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] did not get off to his best start. Despite pumping 100 mph in the first inning, Sproat gave up an early three-run home run to Miami’s best hitter, Yohandy Morales.

Sproat bounced back after the Morales big fly and lasted six innings for the Gators without giving up another run. He finished the night with nine strikeouts and four walks. Another run did score in the sixth while Sproat was still in, but it didn’t count against his record because of an error that lead off the inning.

The home run makes an otherwise strong start look average, but there’s no reason to worry about Sproat. He’s figuring out the consistency aspect of his game still, but the week-to-week improvements have been encouraging. The resiliency he showed today should get him a longer leash in big games.

Once Sproat came out of the game, Kevin O’Sullivan turned to freshman left-hander [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag], and the kid absolutely dominated. Fisher closed out the game for Florida, pitching three perfect innings and earning the save. The cherry on top: Fisher struck out Morales in the seventh to close out the inning.

Miami is not a bad team by any means, but Florida didn’t look particularly challenged after the first inning. Saturday’s matchup may be a bit different. The Hurricanes are throwing Karson Ligon, who has a 0.66 ERA, and Florida’s [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] is coming off a 13-strikeout game against Cincinnati.

First pitch is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday at Condron Ballpark in Gainesville.

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Key takeaways after Florida baseball splits series with Jacksonville

Florida can’t seem to figure out the winning formula on Wednesdays, but the Gators are still off to a hot start in 2023.

Florida failed to put together a perfect week once again and split a midweek home-and-home series against the Jacksonville Dolphins on Tuesday and Wednesday.

It took Florida until the fourth inning to get things going against Jacksonville on the road Tuesday, but the Gators ended up scoring in each of the final six innings of the ball game to beat the Dolphins, 18-8.

Wednesday was a different story. Florida jumped out to an early 2-0 lead through two innings at home, but Jacksonville fought back after the Gators turned to the bullpen. A six-run sixth inning for the Dolphins proved to be enough and Florida fell, 10-8, to split the series.

Once again, pitching depth appeared to be an issue for Florida during the second midweek game of the week. Kevin O’Sullivan is still searching for the right mix of arms to last through the week without taxing any one particular pitcher too much early on.

An 8-2 start is far from a disaster, though. Florida looks like it could have a special team this season, but pitching depth could be an Achilles’ heel throughout the year.

Here’s what we learned from Florida’s series with Jacksonville.

Ninth-inning collapse leads to Florida’s first loss of season

An epic ninth-inning collapse led to Florida’s first loss of the season Wednesday night. USF splits the season series with a 10-9 win.

Florida (4-1) led for most of the game against USF Wednesday night, but a ninth-inning meltdown led to the Gators blowing a five-run lead and taking the loss, 10-9.

There was plenty to like from UF, including a decent outing from freshman right-hander [autotag]Yoel Tejeda Jr[/autotag]. in his first-career start, but the late collapse is going to overshadow any positives from the evening. For what it’s worth, every Florida starter got a base hit, and [autotag]Nick Ficarrotta[/autotag] was stellar out of the bullpen.

Game Recap

Tejeda got the start for Florida and lasted three innings. He had a clean first inning despite walking Bobby Boser on four pitches, but the second and third were tough for Tejeda. He got out of a jam in the second, stranding a pair of Bulls in scoring position, but wasn’t as lucky in the third.

Tejeda started what should have been a 1-6-3 double play, but shortstop [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag] made an errant throw to first and allowed a run to score. The 6-foot-8-inch freshman should have been out of the inning, but he surrendered another run after giving up a walk and a single instead.

At that point, Florida’s offense hadn’t gotten going yet and only managed to score a single run through the first two innings. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] homered in the first, but it took until the second time through the lineup for Florida to add some more runs.

[autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] hit a long sac fly into foul territory to tie things up in the bottom of the third, and Rivera came through with a single to left-center that scored him and gave Florida the lead. Caglianone was intentionally walked in between the two at-bats.

Ficarrotta was strong in relief for the Gators. He lasted 3 2/3 innings, striking out seven without giving up a base on balls. Ficarrotta surrendered just one run on the evening and limited damage to get out of a fifth-inning jam that started with three-straight singles.

Florida also had a big fifth inning and scored three runs. [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag], who got his first start of the season at second base, started things off with a double, and [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] moved him over to third on a bunt single.

Langford struck out looking at three pitches, but Caglianone drove in Thomas with a single to right field. Rivera followed that up with his second RBI single of the day, and [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag] singled in a run as well. A double play from [autotag]Tyler Shlenut[/autotag] ended the run.

Left-handed freshman [autotag]Chris Arroyo[/autotag] got the final out of the seventh for Florida after Ficarrotta allowed a pair of baserunners. Arroyo returned for the top of the eighth but was immediately pulled after giving up a base hit to start the inning. Kevin O’Sullivan gave him a pat on the back after taking the ball from him, which probably means that he was pulled to fit the matchup against a pinch hitter rather than for poor performance.

[autotag]Blake Purnell[/autotag] was the third arm out of the bullpen for Florida and got out of the eighth without issue. He did walk USF’s No. 9 hitter with two out but nothing came of it.

[autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] could have earned his second save of the season, but Florida added what it thought was a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth.

[autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] scored after doubling and getting knocked in by Thomas. Robertson extended the lead to five runs with an RBI single of his own, and Langford doubled on a checked swing to put men on the corners. Caglianone drew his second intentional walk of the night, but Rivera couldn’t come up big again despite entering the at-bat hitting .660 with runners in scoring position.

Purnell came back out to pitch the ninth but things went south pretty quickly. He gave up a leadoff home run to start the inning and never recorded an out after an error in right field and walking a batter. O’Sullivan turned to [autotag]Fisher Jameson[/autotag] next, which turned out to be a mistake.

Jameson struck out the Bull with the highest average on the team for out No. 1, but it was all downhill from there. USF catcher Nelson Rivera singled in a run to cut the lead to three, and then center fielder Jackson Mayo sent the ball out of the yard to tie things up.

Disaster.

[autotag]Anthony Ursitti[/autotag] replaced Jameson but gave up a two-out triple to blow the lead. To rub some salt in the wound, USF scored what wound up being the deciding run on a passed ball.

[autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] pinch hit for [autotag]Deric Fabian[/autotag], who entered as a defensive replacement at third base for Tyler Shelnut, and drew a one-out walk to start a ninth-inning rally. USF ignored him on the base paths, so he easily got to third while [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] pinch hit for Heyman.

Riopelle struck out, but [autotag]Matt Prevesk[/autotag] batted for Lastres and singled in Kurland to put the Gators within one of a tie game. Unfortunately, [autotag]Richie Schiekofer[/autotag] grounded into a fielder’s choice on the very first pitch he saw to end the game.

Key Takeaway

The bullpen completely melted down after Purnell struggled to start the ninth. Jameson and Ursitti can’t afford to pitch like that when Sully puts them in a tense spot, and he’s unlikely to forget what happened.

The question is whether O’Sullivan will adjust or not. There were several times throughout the 2022 season when Florida made the wrong call out of the bullpen, and there were shades of that tonight. To be delicate, the only way Florida’s bullpen is below average in 2023 is through mismanagement.

The undefeated season may no longer be feasible, but at least Florida has now faced some adversity and can prove itself over the weekend against Cincinnati.

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Florida baseball handles USF with 3-homer ninth

Florida has two talented Cades on the baseball team, and both of them shined in Tuesday’s road victory over the USF Bulls.

Florida took care of business on the road for the first time in 2023 as the Gators defeated the USF Bulls Tuesday night, 6-1.

[autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] made his first collegiate start and went four innings strong against USF. Fisher struck out the side in each of the first two innings of the night, bringing his season total to seven through five innings (12.6 K/9). He gave up four hits, one unearned run and threw 41 strikes out of 64 pitches overall. The only blemish of the night was a hit batter in the first inning.

It’s clear that Fisher is at the top of the list when it comes to freshmen pitchers on the team Kevin O’Sullivan is willing to let pitch. If he keeps pitching like this, he could find himself with a significant role on the staff after non-conference play ends.

While Fisher was good, the offense didn’t do enough early to give him a decision. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag]’s solo home run came in the top of the fourth, but that only ensure that Fisher wouldn’t get the loss. Florida has a few chances to score in the first few innings of the game.

[autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] got caught trying to stretch a single into a double in the first, and Caglianone just missed a home run in the next at-bat. Caglianone’s double surely would have scored Langford had he not made the base-running gaffe. [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] struck out to end the inning with a runner in scoring position.

Bulls starter Jack Cebert shut Florida down in the second and third, retiring seven straight Gators in a row. Caglianone broke the shutout in the fourth, but [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] left the bases loaded to start his season off 0 for 10. The Bulls were forced to go to the bullpen though, which matched up with Fisher’s departure from the game.

Ryan Slater pitched the next three innings for the Gators and looked just as good as Fisher. He struck out four and allowed just one hit while holding the Bulls scoreless. He did it with incredible efficiency too, needing just 37 pitches to get through three frames.

Sophomore left-hander Ethan Brown was the first pitcher out of the bullpen for USF. He got through the fifth with little incident. Caglianone got hit No. 3 of the night to put him a triple away from the cycle, but he didn’t score. [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] did get to him in the sixth for an RBI single to give Florida the lead, though. The freshman continues to make a strong argument for a daily spot in the lineup.

Speaking of freshman, [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] pinch hit for Halter with a lefty on the mound, meaning the junior third baseman will have to wait another game to collect his first hit of the year. [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] subbed in for him to play third base for the rest of the game.

Southern Florida turned to Riley Skeen in the eighth and ninth. Florida couldn’t get to him in the eighth, but Kurland and [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] hit back-to-back home runs to kick off what ended up being a brutal ninth. That’s Shelnut’s second in a Gators uniform and the first of Kurland’s first-career big fly.

The Bulls turned to redshirt junior Tanner Mink after Skeen got Thomas to strike out. Mink had some trouble with his pick-off move and balked before throwing the ball into centerfield on the very next attempt. Florida’s fastest player, [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag], rounded the bases with ease and scored on the error.

Finally, Langford hit his first home run of the 2023 season and officially began the chase to 27. Florida began the ninth with just a one-run lead, but South Florida needed five to tie things up by the middle of the inning.

[autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag], who came in to pitch the eighth and struck out the side, returned for the ninth after a lengthy rest on the bench. He walked a Bull to start the final frame of the night, but Neely ended up cruising to the final out of the ball game. He’s supposed to be the team’s closer, but he didn’t really need to be the one to put the lid on this one after the big inning.

The score makes this win look better than it was, but at least the bats came alive at the end. Fisher didn’t get the win, but he looked good on the bump and it’s always good to have a promising, young freshman left-hander on the staff. Kurland was the offensive MVP of the night for driving in the go-ahead run in the sixth and adding an insurance run with a solo shot in the ninth.

Up next is a rematch with USF in Gainesville on Wednesday at 6 p.m. EST.

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5 major takeaways from Florida’s opening-series sweep over Charleston Southern

We learned a lot about the 2023 Florida baseball team over the weekend, and the good news is they might be even better than we thought before the season started.

Florida baseball began its season the right way over the weekend with a sweep of Charleston Southern that saw the Gators outscore the Buccaneers 37-5 over three games.

Things could have been even more one-sided, too. Both programs agreed to a 10-run mercy rule for the series, and Florida ended each of the first two games by the seventh. The Gators threatened a third-straight mercy-rule win on Sunday, but only scored eight runs and played the first nine-inning game of the season.

It’s too early to declare the team Omaha-bound, but Florida looked strong in every phase of the game through the first weekend of the season. That said, there’s an entire season left to play and the players have to endure a tough SEC schedule before getting to the postseason. Things could look very different in just a few weeks.

But right now, Florida looks just as good as advertised and there aren’t many negatives to take away from opening weekend.

Series Preview: Florida begins 2023 season with series against Charleston Southern

Baseball is back and the Gators are looking to start the 2023 season with a few wins over Charleston Southern.

The grass is cut, the lights on the scoreboard have been replaced and it’s time once again to begin another Florida Gators baseball season.

UF starts its season with a weekend series at home against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers, and it will be a chance for the Gators to see how the new-look starting rotation fares against a beatable opponent. Gone is [autotag]Hunter Barco[/autotag] after being selected in the second round of the 2022 MLB draft, but head coach [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] has reloaded with Southern Miss and Preseason All-American [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag]. Not to mention Florida’s retention of last year’s No. 2, [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag], despite a third-round selection in the draft.

Two-way sophomore [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag], who spent the second half last season as the team’s designated hitter, should get the Sunday start. It’ll be his first competitive game back on the mound since undergoing Tommy John surgery as a senior in high school.

On offense, all eyes are on projected first-round pick [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag]. The Gators’ left fielder tied the team’s season record for home runs a season ago and led Florida in nearly every major offensive statistic. He’ll be the biggest bat in the lineup this year, but there are plenty of others that can hit on the team.

Catcher [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag], shortstop [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag] and third baseman [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] all return despite interest from the pros. They’ll be looked at as the leaders of the team early.

Finally, there are the freshmen. As usual, Florida has an incredibly strong freshman class on the roster and they are most likely to get playing time early in the year. Fans could be seeing some of the future this weekend.

2023 Baseball Season Preview: First Basemen

Florida’s talent pool is deep at first base heading into the 2023 season and could wind up being one of Florida’s most improved positions this year.

Florida has at least three players that could see significant time at first base this season, and it could end up being one of the stronger spots on the team in 2023.

The Gators lost [autotag]Kendrick Calilao[/autotag] to graduation and [autotag]Kris Armstrong[/autotag] to the transfer portal (Jacksonville), leaving catcher [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] as the only returning player with significant time at the position. Riopelle played a decent amount of first base in the second half of the season, partially to get some rest but also because of a surging [autotag]Mac Guscette[/autotag], who isn’t with the team this year.

Riopelle won’t be the main cornerman this year at Florida, though. At least he shouldn’t be if the rising talent lives up to some lofty expectations set over the offseason. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag], who primarily served as a designated hitter in 2022 after a relatively swift return from Tommy John surgery, will play the field this year, and he’ll also pitch.

The other major player in this rotation will be Sante Fe transfer [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag]. He could wind up elsewhere by the end of the season, but Kevin O’Sullivan is eyeing first base for him to start the season out. [autotag]Deric Fabian[/autotag] is also an option, but he’s another guy who could see time at multiple positions.

Three Gators named Preseason All-Americans by NCBWA

Three Gators were recognized by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association as Preseason All-Americans.

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association named a trio of Florida Gators to the Preseason All-American list this week.

Outfielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] earned a First Team nod, and right-hander [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] and catcher [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] made the second team.

After pacing the SEC in home runs a season ago, Langford has collected First Team honors from Baseball American, Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball, Perfect Game and now the NCBWA. He’s expected to be in the conversation for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft and is projected a firm top-five pick by most outlets.

Langford exploded onto the season last year after seeing just four at-bats as a reserve catcher his freshman year. He moved around the lineup, hitting leadoff at one point, but never lost his power swing and led the team in most major offensive categories. The expectations are huge for Langford after the 2022 he had, and the Gators don’t make the College World Series without him.

Waldrep joined the team as a transfer from Southern Miss during the offseason. Already regarded as one of the top arms in the nation, Waldrep now gets a chance to test himself against the SEC. Similar to Langford, all five major publications named Waldrep a First Team Preseason All-American, but he didn’t get the nod from the NCBWA.

If he can repeat or improve on a season that saw him finish with a 3.20 ERA and 140 strikeouts through 90 innings, Waldrep will be one of Florida’s most important pieces this season.

Of course, Florida’s recent history with transfer is excellent, bringing us to Riopelle, who came over from Coastal Carolina before the 2022 season. He finished his first season at UF as a First Team All-SEC catcher that had impressive power numbers. He could have gone pro but opted to return to improve his stock.

That’s a big gamble considering Riopelle is giving up any leverage he had left by exhausting his college eligibility, but a strong season will make it all worth it. Lowering his strikeout numbers will be key. Riopelle struck out 78 times last season and walked just 21 times.

Florida’s season begins on Feb. 17 with a three-game series against Charleston Southern. Twenty of the team’s first 22 games take place at home.

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2023 Florida Baseball Preview: Catchers

BT Riopelle is back for another year at Florida and is the clear starter to begin the 2023 season, but there’s plenty of talent behind him too.

It’s officially baseball season in Gainesville, and Gators Wire is previewing each position on the team leading up to the season opener on Feb. 17 against Charleston Southern.

Up first are the catchers. Florida has four catchers on the roster: senior [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag], sophomore [autotag]Rene Lastres[/autotag]  and true freshmen [autotag]Salvador Alvarez[/autotag] and [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag]. The hierarchy here should follow seniority, but Riopelle saw time at first base last year and could play there again if the team can’t figure things out at the position.

Sure, last year’s primary backup, [autotag]Mac Guscette[/autotag], is no longer in town after transferring to the Alabama Crimson Tide, but Lastres looks like he’ll be ready to serve in the role after recovering from Tommy John surgery. If he’s not, Florida has a pair of talented freshmen that could compete for playing time early on in the year.

The addition of former Gator Mike Rivera to the staff this year should benefit the catchers the most. He committed just five errors in his three-year career at Florida.

Here’s a look at each of Florida’s catchers heading into the 2023 season.

MLB Pipeline projects Florida OF as No. 1 pick of 2023 MLB draft

After a breakout year in 2022, all eyes are on Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford as one of the top draft prospects in college baseball.

The 2023 college baseball season hasn’t even started and Florida outfielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] is already earning No. 1 overall predictions from MLB.com draft expert Jonathan Mayo.

Langford landed at No. 3 on MLB.com’s prospect rankings, but Mayo thinks that he’s the guy to go with ahead of LSU outfielder Dylan Crews and Tennessee right-hander Chase Dollander. With an entire season to play, scouts will get to compare Crews and Langford against the same level of competition. Mayo believes that Langford’s defense will play a role in making him the top pick.

“I think Langford is going to show people he can play center field — he hasn’t played it before — he runs a bit better than Crews, I think he’s a little more athletic …” said Mayo. “I don’t think there’s that much separating the two and I think there will be some spirited conversations, but I’m going to listen to the two different scouts that I spoke to when we were putting together our list and take Langford.”

The move to center field has gone fine, according to fall reports, so Langford could prove that he’s a legitimate five-tool player this year. Everyone knows he can hit for power after a 26-home-run season in 2022, and he’s patient enough to hit for a good average (.355) and on-base percentage (.447).

The big change this year for Langford is that he’ll be the guy every pitcher is planning for. There’s no more [autotag]Jud Fabian[/autotag] or [autotag]Sterlin Thompson[/autotag] to clutter the scouting report, although [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] is back for another year and warrants consideration. Still, Langford is the focal point of the lineup and will have every chance to prove himself in 2023.

He doesn’t need to break the school’s single-season home run record to get to the No. 1 spot, but Langford can’t falter in what needs to be a bounce-back year for the Gators. He needs to lead the charge behind a weekend rotation that features two of the top arms in the draft, [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] and [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag].

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