Tag: Cade Fisher

Auburn baseball adds former Florida LHP Cade Fisher from transfer portal

Fisher won 10 games and struck out 124 batters in two seasons for the Gators.

Auburn baseball head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] is working to rebuild his roster following an unconventional season that saw Auburn miss out on the SEC Tournament for the first time since 2016. So far, Thompson has landed eight players from the transfer portal, arguably his biggest addition committing to the program over the weekend.

[autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag], a left-handed pitcher originally for the Florida Gators, announced Saturday that he would take his talents to another fellow SEC program, the Auburn Tigers.

Fisher was a highly-touted recruit out of high school. The Dalton, Georgia native signed with Florida as the No. 12 national LHP from the 2022 class, and the top overall pitcher from Georgia. He ended his high school career with a 0.71 ERA, the lowest in all Georgia High School Association classifications.

His stellar high school career translated to college as he earned a freshman All-American honor from Perfect Game and was named to the SEC All-freshman team in 2023. He earned those accolades by building a 6-0 record with 48 strikeouts to 13 walks in 27 appearances.

Last season at Florida, he finished 4-3 with a career-high 76 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings with nine starts for the Gators. He also earned valuable College World Series experience during his time at Florida by appearing in seven games in Omaha over the last two seasons. Fisher’s most notable College World Series outing took place in the Gators loss to LSU in the game one of the final series in 2023, where he struck out five batters over 3 1/3 innings of work.

Fisher is the fourth pitcher to commit to Auburn from the transfer portal, joining [autotag]Sam Dutton[/autotag] (LSU), [autotag]Mason Koch[/autotag] (Creighton), and [autotag]Ryan Hetzler[/autotag] (California Baptist). He comes to Auburn with a career ERA of 5.30 and a record of 10-3 in 53 total appearances. He has recorded 124 strikeouts and 42 walks in 108 2/3 innings over the last two seasons at Florida.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Xh_mwppXQ/

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Former Florida LHP commits to Auburn Tigers via transfer portal

Former Florida Gators left-hander Cade Fisher is trading in one set of orange and blue. He’ll stay in the SEC after announcing his transfer commitment to Auburn.

Florida transfer [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Auburn Tigers on Saturday.

Fisher leaves Florida after two seasons. The first established him as one of the 2023 freshman class’ best arms, but he struggled to fit into the starting rotation as a sophomore. From a draft standpoint, he’s still one of the top arms in the 2025 class, but Fisher needs to prove that he can return to form first.

Auburn beat out LSU, Tennessee and Wake Forest, among other schools. Staying in the SEC gives Fisher the best chance to up his draft stock. The expectation is for him to start on the weekends for the Tigers despite a clear comfortability out of the bullpen.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Xh_mwppXQ/

Cade Fisher’s Florida Gators career

Fisher was named a Freshman All-American by Perfect Game in 2023 and got a nod to the Freshman All-SEC Team. He posted a 6-0 record through 27 appearances (two starts) and struck out 48 batters to 13 walks in 49 1/3 innings. Opposing batters hit .262 against him, and he was at his best in the playoffs.

Year two in Gainesville was a lot different for Fisher. He started the season off as the Friday night starter — not the No. 1 with [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] anchoring the rotation on Sundays. His earned run average peaked at 8.13 after six starts. A move to the bullpen helped bring that number down to the mid-6s in April but things ended in the 7s.

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 baseball’s LHP Cade Fisher enters NCAA transfer portal

Cade Fisher began the 2024 season as Florida’s Friday-night starter, but things didn’t go as planned and now he’s in the transfer portal.

On the heels of a major addition to Florida’s pitching staff, the Gators are losing left-handed sophomore [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag], who started the year in the Friday night slot after being named a Freshman All-American in 2023.

Fisher’s fall from grace was sudden. He immediately emerged as the most consistent arm in Florida’s small 2023 recruiting class. He made 27 appearances, including two starts, and ended the season with a 6-0 record, two saves and a 3.10 earned run average. His 48 strikeouts more than tripled his 13 walks, and he held opposing hitters to a .262 batting average over 49 1/3 innings.

A strong finish to the 2023 season put Fisher in contention for a starting spot, which he ultimately won. Nerves set in rather quickly as 2024 began. The closest he came to a quality start was a five-inning performance against Columbia where he only gave up two runs. He gave up four or more runs in four of his first six starts, though

“I felt like there was a certain point during the fall that Cade kind of felt very comfortable being part of the group and kind of blending in,” O’Sullivan said in February. “I was just frank and honest with him, ‘Hey man, if you’re going to be a Friday night starter, you’ve got to be different. You’ve got to carry yourself different, your work ethic has got to be different, you gotta be a leader. Everything has got to be a little bit sharper.'”

Fisher wasn’t able to find that extra sharpness as a starter the same way he did out of the bullpen as a freshman. By the time he was moved back into a relief role, his ERA was beyond repair. He ended the year with a 7.13 ERA in 59 1/3 innings.

Fisher’s transfer came as a surprise to many, but it makes sense with new arms coming in through the transfer portal in addition to a freshman class loaded with pitchers. Left-handers with plus stuff are among the most valuable assets for roster-building coaches scouring the transfer portal, and Fisher had success at the highest level of college ball.

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.

Several Florida Gators headed to Cape Cod Baseball League for summer

Cape Cod will be littered with Gators this summer as Florida baseball sends seven players up north for the summer.

Seven Florida Gators are headed to Massachusetts for the summer to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League, according to On3’s Nick de la Torre.

The CCBL is considered the top wood-bat summer league in baseball. It’s loaded with SEC talent and regularly develops top-level players. Ty Evans and Fisher Jameson are two recent examples of Gators who found success after spending the summer in the Cape.

Here’s where this year’s group is headed:

The Brewster Whitecaps are getting the battery of [autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] and [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag]. There’s starter potential with Clemente, who broke out as a redshirt freshman, and it’s good to have a familiar catcher. Donay will be in the heart of Florida’s lineup next season after belting 14 homers in 2023, and he showed promise behind the plate whenever [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] shifted over to first.

Speaking of Heyman, he’s off to Harwich with second baseman [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] to play for the Mariners. This will be Heyman’s second year in the Cape after playing for the Falmouth Commodores in 2023.

Heyman and Kurland came into the program at the same time and had similar slumps this year, so it’s smart to keep them together over the summer as they approach what should be their final year at Florida.

Outfielder [autotag]Blake Brookins[/autotag] and left-hander [autotag]Frank Menendez[/autotag] are with the Charlottesville Tom Sox. Both played high school ball in Miami, so there should be some common ground there. Brookins was a name that appeared in transfer portal reports, but he’s expected to return to Florida.

The final rostered Gator headed up north is rising junior [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag], who will play with the Cotuit Kettleers. Fisher struggled significantly as a sophomore after a strong Year 1 in college. The shift to the weekend rotation ultimately hurt the left-hander, who began the year as the Friday-night starter. More comfortable out of the bullpen, Fisher still struggled as a reliever this year.

Liam Peterson is also getting some work in over the summer, but he’ll be with the USA Collegiate National Team.

Incoming infielder [autotag]Landon Stripling[/autotag] is also playing in the CCBL this summer. He’ll be with the Chatham Anglers.

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.

Highlights from Florida baseball’s College World Series win over NC State

Get a gander at the Gators’ winning efforts on Monday afternoon in the College World Series.

Florida baseball kept its 2024 College World Series hopes alive on Monday afternoon with a narrow 5-4 victory over the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the loser’s bracket. The win sent home the defeated team while elevating the Gators to the next round.

Jac Caglianone only lasted an inning before moving to the designated hitter spot but still found a way to help his team, his 34th home run of the season and 74th with the Orange and Blue — both program records. A tandem of [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag], [autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] and superstar reliever [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] bridged the remaining eight innings en route to the triumph.

Below is a look at highlights from Florida’s big win over NC State to keep its miraculous postseason run alive.

Florida eliminates NC State, stays alive in College World Series

Win or go home games bring out the best in the Gators. Florida eliminated North Carolina State on Monday to stay alive in the College World Series.

The Florida Gators baseball team lives to see another day after eliminating the North Carolina State Wolfpack from the College World Series on Monday afternoon, 5-4.

What was expected to be a matchup of left-handers on the mound didn’t go quite as planned, but the end result provided just as much tension as every other game in Omaha over the past few days.

[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] only lasted an inning before moving to the designated hitter spot in Florida’s lineup card. The broadcast showed him rubbing his elbow on his throwing arm (left) after the first, and [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] replaced him to start the second inning.

Caglianone needed 33 pitches to get out of the first frame. He walked two, hit a batter and gave up a base hit but managed to keep NC State mostly quiet in the run column. Wolfpack shortstop Brandon Butterworth singled through the left side to plate the only run of the inning.

Fisher looked good in relief despite allowing three runs to cross. He went four innings for the first time since March 22 against LSU and didn’t deal with the command issues that have plagued him all year. Fisher walked one, hit one and gave up a two-run homer, but he also struck out three and kept the lead without wasting more arms.

Florida’s four-run second inning provided most of the run support needed for the night.

Caglianone delivered the big blow, his 34th home run of the season and 74th with the Florida Gators — both program records.  An 18-degree launch angle doesn’t usually translate to a home run, but Caglianone barreled this one up and sent it off the bat at 116 mph.

[autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] and [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] scored on the liner that sliced through the gusting winds in Omaha over the wall in right-center field. Before that, [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] drove in Florida’s first run of the day following a pair of walks to Donay and [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag].

Seven runs crossed through the first three innings, but the offense slowed to a crawl after that. Both teams scored in the fifth, but it was all bullpen otherwise. [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] hit a solo homer for Florida, and Butterworth drove in another with a double to right.

Kevin O’Sullivan stuck with Fisher through the fifth, but a leadoff walk in the sixth put the one-run lead at risk. Redshirt freshman [autotag]Jake Clement[/autotag]e took over and retired the next three batters on contact, but his leash was short, too. Sully turned to his closer, [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag], for another nine-out save.

Neely dominated. He struck out six of the 11 batters he faced and allowed just two baserunners. Neither fazed him.

There hasn’t been a better closer in baseball than Neely over the past two weeks, but the Gators will have to do it without him tomorrow against the loser of Kentucky–Texas A&M (which starts at 7 p.m. ET).

The first pitch on Tuesday will be at 7 p.m. ET as well.

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’s CWS comeback bid comes up short, Gators face elimination Monday

Florida has made comebacks on the diamond all season long, but the Gators couldn’t get the job done in Game 1 and now face elimination.

As every game has gone so far in the 2024 College World Series, Florida’s 3-2 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday night was an instant classic.

Bad weather delayed first pitch in Omaha until 11 p.m. ET, pushing the game’s final moments beyond the 2 a.m. mark. Naturally, the drama came at the end of the game.

Trailing by three runs for most of the night, [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] finally broke through in the seventh with a double into the left-field corner. [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] scored from third after hitting a two-bagger of his own and advancing a base on a wild pitch. [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] moved Thomas over with a sacrifice bunt and [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] got him in with a grounder to the left side.

Thomas’ double was the team’s only base hit with a man in scoring position, though. The Gators stranded 10 baserunners overall and went 1-for-11 with RISP.

A bases-loaded opportunity in the eighth gave Thomas another opportunity to make some magic, but a soft grounder to second ended the frame following a quick review. Thomas nearly beat it out and tied the game, but Texas A&M first baseman Ted Burton kept his toes on the bag to get one of the most important outs of the game.

Florida’s chances for a comeback weren’t finished there, though.

In the ninth, Robertson made sure that [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] got an at-bat with an infield single. For a guy who struggled with the lefty-lefty matchup earlier in the year, Robertson has figured out how to slap something the other way and use his speed to get on.

Before Cags stepped to the plate, [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] nearly hit a go-ahead home run to right. It looked like the ball would clear the wall, but Jace LaViolette leaped up and robbed at least one run — probably two. Kurland couldn’t believe it, the Aggies fans couldn’t believe it. A game of inches.

Caglianone worked the count full and walked, putting the go-ahead run on base, but [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] couldn’t figure out one of the best closers in the country and struck out to end the game.

It was a deflating moment in a game that felt competitive at the very end, but Florida is lucky this one didn’t get out of hand earlier. Freshman [autotag]Liam Peterson[/autotag] didn’t have what his best stuff and was pulled after 2 1/3 innings.

[autotag]Fisher Jameson[/autotag] was excellent in relief despite two walks to start off the outing. He allowed just one hit and struck out three over three innings of work. [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] followed Jameson in relief. He faced one batter and earned two out thanks to a LaViolette double play that ended the sixth.

[autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] turned to [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] after that. He allowed a baserunner in both the seventh and eighth, but he looked like his typical postseason self otherwise — elite.

Now facing elimination, Florida plays North Carolina State at 2 p.m. ET on Monday. ESPN will broadcast the game.

Expect a change in the lineup with Florida’s No. 3 and 4 hitters combining for seven strikeouts on Saturday. They aren’t seeing the ball well, and guys like Robertson and Thomas are.

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 takes down No. 6 Clemson in super regional opener

Down three on the road against the No. 6 team in the country, Jac Caglianone blasted his 31st homer of the season to spark another comeback win for the Florida Gators.

Far from perfect, the Florida Gators battled back against the No. 6 Clemson Tigers on Saturday to claim the first game of a best-of-three series, 10-7, moving within one win of a second straight College World Series appearance.

[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] shifted the momentum of the game in the fifth inning with a three-run, game-tying home run. He knew it off the bat and jogged around the bases for the 32nd time this season, one shy of his program-record mark from a year ago.

The homer knotted the game at five runs apiece, but Florida left the frame with a four-run lead after plating seven. Caglianone cleared the bases with no outs on the board, allowing the offense to trade a pair of outs for the lead — [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] scored [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] on a fielder’s choice and [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] got a sacrifice bunt down. Thomas scored the final run of the inning off a Michael Robertson single.

Before that, Clemson had complete control of the game. Freshman right-hander [autotag]Liam Peterson[/autotag] struggled mightily in his first super regional appearance. He lasted just an inning after giving up two of three runs on wild pitches.

[autotag]Fisher Jameson[/autotag] took over in relief, pitching through the fifth. Although he was mostly effective, Jameson gave up a pair of solo home runs, deepening the hole. He came back out for the sixth after getting a lead but got the hook after losing the leadoff batter. [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] got to see one batter, but Kevin O’Sullivan pulled him after a single put men on first and third.

With trouble brewing, Sully turned to his closer, [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag], who shut down the Tigers lineup for four innings. He struck out seven of the 13 batters he faced, including three straight in the eighth. It’s a shame that he’ll end the season with only a handful of saves — tonight was his fourth — because he’s one of the game’s elite closers, especially in the playoffs.

Clemson scored two in the sixth as Neely worked out of that jam, but Luke Heyman got one back in the ninth with a solo shot. [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] also went deep in the fourth, and [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] drove in the first run of the day for Florida with a sac fly in the third.

Florida will be the home team on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET. A win sends the Gators to Omaha again, but a loss means a Game 3.

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 forces Game 7 at Stillwater Regional behind Neely’s shutdown performance

The Brandon Neely game will never be forgotten. Florida baseball at its finest.

It looked like Florida would have to battle all night to come out on top against Oklahoma State and force a Game 7 in Stillwater, but [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] came up big in a 5-2 win that should go down as one of the best Gators baseball games all season.

Neely gets the nod for player of the game after hurling 5 2/3 innings of one-hit ball in relief of Florida starter [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag]. Freshman [autotag]Luke McNeillie[/autotag] came in between the two but walked the only batter he faced.

Nerves understandably got to the first-year arm, but Neely lives for the moments where it’s all adrenaline and no brakes. He struck out 11 of the 21 batters he faced, recording seven straight outs via the punchout at one point.

Neely’s fastball ran up to 96 mph, and he was painting a somewhat generous strike zone that had the hometown fans irate. Florida struggled with the wide zone, too. Every Gators starter, aside from [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag], struck out at least once.

Shelton is the runner-up for player of the game, but he probably had the bigger moment putting the Gators up with a three-run homer in the sixth. It’s been a rough second half of the year for Shelton at the plate, but he’s picking up steam at the right time.

[autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] added an insurance run later in that inning, scoring on a wild pitch.

Although there is much to celebrate, Florida’s job isn’t finished. To make it out of Stillwater as regional champions, the Gators must beat the Cowboys again on Monday at 3 p.m. ET. Both teams are running low on pitching after reaching Day 4 of play, so it’s anyone’s game to win.

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 advances to regional final after 17-run explosion against Nebraska

The ball was flying in Stillwater Sunday afternoon, but Florida came out on top against Nebraska and advances to the regional final.

A two-hour rain delay in the sixth inning on Sunday allowed Florida’s offense to refocus and explode for 10 runs in a 17-11 victory over Nebraska to advance to the finals of the Stillwater Regional.

Six Gators finished the day with multiple hits and four homered — three coming in the bottom of the seventh. Shortstop [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] led the offense with three hits, including a home run, and four runs batted in. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] also had a homer and four RBI, but a pair of walks slowed him down. [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] and [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] homered as well.

It wasn’t a great day for pitchers on either side, but five of the runs scored against Florida came in garbage time as [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] attempted to save his best bullpen arms for the coming matchup with Oklahoma State — set to begin 55 minutes after the conclusion of this game.

[autotag]Pierce Coppola[/autotag] gave up four runs through a season-high 4 1/3 innings pitched (85 pitches), striking out eight. Fisher Jameson had his outing interrupted by the rain delay, but he still allowed two earned runs in against the four batters he faced.

[autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] and [autotag]Ryan Slater[/autotag] both had nice days but only threw an inning apiece with the doubleheader looming. They each had two strikeouts, facing a combined seven batters (one more than the minimum).

[autotag]Blake Purnell[/autotag], Hunter Jones and Landon Russell closed out the final two innings for Florida. Jones and Purnell were both very hittable and gave up five runs to cut a double-digit lead for UF in half, but Russell got the outs he needed and struck out a pair.

Two names we haven’t seen from Florida all weekend are freshmen [autotag]Luke McNeillie[/autotag] and Frank Menendez. Both have been good for Florida down the stretch. Expect them to play a big role if [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] doesn’t get the start for Florida.

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.