Tag: Colby Shelton

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.

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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.

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Florida baseball bounced from SEC Tournament in opening round

Florida’s run in Hoover was brief this year as the Vanderbilt Commodores knocked the Gators out of the SEC Tournament in the first round.

There will be no miracle run from the Florida Gators at the 2024 SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama.

Florida fell, 6-3, to Vanderbilt Tuesday night in a game that was all Commodores until the final two frames.

[autotag]Pierce Coppola[/autotag] went 3 2/3 innings for the Gators, allowing four earned runs on as many hits and one walk. Despite the damage, Coppola struck out five and threw a season-high 74 pitches. If the draft doesn’t get him, he’s a potential ace for the program next year.

A leadoff walk doomed the second inning for Coppola. A follow-up double put two men in scoring position, and Vanderbilt did what good teams do and scored both runners on sacrifice flies.

Coppola got through the third, 1-2-3, and almost out of the fourth after sandwiching a single between a pair of strikeouts. With two outs, Vanderbilt got to him for two more RBI base hits, knocking Coppola out of the game.

[autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] took over and got the fly out to center he needed to stop the bleeding, but Florida was staring at a four-run deficit halfway through the game.

Vanderbilt’s No. 9 hitter Calvin Hewitt took Clemente deep to start the fifth, but that was the only earned run of the day for him. An error in the seventh led to a sixth run crossing for Vandy, but that doesn’t affect Clemente’s numbers.

[autotag]Fisher Jameson[/autotag] took over at that point and sent all four batters he faced back to the pine. Florida finally started to put some offense together, but it was too little and too late to impact the end result.

[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] scored in the eighth on a [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] groundout after moving from first to third on a series of passed balls on wild pitches. Micahel Robertson homered, scoring [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag], in the ninth to make the score somewhat respectable.

Florida must now wait until the various conference tournaments conclude to find out whether it makes the NCAA Tournament Field of 64 or not. With a high RPI ranking and the top strength of schedule in the country, the Gators seem poised to receive an at-large bid to a regional. Getting out of that regional alive is a different story entirely, though.

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Florida can’t complete comeback, drops series to Kentucky

Florida submitted another bid for a comeback win against an SEC opponent, but the Kentucky Wildcats won the 10th and final frame of the game (and series).

Florida battled back from a three-run deficit against Kentucky on Sunday to force extra innings but the 10th frame was unkind to the Gators who fell, 7-5, and dropped a sixth straight series for the first time during the [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] era.

The Wildcats plated the only three runs of the first six innings, scoring first on an error in center field, then on a single and again on a ground out. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] wasn’t his sharpest early on, getting in several 2-0 counts. Still, he worked into the seventh inning and delivered a quality start.

It’s hard to deny that Cags is a legitimate two-way prospect with the draft only two months away. His command is much more refined and he’s learning how to really draw the swing and miss with his secondaries — notwithstanding today’s three-strikeout performance.

Florida finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh off a pinch-hit double from [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag]. Two runs scored, pulling UF within one run. Before Wilson’s double, Kentucky starter Mason Moore had retired 11 straight batters.

[autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] was the first arm out of the bullpen for Florida. He faced five batters before handing the ball over to [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] in the eighth. Neely held the score at 3-2 in the ninth and [autotag]Tyler Shlenut[/autotag] tied things up in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run — No. 13 on the year.

O’Sullivan decided to stick it out with his closer in the 10th. Most relievers don’t get more than two innings, but Neely is a starter-closer hybrid who can usually go four or five strong, if needed. The Wildcats got to him immediately, putting the first two men on the corners.

A walk loaded the bases, but Neely had a chance to get out of it after drawing a foul out. He got the ground ball he needed, but it was hit softly between second and the mound. Neely laid out to make a play, but Caglianone also went for it leaving first base uncovered. Everyone advances. Kentucky leads, 4-3.

A strikeout brought Neely closer to getting out of the jam without much damage, but a double over Shelnut’s head in right cleared the bases. Shelnut got a bad jump on it, but the ball probably clears him no matter what.

Neely hit the next batter, forcing Sully to the bullpen. Luke McNeillie struck out the only batter he faced to end the top of the 10th.

Caglianone singled to start off the bottom of the frame and eventually scored on a Hayden Yost double down the left-field line. [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] also scored on Yost’s double, but Landon Russell struck out to end the game as a pinch hitter for [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] (defensive replacement for Guy Wilson).

With the loss, Florida’s record is now 26-25 with three games remaining against the Georgia Bulldogs. Florida must finish the season with a .500 record or better to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. This is a must-win series.

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Florida falls in extras to Kentucky after offensive explosion

It was a fun game for the spectators but unfortunately, the good guys failed to prevail.

The opening game to Florida baseball’s penultimate regular-season series was certainly an entertaining one for the fans. In fact, the crowd at Condron Family Ballpark even got some extra baseball out of the evening.

The Gators ultimately fell to the fourth-ranked Kentucky Wildcats, 12-11, in 10 innings to drop the first of three in Gainesville this weekend against its Southeastern Conference foe. The Orange and Blue managed to build a 5-1 lead at the end of the fourth inning, but the bullpen once again came undone as it is wont to do.

[autotag]Pierce Coppola[/autotag] got the start in ostensibly an opener role, throwing 2 2/3 innings and allowing an unearned run in the first frame. Fisher Jameson relieved him and coughed up a pair of runs over two innings, followed by [autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] who notched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless work.

Then the pain came when [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag], [autotag]Luke McNellie[/autotag] and [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] all surrendered a trio of runs in their respective stints; Fisher ended up getting saddled with the loss.

Florida’s top performer at the plate was [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag], who went 3-for-4 for his first three-hit game as a Gator while also driving in two runs. [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] went 2-for-6, [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] went 2-for-3 and [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] went 2-for-5, and the trio all left the yard; Shelton posted a two-homer effort.

Caglianone reached base five times, including his 28th home run and 200th career hit, extending his hitting streak to 28 games.

The next game is slated for 1 p.m. ET on Saturday in Gainesville. The SEC Network will provide the broadcast.

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Florida’s Jac Caglianone ranked top 1B in NCAA by D1Baseball

As the 2024 season draws to a close, Jac Caglianone remains on top of D1Baseball’s ranking of the best first baseman in the NCAA.

Florida first baseman [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] was already considered one of the top players at his position heading into the 2024 season, and he is set up to end the year as the No. 1 player on D1Baseball’s positional rankings.

Wake Forest’s Nick Kurtz entered the year ahead of Caglianone, but Florida’s slugger overtook him by the midseason update after Week 6. At the time, the race wasn’t close, and Kurtz was in danger of slipping out of the race for the top spot. Since then, Kurtz has mashed the ball, adding 13 home runs and 39 runs batted in to his resume in six weeks.

Still, Caglianone’s numbers are far and away the best among college first basemen. He’s slashing .410/.511/.847 to Kurtz’s .324/.532/.820, winning the OPS battle by 0.006 points. Caglianone’s 53 runs batted in aren’t good enough for the nation’s high point, but it’s the most among SEC players on the list.

Most importantly, Caglianone has only struck out 17 times compared to 30 walks. He’s matured at the plate and refined his eye. There’s no more big swing and miss with two strikes, and he’s the rare case of a left hitting well against a pitcher of the same hand.

With 26 home runs, Caglianone is chasing history at Florida. He needs seven to tie Georgia’s Charlie Condon for the nation’s lead, but that’s how many Caglianone ended 2023 with after a College World Series run that went to the last possible game. It seems impossible with just six games left in the regular season and only a handful of guaranteed postseason games, but Cags has defied logic plenty of times.

Two other Gators crack top-50 lists

Second baseman [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] and shortstop [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] are the only other two Florida position players to make one fo D1Baseball’s Week 12 lists. Both began the season in the No. 5 spot on their respective lists, but Shelton ends the season at No. 28 and Kurland at No. 48.

Luke Heyman started the season ranked No. 23 on the list after slashing .314/.366/.555 with 12 home runs and 39 runs batted in as a freshman, but a rough 2024 has him unranked to end the year. Heyman moved up to No. 15 on the Week 6 update, but he’s been bad against conference opponents, lowering the hopes of turning pro as a draft-eligible sophomore.

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Florida jumps out to early lead for midweek win over USF

Jac Caglianone got Florida on the board early and the Gators never looked back in a 4-1 win over South Florida Tuesday night.

Florida took the lead early Tuesday off a [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] solo home run and cruised to a 4-1 win over USF, wrapping up midweek action for the 2024 regular season.

The Gators plated a run in each of the first three innings. Hayden Yost grounded into a double play in the second to score one, and a throwing error by the Bulls’ shortstop in the third allowed Caglianone to cross the plate a second time.

Florida ended the day with 11 hits, but it was hard to score runs after the third. [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] doubled in [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] in the eighth, and that’s all the meaningful offense UF put together Tuesday night.

Still, it was enough for the bullpen to deliver the win. USF hit safely just five times, scoring on a solo homer in the sixth. [autotag]Liam Peterson[/autotag] made the start for UF, but he only went one inning after throwing four on Friday. He should fit back into Florida’s rotation, likely taking over the Game 2 slot again.

The reason that seems likely is that Kevin O’Sullivan has moved [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] back into the bullpen to serve as the closer. He earned his second save of the season, facing the minimum in the ninth.

[autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] got the win after throwing 2 2/3 innings of one-hit baseball in relief of Peterson. [autotag]Fisher Jameson[/autotag] was next out of the ‘pen. Besides the home run, he was fine, striking out two and walking one of the eight batters he faced. [autotag]Luke McNeillie[/autotag] struck out three of the five batters he faced, and Jake Clemente faced the minimum in the eighth.

Florida hosts Kentucky on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET for the final three-game home series of the regular season.

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Two Gators named to USA Baseball 2024 Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List

Florida’s two power bats, Jac Caglianone and Colby Shelton, have made the 45-man midseason watch list for the 2024 Golden Spikes Award.

Two Florida Gators — first baseman/left-handed pitcher Jac Caglianone and shortstop Colby Shelton — made the 2024 Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List on Thursday, according to USA Baseball.

“We are honored to acknowledge the top forty-five amateur players in the nation for their stellar performances so far this season,” said USA Baseball CEO/Executive Director Paul Seiler. “There is unbelievable talent up and down the entire amateur baseball landscape, and the players on this list represent the best of the best.”

Caglianone is near the top of the SEC in every major offensive statistic. He’s slashing .391/.480/.781 with 16 home runs and 34 runs batted in. He’s walked (18) more than he’s struck out (14), and then there’s the pitching side of his game.

Cags had one of the best earned run averages of any starter in the country coming into the Missouri game, but a short outing inflated his numbers. Still, a .183 opposing batting average reveals that Caglianone has been dominant over seven starts.

Shelton doesn’t have quite the resume that Caglianone does, but his power numbers have kept him in the Golden Spikes conversation all year. With 15 home runs so far, Shelton should easily cross the 20 threshold and push for 30.

Caglianone is one of four 2023 semifinalists to make the midseason cut. He remains one of the frontrunners to win the award.

The complete list can be found here.

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Florida mercy rules LSU to secure weekend series win

Florida ended its weekend series in Baton Rouge an inning early with a mercy-rule victory over the LSU that also gave the Gators the series.

Florida got the last laugh in Baton Rouge this weekend as the Gators defeated the LSU Tigers, 12-2, via the mercy rule on Sunday to win an important three-game series.

Jac Caglianone didn’t have his best stuff, but he went seven innings strong for Florida. Caglianone struggled with command, walking five batters. He struck out five to even the ratio and only gave up two earned runs (one earned). Somehow, Caglianone improved on the 1.77 ERA he had coming into this game.

“Experience and comfortability,” Caglianone said when asked what’s changed for him over the past season. “When I have an offense like this to kind of back me up on Sundays, there’s no better feeling than knowing you have a two-run lead and you’ve just got to hold it.

“Keep the composure, not let anything spiral and that’s kind of what we did. We took care of it today.”

Florida’s bats caught fire in the fifth, leading to a six-spot on the scoreboard. Colby Shelton and Cade Kurland hit two-run homers, and Luke Heyman drove in two more with a double. Shelton homered again in the sixth, putting him in a five-way tie for fourth-most in the country with 12 on the year.

Ty Evans, Jac Caglianone and Shelnut hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the eighth. With the run rule in effect, Florida’s closer Brandon Neely came in to close out the win. He struck out the first two batters on six pitches but missed the immaculate inning on the ninth pitch.

A grounder to end the game early is just as good, though, and Florida takes the series after things looked bleak halfway through Game 2 on Saturday.

The lineup change Kevin O’Sullivan initiated after Game 1 seemed to really affect the team. Maintaining that energy moving forward will be key. Peaking at the beginning of SEC play is still a reality with so much competition around the league.

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Florida’s transfer shortstop ranked fifth in nation by D1Baseball

Kevin O’Sullivan needed to fill a void at shortstop after Josh Rivera turned pro, so he went out and got a top-five player at the position, according to D1Baseball.com

Florida lost one of the country’s better shortstops in Josh Rivera to the draft over the summer, but Kevin O’Sullivan made sure to get a strong replacement for the 2024 campaign.

Colby Shelton transferred over from Alabama and is expected to transition from third base to shortstop this year at Florida. D1Baseball ranks him fifth overall behind West Virginia’s JJ Wetherholt, Virginia’s Griff O’Ferrall, TCU’s Anthony Silva and Kansas State’s Kaelen Culpepper.

While the glove is a work in progress, Shelton should be one of the best mashers in the country. He hit 25 home runs as a true freshman for the Crimson Tide last season and ended the year with a 1.143 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. If Jac Caglianone is batting behind him, opposing pitchers won’t have any choice but to pitch to Shelton.

Because he is already 21, Shelton will be draft-eligible at the end of the year. A strong year could put him in the conversation for first-round money, but he’ll have to pass by the other four names ahead of him on D1Baseball’s list first.

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