Tag: Hurston Waldrep

Florida wins Gainesville Super Regional, advances to College World Series

Revenge is sweet. After being swept by South Carolina in the regular season, Florida goes 2-0 in the Super Regionals to return to the College World Series.

The Florida Gators are headed to the College World Series for the first time since 2018 after defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks, 4-0, and winning the Gainesville Regional in two games.

Hurston Waldrep dominated for scoreless eight innings, giving up just three hits and striking out 13 along the way. He came back out for the ninth and nearly made a web gem by barehanding a weak chopper back to the mound, but his throw was just late, which force Kevin O’Sullivan to make a move.

It was evident how badly Waldrep wanted to close out the game, but at 117 pitches and no outs on the board, pulling him was the only option. Sully has to protect Waldrep from himself in this scenario, and the future first-rounder will be thankful for it at some point. Not to mention, Waldrep will need to make some more magic happen in the World Series.

“Actually, BT did,” Waldrep said when asked if he had to convince Sully to bring him back out for the ninth. “He asked me if I wanted to go back out, and I said ‘absolutely.’ I’m not turning that down.”

If Waldrep’s splitter is anything like it was tonight, Florida is an even more serious threat to win it all. Funny enough, Waldrep said he had one of the worst bullpens of his life before the game. Something clicked, though, and he delivered an all-time performance for the Gators.

Brandon Neely closed out the game, which is poetic in a way since he wasn’t able to participate in the regular-season series after being ejected at the end of a game against Georgia. Neely didn’t blink and retired the ‘Cocks in order, inducing a pop-up to Cade Kurland at second base to close it out.

Waldrep got a Gatorade bath, the team ran around the backstop high-fiving the fans, and Sully smiled. What more can you ask for as a Gators fan?

As good as Waldrep was, Colby Halter deserves at least a share of the spotlight. Florida’s everyday third baseman hadn’t driven in a run since May 2, but he delivered a trio of RBIs, which was more than enough with an all-time performance taking place on the mound.

Halter’s first (and most important) RBIs came early in the second inning off South Carolina starter Jack Mahoney on a double down the right-field line to score BT Riopelle and Luke Heyman. He added an insurance run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly to bring Riopelle home once again.

Florida’s only other run of the day came on a fifth-inning single from Josh Rivera to score Wyatt Langford from second. Langford didn’t have the best series, but he found a way to contribute when he did get on base with his speed.

Langford is already a draft guy, but he’s flashed the speed tool a few times throughout the postseason, leaving scouts no choice but to notice and check another box.

For the past five years, the goal at Florida has been to get back to the College World Series. Now that the Gators are headed back to Omaha, the goal becomes win it all.

This team has the talent to get it done. An elite pitching staff that has three solid starters at the top with plenty of depth in the bullpen to close things out. The offense has been one of the best in the country all year, especially from a power standpoint, and the Gators proved they can get it done without a ton of help from the top of the order (thanks again, Colby!).

Confidence levels should be at an all-time for this group and its fans, but there’s a fine line between confidence and hubris. A cocky group will be humbled quickly at the World Series. A controlled one will do the humbling.

The College World Series begins June 16.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1369]

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

Pair of Gators make MLB Pipeline’s top 10 college prospects for 2023 draft

These two Gators are among the most coveted in the upcoming MLB draft.

MLB Pipeline recently released its list of top 150 prospects for the 2023 MLB draft with a strong presence from the collegiate ranks. Out of the 150 players, 81 hail from colleges and universities around the nation, including eight of the top 10.

Among those top-10 college prospects are a pair of Florida Gators in outfielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] and starting right-handed pitcher [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag], who are two of the most coveted players in the upcoming draft. College Sports Wire’s Dylan Callaghan-Croley took a look at the entire top 10 and offered the following on the No. 3 draft prospect.

The Florida outfielder is putting together a very strong season with a .397 batting average to go along with a staggering .536 on-base percentage and .765 slugging. He has 27 extra-base hits this season, 28 RBI, and 38 walks to 24 strikeouts. Don’t be fooled by his just 10 home runs, Langford is believed to have quite a bit of pop in his bat and could unlock that power at the next level.

Next up is Waldrep, who comes in at No. 9 among college players and No. 11 overall including high school talent. Callaghan-Croley had this to say about Florida’s superlative pitcher.

Florida’s Waldrep isn’t having the best draft-eligible season, posting a 4.74 ERA but he’s a projectable arm that shows a plus fastball and splitter. He can rack up quite a bit of strikeouts with 97 over 62.2 innings pitched this season but will need to wrangle in his control (34 walks).

Click on this link to see College Sports Wire’s full list of the top 10 college prospects eligible for the 2023 MLB draft, along with a blurb on each player.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1369]

[mm-video type=video id=01gz4q9npy742zh8jg98 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gz4q9npy742zh8jg98/01gz4q9npy742zh8jg98-c8d3933225143d08fc943e8f4fc290d0.jpg]

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

Florida wins high-scoring Game 2 against Missouri, Neely returns

Hurston Waldrep wasn’t his sharpest today, but the offense had his back. Plus, Brandon Neely returned to clinch the series for Florida!

It wasn’t another run-rule win for the Florida Gators on Saturday, but an 11-7 victory over the Missouri Tigers clinches the series for UF and means that the brooms could come out for a sweep on Sunday.

[autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] got the start for the Gators and failed to put together a third-straight quality start. He gave up four runs on six hits and four walks while only striking out four, which is a season-low for Waldrep.

Kevin O’Sullivan pulled him after a walk in the fifth inning with two outs, which meant that Waldrep wouldn’t earn a decision. Instead, Ryan Slater came out and earned the win after the offense exploded for five runs in the sixth.

Florida did most of its scoring in the third and sixth inning. In fact, the Gators went down in order in four of the first five frames. [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] led the way with three hits and three runs batted in, and [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] also had a three-RBI and three-hit day.

Shelnut has more than earned a chance as the team’s everyday right fielder with his performance in this series. Neither [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag] nor [autotag]Matt Prevesk[/autotag] have been hitting the ball well, and Sully is the kind of coach that rewards guys when they step up in a critical moment.

Slater gave up a few runs in the seventh, but [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] made his return to the mound for Florida after serving a four-game suspension following an ejection against Georgia. He came in to get the last out of the inning and stayed in through the ninth.

Neely retired the first four batters he saw in a row, but trouble came in the ninth. He allowed the first two batters to reach on a single and walk but recovered to secure the win. Neely looked great, fooling the Tigers with his slider and changeup. It’s good to have him back.

This was far from Florida’s prettiest win this year, but it counts all the same in the win column. It’s still up in the air who pitches on Sunday, but the bullpen should be deep enough to give [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] another shot.

Florida goes for the sweep Sunday at noon.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1369]

[mm-video type=video id=01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4/01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4-2346b84476bb420195db0f813431176e.jpg]

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

Florida losing towering LHP for second-straight season

Florida won’t be getting left-handed pitcher Pierce Coppola back anytime soon, as the Gators provided an injury update Sunday that puts him out for the remainder of the season.

Some Gators fans spotted the 6-foot-8-inch left-hander in a brace on Sunday during the SEC Network’s broadcast of Florida’s 11-6 win over Georgia, but head coach Kevin O’Sullivan made things official and announced that redshirt freshman [autotag]Pierce Coppola[/autotag] will miss the rest of the spring after undergoing shoulder surgery earlier in the week, according to Gators Online.

Coppola entered each of his first two seasons in Gainesville as the favorite to take over the Sunday starter spot, but injuries have continued to plague him and remove him from the conversation. Following just one start in 2022, Coppola ended his season early and underwent surgery for a bulging disc in his back. Now he’s out for all of 2023 and is hoping to play his first true season of college ball in 2024.

“Your heart goes out to him. It’s really disappointing,” Kevin O’Sullivan said. ” Nobody feels worse than he does. We all feel bad. The bottom line is we’re going to keep encouraging and we’re going to be there for him. We can’t wait until he gets back on the mound.”

The emergence of [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] as a viable starting option has made Coppola’s injuries easier for Florida to navigate, but having a player ranked No. 50 overall in 2021 by Perfect Game couldn’t hurt the team. In a perfect world, Coppola manned the Sunday spot in preparation for the ace role next year, with Caglianone finding his footing during the week.

O’Sullivan expressed hope for Coppola to be “100 percent” by SEC play, but it was apparent that he wouldn’t be ready by the time the Alabama series rolled around.

Assuming Coppola gets healthy for next year, he and Caglianone will be the top two guys in the rotation. [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] and [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] are first-round guys and won’t be returning, so the future is left-handed for the Gators on the mound.

It feels like the hope is to get either [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] or [autotag]Yoel Tejeda Jr[/autotag]. ready for the Sunday spot, but transfers could come in and take that spot.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1369]

[mm-video type=video id=01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4/01gxxeqq2vhjmccteth4-2346b84476bb420195db0f813431176e.jpg]

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

Series Preview: Florida looking to stay dominant in SEC play against Georgia

Florida vs. Georgia is always a big deal. The two SEC rivals are meeting up on the baseball diamond this weekend. Here’s what Gators fans need to know.

The Florida Gators are staying in Gainesville this weekend to host the Georgia Bulldogs for a weekend series, and UF is looking to get some revenge on the diamond for what’s been a lopsided series on the football field for the last few years.

Thankfully, Georgia is much worse at baseball than it should be considering the Peach State is one of the most-talent-rich prep regions in the country for the sport. Florida has no such problem and regularly recruits the top pitchers and position players from each state (see [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag]).

That difference should be apparent on the scoreboard over the weekend, and Florida could get another mercy rule win after succumbing to the new rule last Sunday. It will be interesting to see how Florida’s weekend rotation gets along. [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] and [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] seem to be hitting a nice streak of near-quality starts and are this close to being a lights-out 1-2 for UF.

There were flashes of it last weekend against Tennessee, and Georgia isn’t a team either arm should struggle against. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] is the big question mark after failing to make it out of the first inning last Sunday. All eyes will be on him to see if Florida needs to make a change to the rotation or not.

Offensively, this team is going to keep hitting and they’re going to do it well. Florida is third in the nation in home runs and boasts three of the best players at their positions in the country: left fielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag], first baseman Jac Caglianone and shortstop [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag].

The trio has shifted to the top of the order and produced strong results against UT last week.

Here’s a look at what’s on tap for the weekend.

Major takeaways from No. 3 Florida’s series win over No. 11 Tennessee

The Gators looked like the best team in the country over the first two games of the series against Tennessee, and a sloppy Saturday loss shouldn’t take anything away from those wins.

Florida didn’t come away with the sweep over the weekend against Tennessee, but taking two games on the road against a top-15 team in the country is still a quality series win, even if the Gators got mercy ruled in the rain on Saturday.

The offense jumped all over Tennessee’s Chase Dollander and Chase Burns on Thursday and Friday, as [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] and [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] earned wins on the mound for Florida. Sproat was one out away from finishing off the sixth inning for a quality start, but he left with discomfort in his calf. The injury doesn’t appear to be serious, but it’s something to keep in mind moving forward.

The bullpen was strong in both wins, too. Although the ‘pen appeared to be Florida’s biggest problem early on, that’s no longer the case. There are viable arms from both sides, with lefty [autotag]Phillip Abner[/autotag] and right-handed closer [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] providing the perfect finishing combo for a must-win game.

Sunday was a different story. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] continued to struggle on the mound, and he didn’t even make it out of the first. It was raining pretty hard all day, which isn’t really an excuse, but it helped lead to a lousy day all-around for the Florida pitching staff.

The Gators are now 27-6 overall and 9-3 in conference play. The SEC East is incredibly tough this season, and Florida is in the middle of the pack right now. Tennessee is the only division team UF has faced so far, but the Gators close out the season with five of their six final series against SEC East foes.

Georgia will be a bit of a tune-up series next weekend, but then it’s on to No. 6 South Carolina. Here’s what we learned about the team.

Florida’s 4 homers delivers series win, Gators looking to sweep on Sunday

After getting swept by Tennessee at home a year ago, Florida has a chance to return the favor in Knoxville. The Gators claimed the second game of the series on Friday, 9-3.

The Florida Gators jumped all over the Tennessee Volunteers for the second night in a row and delivered a dominant 9-3 win to win the series.

Florida started scoring right out of the game, mostly thanks to a wild start from Tennessee starter Chase Burns, who is projected as a first-round prospect in the 2024 draft cycle. Burns walked [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] with the bases loaded to score [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] for the first run of the day.

[autotag]Matt Prevesk[/autotag] got the start at designated hitter for the Gators and came up big with a four-RBI night. His first base knock of the night was a ground-rule double to left-center that scored two more. He’d homer in the fifth with a man on to cap off a terrific start, and there’s good reason to believe that Prevesk will contend for a starting outfield spot next season with [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] moving on.

Florida hit three more homers throughout the night. [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag] delivered a shot to right-center in the second and [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] and Langford went back-to-back in the fourth. Langford’s cleared the wall in right-center just fine, but Caglianone’s was a no-doubter that went a projected 488 feet.

Florida’s bats quieted down after the fourth, much like in Game 1, which means that Tennessee’s bullpen has something figured out the starting rotation does not.

Fortunately, [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] was absolutely dealing for UF. He gave up three runs over seven innings of work and struck out nine while walking just the two in the seventh. Florida needed [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] and Waldrep to both be on this weekend to take the series against Tennessee, and the duo did more than deliver.

Florida used lefty [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] to get through the eighth and ninth. He struck out the side in his first inning of work and added two more before closing out the game.

The Gators will go for their first sweep of the Volunteers since 2011 and the first in Knoxville since 1992. Caglianone is set to pitch for Florida.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1369]

[mm-video type=video id=01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb/01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb-b15d3c6ba4832f51fd07f639374ba454.jpg]

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

Series Preview: Florida faces major road test in No. 11 Tennessee

The Florida Gators haven’t dropped a series yet this season, but a big SEC showdown in Knoxville against the Tennessee Volunteers should test the boys in Orange and Blue.

No. 3 Florida is riding a three-game win streak after taking two from Auburn and a midweek game against Bethune-Cookman. Now, the Gators face a major test on the road against the No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers.

The Vols came into the Swamp and swept the Gators a season ago before infamously taking photos with some of the football team’s equipment while they showered in the locker room. Gator Nation didn’t care for those antics at all, but the best way to get UT back would be to sweep them in Knoxville this weekend.

That’s a tall order, but Florida’s lineup is loaded and among the best in the nation. [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag], [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag] might be the most threatening 2-3-4 in all of college baseball, and the other six hitters in the lineup are all major threats to get on base as well.

On the mound, [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] and [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] have each shown glimpses of excellence this season but they can’t seem ever to get it going on the same weekend. Caglianone has struggled with his fastball command in recent weeks, but he’s primed for a bounce-back outing.

Here’s a look at everything you’ll need to know about the Florida-Tennessee series this weekend.

Key takeaways from Florida’s series win over Auburn

The Florida Gators took two of three from the Auburn Tigers this weekend to improve to 24-5 (7-2), but the team still has plenty to work on before the postseason comes around.

Florida survived a bit of a scare from Auburn over the weekend to win its seventh-straight three-game series of the regular season.

It was a bit of a mixed bag for the offense and defense against the Tigers. The Gators struggled on both sides of the ball Friday night en route to a 10-1 loss, which is by far the worst defeat of the season for the club. Saturday might be another bad day on the bump, but [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] regained his composure after allowing a few early runs and earned a quality start.

Sunday was… weird. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag], who is hitting just as well as he has all year, struggled with his command for the second game in a row. He was knocked out of the game during the fourth inning in line for the loss, but Auburn’s bullpen couldn’t buy a strike for the final five innings of the game.

What makes Sunday’s 17-8 win even more bizarre is that the Tigers opted to go to their bullpen relatively earlier. Starter Tommy Vail was at 92 pitches with one out to go in the fifth when he was pulled. Maybe the bullpen would have blown it eventually, but Vail seemed to know the game was already over when he handed the ball to his coach.

Here are some major takeaways from the weekend that was.

Florida baseball bounces back, beats Auburn on Saturday

Here’s a quick summary of how Florida’s Saturday night win went down.

Florida baseball earned a bounce-back win over the visiting Auburn Tigers on Saturday night at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, Florida, holding off their Southeastern Conference foes for a 12-5 win to even up the three-game weekend series.

The Gators came out flat again on the mound for the second-straight game, but this time, after coughing up an early run in the top of the first they answered with two to take the first lead of the series. [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] his Division 1-leading 18th home run of the season with [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] at first after reaching on a single, and the Gators did not look back.

Both teams added to their totals in the third inning but Florida’s five-spot in contrast with Auburn’s two-run effort gave the home team a four-run cushion, to which the Orange and Blue added another in the bottom of the sixth to give them a five-run advantage.

The Tigers, however, proved they would not be easily tamed, answering back with a two-run effort in the top of the seventh in what could have been far more disastrous. Starter [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] was replaced between frames after hitting the 100-pitch mark en route to a 10-strikeout evening while allowing three earned runs on four hits and six walks. He gave way to [autotag]Nick Ficarrotta[/autotag], who loaded the bases but ultimately escaped the jam after surrendering that pair of runs.

Florida answered again in the bottom half with three more runs, but the rally was cut short by a pitch violation strikeout on [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] to end the inning. Still, Auburn simply could not keep up with the Gators’ bats as [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag]’s team continued to respond to their opponents’ efforts with even more runs of their own.

The Gators added one more to the tally in the bottom of the eighth, and in the process, put up their season-best 19 hits. The Tigers threatened in the final frame of the game, but reliever [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] closed the curtains with a two-plus-inning effort that saw two hits, one walk and three strikeouts to seal the deal and earn the save.

The two tangle for a third time in the rubber match on Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT at Condron Family Ballpark, with the game slated for broadcast on the SEC Network and can be heard on ESPN 98.1FM/850AM WRUF.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1369]

[mm-video type=video id=01gwzk0qw6chhq5fzk2d playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gwzk0qw6chhq5fzk2d/01gwzk0qw6chhq5fzk2d-539406adf053c8f8f76bfe2f1d954976.jpg]

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