Two Gators announce return to baseball team for 2023

It’s official. Florida is getting both BT Riopelle and Colby Halter back next year. Could we see any more returns?

The 2022 MLB draft is in the books, and while a number of Gators are set to start their pro careers, there were a handful of players that didn’t hear their names called over the three-day event. Two of them, catcher [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] and infielder [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag], have already indicated their intentions to return to Gainesville for another year.

Halter didn’t wait for the third day of the draft to commence and announced his return on Instagram.

“See you in August Gator nation,” Halter captioned his post. “Unfinished business.”

Halter started off 2022 as one of the hottest bats in the lineup, but he underperformed for most of the year after his 14-game hit streak subsided. He finished the year slashing .240/.338/.380 with eight home runs, 11 doubles, 44 runs, 27 RBI and seven stolen bases.

He’ll look to build on those numbers enough to improve his draft stock and hopefully get him drafted in the first 10 rounds of next year’s draft. He’s batting .305 through 95 at-bats in the Cape Cod League with the Falmouth Commodores, but those numbers don’t always translate to SEC play. Halter should be the frontrunner to hold down second base next year for Florida, but he’ll have plenty of competition to stave off.

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Riopelle, on the other hand, made his intentions to return to Florida known almost immediately after the 2022 season ended, according to Gators Online’s Nick de la Torre. That’s one of the reasons [autotag]Mac Guscette[/autotag] entered the portal. Riopelle picked up an NIL deal with the Gator Collective already and was open about his desire to return, which is likely the reason he went undrafted.

Florida got lucky and saw incoming catcher [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] go undrafted, so he should learn a ton behind Riopelle this year as [autotag]Rene Lastres[/autotag] recovers from Tommy John surgery.

Shortstop [autotag]Joshua Rivera[/autotag] is another name that went undrafted that many in Gator Nation are wondering about. He could return, but he could also sign a free-agent deal for decent money or head to the independent leagues. More information should be available on him in the coming week or so.

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SEC Tournament: Florida edges South Carolina in extra innings

After giving up the tying run in the ninth, Florida bounced back to win it in the bottom of the 10th versus South Carolina.

Florida baseball third baseman [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] hit a fly ball to center field with two runners in scoring position with only one out in the bottom of the 10th inning. The Gators’ right fielder [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag] tagged up at third base as South Carolina’s Evan Stone made the catch. Stone then heaved the ball home that beat him home by a country mile and Gamecocks’ catcher Talmadge LeCroy tagged Evans out. But the baseball popped out of his glove after the tag.

The home plate umpire ruled Evans safe, and Florida will live to fight for another day as it beats the Gamecocks, 2-1, in the opening round of the SEC tournament in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday. The No. 7-seeded Gators advance to the second round where they will play No. 2-seeded Texas A&M on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. EDT.

Through the first three innings, Florida’s lineup only registered two hits and a walk. Head coach [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag]’s team then scored its lone run of the game in the fourth inning. Shortstop [autotag]Joshua Rivera[/autotag] doubled down the right-field line. Designated hitter [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] followed by singling to shortstop and then South Carolina committed a throwing error to plate Rivera.

Starter [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] outdueled Gamecocks’ starter Will Sanders who went seven innings while only surrendering four hits, three walks and one run that was unearned. Sproat meanwhile went 8 1/3 innings and finished allowing four hits, one earned run and a walk while striking out seven Gamecocks. He also carried a no-hitter until the seventh inning.

South Carolina finally broke through in the ninth inning. O’Sullivan made the gutsy call to stick with Sproat with just over 100 pitches thrown. Second baseman Braylen Wimmer and designated hitter Josiah Sightler singled to put runners on the corner with one out.

Florida then called on reliever [autotag]Ryan Slater[/autotag] to try to force a ground ball for a double play. Right fielder Andrew Eyster hit a ground ball to Halter but it was too slow with the glove. The Gators only got the pinch-runner out at second, and South Carolina knotted the game up at 1-1.

Then the Gators walked it off in the bottom of the 10th via Halter’s sacrifice fly.

The Gators will return to the ballpark in Hoover to face the Aggies at 5:30 p.m. EDT and can be seen on SEC Network.

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Brandon Neely strikes out 10 in shutout win vs Gamecocks

Florida baseball’s Brandon Neely was dealing as he struck out 10 batters in seven innings in a 8-0 win over South Carolina.

Florida baseball starter [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] bounced back in dominant fashion versus South Carolina after an uncharacteristic start against the Missouri Tigers last weekend where he allowed four earned runs.

On Friday, he struck out a career-high 10 batters and only gave up three hits along with no free passes while shutting out South Carolina for seven innings. He also tossed an impressive 70 strikes in only 96 pitches. The Gators also poured on eight runs to shutout the Gamecocks and also grabbed the series victory on Friday at Condron Ballpark.

Florida scored three runs in the third and two runs in the fifth and the seventh and one in the eighth. Center fielder [autotag]Jud Fabian[/autotag] and shortstop [autotag]Joshua Rivera[/autotag] both went long in the contest.

Fabian’s home run was his 20th of the season, which made quite a bit of history. He became the second Gators hitter ever besides [autotag]Brad Wilkerson[/autotag] to smash 20 dingers in back-to-back seasons. Left fielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] also entered Florida’s record book besides Fabian. They are the only two Gators hitters to record 20 plus homers in a single season.

Fabian finished the evening three for four with two RBs. Second baseman [autotag]Sterlin Thompson[/autotag] also tallied two hits. He went two for four with an RBI.

Head coach [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag]’s team registered eight runs on 10 hits and earned six free passes.

After Neely was pulled in the eighth, reliever [autotag]Blake Purnell[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthony Ursitti[/autotag] followed and picked up right where their starter left off. They finished the game without allowing a hit and struck out a Gamecock.

The Gators will gun for the sweep on Saturday at 2 p.m. EDT when they play South Carolina to conclude the regular season. The contest can be seen on SEC Network+.

It’ll also be Florida fans’ last chance to listen to Mick Hubert. He’s retiring as the voice of the Gators following the game.

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Wyatt Langford blasts a pair of homers (again!) to beat South Carolina

Florida baseball used two homers from Wyatt Langford to blow by South Carolina on Thursday night at Condron Ballpark.

Florida baseball left fielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] hit a lead-off bomb to kick off the game versus South Carolina and then went long again in the bottom of the eighth inning for his second straight game with two home runs. His power outburst again helped the Gators defeat the Gamecocks, 14-5, Thursday at Condron Ballpark in the opening game of the regular season’s final series.

Langford finished the game 2-for-4 with that pair of solo shots and a walk. His first home run versus South Carolina was his 20th of the season, giving him sole possession of the team lead for the most dingers. He also became the just sixth Florida batter to crush that many round-trippers in a season.

South Carolina briefly grabbed the lead from the Gators in the top of the third. Starter [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] plunked two Gamecocks and walked a third to load the bases. Their right fielder Andrew Eyster then doubled in a pair of runs, 2-1.

Florida knotted it up at two apiece when [autotag]Jud Fabian[/autotag] doubled in second baseman [autotag]Sterlin Thompson[/autotag].

Then the Gators provided offensive fireworks. Right fielder [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag] homered to center field. Thompson, with the bases juiced, lined out to left field to drive in another run on a sac fly, giving them the 4-2 lead.

The Gamecocks tied the game up once more in the top of the fifth. They scored a run via a shortstop [autotag]Joshua Rivera[/autotag] error and doubled in another.

Florida hit back-to-back-to-back singles to start the fifth. On the third one, designated hitter [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] drove in catcher [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag]. The Gators then pushed across two more runs via sacrifice flies to increase their lead to 7-4. They then tacked on seven more insurance runs while allowing South Carolina to only add one in the final innings to cruise to a 14-5 win.

Sproat went 6 1/3 innings allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits, three walks and three hit batters while striking out three. Florida’s offense muscled an impressive 16 hits leading to its 14-run tally. However, the Gators’ defense was not quite as robust, committing two errors in the field.

Florida and South Carolina will face off again on Friday at 7 p.m. EDT and can be seen on SEC Network+.

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Nick Pogue, Khris Armstrong, Joshua Rivera lift Gators over Mizzou to take series

Starter Nick Pogue and batters Khris Armstrong and Joshua Rivera lifted Florida baseball to a 4-3 victory over Missouri on Sunday.

Starter [autotag]Nick Pogue[/autotag], first baseman [autotag]Khris Armstrong[/autotag] and shortstop [autotag]Joshua Rivera[/autotag] lifted Florida baseball to a 4-3 game and series victory over the Missouri Tigers on Sunday in Columbia, Missouri. Pogue quieted the Tigers’ offense for 6 2/3 innings while only allowing five hits and three earned runs. Armstrong went 3-for-4 with two RBIs while Rivera finished 1-for-4 with a two-run home run.

After three scoreless innings, Missouri struck first in the bottom of the fourth via back-to-back jacks from third baseman Luke Mann and left fielder Trevor Austin.

The Gators responded quickly in the top of the fifth via Rivera’s two-run blast to left field. They then grabbed the lead 4-2  in the next inning when Armstrong singled with the bases loaded, driving in designated hitter [autotag]Jac Cagilanone[/autotag] and second baseman [autotag]Sterlin Thompson[/autotag].

The Tigers earned a run back in the bottom of the seventh when their right fielder Ross Lovich singled with runners on first and second, which also signaled the end of Pogue’s outing. Head coach [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] called on reliever [autotag]Blake Purnell[/autotag] who got the final out of the inning to end the threat.

Florida would hang on in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the 4-3 victory and grab the last contest of the weekend for the series win.

The Gators head into the final week of their regular season and are back in action on Tuesday at Condron Ballpark versus No. 21 Florida State.

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Florida baseball shuts down Bethune-Cookman in mid-week contest

Florida baseball shut down the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 7-0 on Tuesday at Condron Ballpark.

Florida baseball pitchers [autotag]Tyler Nesbitt[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Ficarrotta[/autotag] combined for eight shutout innings in a 7-0 midweek victory over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Condron Ballpark on Tuesday evening. Nesbitt only surrendered four hits and two walks and struck out four while Ficarrotta allowed only one base knock and no free passes while striking out six in four innings each.

Head coach [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag]’s lineup didn’t disappoint, either. The Gators jumped out in front early to a 3-0 lead after two innings.

Left fielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] walked to start the game and scored after the Wildcats committed a throwing error on a second baseman [autotag]Sterlin Thompson[/autotag] single. First baseman [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] singled home Thompson two batters later. In the second with the bases loaded, Thompson walked to send catcher [autotag]Mac Guscette[/autotag] home.

Florida’s bats then fell silent until the seventh inning when Langford homered to left field and then added three more runs in the next frame to win 7-0.

Langford finished the game one for one with his solo shot in the seventh but also earned three walks. Shortstop [autotag]Joshua Rivera[/autotag] went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI.

O’Sullivan’s team will try to keep the hot steak going when it travels to Columbia, Missouri, to face the Tigers for the Gators’ second to last regular-season weekend series. The action starts Friday at 7 p.m. EDT and can be seen on SEC Network+.

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Florida baseball takes series versus Kentucky Wildcats

Florida baseball will try to go for the series sweep after taking the first two games of the series versus the Kentucky Wildcats.

Freshman [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] has been a sparkplug for Florida baseball since head coach [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] inserted him into the starting lineup. He has blasted two home runs in three starts, including a solo shot that helped the Gators defeat the Kentucky Wildcats, 9-1, on Saturday at Condron Ballpark.

The Gators’ pitcher [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] pitched a gem versus the No. 1 Tennessee  Volunteers, allowing only a hit and an earned run in seven innings. He picked up right where he left off versus the Wildcats. Neely went four innings only giving up a walk along with four strikeouts. He could’ve gone deeper into the game if it wasn’t for a two-hour rain delay.

Florida just like it did Friday jumped the Kentucky starter for runs immediately. Left fielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] tripled to begin the game and scored later on a Wildcats’ throwing error. Center fielder [autotag]Jud Fabian[/autotag] then doubled to score right fielder [autotag]Sterlin Thompson[/autotag] to make it 2-0. Catcher [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] followed by singling to center field, driving in Fabian.

Shortstop [autotag]Joshua Rivera [/autotag]kicked off the next inning with a solo shot to deep center. Thompson then drove in third baseman [autotag]Deric Fabian[/autotag] on a double, who got on base via a hit by pitch. Riopelle came up clutch once again later in the inning. He singled again to plate Jud, who was intentionally walked, and Thompson, 7-0.

The Gators scored two more runs following the lengthy rain delay, and Kentucky broke the shutout in the top of the sixth with an RBI double to get to the final score of 9-1.

Florida and Kentucky will return to Condron Ballpark on short rest for the series finale at noon EDT where the Gators will try to claim the series sweep.

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Florida’s bats catch fire versus Kentucky Wildcats in series opener

It’s good to see Florida’s offense find its rhythm after the entire lineup struggled mightily last weekend versus Tennessee.

Florida baseball head coach [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] elected to move left fielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] up to the top of the order and drop second baseman [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] to the sixth spot in the order. The move paid off and helped the Gators’ offense get back on track on Friday as Langford went two for four with a home run and two RBIs and the team pushed across nine runs in a 9-2 victory versus Kentucky at Condron Ballpark.

The Gators still had pitcher [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] replacing ace [autotag]Hunter Barco[/autotag] who was ruled out on April 20 indefinitely with elbow discomfort. He recorded another strong outing like he did last weekend versus No. 1 Tennessee. He went 5 1/3 innings while only allowing five hits, three walks, no earned runs and five strikeouts.

Florida wasted little time attacking Wildcats’ starter Mason Hazelwood. Langford took him yard to open the ball game.

The Gators then wouldn’t notch another hit until the fifth inning when shortstop [autotag]Joshua Rivera[/autotag] doubled to left field. Three-straight singles followed Rivera’s double to increase their lead to 2-0. In the next at-bat, Hazelwood plunked right fielder [autotag]Sterlin Thompson[/autotag] to walk home a run. Florida tacked on two more runs later in the inning via sacrifice flies from center fielder [autotag]Jud Fabian[/autotag] and first baseman [autotag]Kendrick Calilao[/autotag].

Florida added on three more runs in the sixth inning and one more in the eighth. Kentucky broke the shutout when it blasted a home run off of reliever [autotag]Blake Purnell[/autotag] and smacked another one in the bottom of the ninth to get to the final score of 9-2.

The Gators did a great job of not fooling around with this unranked Kentucky squad and proceeded to set the tone for the rest of the weekend. Florida and the Wildcats return to Condron Ballpark for Game 2 on Saturday at 6 p.m. EDT.

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Florida baseball survives offensive shootout versus Stetson Hatters

Florida baseball outscored the Stetson Hatters in an offensive shootout 10-8 on Tuesday.

Florida baseball outlasted the Stetson Hatters in an offensive shootout on Tuesday at Florida Ballpark, prevailing 10-8. The Gators with their win versus Stetson moves 23-14 on the season.

The Hatters struck first in the first and third innings, using two singles and a wild pitch from Florida starting pitcher Karl Hartman to push across their first run. In the third, they got the two leadoff batters on base and then designated hitter Brandon Hylton hit a three-run shot to right field to give Stetson a 4-0 lead.

Florida responded in the bottom half, however. Second baseman [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] started the inning off doubling down the left-field line, then advancing to third when center fielder [autotag]Jud Fabian[/autotag] flew out to center field before right fielder [autotag]Sterlin Thompson[/autotag] singled to right to get the Gators on the board. Designated hitter [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] then drove Thompson in on an RBI single.

The Hatters scored one more run in the top of the fourth, but the Gators answered by plating five runs. They used a solo shot, an RBI single and a three-run blast to take the 7-5 lead.

Florida tacked on three more insurance runs in the late innings while Stetson scored two in the top of the seventh and one more in the ninth to get to the final score of 10-8.

Shortstop [autotag]Joshua Rivera[/autotag], left fielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] and Fabian all homered in the offensive outburst. Thompson led all Florida bats, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs.

Fabian’s bomb Tuesday was the 48th of his career, helping him pass Gator great [autotag]Mike Zunino[/autotag] for fifth on Florida’s all-time home run list.

Florida’s bullpen struggled to consistently put down Stetson’s lineup. It allowed seven runs on 10 hits while giving up four free passes.

The Gators’ next game is a weekend showdown with No. 1 Tennessee who leads the country with 87 dingers. The first pitch is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. EDT at Florida Ballpark.

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Florida baseball steals one versus No. 2 Arkansas Razorbacks to even the series

Florida baseball starter Brandon Sproat propelled the Gators to victory versus the No. 2 Razorbacks.

Florida baseball pitcher [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] has now strung together two strong outings versus No. 23 Georgia last weekend and No. 2 Arkansas after mediocre outings against Alabama and LSU. He shut down the potent Razorbacks lineup Friday night to help his team force the rubber match.

The right-hander went 5 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits, two walks and one earned run while striking out five. His strong start propelled the Gators toward a 7-2 victory Friday at Florida Ballpark to even the series.

Florida’s lineup came out guns blazing after only recording three hits in an 8-1 defeat Thursday. Center fielder [autotag]Jud Fabian[/autotag] doubled after second baseman [autotag]Colby Halter[/autotag] flew out to center field. Fabian advanced to third on a passed ball and then was driven in by a right fielder [autotag]Sterlin Thompson[/autotag] sacrifice fly. Left fielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] then blasted an opposite-field homer to give them a 2-0 advantage after the first inning.

The Gators picked up where they left off in the next inning. Arkansas starter Hagen Smith loaded the bases and walked third baseman [autotag]Deric Fabian[/autotag] to send a runner home. Halter then drove in shortstop [autotag]Joshua Rivera[/autotag] to push their lead to 4-0. Catcher [autotag]BT Riopelle[/autotag] snuck a solo shot over the right-center-field wall to add another run.

Arkansas took advantage of a Halter error in the top of the fifth to finally get on the board. Florida responded quickly, earning that run in the bottom half. Riopelle drove in Thompson via a sac fly and first baseman [autotag]Kendrick Calilao[/autotag] doubled down the left-field line, scoring Langford to increase the lead to 7-1.

The Razorbacks scored one more run when designated hitter Brady Slavens tripled to center field, driving in Braydon Webb.

Florida then held on in the ninth to clinch the 7-2 victory, breaking a six-game losing streak versus SEC opponents. Langford finished the night 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI. Riopelle went 2-for-3 with a longball and two RBIs. The Gators lineup also only struck out four times versus Arkansas.

They’ll return Saturday at 1 p.m. EDT to play Arkansas at Florida Ballpark for the series victory.

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