Tag: Luke Heyman

D1Baseball names 5 Florida Gators to top-100 MLB prospects list

After a couple of star-studded draft classes in Gainesville, which Florida baseball players are likely to hear their name called in 2025?

The Florida Gators have seen more than 100 players selected in the MLB draft since [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] took over, and that number is only set to grow in the upcoming cycle.

D1Baseball included four returning Gators — [autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag], [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag], [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] — and incoming Miami transfer [autotag]Blake Cyr[/autotag] on its list of the top 100 MLB draft prospects at the college level heading into 2025.

Although the list came out in the days after the draft, Shelton only made his return official at the end of July. He’s now officially the highest-ranked Gator on the list at No. 34 overall and fifth among shortstops.

Right-hander Jake Clemente is next at No. 51 and should be a scout favorite after tearing it up in the Cape Cod League over the summer. He should get a chance to start in Gainesville this year, potentially as the third piece of the weekend rotation.

Which Gators are on the bubble?

The other three mentioned above are all in the 94-98 range. Cyr and Donay are both bat-heavy prospects who don’t really have a position.

D1Baseball lists Donay as an outfielder instead of a catcher, but he only played five summer ball games in right to seven games behind the dish and 10 at first. Donay’s height makes him a nice fit at first base, but he’s still looking for ways to utilize his arm strength on the field.

Cyr is another SEC-caliber bat with no clear position heading into 2025. He started off at second base with Miami but moved to left field last year. The only conference in college baseball tougher than the ACC is the SEC, so it’s unlikely we see Cyr move back to the infield but remains an option.

Both Cyr and Donay have 20-homer potential going into next season, but scouts are going to limit the ceiling of any prospect who doesn’t have a future at a coveted position on the field. That’s the reason for Shelton’s high ranking, even though numbers took a dip.

Finally, there’s second baseman Cade Kurland, who has a position but struggled to field it at times during his sophomore season. A bounce-back season defensively could vault him up from the No. 95 spot without much resistance. Bringing his strikeout rate back down five points to his freshman-year numbers would also help.

Who could join the list?

It’s always hard to predict which players will break out coming into a season, but a few proven names in Gainesville were left off this list.

Left-hander [autotag]Pierce Coppola[/autotag] might end up being the most impressive piece of the weekend rotation if his strikeout rate stays above 30%. Then there’s catcher [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag], who went through the same sophomore slump Kurland did but has a chance to stick at catcher.

A longshot to make the top 100 would be outfielder [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag], who was on fire for most of 2024 before suffering a season-ending injury. He’ll lose most of his draft leverage as a senior, but there’s still a shot at being selected in the first five rounds.

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.

Gators breakout OF announces return to Florida for 2025 season

Ty Evans will look to build his draft stock with the Gators with another season in Gainesville.

The Florida baseball program got some good news on Tuesday afternoon when breakout outfielder [autotag]Ty Evans[/autotag] announced on the platform formerly known as Twitter that he is returning to school for his senior season.

Evans started the 2024 campaign strong thanks to a copious amount of offseason preparation, batting .356 in non-conference play to kick things off. His breakout performance continued through the Southeastern Conference schedule and into the postseason with the Orange and Blue.

The outfielder finished the season with a .316 batting average while slugging 13 home runs along with 10 doubles. Evans also drove in 43 RBI and scored 44 runs thanks in part to a .580 slugging percentage and .406 on-base percentage — all of the above which are career highs.

Evans’ previous production

The right-handed outfielder appeared in 35 games while making 26 starts in right field as a true freshman in 2022 — 21 one of those starts coming in the final 21 games. Evans slashed .242/.301/.465 with five home runs, one triple, five doubles, 16 RBI, 13 runs and three steals across 99 at-bats that year.

The following season, the Auburndale, Florida, product appeared in 49 games, including 44 starts in right field as a sophomore. Evans slashed .239/.302/.485 over 163 at-bats while setting then-career highs with nine home runs, two triples, nine doubles, 43 RBI and 30 runs.

He set a College World Series record with five home runs in 2023 while being named to the MCWS All-Tournament Team.

Other Gators returning to Gainesville

Evans joins [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] — who was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the final round of the MLB draft — along with catcher [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] and left-handed pitcher [autotag]Pierce Coppola[/autotag] as the draft-eligible players this year expected to the program.

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.

Florida routs Kentucky in College World Series elimination game

Florida batted around in the first inning and never looked back against Kentucky in a 15-4 rout at the College World Series on Wednesday.

A seven-run first inning set the tone for Florida’s 12-4 win over Kentucky at the College World Series on Wednesday.

Both teams faced elimination coming into the day, but this iteration of the Gators appear to thrive with their backs against the wall. Hustle was at an all-time high, and the entire lineup backed up [autotag]Pierce Coppola[/autotag] in his eighth start of the season.

The Gators get a break before playing the Texas A&M Aggies at 7 p.m., hoping to force a winner-takes-all matchup on Thursday. With little time to relive the big win this morning, here’s how it all went down.

Gators came to play

Putting [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] in the leadoff spot forced Kentucky to pitch to him, and the future first-rounder delivered with a single through the shift that turned into a two-bagger thanks to some laziness getting the ball to the infield.

[autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] should have popped out, but Kentucky’s first baseman lost the ball which led to a hit by pitch. With two on and one out, C[autotag]olby Shelton[/autotag] doubled off the wall in right field to score Caglianone. Shelton thought he had a two-run triple, but Kurland got the stop sign ahead of him. 1-1, UF.

[autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] lined one to left center, and Shelton’s aggressiveness on the basepaths allowed him to score easily. 3-1, UF. [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] ate another pitch that ran too far inside, and that was it for Kentucky starter Dominic Niman.

[autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag] greeted UK right-hander Cam O’Brien with a single to reload the bases. Then, [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] took the first pitch he saw over the right field wall with some help from the wind. Grand salami. Florida leads, 7-1.

Kentucky actually struck first, scoring on a two-out single to right field, but that seemed like ancient history by the end of the frame.

K-oppola cruises

A quiet second from both clubs was broken in the third when Kurland drove in another pair of runs for the Gators. Wilson started the rally with another hit by pitch, forcing Kentucky to the bullpen once again. Donay single to put two on, and Caglianone loaded things up with an intentional walk. 9-1, UF.

Kentucky managed to plate another run in the fourth, but Coppola was cruising otherwise. He ran into some more trouble in the fifth — a two-out walk turned into a two-run homer — but he still struck out the side, including five of the last seven batters he faced.

Even though four runs crossed, this was Coppola’s best start of the year. He threw a career-high 98 pitches (60 strikes) and worked through five full frames for the first time.

No mercy (rule)

Kentucky’s offensive outburst went mostly unnoticed thanks to an immediate response from the Gators. Donay homered for the second time on the day, a no-doubter to left field. 10-4, UF.

An unintentional intentional walk (four straight balls) put Caglianone on, and he quickly scampered around the bases. A wild pitch gave him second base and Caglianone straight-up stole third. [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] drove him in with an infield single. 11-4, UF.

Shelton walked, initiating another pitching change for Kentucky, and Heyman promptly rocketed a ball past third to score Shelnut. Wilson brought in both runners with a poke to right. 14-4, UF.

Cags makes history

Only one more run crossed over the final four innings, but it’s the one that’s going to be remembered the most 20 years from now.

Jac Caglianone broke the program record for home runs with his 75th as a Florida Gator, passing Matt Laporta. At times, it felt impossible that he would break this record, but Caglianone was intent on cementing himself as the greatest slugger in program history. 15-4, UF.

Save the bullpen

Perhaps the most important outcome of this game was the rest Florida’s bullpen got. [autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] threw two scoreless innings in relief of Coppola. He struck out four, walked just one and only allowed one base hit.

[autotag]Alex Philpott[/autotag] looked stellar in his first appearance since April 9. Philpott was dealing with an injury for a bit, but he showed no signs of rust in Omaha. He retired all six batters he faced, in order, including three strikeouts.

Liam Peterson is expected to start against Texas A&M.

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 shakes up lineup ahead of College World Series elimination game vs Kentucky

The rain might have delayed this game, but that gave Kevin O’Sullivan time to tinker with his lineup.

Inclement weather gave Florida baseball head coach Kevin O’Sullivan more time to look over his notes, and the Gators will send out a new-look lineup on Wednesday against Kentucky because of it.

Since the second game of the Stillwater Regional, Florida has gone with second baseman [autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] in the leadoff spot, followed by first baseman/pitcher [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag], right fielder [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag], shortstop [autotag]Colby Shelton[/autotag] and catcher/first baseman [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag].

Wilson’s legendary performance against Nebraska in the regional opener — three doubles and a home run — moved him into the No. 3 spot, but he’s cooled off since. He’s 0-for-7 so far in Omaha, and now Sully has him back down in the six-hole.

Moving Wilson means elevating another player, though, and that’s [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag], who has had an extra-base hit in four of the last five games. His home runs against NC State ended up being the difference maker in the win.

Caglianone and Kurland are also switching spots. A 6-foot-5-inch lefty with power isn’t the prototypical build for a leadoff man, but Caglianone rarely strikes out and is hitting over .410 this season.

Shelton and Heyman remain in the lineup’s 4 and 5 spots, despite a combined eight strikeouts in Omaha. The bottom third of the order — [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag], [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] — also remains untouched.

Robertson has been hot lately. He’s figured out how to drive the ball to the opposite field and uses his plus speed to get on base, but hitting him ninth makes him like a second leadoff hitter, but at the bottom of the order, especially with Caglianone hitting behind him now.

[autotag]Pierce Coppola[/autotag] is set to start on the mound for Florida, as planned. Kentucky is likely to throw a left-hander as well, which is why some of those lineup changes may have happened — Cags hits better against lefties somehow.

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 headed to College World Series in Clemson after 13-inning thriller

In the most dramatic way possible, Florida claimed its spot in Omaha on Sunday night as the Gators took down the Clemson Tigers to advance to the College World Series.

Against all odds, the Florida Gators are headed back to Omaha.

Despite a 28-27 finish to the season, including the SEC Tournament, Florida managed to make it out of the Stillwater Regional over Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Niagara and then won the Clemson Super Regional without allowing the Tigers to take a game at home.

Florida, playing as the home team, won a 13-inning thriller off the bat of center fielder [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag]. Clemson scored in the top of the final frame to take the lead, but Florida’s offense did what they do best — come back to win a big game.

Robertson’s liner to left-center slowed Clemson’s outfielders to an eventual stop as they realized their season was coming to an end. Jaylen Guy scored the tying run pinch-running for [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] made the Gators winners.

Heyman and Shelnut both singled to spark the late rally, but [autotag]Dale Thomas[/autotag]’ sacrifice bunt set up the winning moment. [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag], who homered in the sixth, was intentionally walked to take away the squeeze bunt, but Robertson came through in the clutch.

It’s a full-circle moment for Robertson, who started the season as one of the SEC’s best center fielders. A slump at the plate moved him into a platoon situation with Guy, but he reclaimed the full-time role by season’s end, partially due to injuries.

[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] went 5 2/3 innings for Florida on the mound and tied his program record for home runs with his 33rd. When Caglianone handed the ball over in the sixth, he was in line for the win and Florida had a 7-4 lead.

[autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] was first out of the bullpen and looked dominant in the seventh striking out the side, but trouble in the eighth moved [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] to bring in closer [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] despite the four innings he threw on Saturday.

Two runs crossed, making it a one-run game, but Neely got them right back courtesy of an [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] two-run shot that punished Clemson after intentionally walking Caglianone.

Neely was running out of gas, though, and a three-run homer from center fielder Cam Cannarella in the top of the ninth put extra innings in play.

Wilson nearly walked it off in the 10th with a ball to the fence, but Cannarella saved Clemson’s season again with a Willie Mays basket catch to end the frame.

[autotag]Luke McNeillie[/autotag] earned the win, pitching the final two innings for Florida. [autotag]Frank Menendez[/autotag] walked the only batter he faced between him and Neely.

The College World Series begins on Friday, June 14. Florida awaits the completion of the other Super Regionals. So far, Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia are in the field.

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.

Florida evens series with Georgia, keeps NCAA Tournament hopes alive

The win guarantees Kevin O’Sullivan’s team at least a .500 record before the postseason begins.

The final series of the regular season for Florida baseball against the Georgia Bulldogs is tied at one game apiece thanks to a 7-4 extra-inning victory by the Gators at Foley Field in Athens. The win guarantees [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag]’s team at least a .500 record before the postseason begins.

Starter [autotag]Liam Peterson[/autotag] went 5 1/3 innings in this one, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four before turning things over to the bullpen. [autotag]Luke McNellie[/autotag] then came in, walking one and hitting another batter before [autotag]Brandon Neely[/autotag] settled things down for 4 2/3 innings of work allowing a run on two hits while striking out six for the win.

[autotag]Cade Kurland[/autotag] (1-for-5) and [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] (1-for-5) were the heroes in this one saving things for later in the game after both getting off to slow starts. Kurland tied the game in the eighth with a two-out, two-run home run and Heyman’s three-run blast in the 10th provided the final margin of victory for the Orange and Blue.

[autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] (3-for-4) and [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] (3-for-4) both had productive days at the plate with their three hits, including a double apiece. [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] (1-for-4) and [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] (1-for-5) also made it to base with balls in play.

The two Southeastern Conference foes wrap up the regular-season schedule on Saturday afternoon with the first pitch slated for 2 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.

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

Florida baseball drops crucial series opener against Georgia

Florida needs to win this weekend series in Athens, but it’s going to be tough after dropping the opener to Georgia, 9-4.

Florida’s path to the NCAA Tournament got much harder after falling 9-4 against Georgia in the series opener on Thursday night.

Things started off ugly for Florida start [autotag]Pierce Coppola[/autotag], who had steadily improved in each of his first four appearances. He hit the first batter he saw, leading to a Charlie Condon single. A couple of flyouts advanced the runners and scored a run, and a Paul Toetz homer made it 3-0 in favor of Georgia early.

Coppola gave a leadoff homer in the second and was pulled in the third after putting the first two runners in scoring position. [autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] took over and stranded both runners after striking out a pair.

Clemente sat down the first seven batters he faced only to get the intentional walk sign from the dugout with Condon at the plate. That threw off Clemente’s rhythm. Tre Phelps doubled for the second time, and a groundout brought in a run.

Toetz added another RBI to his stat line with a single to left and income [autotag]Fisher Jameson[/autotag] took over for Clemente, allowing another run to score on a double before striking out Carter for out No. 3.

Florida didn’t make much noise while Georgia ran up the score, but [autotag]Luke Heyman[/autotag] and [autotag]Brody Donay[/autotag] homered in the third and fourth, respectively, to put something on the board.

The Gators didn’t score again until the ninth. Heyman homered for the second time, but that just made it a five-run game.

Recapping the rest of the arms Florida threw in the loss: [autotag]Cade Fisher[/autotag] walked the only batter he faced, Ryan Slater gave up a home run to Carter in the seventh and [autotag]Frank Menendez[/autotag] pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings despite allowing three baserunners (two walks, one hit).

Florida needs to win on Friday to have a shot at the NCAA Tournament. First pitch has been moved up to 1 p.m. ET in anticipation of inclement weather.

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