Tag: Michael Robertson

Florida starting CF Michael Robertson enters transfer portal

After three years and 104 starts with the Florida Gators, centerfielder Michael Robertson is hitting the transfer portal.

The Florida Gators will have a new face in center field next season with redshirt sophomore [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] hitting the transfer portal on Tuesday.

Robertson made 104 starts for Florida over two seasons after redshirting as a freshman due to injury. He slashed .243/.341/.318 with three home runs and 45 runs batted in. He also stole 16 bases in 20 attempts.

Speed is Robertson’s best tool. It makes him a true centerfielder with plus range and a good nose for the ball. He also has zero fear, which can be to his detriment at times but more often rewards the fans with a web gem.

Being a lefty, Robertson struggled against southpaw arms until the very end of his tenure in Gainesville. Something clicked late, though, and Robertson became a threat at the bottom of the order by slapping balls to the left side.

In 2023, he showed promise with 33 walks to 47 strikeouts, but he finished 2024 with just 12 walks and 46 punchouts in 36 fewer plate appearances. If Robertson can bring that walk rate back up and continue hitting the way he did at the end of the year, he’s a leadoff hitter somewhere in the Power Four

Who replaces Robertson in center field?

The move makes sense for Robertson after two years of fighting to stay in center at Florida. Kevin O’Sullivan brought in Stetson centerfielder [autotag]Kyle Jones[/autotag], who looks like a starter, putting the writing on the wall.

Not to mention, Florida also brought in [autotag]Jaylen Guy[/autotag] from Liberty to platoon in center, but he couldn’t hit consistently enough to outright take the job from Robertson. Jones is a different story and looks like the leadoff hitter Sully always wanted Robertson to be.

The other angle here is that Robertson is draft-eligible. If Florida failed to bring in a starting-caliber centerfielder and Robertson got a strong enough offer to go pro, the Gators have a big hole to fill. Now Robertson can hit the portal, find a guaranteed starting job, or take the money in the draft.

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Stetson outfielder Kyle Jones commits to Florida baseball

Florida baseball has already earned a handful of commitments from the transfer portal. The latest is Stetson outfielder Kyle Jones.

As the Florida Gators baseball team arrived back in Gainesville from their magical College World Series run, the coaching staff got some good news from the transfer portal.

Former Stetson outfielder Madison [autotag]Kyle Jones[/autotag] (goes by middle name) announced his commitment to the Orange and Blue on social media. Jones slashed .355/.459/.476 as the starting centerfielder for the Hatters last year.

Jones was named the ASUN Freshman of the Year after leading Stetson in batting average, runs, doubles, stolen bases and on-base percentage. He also made the All-ASUN Third Team and was the only freshman finalist for the 2024 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I Gold Glove team.

Scouting Report

Most of Jones’ power is to the pull side due to his plus bat speed, but it isn’t home-run power yet. He only belted five long balls a year ago, which isn’t typical of players Florida goes after in the portal, but he has borderline elite bat-to-ball skills and a [autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag]-esque frame at 6-foot-3-inches and 170 pounds. In a perfect world, he matures physically and pushes double-digit homers while maintaining a plus-contact tool.

Even if he doesn’t add the power, Jones struck out just 27 times to 33 walks last year. He’s going to get on base, and he’s not going to blow it in big opportunities.

There’s also a speed element to Jones’ game. Prep Baseball Report recorded a sub-6.6-second 60-yard dash during his high school days. He’s rangy enough to play center field and has a solid (but not elite) arm — 90 mph from the outfield. Jones made just one error last season.

That plus speed also helps on the basepaths. He’s liable to leg out doubles more often than his counterparts — 15 in 2024 — and is a threat at all times on the basepaths. Jones stole 23 bags successfully last year and was caught only five times.

Where does Jones fit in Florida’s lineup?

Everything about Jones’ profile screams starting center fielder, but it’s going to be hard to unseat [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] from that spot, assuming a return.

Robertson could try his luck in the draft, but he spent most of the season battling for playing time before clicking in the postseason. If Robertson can reach his full potential, Jones will need to play left field for the Gators. Jones is still a better candidate to leadoff, though, because of his 8.9% strikeout rate.

One domino falling usually means trouble behind it, though. If Jones fits into the vacant spot left by Shelnut in left field, then where does incoming outfielder [autotag]Blake Cyr[/autotag] play? Miami moved him from second to left field last season.

A shift to right field for Cyr feels natural, but that’s where Ashton Wilson would slot. Of course, either Cyr or Wilson could move back to the infield, where Florida has plenty of questions left to answer — namely who the starting shortstop will be.

The pieces are still in motion, but it’s clear that [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] is reloading his team for another deep run in the College World Series.

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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.

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Florida eliminates NC State, stays alive in College World Series

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

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Florida completes regional comeback, upsets Oklahoma State to advance

The Florida Gators are regional champions and will face Clemson in a three-game super regional series.

A month ago, Florida hardly looked like an NCAA Tournament team, but a switch flipped during the Georgia series and the Gators are now headed to the super regionals after taking down regional host Oklahoma State, 4-2, on Monday night.

Florida had already played four games over the weekend, so pitching depth was thin coming into the game. Redshirt freshman [autotag]Jake Clemente[/autotag] and true freshmen left-hander [autotag]Frank Menendez[/autotag] kept the Cowboys quiet enough through 5 2/3 innings, setting the table for junior [autotag]Fisher Jameson[/autotag] to slam the door shut.

Menendez earned his first win of the season, and Clemente was solid in his second start of the year. The Cowboys made solid contact off him a few times but it took until the fourth inning to score off him.

Clemente didn’t have his best stuff, walking three batters to just two strikeouts, but he left the game with a lead in the fourth. Aidan Meola doubled in a run, bringing out [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] to make the switch.

Florida’s early lead came from the two most unlikely heroes in the lineup. [autotag]Ashton Wilson[/autotag] continued his regional run for the ages with a liner to right-center that scored both [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Robertson[/autotag] in the third. Robertson added another run in the fourth with a poke to left field, beating the shift.

[autotag]Frank Menendez[/autotag] was first out of the bullpen, making his first appearance for the Gators since May 16. He went a career-high 2 1/3 innings, but it wasn’t without drama.

Menendez came into the game with two men on but got a pair of fly balls with his changeup, which even had O’Sullivan doling out some praise during the in-game interview. It’s the same pitch he used to strike out Meola in the fifth, capping off an escape from a bases-loaded jam with no outs.

Sully also said he needed to use Menendez as long as he could, bringing him back out for the sixth. A two-out walk ended his day, but he delivered the bullpen performance Florida needed in the biggest game of the year. A run on a sacrifice fly is a small price to pay considering the circumstances.

[autotag]Tyler Shelnut[/autotag] added an insurance run with a monster home run to left center in the bottom of the sixth, his 14th of the season.

Fisher Jameson came in after Menendez and did his best Branon Neely impression. He made sure Sully couldn’t take the ball from him by retiring all 10 batters he faced without a blemish. Perfection when it was needed most.

Jameson struck out four, including the final batter of the day, igniting a celebration back in Gainesville and sending the Oklahoma State fans home with disappointment across their faces.

It wasn’t easy to come out on top in Stillwater, but Florida got the pitching performances it needed to make it to the Supers. Clemson is next. Best of two out of three, starting on Friday or Saturday.

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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+.

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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 Baseball 2024 Position Preview: Outfielders

With Wyatt Langford now in the pros, Florida is lacking some star power in the outfield. Here are the Gators who will be manning the grass in 2024.

The final group to discuss in our 2024 Florida baseball season preview are the outfielders.

The group lacks the kind of star power Gator Nation has grown used to with players like Jud Fabian and Wyatt Langford roaming centerfield, but the stage is set for another Florida legend to be born.

Kevin O’Sullivan has a talented group of returning players to turn to, but some new faces should see the field as well.

Let’s take a look at Florida’s outfielders for the 2024 campaign.