Gator Baseball 2026 Gator Baseball thread

[Joegator96]

It's time to welcome back Gator Baseball. This year headed by a smiling not sullen Sully! Of course it's early and a poor freshman pitcher hasn't walked the first batter on four pitches yet. That will bring out the "normal" in Sully!
Anyway, it looks like an interesting set of opportunities with another schedule packed with top SEC teams and top teams from ACC and elsewhere. The roster looks to be reloaded thru the portal and some interesting HS recruits. I suspect the line-up card will fluctuate a lot in the first month to see who shows up in competition vs intrasquad games.

Pitching will again drive us into the postseason or possibly drive us to drink even more! Our weekend rotation with Peterson and King is being hailed as possibly the best one and two in the country. We should be able to stay in every game either of these guys pitch and it is reasonable to assume they will provide quality starts thru the fifth or even the sixth as the season lengthens. Several names are being bandied about for the Sunday slot and one of the most intriguing is southpaw Ernesto Lugo-Canchola, He is the 2025 D2 pitcher of the year and first team AA. His record at the lower division was 13-0. Another we will give a good look to is Cooper Walls a 6'5" sophomore from San Diego via Hawaii, Walls started 13 games as a true freshman and reportably has great stuff and mound presence, we shall see. Another option is returning pitcher Luke McNellie who I prefer as a primary long reliever for the weekends as he can eat up some innings when needed. Russell Sandefer comes over from UCF and prior to that Saint Leo D2. He is a mid nineties pitcher with control.

Mid-week games are always an experiment and this year should show a level of pitching depth we have missed the last couple years. Last season's transfer Billy Barlow underperformed has returned and he is barely mentioned in any critical role. That speaks volumes about the new arms in camp. Jackson Barberi will get a chance at the back end of games as he is consistently in the 97 to 99 range on the fastball and throws strikes. Christian Rodriguez is another name for the backend provided he can throw strikes. He was MVP in one of the summer leagues these guys play on, not sure which one.

Offensively we appear loaded with many question marks defensively! The key is going to be our superstar sophomore Brendan Lawson who is projected as the first pick in MLB two years hence. Lawson needs to play SS for the hype to get him picked first overall and last season did not make that seem probable to me. He is going to be given the job on the come because he is a force at the plate and the other infield spots can be filled by others. When Kurland is healthy (if ever again) he will resume 2B a Ole Miss transfer Ethan Surowiec will start at third with Cadan McDonald or Landon Stripling at 1B. Many think these two will alternate at 1B and DH.

The catchers are all new to O &B with the most experienced coming in from TCU. Karson Bowen was second team Big 12 has started for three seasons and hits300+ with a 990 fielding percentage.. The other two are transfers and upper classmen also.

Big logjam in the outfield with Kyle Jones coming back from injury leading off and roaming CF, Blake Cyr returns to man one of the outfield corners and then we have a crowd of returners like Justin Nadeau, Hayden Yost, Blake Brookins and Ashton Wilson, each one of the forenamed have had their moments with the Gators. The challenge is coming from two true freshmen lead by Jacob Kendall who has torn it up in both the fall and spring drills. Reports the balls off his bat sizzle and he goes deep regularly which warms Sully's heart. The other one is Cash Strayer from Tampa Plant so his pedigree is good. So, eight players gunning for three spots should keep Jones and Cyr on their toes because I doubt Sully will tolerate underperformers with this mush depth.

I don't really know much about Tom Slater other than he has worked for many top tier teams in both college and mostly MLB. Let's hope Slater can keep Sully from scaring the pitchers and he can teach our hitters how to place a sac bunt, hit oppo, shoot the gaps and steal a base when its there to steal.

I'm optimistic!

 

[stephenPE]

Honestly, if they make the CWS I get into it. Do they have a pitch clock in college. I have watched some MLB with my good friend (huge baseball fan of MLB) and that clock made the game much better. After watching hockey, basketball soccer and even football it just moves too slow for me......But if the O&B have a great year Im on that band wagon like stink on shttt

 

[FireFoley]

Just throw strikes. The best 1-2 weekend guys? No. Peterson has a live arm but cannot get thru 6 innings with regularity b/c he cannot throw strikes, goes way too deep into counts. Yes I know he is a strikeout pitcher and will throw more pitches, but need to attack hitters early and often. Lawson at SS? I know he played that in HS, but given his few games and 2B and 3B last year, I do not see it. what about the kid from the IVY league at SS? He was POY in that conference. And I like Rodruguez. Does not throw hard, but of all those young guys last year, he was not afraid to throw strikes.

And since Sully is out the first weekend. can't wait to see our "pitching coach" handle the pitchers. Have not seen him do anything since he has been here, like even talk to pitchers in the dugout during games. Sits in the dugout looking bored and like he cannot wait to get home.

 

[Thick&ThinG8r]

Thanks Joe! I gave up my season tickets this year. I wasn't making it to enough games to justify it any longer.
I will be there opening day with hopes of sunshine and dominate pitching.

 

[Joegator96]

Just throw strikes. The best 1-2 weekend guys? No. Peterson has a live arm but cannot get thru 6 innings with regularity b/c he cannot throw strikes, goes way too deep into counts. Yes I know he is a strikeout pitcher and will throw more pitches, but need to attack hitters early and often. Lawson at SS? I know he played that in HS, but given his few games and 2B and 3B last year, I do not see it. what about the kid from the IVY league at SS? He was POY in that conference. And I like Rodruguez. Does not throw hard, but of all those young guys last year, he was not afraid to throw strikes.

And since Sully is out the first weekend. can't wait to see our "pitching coach" handle the pitchers. Have not seen him do anything since he has been here, like even talk to pitchers in the dugout during games. Sits in the dugout looking bored and like he cannot wait to get home.

MLB scouts disagree with you. Peterson is listed as the first or second pitcher off the board in the upcoming draft. King is in a similar situation in 2027. I agree, throw strikes!

The transfer SS may start the season at 2B (maybe SS) as the replacement for Kurland who is not projected back until the UM series in week 3 or4. We have plenty of corner infielders and are thin up the middle. Lawson is going to dictate where he is going to play or he will hit the portal after the season to play SS for someone. His bat makes me want him here where hopefully he can develop into a good. not great SS. We shall see!

 

[FireFoley]

I am well aware what scouts think of Peterson. They care that he has a super live arm. I said that. A J Puk was close to dogshyt as a pitcher at UF but was a top 10 pick. Why? B/C he had a live arm (and was a lefty). I wish Peterson the best and hope he is great, but he has not lived up to the billing he came to UF with. As far as King, I mentioned nothing about his pitching. He throws strikes and is not afraid to attack hitters, even though his arm is no where near like Perterson's. But King knows how to "pitch" and pitch to contact. King is a better version of Hudson Randall or Logan Shore.

 

[dz_23]

Thanks for the updates! Ready for Friday night, but with that said, it’s a long season. Let’s try not to panic until May. Go Gators

 

[MJMGator]

Thanks for the updates! Ready for Friday night, but with that said, it’s a long season. Let’s try not to panic until May. Go Gators

Are you new here?

 

[Altitude Gator]

Thanks for the updates! Ready for Friday night, but with that said, it’s a long season. Let’s try not to panic until May. Go Gators

I am already to panic now. I don't need you to tell me when to start. I have plan and it starts...NOW!

Just throw strikes and stop looking at good pitches to get to a "favorable count" because you just struck out. And for fuches sake, run the damn bases like you "leared" in little league!

 

[Great White Buffalo]

I am well aware what scouts think of Peterson. They care that he has a super live arm. I said that. A J Puk was close to dogshyt as a pitcher at UF but was a top 10 pick. Why? B/C he had a live arm (and was a lefty). I wish Peterson the best and hope he is great, but he has not lived up to the billing he came to UF with. As far as King, I mentioned nothing about his pitching. He throws strikes and is not afraid to attack hitters, even though his arm is no where near like Perterson's. But King knows how to "pitch" and pitch to contact. King is a better version of Hudson Randall or Logan Shore.

If Peterson makes the same jump as he did between his FR and SO years, he'll have an ERA in the low 2's this year. Kids get better or they'd never get drafted... He, King, and McNeillie/Sandefer/Lugo-Canchola/Walls have a chance to be a top rotation IF Sully doesn't fuchs it up.