It’s been almost eight months since Florida’s magical run to the College World Series in 2024. It entered the postseason just one game over .500 before rattling off five consecutive elimination game victories.
The Gators’ Cinderella story ended with a loss in the semifinals to Texas A&M. Now, Florida is poised to make a deep run to Omaha once again.
UF head coach Kevin O’Sullivan will lead the No.10 Gators, entering his 18th season at the helm of Florida. This season, O’Sullivan will look for his 10th College World Series berth and second national title.
The Gators return 17 players from last season’s roster, including five positional starters: junior shortstop Colby Shelton, second baseman Cade Kurland, catchers Brody Donay and Luke Heyman, along with senior outfielder Ty Evans.
Shelton is coming off a fantastic season, but it was a down year by his standards. After a 2023 Freshman All-American season at Alabama, he slashed .254 / .374 / .551 with 20 home runs and 56 RBI in his first season with Florida. Shelton, alongside Kurland, who hit 14 long balls last year, promise to be one of the more powerful middle-infield tandems in the SEC.
Donay and Heyman, who will split catching duties this spring, have a lot of pop in their bats, but will look to produce more consistently. The pair combined for 30 homers and 84 RBI in 2024, but both hit .246.
As for Evans, he is looking for a comeback after his 2024 season was cut short from breaking his wrist in May. Before the injury, Evans was amid a great season at the plate, batting .316 / .406 / .580 with 43 runs driven in.
On the pitching side, the Gators return three guys who will make up the weekend starting rotation. Sophomore right-handers Liam Peterson and Jake Clemente will be the Friday and Saturday starters while redshirt junior southpaw Pierce Coppola will get Sundays.
Peterson started 16 games for Florida last season, striking out 77 batters in 63 innings of work. The righty from Coral Springs, Clemente tossed 28 2/3 innings in 19 appearances with a 5.34 ERA. Six-foot-8 lefty Coppola returned to the team in April of last season after two season-ending injuries in the years prior. The big lefty is poised to break out in his first full season with the Gators.
While Florida returns a good mix of players from last year’s roster, it also welcomes one of the top-rated transfer classes in the country. Headlined by junior outfielder Blake Cyr and sophomore outfielder Kyle Jones, senior third baseman Bobby Bowser and senior right-handed pitcher Billy Barlow.
Cyr, a transfer from Miami, was a 2023 consensus Freshman All-American who played in 85 games across two seasons for the Hurricanes. He posted a 1.011 OPS with 34 home runs and 84 RBI in his Coral Gables career.
Jones, who transferred from Stetson, was named the 2024 ASUN Freshman of the Year last season after an incredible .355/.459/.476 slashline. He’s a great asset in the outfield and on the basepaths, having been a NCAA Gold Glove finalist while stealing 23 bags in his first collegiate season.
The USF transfer Bowser spent three years in Tampa, recording 31 homers and 85 RBIs in his career. He was named to the All-AAC First Team in his last two seasons with the Bulls.
Barlow brings a veteran presence to the Florida pitching staff. During his three years at Clemson, Barlow made 26 starts in 35 appearances. In his 109 1/3 career innings, he totaled 102 punchouts while surrendering just 42 walks.
Florida will open its season on Friday in the opening contest of a three-game set against Air Force, marking the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Peterson will get the start for the Gators on the mound as they begin their journey back to Omaha. First pitch at Condron Family Ballpark is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
Contact Hugh Green at hgreen@alligator.org. Follow him on X @HGreen_15.
Hugh is the Spring 2025 baseball beat reporter for The Alligator. He is a fourth-year journalism sports and media major. In his free time, Hugh enjoys watching all kinds of sports with his friends.
