SEC Baseball: Florida Gators 2023 Team Preview

The Florida Gators have not been able to get over the hump in recent years; not making it out of their past three regionals. The last time they made the College World Series was in 2018 where they lost in the semi-finals. Last season, Florida had a semi-successful season accumulating 42 wins and hosting a regional. A combination of returners and newcomers has them pre-season ranked #2 according to baseballnews.com. Can the Gators meet expectations and get over the hump this year?

Florida Gators 2023 SEC Baseball Team Preview

Negatives:

The Gators lost their #1 pitcher Hunter Barco to the draft. Barco entered the 2022 season as the best pitcher, if not player, in all of college baseball. He was 5-2 with a 2.50 ERA before his season was cut short due to Tommy John surgery. The other big piece Florida lost is second baseman/right-fielder Sterlin Thompson. Thompson was taken in the first round by the Rockies in the MLB draft. This was after a monster season for Thompson as he slashed .354/.443/.563 in 2022. Along with losing 2 out of their 3 best players, the Gators lost some depth with outfielder Jud Fabian and pitcher Nick Pogue also going to the MLB.

Positives:

The good news, for the Gators, is that they return a boat load of studs from last year and even add some phenomenal talent. Outfielder Wyatt Langford will lead the offense from the lead off spot. He had a phenomenal 2022 season hitting .355 with 26 home runs. B.T. Riopelle will also look to replicate his offensive production from last year. The senior catcher hit .304 last year with 15 home runs. Returning INF Colby Halter could be a breakout player this year. Although he only hit .240 last year, I expect him to make a lot of growth this year as he had an all-star season in the Cape Cod league over the summer. Although pitching was an issue for this team last year, they added arguably the best transfer in the country with Hurston Waldrep. Waldrep was the best guy for Southern Miss last year going 6-2 with a 3.20 ERA. He also totaled 9 double-digit strikeout starts with a high of 13 against Western Kentucky. The Gators also bring back Brandon Sproat who had a great 2022 season. It’s no secret he struggled at the start of the season, but Sproat finished strong with a 1.59 ERA and 5 wins in his last 6 starts.

Spin Zone:

Although the Florida Gators lost two big pieces from the 2022 season, I see them having a monster year in 2023. They return a very young lineup who gained some valuable experience last year and during the summer. Wyatt Langford and Hurston Waldrep will fill the Barco/Thompson hole with everyone around them only getting better. Despite the lack of production in 2022, they still hosted a regional. The way I see it, the only way is up for these guys and I think this is the chance for them to break through to Omaha.