Two-way phenom Jac Caglianone played in his final game at Condron Family Ballpark this afternoon. The Tampa native arrived at Florida in 2022 as one of the Nation’s top recruits. If it weren’t for Tommy John surgery, Caglianone may have never made it to campus.
“These three years really flew by, so it was very surreal, little bit of a tearjerker for sure just being around the same guys for a long time,” Caglianone said on his time at Florida.
Florida’s plan for Caglianone was to redshirt him as he couldn’t pitch due to his arm injury he suffered before arriving. However, needing a steady bat in the lineup as the season progressed, the Gators decided to burn Caglianone’s redshirt after conversations with him and his family.
The freshman would go on to hit .288 with seven home runs across 28 games, showcasing his talent at the plate in such a short window.
“Having the freshmen year go the way it did, having the opportunity to play, having the coaching staff stick with me coming off the injury, just speaks volumes about the type of people that they are and the type of coaches that they are,” Caglianone said on his freshman season.
Caglianone was named to the 2022 SEC All-Tournament Team and NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team.
The 6’5 slugger broke out the following season, setting the at the time NCAA BBCOR record for home runs in a single season with 33. Caglianone was named a consensus First Team All-American and the ABCA National Position Player of the Year as well as a Golden Spikes Award Finalist.
Caglianone led Florida to a 54-17 record and a trip to the CWS Finals, where the Gators would come just one game short of claiming the program’s second National Championship.
“Obviously last year, probably the most fun year of baseball that I’ve personally ever had, just thinking back to the type of group that we had with all those guys that are obviously no longer here. Just one of those things that you definitely don’t take for granted. The culture that we’ve had these past couple years has just been something irreplaceable,” Caglianone said.
While the 2024 season hasn’t gone as planned, Caglianone continued his dominance, hitting a career high .418 with 28 home runs while pitching to a 5-1 record (4.07 ERA).
“Playing at Condron for the past three years is one of those things that I’m definitely going to miss, it’s a big part of who I am, it’s a big part of my life. The suns going to rise tomorrow but at the end of the day kind of a chapter closed. But this year’s not over, we got more to look forward to,” Caglianone said after his final home game.
Caglianone took the mound against No.4 Kentucky, logging 6.1 innings pitched while allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks. Gator Nation showed their support with a standing ovation as Caglianone walked off the mound for one final time at Condron Ballpark.
“It had me tearing up in the bullpen, people were like thank you and stuff,” Caglianone said on Gator Nation’s support. “It doesn’t really hit you until it’s over. It meant a lot, usually I just walk off the mound and stare at the dugout, but today I deceived to give one last look walking off. It was surreal. I can’t thank Gator Nation enough for the way they supported me and my teammates these past few years.”
After the second heartbreaking loss of the series, Caglianone spent over 30 minutes signing autographs for kids.
“As many as I could, one final time,” Caglianone said postgame.
“I’ll never say no to a kid when signing,” Caglianone added. “I know at that age when I was at those games, when I was trying to get an autograph, it was always nice to have the player be nice and just a personable person, realize that he’s just an average person that plays baseball.”
Jac Caglianone is a soon to be top five pick in the MLB draft and has established himself as one of the greatest players to ever wear Orange and Blue, regardless of sport.
The Florida Gators travel to Athens, Georgia next weekend for a must win series against the Bulldogs.