The Florida Gators have picked up their fourth pitcher through the transfer portal this offseason as Ernesto Lugo-Canchola of DII Northwest Nazarene committed to UF, according to Jacob Rudner of Baseball America.
Lugo-Canchola posted an impressive 13-0 record with a 2.00 ERA across 94.2 innings in 2025. The 6’5, 230 pound left-handed struck out 103 batters to 44 walks in his lone season with the Nighthawks.
Lugo-Canchola served as Northwest Nazarene’s ace, leading them to the NCAA Division II World Series, the deepest postseason run in conference history. NNU set a Great Northwest Athletic Conference record with 46 wins (46-16 overall) during the season. His 13 wins across 16 starts mark the most by any pitcher in GNAC history. Lugo-Canchola was named DII Pitcher of the Year, GNAC Male Athlete of the Year, and earned DII First Team All-America Honors for his efforts in 2025.
Prior to 2025, the Pleasant Grove, Utah native played two seasons for the Utah Utes combining for 66 innings across 39 appearances. Lugo-Canchola found significant improvement in his junior season, dropping his ERA from 6.85 to 3.32. Before Utah, Lugo-Canchola played one season at Salt Lake Community College, where he was named to the NJCAA All-Region 18 First Team after posting an 8-1 record, 1.66 ERA and 68 strikeouts across 59.2 innings. He also held opposing teams to a .227 average during his lone season with the Bruins.
According to Rudner, Lugo-Canchola holds a high 80’s, low 90’s fastball with a solid slider and change up. Florida desperately needed to add a left-handed pitcher to the roster and Lugo-Canchola is someone who can help the Gators in 2025 for his final season of collegiate eligibility.