Florida baseball is 17 days away from their first pitch of the 2023 season. The Gators kick things off against Charleston Southern on February 17th, the first of a three-game series.
Gator Country will start our position group breakdown, providing analysis and insight for each player at every position.
PITCHERS
19 of the 37 roster spots belong to pitchers, which seems to be the sweet spot for Gators’ pitching coach David Kopp.
Six of the 19 pitchers are left-handed, the same number as last season.
PHILIP ABNER / LHP / #55
The Charlotte, North Carolina product is back in Gainesville for his second season after making 26 appearances in his freshmen year. Abner posted an 8.06 ERA and 24 strikeouts across 22 1/3 innings.
Command was the main issue for Abner in year one, walking more batters (21) than allowed hits (20) and runs (20).
The left hander held his opponents to a batting average of .253, but the 26 free bases (five HBP) skyrocketed his ERA.
Abner impressed in summer ball, earning a 2022 Cape League All-Star selection for posting a 3-0 record and a 1.93 ERA across 28 innings pitched. His free passes decreased by more than 50%, allowing 13 walks and zero HBPs during that span.
If the 6-1, 230-pound lefty (up 10 pounds from last season) can build of his summer league play and limit his walks and HBP per nine, he could be a real threat in the Gators’ bullpen this season. He may also get the opportunity to start some midweek games in 2023.
JAC CAGLIANONE / LHP / #14
The two-way player is entering his sophomore year at Florida, but this time around, he’ll be used a little differently.
Caglianone was unable to pitch during his freshman season due to an injury that would keep him from throwing for the year. The original plan was to redshirt Caglianone because of the injury, but the Gators’ needed his bat in the lineup. Caglianone started the last 27 games for at DH for Florida and did not disappoint.
Just because we haven’t seen Caglianone pitch at the collegiate level doesn’t mean he isn’t capable, the 6-5, 245-pound pitcher (up 10 pounds from last season) ranked 4th nationally amongst left handers and 1st in the state of Florida, according to Perfect Game.
The Tampa product will compete for a spot in the weekend rotation and at the very least play a major role in the bullpen this season. His velocity is expected to hover in the mid 90s.
PIERCE COPPOLA / LHP / #18
The sophomore left-handed pitcher started the 2022 season in the Sunday slot on the weekend rotation before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the year.
His sole start/appearance came against Liberty, where he gave up two runs, five hits, and two walks across 4.1 innings. Coppola showed flashes of dominance, striking out seven batters in the contest.
The Verona High School product ranked as the No. 50 player and No. 9 left-handed pitcher in the country, in addition to being the No. 4 overall player and No. 2 left-hander in New Jersey, according to Perfect Game.
He totaled 121 career innings with a 1.91 ERA and 216 strikeouts in his high school career, equating to a 16.1 K/9.
As long as Coppola is healthy, he’s my pick to start on Sunday. The 6-8, 240-pound (up 25 pounds from last season) hard throwing lefty creates a lot of downhill movement on his fastball, making it difficult for the batters to see the ball at eye level.
CARSTEN FINNVOLD / LHP / #49
The Boca Rotan product made six appearances including one start across 18 innings during his freshman campaign. He logged a 2-1 record with a 5.00 ERA, 13 strikeouts, and nine walks.
Finnvold made his first collegiate start against the #1 ranked Tennessee Volunteers on May 29th, 2022. He threw 4.2 innings, allowing zero earned runs, four hits, three walks, and one HBP.
Immediately following a gritty performance against an elite SEC team, Finnvold turned in an all-time great pitching performance in Orange & Blue vs. No. 9 Oklahoma on June 5, entering with the bases loaded in the first inning and finishing the game with a stat
line of nine innings pitched, two runs allowed, five hits, and
four strikeouts en route to earning the victory in the Gainesville Regional.
The 6-1, 190-pound left-hander (up 10 pounds from last season) isn’t going to overpower you at the plate, in fact, his fastball lives in the lower to mid 80s. His ability to force batters to miss the barrel of the bat with his command and ball movement is what makes Finnvold an option in the bullpen for Coach Sullivan.
CHRIS ARROYO / LHP / #47
The two-way player is joining the Gators as a left-handed pitcher and an outfielder.
Arroyo dominated on the bump at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, going 19-1 on the mound with three saves, a 0.99 ERA and 169 strikeouts (14.4 K/9) across 105 2/3 innings from 2021-22.
The 6-2, 220 pounder Powered Marjory Stoneman Douglas to back-to-back State Championships from 2021-22, alongside current Gators teammate Jake Clemente.
Arroyo’s fastball sits at 90-92 MPH with a low arm slot delivery, according to Perfect Game.
The southpaw saw action for the Gators this fall, needing just four pitches to work Florida out of a two-out jam with two runners on base against Georgia.
Coach Sullivan has shown early interest in using Arroyo both at the plate and on the mound.
Arroyo is one of the youngest players in the 2022 class as he doesn’t turn 19 until September 17th.
CADE FISHER / LHP / #3
The 6-4, 215-pound left-handed pitcher out of Dalton, Georgia ranked as the No. 12 LHP and No. 112 overall player nationally, while being the No. 1 pitcher and No. 12 player in Georgia.
Fisher holds Georgia’s state record for career ERA (0.71), while going 17-1 with 300 strikeouts in 157 1/3 innings.
His career accolades include 2022 Under Armour All-American, two-time All-State recipient, including a first-team nod as
a senior, All-Conference and Conference Pitcher of the Year in
consecutive seasons as a junior and senior, and collected a pair of All-Section and All-Area honors from 2022, culminating with first-team status as a senior.
Fisher’s velocity maxed out at 91 MPH on 7/14/21, according to Perfect Game.