It’s been a long and difficult journey for redshirt junior LHP Pierce Coppola, who missed 2+ years due to injury before making his return to the diamond last season.
The New Jersey native ranked as the 50th overall player and 9th best left-handed in the 2021 recruiting class. After skipping out on the MLB Draft and moving to Gainesville, Coppola immediately earned a spot in Florida’s weekend rotation after an exceptional fall and preseason, making his first collegiate start vs Liberty in 2022. The hard throwing left hander tossed 4.1 innings, allowing two runs while striking out seven in a no decision.
After the lone start in his freshman campaign, Coppola ended his season early and underwent surgery for a bulging disc in his back. It was expected Coppola would make his return to the mound in 2023, but the 6’8 lefty suffered yet another season ending injury while rehabbing his back. Coppola would have surgery on his shoulder which would keep him out another year.
After being sidelined for 2+ years, Coppola made his return in 2024, but it didn’t go as planned. Coppola posted a 8.75 ERA across 23.2 innings pitched. He had bright moments, but ultimately Coppola lacked the confidence and feel for the mound after such a long hiatus.
“Last year was a little rough, just going straight from my rehab program to right back in the games,” Coppola told Gator Country.
This summer, fall, and preseason was the first healthy offseason Coppola had put together since arriving in Gainesville in 2022. In the final two weeks before opening weekend, Coppola started to put it all together, finding an increase in velocity and a higher command rate.
“Just getting my confidence back, throwing over the summer, just coming back here, I didn’t feel like I had a great fall for what I wanted it to be, the spring leading up, I felt like my last few outings were really good,” Coppola said.
Coppola toed the rubber as Florida’s game three starter vs Air Force on Saturday, marking his first opening weekend start since February 20th, 2022. The redshirt junior was simply sensational, tossing five shutout innings while allowing just one hit and one walk across 70 pitches. Coppola struck out a career high 12 batters, the most by a UF hurler since Hurston Waldrep’s 12 vs. Oral Roberts at the 2023 College World Series. Coppola displayed elite levels of command and efficiency throughout his outing, never letting Air Force find a rhythm at the plate.
“He was really getting through his pitches; he was commanding the ball on both sides of the plate,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said postgame. “I’m not quite sure I’ve ever seen him so comfortable on the mound, and confident, and pitch with aggressiveness. I’m not quite sure I’ve even seen it in the preseason. He’s been good in the preseason, but I haven’t seen him strut around and feel good about himself. He’s worked so hard to get back to this point, nobody’s a bigger fan for him then I am. I’ve known exactly what he’s had to go through, two major surgeries.”
Coppola showed a level of swagger, confidence, and competitiveness that we have never seen from the left hander. That’s a great sign moving forward with the 2025 season.
“It felt good. It’s a long season though, I have to make sure I stay healthy for the whole time this time. I’ll take the win today but have to build on the next time,” Coppola said postgame.
“For me, my expectations is to throw like that as much as I can,” Coppola added. “I came to campus and my goal was to be that guy. Make sure we get a win as many times as I pitch as possible. Just getting my confidence back and having a day like that today, just making sure I can build on it is really important.”
To make his outing even more impressive, Coppola retired 15 batters, all of which he either struck out or assisted. Coppola recorded 12 strikeouts, two 1-3 groundouts, and a 1-2 put out at home.
“It’s hard not throwing for two years and learning how to compete again,” Coppola said. “Once I figured that out again, hopefully I can continue to just keep going.”
Coppola is scheduled to make his next start on Sunday, February 23rd vs Dayton.
Great article Mr. Marcinko. This pitching staff is looking great. I know AF can’t hit that well but the pitch locations for all three were awesome.