Recapping a historic 2023 season for Gator baseball

Florida baseball came up one game short of the program’s second National Championship after losing to LSU in game three of the MCWS Finals. Despite the season not ending the way Kevin O’Sullivan’s ballclub wanted, the Gators still made history with both individual awards and team accomplishments in 2023.

MOST WINS IN PROGRAM HISTORY

Florida finished the season at 54-17 (.761), passing the Gators’ 2011 team (53) for the most wins in a season in program history.

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP 

The Gators claimed their 16th SEC Championship in program history and sixth under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan in 2023. Florida finished with a 20-10 record against conference opponents in the regular season, tying Arkansas for a share of the SEC Championship.

MOST HOME RUNS IN PROGRAM HISTORY + NCAA 2023 LEADER

Florida swatted a program-record 146 home runs this season, blowing out the previous record of 132 set in 1998. With three home runs in the final game of the season, the Gators passed LSU for the most home runs in all of college baseball in 2023.

PROGRAM STRIKEOUT RECORD

Florida struck out 725 batters in 613 innings – translating to 10.6 per nine innings, setting a new program record. Florida’s 725 strikeouts also set a single-season record, passing the 671 strikeouts recorded by the 2016 team.

The Gators’ 1-2 punch in RHP Brandon Sproat and RHP Hurston Waldrep both recorded 100+ strikeouts on the year, making them the ninth duo in program history to record 100+ strikeouts each in the same season and the first since Jackson Kowar and Brady Singer accomplished the feat in 2018.

TEAM HIT BY PITCH RECORD + INDIVIDUAL RECORD

The Gators set a new single-season record by drawing 90 hit-by-pitches (84 in 2003). Freshman second baseman Cade Kurland led the team with 22 HBPs, passing Matt Laporta (2007, 19) for the individual single-season record.

INDIVIDUAL RECORDS

HOME RUN KING

Gators’ two-way player Jac Caglianone blasted 33 long balls in 2023, setting the program record for home runs in a single season, passing Wyatt Langford (2022, 26) and Matt Laporta (2005, 26).

Caglianone also broke the BBCOR Era NCAA record for home runs in a single season, passing Ivan Melendez (2022, 32) who set the mark last season at Texas.

PROGRAM RECORD RBI IN A SINGLE SEASON

Jac Caglianone’s 90 RBIs this year set a new program record, passing Preston Tucker (85) set in 2009.

BACK-TO-BACK 20 HOME RUN SEASONS

Junior outfielder Wyatt Langford became just the third Gator to post back-to-back 20-homer seasons alongside Brad Wilkerson (1997-98) and Jud Fabian (2021-22).

Langford has 47 home runs in his Florida career, tying him with Mike Zunino for sixth on Florida’s all-time home run list.

MOST HOME RUNS BY A SECOND BASEMAN IN PROGRAM HISTORY

Cade Kurland set UF’s single-season home run record for a second baseman following 17 home runs in 2023, Kurland’s 17 home runs are the most by a UF freshman since JJ Schwarz hit 18 in 2015.

MOST HOME RUNS BY A SHORTSTOP IN PROGRAM HISTORY

Josh Rivera launched 19 home runs in 2023, passing Brady McConnel (2019, 15) for the most home runs by a Gators’ shortstop in a single season.

TYING FLORIDA’S SINGLE SEASON DOUBLES RECORD

Wyatt Langford tied Florida’s single-season doubles record (28) alongside Mike Zunino set in 2012.

CWS RECORDS

The Gators made their mark on the MCWS record books in their six games played at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.

TYING MCWS HOME RUN RECORD

Florida’s 17 home runs in the 2023 MCWS ties the record for most home runs in tournament history.

Since Charles Schwab Field opened in 2011, Florida’s 17 home runs are the most ever in a single College World Series.

RUNS SCORED

In a 24-4 victory over LSU, the Gators scored the most runs in College World Series history, passing Notre Dame (23), set back in 1957.

TY EVANS

With a solo home run coming in the bottom of the 7th inning in Florida’s last game of the season, Ty Evans becomes the first player in MCWS history to hit five home runs in the tournament.

LONGEST HOME RUNS

Wyatt Langford owns the two-longest home runs hit at the MCWS on Charles Schwab Field with a 456 and 449 foot blasts.

 

 

 

 

 

Nick Marcinko
Nick is a recent graduate from the University of Florida with a degree in Telecommunications. He is passionate about all sports but specifically baseball and football. Nick interned at Inside the Gators and worked part time with Knights247 before joining the Gator Country family. Nick enjoys spending his free time golfing and at the beach.