GAINESVILLE, Fla – This past offseason, eight Gators from the 2023 Florida baseball roster competed in various different summer developmental leagues across the country, including the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, Cape Cod League (CCBL), Coastal Plains League and Florida Collegiate Summer League (FCSL).
Gator Country recaps Florida’s participation in these leagues as the roster prepares to arrive back to campus in mid-August.
1B / DH Jac Caglianone / USA Baseball Collegiate National Team
Caglianone blasted two home runs while driving in five over a team-high 10 starts in the Stars and Stripes. He also chipped in one double and six runs as Team USA went 7-3.
RHP Jake Clemente / Coastal Plains League / Peninsula Pilots
After missing his freshman 2023 season to injury, Clemente returned to full health and posted 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 16 1/3 frames with Peninsula. The Coral Springs, Fla. native concluded the season with a 2-1 record and 3.85 ERA across eight appearances including four starts.
C/1B Luke Heyman | Cape Cod League | Falmouth Commodores
Helping lead Falmouth to a brief postseason run, Heyman finished off his summer batting .258 with two homers, two doubles, 14 runs, nine RBI and one steal in 62 at bats. Across 19 regular-season contests, Heyman posted a respectable .250/.393/.417 slash line – good for a .810 OPS.
RHP Fisher Jameson | Cape Cod League | Brewster Whitecaps
Jameson was outstanding on The Cape over 22 innings, working to a 3.68 ERA in seven games including four starts. The rising junior righty fanned 25 batters against just nine walks and held opposing hitters to a .219 batting average backed by a 1.15 WHIP over the course of the regular season.
RHP Brandon Neely | USA Collegiate Nation Team
As one of four Team USA hurlers to make four appearances, Neely delivered a pristine 0.00 ERA and .000 batting average against in 5 1/3 innings. The 2023 All-American closer allowed just three walks against eight strikeouts while posting one save.
RHP Blake Purnell | Cape Cod League | Harwich Mariners
The 2022 Freshman All-American enjoyed perhaps the best summer of any Gator on the diamond. The right-hander pitched in three games including two starts, allowing just one run on seven hits and one walk in 9 1/3 innings. That equated to a 0.96 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and .194 batting average against.
OF Michael Robertson | Cape Cod League | Brewster Whitecaps
In 19 regular-season games with Brewster, Robertson hit .226 with a strong .339 on-base percentage. Across 53 at bats, he piled up 12 hits, eight walks, six runs, three RBI and seven stolen bases – which ranked second on the Whitecaps roster.
INF Dale Thomas | Florida Collegiate Summer League | Orlando Snappers
Thomas played in 13 games for the Snappers and racked up 37 at bats. Orlando was eliminated in early August via a postseason play-in game, with Thomas concluding the summer with one homer, four runs, two RBI and seven walks.