The Florida Gators baseball team welcomed the USF Bulls on Sunday afternoon for a competitive doubleheader exhibition that provided both squads the chance to highlight their emerging talent in preparation for the upcoming 2025 season.
In a spirited showcase, Florida managed to split the doubleheader, securing a solid victory in Game 1 with a score of 5-0, only to fall to the Bulls in the second game, losing 2-0.
Here are three key takeaways from Sunday’s action:
Freshman Pitchers Impress on the Mound
UF head coach Kevin O’Sullivan experimented with a mix of freshman pitchers during Sunday’s exhibition, with varying degrees of success among the young arms. Freshmen right-handed pitchers Aiden King and Joshua Whritenour delivered standout performances, earning praise from O’Sullivan after the games.
“[King’s] mound presence is different than maybe most of the freshmen we’ve had the last couple of years,” O’Sullivan remarked. “He’s had a really good fall for us.”
In the first game, King showcased his talent by pitching two innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three of the seven USF batters he confronted. According to Perfect Game, King was ranked seventh among the eight freshmen in Florida’s 2024 recruiting class and holds the No. 66 overall distinction in Florida, as well as the No. 13 right-handed pitcher spot.
Whritenour followed suit, impressing O’Sullivan as he pitched in the second game, needing only nine total pitches to retire three batters, each of whom grounded out or popped out to the shortstop.
Experienced Arms Shine for the Gators
Sophomore right-hander Liam Peterson is positioned to be the ace of Florida’s pitching rotation this season. On Sunday, he displayed his potential by delivering two scoreless innings, striking out three batters along the way.
“Liam’s taking a step forward,” O’Sullivan stated. “You can see his stuff, his mound presence is different.”
Throughout UF’s offseason, Peterson made crucial adjustments to his mechanics, which O’Sullivan acknowledged have yielded positive results. “He’s throwing a lot more strikes,” he said. “He’s certainly on his way, for sure.”
Peterson’s delivery appeared more compact and simplified, with a noticeably shorter stride compared to his freshman year. On Sunday, he reached speeds of 98 mph with his fastball, and the Bulls struggled to connect with it throughout the game.
In addition to Peterson, fellow sophomore right-handers Jake Clemente and Alex Philpott turned in effective performances. Philpott pitched one clean inning, while Clemente added two scoreless innings, also striking out three batters. O’Sullivan mentioned, “[We’re] still working with Jake on his secondary stuff, landing the slider a little bit more. There’s no doubting his arm strength.”
Offensive Struggles After Early Momentum
Florida’s offense began the day hot, launching back-to-back home runs to kick off the first exhibition game. However, as the games progressed, the Gators’ offensive performance took a downward turn.
In Game 2, Florida recorded only one hit over the seven-inning contest. Although the team struck out just three times, O’Sullivan remarked on the inconsistencies in their approach at the plate. “When you’re facing a new arm every inning, it does become a bit challenging,” he said. “I just think we’re just swinging at balls out of the hand, and our approaches weren’t very good early to count.”
The standout performer among the hitters was sophomore transfer Kyle Jones, who previously played at Stetson. Jones hit a leadoff homer in the first game, finishing Sunday with two hits and two RBI. Last season, the 2023 Freshman All-American impressed with a .355 batting average, five home runs, 32 RBI, and 23 stolen bases.
“I like what I did,” Jones reflected on his home run. “I felt pretty good going into it.”
As the season approaches, Florida is set to release its upcoming practice schedule on Monday. All fall practices and scrimmages will be accessible to the public.
Contact Luke Adragna at ladragna@alligator.org. Follow him on X @lukeadrag.
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Luke Adragna
Luke Adragna is a third-year journalism student and the Florida Gators football reporter at The Alligator. He is a cat enthusiast and completes the NYT Daily Mini in less than a minute each day.
**Interview with Florida Gators Baseball Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Coach O’Sullivan. The recent doubleheader against the USF Bulls provided a great opportunity for your team to showcase their skills. What were your overall impressions from the games?
**Kevin O’Sullivan:** Thanks for having me! It was definitely a spirited exhibition. I was pleased with our pitching, especially from our freshmen, and I think we saw some real potential there. Game 1 was a solid performance, but Game 2 highlighted areas where we still need to improve, particularly with our offense.
**Interviewer:** Aiden King and Joshua Whritenour both had standout moments on the mound. What did you see from them that impressed you?
**Kevin O’Sullivan:** Both Aiden and Josh showed incredible composure for freshmen. Aiden’s mound presence was remarkable; he struck out three batters while only allowing one hit in his two innings. As for Joshua, his efficiency was impressive—retiring three batters on just nine pitches in the second game. I believe this kind of performance is a promising sign for our pitching depth moving forward.
**Interviewer:** Liam Peterson also had a strong showing. You mentioned he made some adjustments to his mechanics in the offseason. Can you elaborate on that?
**Kevin O’Sullivan:** Absolutely. Liam has really taken a step forward. His mechanics are more compact this year, allowing him to throw more strikes consistently. The velocity boost—up to 98 mph—is a testament to those adjustments. It’s clear he’s matured as a pitcher, and I’m excited about what that means for us this season.
**Interviewer:** The Gators started strong offensively but seemed to struggle as the game progressed. What factors do you think contributed to that?
**Kevin O’Sullivan:** It’s definitely a concern. We came out firing with back-to-back home runs, which was fantastic. However, as the games wore on, we lost our momentum and couldn’t sustain that energy. We need to focus on our plate discipline and making consistent contact throughout the lineup.
**Interviewer:** Looking ahead to the 2025 season, what are your main goals for the team after witnessing this exhibition?
**Kevin O’Sullivan:** Developing our younger players and solidifying our pitching rotation are our top priorities. We also want to sharpen our offensive capabilities and work on being more consistent throughout the lineup. it will be about building upon the foundation we’ve set and continuing to evolve as a team in the upcoming season.
**Interviewer:** Thanks for your insights, Coach. Good luck as the season progresses!
**Kevin O’Sullivan:** Thank you! I appreciate it. Looking forward to what lies ahead.
