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A look at Florida baseball's 2023 recruiting class

The college football early signing period is just around the corner and the college basketball season is slowly starting to pick up some steam, but there’s another Gators team that fans should start to pay a little attention to: the baseball team. Wednesday, November 9, began the signing period for most other sports, and Florida once again struck gold in the baseball recruiting game.

Bringing in talent from Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and Tennessee, the Gators’ baseball recruiting class of 2023 ranks fifth in the country, according to Perfect Game. Florida has long been one of the top destinations in all of college baseball, and that trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down with the incoming class.

The Gators will add 11 pitchers (three lefties and eight righties), three infielders and two outfielders next season. Keep in mind that infielder Cade Kurland, who was among the top incoming talents in the class, reclassified to get Gainesville a year early. He’s currently practicing with the team and is already making an impact.

Of course, these positions could change once players arrive at UF and begin working with the team. Most will remember that Wyatt Langford was a reserve catcher his freshman year before breaking out as one of the top outfield bats in the country last season.

Gators Wire caught up with some of the signees to get their thoughts on finally putting pen to paper. Here’s an in-depth look at Florida baseball’s class of 2023.

OF/RHP Christian Rodriguez - Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Parkland, Florida)

We begin with one of the key players on the nation’s No. 2 team in 2022, according to MaxPreps. Christian Rodriguez slashed .385/.478/.538 for the FHSAA 7A state champion Marjory Stoneman Douglas Eagles last year and went 7-0 on the mound with a 1.36 ERA and 66 strikeouts.

It’s impressive to be such a key player on a back-to-back state championship team as a junior, but that just speaks to how talented Rodriguez is on the diamond. The scary part is he should be even more of a threat as a senior.

“It felt amazing. It’s truly an honor,” Rodriguez said to Gators Wire. “Florida has such a good track record the coaches are amazing and Gainesville is the place to be. Everything about the school and program is hard not to love.”

LHP Jacob Gomberg - Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Florida)

Rodriguez isn’t the only Eagle that signed with Florida on Wednesday. Left-handed pitcher Jacob Gomberg also made things official. He appeared in 10 games in each of the last two seasons, serving as a reliever most of the time in 2022.

He spent much of the summer with Canes baseball (a travel team, not Miami) and worked with coaches affiliated with the New York Mets. Gomberg’s fastball is in the low 90s, but his breaking pitches have pro scouts drooling. He’s also mentally tough and has proven he can bounce back from a sloppy start. Pitching to contact isn’t a problem, but he’ll baffle hitters with the curve if he knows they’re sitting fastball.

RHP Liam Peterson - Calvary Christian High School (Clearwater, Florida)

Liam Peterson may have been the most dominant member for Calvary Christian’s three-headed monster last year as he finished with 68 strikeouts in 37.1 innings while only allowing four earned runs (five total). If a 0.96 ERA isn’t good enough, a 0.77 WHIP should be. What makes those numbers even more impressive is the fact that Peterson only allowed nine hits all year.

Walks were a bit of a problem for him, but he’ll all of his senior year to improve on a 13.79% walk rate. His 46.90% strikeout rate more than makes up for it, too.

“I picked Florida for a lot of different reasons. They were always my dream school growing up, so getting the opportunity to play for them meant a lot,” Peterson said. “Also the top-level facilities and academics really helped influence my decision along with the winning history the program has.”

“Along with that the coaches really made me feel at home and like it was a place where I could really develop and get better. Finally, signing felt amazing knowing that the hard work was finally starting to pay off, and I was finally an official Florida Gator!”

Peterson and Calvary Christian will be on a mission to reach states this year after being denied the opportunity to play in Ft. Myers. They won three regular season games against rival Berkely Prep but fell in the regional final to end their postseason run.

LHP Frank Menendez - Doral Academy Charter (Miami, Florida)

Photo Credit: David Rosenberg

Frank Menendez is the best arm Doral Academy Charter has and that’s been the case for two years. Entering his senior year, Menendez is looking to lead his club to another state championship and will be the unquestioned ace for manager Ralph Suarez.

He features a fastball that sits in the low 90s and can hit 94 mph. Menendez is a strikeout artist. He fanned 76 batters and walked just 26 through 44 innings as a junior. A lot will ride on his senior year, but Menendez is a player with a tremendous amount of upside. Like Gomberg, Menendez worked with Canes National over the summer.

“I was just excited to be able to play in the SEC and stay close to the family,” Menendez told Gators Wire. “Signing that paper meant a lot to me and my family. It’s something we had dreamed of since I first started my baseball journey.”

RHP/OF Steven Echavarria - Millburn (Millburn, New Jersey)

Steven Echavarria was a bit of a surprise addition to the class but a welcome one as one of the top prep arms in the country. Perfect Game ranks him in the top 100 overall in the class at No. 64 and at No. 15 among right-handed pitchers. Kevin O’Sullivan has turned Florida into a premiere landing spot for the nation’s top pitchers, and this is just the latest signing to back up that trend.

Echavarria committed to Florida on Nov. 1 and signed on Nov. 14 making him the cherry on top of an already strong class. His fastball has been clocked at 94 mph and sits around 91. He’s another Canes National product and plays for Millburn High.

RHP Luke McNeillie - Milton (Milton, Georgia)

Luke McNeillie has been committed for Florida for over a year now, and he finally put pen to paper on Nov. 9. McNeillie is one of Georgia’s best prep players and is ranked by Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report Georgia a top-10 player in the state.

His fastball sits 90-92 mph and his slider has good action on it that makes hitters swing and miss. A strong senior year could get him drafted. Perfect Game ranked him as a top-200 draft prospect at the end of October.

RHP Reilly Witmer - Naples (Naples, Florida)

Reilly Witmer committed to Florida in July 2021 and signed on Nov. 9 of this year. Witmer was a part of one of the better underdog stories in Florida high school baseball last year when he started the regional championship game against nationally ranked American Heritage. That game actually featured current Gator Erik Blair as the Patriots’ starter as well. While neither received a decision, Witmer helped the Naples Golden Eagles to a 4-1 lead by the time he handed the ball over to a reliever.

Witmer’s stock improved after a strong junior year and is on the cusp of breaking into Perfect Game’s top 100. He tops out around 91-92 mph and is developing a changeup and slider.

 

RHP Grayson Smith - McCallie School (Chattanooga, Tennessee)

Grayson Smith  arm headed to Florida. His fastball was clocked at 95 mph by Perfect Game in October, but 92 mph is where he’s more consistent with location. His curveball has some good action on it, too.

Smith grew up playing catcher but converted to a primary pitcher once playing with the Georgia Scorpions, according to the Times Free Press. That helped McCallie School to a state championship last year, and Smith headlines the strongest signing class in school history.

INF Stone Russell - IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)

Stone Russell is the first infielder on the list, but he comes with prestige. Russell plays at the prestigious IMG Academy and has been a consistent contributor at the varsity level for two years now. He slashed .342/.456/.520 as a junior and spent time with the 18U National Team as a two-way player. His future is as a position player, but he might not stick at shortstop. Third base is an option based on arm strength alone.

OF Blake Brookins - Miami Palmetto Senior (Palmetto Bay, Florida)

Blake Brookins is a name that more people might know by the end of this year. He was a key member of a Miami Palmetto Senior High team that made upset a 21-7 Southwest Miami team in the district final. With the new district realignment, Palmetto has a much better shot to repeat and do some damage in regional play.

He slashed .382/.442/.588 last year and led the team in extra-base hits. Brookins was awarded 2022 7A-16 All-District honors by Miami-Dade High School Baseball Network.

RHP Alex Philpott - Strawberry Crest (Tampa, Florida)

Alex Philpott is a 6-foot-4-inch right-hander that has three legit pitches: a fastball that sits around 90 mph and tops at 92, a changeup that misses barrels and a breaking ball that drops into the zone nicely. His height makes him very projectable at the next level and he’s getting good innings against a tough schedule at the prep level.

INF Sammy Mummau - Dunedin (Palm Harbor, Florida)

Sammy Mummau is the defensive specialist of this class. An elite fielder up the middle, Mummau should find time at either second base or shortstop at Florida. His bat may need to pick up to find consistent playing time in Gainesville, but he has good bat speed and an ability to get the barrel to the ball.

OF Hayden Yost - Sickles (Tampa, Florida)

Hayden Yost is another elite defender headed to Florida, but his junior year ended early due to an unfortunate collision in postseason play. He was forced to watch his team fall in the state semifinals to Doral — the home of Gators commit Frank Menendez.

Prior to his injury, Yost was batting .288 and had an on-base percentage of .534. It’s unclear how the broken arm will impact his senior year, but Yost has comeback written all over him whenever he does return to the diamond.

RHP Hunter Jones - North Marion (Anthony, Florida)

Hunter Jones committed to Florida in September and signed on the final day of November. Jones plays prep ball at the same school that produced Sterlin Thompson and Deric Fabian. He caught up with Gators Wire following the big moment.

“I picked Flordia because of the great competition that I will face in the SEC and practice every day,” Jones told Gators Wire. “And being able to stay close to home for my family and friends to come to watch me play.”

Jones was a member of the most successful team in North Marion’s history when they made the 2021 state championship. A down year in 2022 saw the Colts fall in the district semifinal, but there’s still one more year to go in this story.

INF John Martinez - Trinity Prep (Orlando, Florida)

John Martinez committed to Florida on Dec. 6, 2021, and signed on national signing day, Nov. 9. He slashed .341/.500/.585 as a junior and led the team with 16 stolen bases. A sure-handed glove at shortstop, Martinez has the potential to carve out a role for himself in Gainesville.

 

LHP Robert Satin - Plant (Tampa, Florida)

Ryan Satin was a July commit to Florida and is the third lefty arm headed to Gainesville next year. His fastball cans struggle to hit 89 mph, but he has a solid three-pitch mix that helped lead Plant High all the way to the state semifinals in the largest classification in the state. 813Preps named him the 6A-7A pitcher of the year (for the Tampa area).

Satin can hit too. He led his team with 29 RBIs and a .402 batting average as a junior.

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