Eugene Wilson throws out ceremonial first before Florida Gators baseball game
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Eugene Wilson is normally catching passes on the football field. This Saturday, thanks to Florida Victorious sponsoring the game, Wilson was on the other end. The sophomore receiver threw out the honorary first pitch before Florida’s second game of the series against the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats.
Wilson spoke with reporters during the third inning. His baseball background was limited. “Just in the backyard and T-ball and all that. Not too much,” he said.
Wilson also credited Florida Victorious for the opportunity. True freshman linebacker Myles Graham joined Wilson. The pair attended a pre-game meet-and-greet with fans. “It was with Florida Victorious. They gave me the opportunity to come out here and try something new. That was pretty good.”
As part of sponsoring the event, Florida Victorious gave away a Wyatt Langford Gem 10 Rookie Card.
Florida Victorious has been established as a for-profit entity. Fast Foundation, which was a nonprofit collective operating in the Gainesville market previously, has been re-branded as the Florida Victorious Foundation. A full-time staff has also been brought in to run the day-to-day operations of the organization. Nate Barbera has stepped in as CEO. He is an executive at Fourshore Capital. Florida Victorious also has an advisory board in place, which includes former quarterback Anthony Richardson, notable booster Hugh Hathcock and ESPN broadcaster Laura Rutledge. The collective has also launched a subscription service for fans, ranging from $15 to $250 a month. Each tier comes with a different set of perks.
Eugene Wilson looking to build on freshman season
Wilson became the first Florida true freshman receiver to start a home opener and eclipse 500 yards in a season (538) since Antonio Callaway, who holds the UF freshman receiving record with 678 yards in 2015. Wilson also set the set the UF freshman record for receptions in a game (11).
Gators coach Billy Napier believes the On3 five-star recruit benefited from following Pearsall’s lead and the example he set for the WR room.
“He observed Ricky Pearsall all summer and all season, and Ricky was a professional in terms of the way he approached the game,” Napier said. “Much like DJ [Lagway] is getting to observe Graham [Mertz], I think Tre got a chance to observe Ricky last year, and that’s contributing to what we see there.”
Wilson built on his freshman campaign with a strong spring camp as a sophomore, putting on a show in the second scrimmage. That carried over into the Orange & Blue Game as he caught eight passes for 128 yards and a touchdown, averaging 16.0 yards per catch.
