Gators have one more enter NCAA Transfer Portal
The Florida Gators have had five players enter the NCAA Transfer portal this season. On Tuesday freshman infielder Jorge De Goti became the sixth Gators baseball player to enter himself into the portal.
De Goti was the 299th overall prospect in the 2021 class according to Perfect Game. He was the 43rd-rated player and 8th overall infielder in the state of Florida. De Goti appeared in just nine games for the Gators as a true freshman in 2022. All of his appearances came off the bench. He recorded two hits in seven at-bats with a run and a double. He slashed .286/.375/.429 with one double and one run scored across nine at bats
De Goti is the cousin of Houston Astros minor leaguer Alex De Goti, who made his Major League debut in 2021. He was rated a 10 by Perfect Game thanks to a slick glove and strong arm.
Six Gators in the portal
Catcher Mac Guscette was the first Gators baseball player to announce his intentions to transfer.
“Gator Nation, I have made the very difficult decision to put my name in the transfer portal,” Guscette wrote. “Although my time at UF started in the fall of 2020, I have been a Gator since I first committed to UF baseball back in 2016. I want to thank Coach O’Sullivan, Coach Bell, Coach Jeroloman, Coach Kopp, and all of the support staff and volunteers within the baseball program and athletic department who helped and supported me while at UF.”
“A sincere thank you to Coach O’Sullivan for his class and professionalism in understanding my decision to transfer and his continued support. I have made lifelong friendships with many of my Gator teammates. Although we may not be on the same field again, we are forever linked. I m eternally grateful for your friendship and support. Lastly, I want to thank Gator fans. Thank you for all of the great memories. I wish nothing but success for the Gators. Thank you for an incredible two years.”
Guscette and De Goti are joined by left-handed pitcher Timmy Manning, righty Nick Pogue, outfielder Corey Robinson, and right-hander Karl Hartman.
A new norm for college baseball
Many Gators fans have expressed concern about players leaving the program. While the transfer portal has taken college football and basketball by storm, it took a couple of years for it to really appear in college baseball. There are well over 2,500 players in the transfer portal currently in college baseball. Florida’s six players pale in comparison to other schools.
Vanderbilt has 16 players in the transfer portal. Mississippi State has 13. Florida State has 12 players in the portal. South Florida has 10, and Miami also has six.
The Gators previously were going to be players in the portal. One source told Gators Online that Kevin O’Sullivan would be looking for two arms and two bats in the transfer portal. That number will likely increase. The Gators will need to get several pitchers, a catcher, and a couple of other bats in the portal this offseason.
