Jac Caglianone looks to have taken the next step as a pitcher, which should worry every SEC team on Florida’s schedule. At the same time, the Gators enter conference play with concerns regarding the rest of the pitching staff.

Florida won its rubber game with Saint Mary’s 10-0 on Sunday to improve to 10-5 on the year, closing out nonconference weekend play. The Saint Mary’s series played out like the others: starting pitching was shaky, the bats showed up and Caglianone was sensational.

One week after Caglianone did his best “Jactani” against Miami on the mound and at the plate, he tossed another 6 shutout innings. This time, he didn’t even allow a hit.

Caglianone is in his third season of college baseball, meaning he is MLB Draft-eligible this year. Through 15 games, with 3 starts on the mound, he has a batting average of .429 and an ERA of 1.80 with 27 strikeouts to 8 walks.

It’s only his second season on the mound, and he looks to have taken a huge step forward as a pitcher, having added a filthy changeup.

Last season, Caglianone started 18 games for the Gators. He finished with 74.2 IP and an era of 4.34, with 87 strikeouts and 55 walks. He was an unknown week-to-week, leaving many SEC contests in the 4th inning

This year, he looks to be the ace of the Florida staff, even if he won’t be throwing on Friday nights.

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Rest of Florida’s starting pitching struggling heading into SEC play

Aside from Caglianone, Florida’s pitching staff has not inspired confidence heading into a challenging stretch of the schedule.

Florida State, 14-0 to start the year, comes to Gainesville on Tuesday. The Gators play 16-0 Texas A&M for their first weekend series. A CWS rematch at LSU awaits the following weekend with another FSU game the following Tuesday.

Cade Fisher was named a Freshman All-American by Perfect Game for his standout 2023 season, in which he logged 49.1 IP over 27 appearances with a 3.10 ERA.

Fisher came on strong in the postseason, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits in 7 innings of work against Texas Tech in an NCAA Regional elimination game. He then made 6 appearances in the CWS, pitching 7.2 frames, allowing 3 runs.

Fisher’s freshman success, however, hasn’t followed him to 2024. His status as the Friday night starter is being questioned with SEC play coming up.

In 4 starts, Fisher’s longest outing is 5 innings. He has been tagged for 16 runs (14 earned) over 16.2 innings for an ERA of 7.56. Fisher’s walk-to-strikeout ratio is 27-5, but he has given up 22 hits in the process.

Florida’s Saturday starter is a freshman right-hander getting a feel for the college game.

Liam Peterson, a highly touted recruit, shined in his college debut. Pitching a midweek game against North Florida, he threw 3 shutout innings of 1-hit ball with 7 strikeouts.

UF has dropped Peterson’s last two weekend starts against Miami and Saint Mary’s. In those games, Peterson has given up 9 earned runs over 9 innings, allowing 8 hits while striking out 9 and walking 5.

As far as Caglianone, don’t expect him to become a Friday pitcher with the other SEC aces. On3’s Nick de la Torre shared earlier this month that Kevin O’Sullivan and his staff feel Sunday starts are the best way to keep Cags fresh as a 2-way player.

Brandon Neely gives the Gators another starting option, but he currently has a 9.00 ERA in 8 innings as the closer. Nelly threw 2 innings against Saint Mary’s, allowing 3 runs in the 9th that sent the game to extra innings and 2 more in the top of the 10th. UF won the game 12-11 with a 10th-inning walk-off, but Jameson Fisher got the win as Neely had been chased.

On the plus slide, veteran deliver Ryan Slater has a 1.89 ERA over 19 innings in 8 relief appearances. Slater and Cags, though, can’t throw every inning.

Florida needs its young pitchers to grow up first with the SEC grind about to start.