Jac Caglianone drills NCAA-leading 20th home run to push Gators over UGA, 6-0

There’s one man that stands alone atop the NCAA home run leaderboards — and he showed up for Florida on Sunday. Sophomore two-way player Jac Caglinone belted a three-run homer to the opposite field, good for his 20th of the season.

The home run added to No. 3 Florida’s already multi-run lead against Georgia in the second inning, doubling up the Gators’ score and giving them a 6-0 lead. Not to mention he earned the start on the mound and was in the midst of two shutout innings to begin the game.

No player has been more dynamic at the plate this season than Caglinone, and he’s proved it once again with yet another huge shot.

20 for The Jac-Hammer 🔨#GoGators // 📺 https://t.co/MxGoQWS88h pic.twitter.com/Iru7SE0jjk

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) April 16, 2023

Before Caglianone’s three-run shot, SS Josh Rivera hit a two-run home run in the first inning. Florida added another insurance run after the Rivera homer.

The two-shot bomb was good for the 14th homer of the season for the senior and counted for his 51st and 52nd RBI on the season. It boosts his season batting average to .396, which ranks fifth-best in the SEC.

Georgia added a run in the third inning, so the comeback could be starting. Catch the rest of the game live on SECN+ as the Gators look to extend their lead and earn the series victory.

More on Caglianone’s impressive season

Caglianone has burst one the scene in 2023 after having a respectable true freshman season. He caught on later in the year, logging 27-straight starts as Florida’s designated hitter. He went on to be named to the 2022 SEC All-Tournament Team and NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team.

Coming out of Plant (FL) High Scool, Caglianone was ranked as the No. 38 player nationally by Perfect Game, including the No. 4 left-handed pitcher and No. 1 first baseman in the country. The two-way combination has translated perfectly to the college game.

His batting average has jumped from .289 as a freshman to .371 in 2023. The three-shot homer from Sunday’s game against Georgia recorded Caglianone his 50th RBI of the season. It was also good for his 57th hit of the year, meaning roughly 35 percent of the time he records a hit, it goes out of the park.

As a pitcher, Caglianone is 3-1 on the season with a 4.91 ERA in 33.0 innings pitched coming into the game. On the season, he has 39 strikeouts compared to giving up 21 hits.