Infielder Dale Thomas commits to Florida Gators
For the second day in a row, the Florida Gators received a commitment on the baseball diamond. Coastal Carolina infielder Dale Thomas announced his decision on Twitter Friday afternoon
Thomas played in eight games as a freshman for the Chanticleers. He stepped into a starting role as an infielder playing shortstop and third base. He played second as well. Thomas played in 49 games on the season, starting 48 contests in the infield. He was fifth on the team with a .277 batting average on the season. Thomas recorded five home runs, one triple, four doubles, 26 RBIs, 31 runs scored and stole three bases.
As a junior in 2022, he played in and started 59 games. Thomas was second on the team with a .284 batting average and added 15 doubles and 13 home runs to his total. He swiped five bases and drove in 49 runs.
Thomas hits a home run against UNC
Gators will be active in the portal
Gators will be active in the portal
The Gators have had six players enter the transfer portal this offseason. The transfer portal is changing the landscape of college sports and baseball is no exception. In the past years, Kevin O’Sullivan was hesitant to use the transfer portal. O’Sullivan and his staff have always been strong recruiters at the high school level. The Gators regularly pull in top-ranked classes and O’Sullivan was hesitant to change.
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With the 2020 cancellation and subsequent addition of an extra year of eligibility, baseball teams across the country have gotten older. In 2022 the Gators had 21 freshmen (true and redshirt) on a roster of 35. Their youth showed throughout the season. That, coupled with the success of transfer BT Riopelle, has helped change the way O’Sullivan will approach this offseason. Expect the Gators to be very active in the transfer portal.
The Gators’ six transfers pale in comparison to other schools
SEC Baseball Transfer portal by the numbers:
Missouri – 18
Vanderbilt – 16
Mississippi State – 13
LSU – 9
South Carolina – 9
Georgia – 8
Alabama – 7
Arkansas – 7
Florida – 6
Ole Miss – 6
Auburn – 5
Texas A&M – 4
Kentucky – 2
Tennessee – 1
