Gators Starters Revealed
It’s almost baseball season, and the Gators have officially released their first three starting pitchers for the 2025 campaign. These pitchers will play February 14-16 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday vs. the Air Force Falcons.
On opening day on Friday, Liam Peterson will take the mound. Peterson, a 6’5 true sophomore out of Palm Harbor, Florida, was solid for the Gators last season. The right-handed pitcher started 16 games for the Gators in 2024. Even though his ERA of 6.43 isn’t outstanding, it was still among the best for SEC Freshmen. Peterson earned SEC All-Freshman honors for his 2024 campaign, and has surely developed even more over the offseason. He’ll surely be an ace for the Gators this season.
The second game on Saturday will be headlined by Jake Clemente. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School graduate out of Coral Springs, Florida, is a redshirt sophomore. Last season, Clemente mainly pitched in relief for the Gators, limiting batters to just a .234 average against him. The right-handed hurler struck out 12.2 batters for every nine innings that he played in 2024, and also made two starts to add onto his relief appearances. One of the strongest prospects for the Orange and Blue is set to reach even higher heights in 2024.
The final game in the series against Air Force will see Pierce Coppola towing the rubber. Coppola, a third year starter for the Gators, is one of the more exciting starting pitcher prospects. Coppola has been a fighter, constantly battling injuries since arriving in Gainesville. His freshman season ended in catastrophe with a back injury forcing him into surgery and rehab. After coming back from this, Coppola then suffered shoulder issues that sidelined him for his entire sophomore season, using up his redshirt. But at the end of the day, it seems like Pierce Coppola has finally defeated his demons. The left-handed starter will finally be out to show everyone what he can do.
Even though Liam Peterson will be the first pitcher for the Gators in 2025, he won’t be throwing the first pitch. That honor goes to Gators legend Preston Tucker. The all-time hits, RBI, and total bases leader for Florida will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The ex-MLB star will surely give this season’s Gators a bit of good luck right before their opening night. It’s great to be a Florida Gator!
