Former Florida Gators Pitcher Commits to Fellow SEC Program

Philpott made 13 appearances, three of which were starts, finishing 2-2 with a 6.90 ERA and a 28-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 30 innings pitched. While the numbers won’t stand out, he had his moments that left a strong impression. 

He began his career with the Gators, pitching four consecutive scoreless appearances on the mound. He struck out 12 hitters across 9 ⅔ innings during this stretch. He was also called upon in the Men’s College World Series when the Gators faced off against Kentucky. He pitched two perfect frames with three strikeouts in the high-leverage moment. 

His performances throughout his first year, coupled with his work in the fall, earned him the closing role this past season. Philpott began the year by only allowing one earned run in his first five games.

However, his outing against Florida State on March 11 was when the wheels started to fall off. Over the next five games, Philpott gave up 14 earned runs, 15 hits and five home runs. 

So, what started great for Philpott turned very ugly quickly. By the end of the season, he had a 7.30 ERA and 3-4 record in 22 appearances (three starts). Moreover, in 37 innings pitched, he had given up 30 earned runs and 41 hits. One positive from his sophomore campaign was that he had a 44-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

In addition to Philpott, the Gators also have four other pitchers in the transfer portal right now. Felix Ong, Carson Montsdeoca, Niko Janssens and Jacob Gomberg are the other arms potentially looking for a new home. 

This isn’t too surprising, though. The Gators require strike throwers with experience, which is noted by the commitments from the portal already. Florida has earned commitments from former Notre Dame right-handed pitcher Ricky Reeth and former UCF right-handed pitcher Russell Sandefer. 

The Gators are expected to be very active in the portal this offseason as they need to address both pitching and hitting for next year.

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