On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
The Florida Gators on Friday landed a commitment from former TCU Horned Frogs catcher/first baseman Karson Bowen on Friday, Pro Baseball Radar reported on X.
He entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after three seasons with TCU, where he hit .308 with 16 home runs, 112 RBIs, 33 doubles, and three triples. This past season, he batted .333 and added four home runs, three triples, 11 doubles and 28 RBIs in 45 games. He was also named second-team All-Big 12 last season.
However, Bowen’s most productive year came in his first year with the Horned Frogs in 2023. He hit .350 with six homers, 46 RBIs, 15 doubles and a .420 on-base percentage in 56 games played.
With these numbers, he earned 2023 Big 12 All-Freshman Team, 2023 honorable mention All-Big 12, 2023 Big 12 All-Tournament team, 2023 NCAA Fayetteville All-Regional Team and 2023 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American honors as a freshman.
In that same season, TCU and Florida faced off against each other in the Men’s College World Series. He was 1-for-4 to go along with a walk and a strikeout.
There is one small caveat to his commitment, as Bowen is eligible for the upcoming MLB Draft. So, it will be touch-and-go for the Gators if they can persuade him to stay in college for another year.
Bowen is the second catcher the Gators have added this summer, joining former Wabash Valley College catcher AJ Malzone.
Bowen also becomes the sixth transfer that Florida has picked up this summer. They have added three pitchers, earning commitments from former Hawaii right-hander Cooper Walls, former Notre Dame right-hander Ricky Reeth and former UCF right-hander Russell Sandefer. The other transfer to commit to the Gators is former Jacksonville outfielder Jaden Bastian.
Even with all the additions, the Gators likely are not done building their 2026 roster. While they have strengthened their bullpen, they are still in need of bats. The Gators are losing starting shortstop Colby Shelton, third baseman Bobby Boser, outfielder Ty Evans and could lose both catchers Brody Donay and Luke Heyman to the upcoming MLB Draft.
Additionally, they are potentially on the hunt for a new starting pitcher as the Gators wait on a decision from lefty Pierce Coppola on whether he will return to Florida or sign in the draft should he be picked.
More From Florida Gators on SI
More must-reads:
- Perhaps Superman Paul Skenes has found his kryptonite
- Oklahoma QB denies sports gambling allegations after suspicious screenshots emerge
- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Veteran Center Rejected Knicks Offer
The New York Knicks imagine themselves as a championship contender, and those dreams looked like they may be rapidly approaching reality in last season's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. They've spent much of this offseason patching holes in their roster, requiring significantly more firepower from their bench to scare their opponents with a well-rounded rotation that they lacked in 2024-25. They're not looking to burst at the seams with reserve bucket-getters, but have done plenty to consolidate their backup guards and bigs with a summer of moves that's still continuing. Though their most recent on-court developments have provided the Knicks' hopes with real wind behind their sails, those wishes to bolster the frontcourt aren't new. New York reportedly tried to woo a veteran center in Daniel Theis over to last season's situation, but failed to seal the deal. Theis, now playing for AS Monaco, could have joined the Knicks mid-season last year before opting for a European return, according to BasketNews.com. He spent the first leg of the 2024-25 campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans, the sixth team that the 33-year-old's suited up for in the last five seasons. New York's offer gave Theis yet another chance to fill in as a role-playing big on another contender, but he chose to bet on himself. "I could have gone to the Knicks, for example, but it was more for insurance that Mitchell Robinson came back from a long injury," Theis said on a recent Euro Insiders podcast. "And then I talked to Tom Thibodeau and he said, 'Yeah, you will be like insurance in case he can't play and this and that.' It's like what I did with P.J. Tucker. "For me, it was like, 'Okay, if I sit for the rest of the year, what are my chances in the summer?' So if I’m like, 'Okay, I go overseas to Europe and play great, I might have a better chance.' That was my whole intention and thought behind it — just consider Europe and see what it is." Robinson did indeed manage to remain healthy when it counted, seeing the floor in all 18 Knicks playoff games after playing in just 17 during the regular season. His reliability as a defender and rebounder up front would have negated Theis' presence, as he would have spent all but a few garbage time minutes occupying the same seat on the bench that Tucker took in the postseason. Though he would've likely been constrained to a minimum contract that would've expired at season's end alongside other role playing veterans like Landry Shamet, Cameron Payne and Precious Achiuwa, he'd have been a little more playable than some other deep-cut Knicks as a rim-rolling center, and that's the sort of job that New York's looked to fill in the months since. Theis chose his path, and the Knicks stayed young in building a roster that's expected to blow every other 21st century Knicks team out of the water.
Mock Trade Sends Suns' Dillon Brooks to Lakers for $66 Million Duo
The Phoenix Suns are set to enter next season with an almost completely different roster than what they had last season after making major changes to it this offseason. Of course, the Suns broke apart their star trio of Devin Booker, Keivn Durant and Bradley Beal as they traded Durant to the Houston Rockets and bought out Beal’s contract, allowing him to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. Now Booker is the only remaining star from their big three and he is set to be the centerpiece of Phoenix’s future after they signed him to a massive contract extension this summer. For the Suns, they have done a solid job of building a younger roster as they landed Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams via trades and also selected Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea in the 2025 draft. While the Suns have made some major moves this offseason, more could be on the way before the start of next season as multiple players continue to be in trade rumors. Suns predicted to send Dillon Brooks to Lakers With this in mind, SB Nations’ Jacob Rude recently released a mock trade that would see the Suns send Brooks to the Los Angeles Lakers for two players. In the trade, the Suns would send Brooks to the Lakers in exchange for Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber. This would be an interesting trade for both teams involved and one that does not make a ton of sense for the Suns to make. Of course, the Suns could look to trade Brooks at some point before next season’s trade deadline as they may try to add more young talent to their roster but to swap him for two veterans who struggled last season does not make a ton of sense for Phoenix. For the Lakers, adding Brooks to their roster would be a massive upgrade after losing Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency as the veteran forward would give them a solid scorer and great defender alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Despite this, the Suns would likely want more in return in a potential trade for Brooks that would likely require Los Angeles to include draft capital and a young player. Because of this, it is highly unlikely that the Suns would consider this offer for Brooks, especially before he even suits up for their franchise.
Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Thinks It Is Clear Preseason Hero Will Be Playing Elsewhere In 2025
Cowboys Release New Depth Chart As 'Difficult Decisions' at Receiver Loom
The Dallas Cowboys receiver room right now is giving head coach Brian Schottenheimer and the personnel department a lot of headaches - but in a good way, if there is such a thing. Yes, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are top of the pile, but behind them, it is rather jumbled. KaVontae Turpin could easily be seen as the third receiver, so too Jalen Tolbert. But behind them are Jonathan Mingo, Jalen Brooks, Ryan Flournoy, and Traeshon Holden. Will the Cowboys carry five receivers? Or six? Either way, players are going to miss out and might even land on the practice squad. You can see the crowd in the new depth chart released on Tuesday ... And for offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, he is loving the competition. ... at receiver (and beyond) ... “It's been fun to watch that group," Adams said. "That's really what you're trying to build in every room is a lot of really difficult decisions for the personnel guys and the coaching staff and incredible amounts of competition. So that being what we want this team and organization to be 100% about is competition, that's our calling card, is what the receiving room is doing right now, and making it very difficult for people to figure out who's going to be what number, whatever. I love it, I think it's great." For most, it is Turpin and Tolbert occupying the third and fourth receiver spot (in any order), with Mingo and then possibly Brooks making up the group as part of special teams. Still, that will mean Flournoy and Holden will be the ones to miss out, which is why the next two weeks of practice and the preseason games are going to be vital to the final outcome of the room. Who will see their stock rise and who will fall? Schottenheimer wanted competition, and when it comes to the receiver room, boy, he got it.
Oklahoma QB denies sports gambling allegations after suspicious screenshots emerge
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer has faced questions about some alleged screenshots from his Venmo account, and the school is reportedly investigating the situation. Screenshots and videos that were widely circulated on social media Monday claimed to show multiple Venmo transactions linked to Mateer that contained the phrase “sports gambling.” The two main transactions in question were on Nov. 20, 2022, which was when Mateer was a freshman at Washington State. The alleged transactions that referenced “sports gambling” were between Mateer and a Venmo account for Richard Roaten, who is believed to be one of Mateer’s former Washington State teammates. While some have questioned whether the screenshots could have been altered, there were also videos that appeared to show people actively scrolling through the account that is believed to belong to Mateer. According to a Tuesday report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Mateer has denied to Oklahoma officials that he has ever been involved with gambling. The school is still planning to investigate further, however. Mateer issued a statement on his X account denying being involved in sports gambling, explaining that the descriptions seen on his Venmo account are "inside jokes" with his friends. "The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false," Mateer wrote. "My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends. "I have never bet on sports. I understand the seriousness of the matter but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling." Oklahoma also issued a statement saying it has “no reason to believe” there is going to be an NCAA investigation. Rules prohibit student athletes or team staff from betting on any sports that have NCAA championships. One of the alleged screenshots connected to Mateer had a reference to “UCLA vs. USC” in addition to “sports gambling.” Penalties for an athlete who has been found to have gambled on prohibited sports can include a loss of eligibility. Mateer had his first full season as a starter last year at Washington State. He completed 64.6% of his passes for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also rushed for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns. Mateer entered the transfer portal after last season as one of the top players available, and he had a disrespectful gesture when announcing his commitment to the Sooners.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
