Florida Gators two-way sensation Jac Caglianone, CBS Sports’ No. 5 prospect in the upcoming Major League Baseball amateur draft, had an eventful Monday afternoon in a 5-4 victory against North Carolina State as part of the Men’s College World Series.
Caglianone, who started the game for the Gators on the mound, exited after a single inning, during which he allowed a run on a hit and two walks. His velocity was noticeably down, with his fastball sitting in the 88-91 mph range and topping out at 93 mph, according to Jacob Rudner of 247 Sports. That’s abnormal for someone who in the past has clocked into the upper 90s with his heater.
Nevertheless, Caglianone made his presence felt on the offensive side of the ledger. A half inning after completing his moundwork, he launched a three-run shot to give the Gators a 4-1 advantage.
Here’s a look at the home run in all its moving picture glory:
Caglianone reached base twice more on the afternoon, both times on intentional walks. After the game, Caglianone denied that he was injured or that his departure as a pitcher had anything to do with a physical ailment, according to Darren Stoltzfus of WESH.
The 21-year-old entered Monday having hit .414/.536/.862 with 33 home runs and 38 more walks than strikeouts in 63 games. He had also compiled a 4.71 ERA and a 1.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio as a pitcher. As we noted in Caglianone’s draft ranking capsule, he’s likely to only hit at the big-league level because of command-related deficiencies on the mound.
Regardless, the Gators’ victory ensures that Caglianone and crew will play another game — this one versus the winner of Monday night’s matchup between the Kentucky Wildcards and Texas A&M Aggies. Meanwhile, the NC State Wolfpack have been eliminated from the College World Series field.
2024 College World Series: Jac Caglianone keeps Gators alive with homer despite short pitching start
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