"I guess I wasn't mentally ready for it": Florida baseball star Jac Caglianone bids adieu to the Gators with an emotional farewell note
After three seasons, Florida's two-way baseball star Jac Caglianone bade farewell to the Gators. Minutes after losing to Texas A&M in the College World Series semifinals on Wednesday, Caglianone was asked how he felt about playing his last game with the Gators.
The pitcher, who also plays first baseman, delivered an emotional message about how he dreads the day he'd be wearing the Florida uniform one last time. He also thanked coach Kevin O'Sullivan and his coaching staff for helping him improve his play during his stay with the team.
"It sucks. Gave all I have to this program. Just can't thank (Florida) coach Kevin (O'Sullivan) enough for what he'd done for me. It's tough to talk right now. I dread the day I'd have to take this jersey off for the last time. I guess that's tonight. But I guess I just wasn't mentally ready for it," Caglianone said.
Florida, which received an at-large bid in the college baseball tournament despite having a 28-27 record in the regular season, repaid the trust of the experts and the fans.
Along the way, the 2023 NCAA runners-up beat higher-ranked Oklahoma State and Clemson to get into the CWS. They demolished No. 2-seed Kentucky to make it to the Final Four. However, the Gators fell short of their bid to make it into two consecutive national finals, as Texas A&M shut them down, 6-0, on Wednesday.
Caglianone managed to hit twice in four at-bats but the effort was for naught as the Aggies didn't allow any Florida uprising to occur.
Jac Caglianone talks about enjoying Florida's College World Series run
Caglianone, who hit .419 with 35 home runs and 72 RBIs this season, talked about enjoying the team's ride to the College World Series semifinals. He said that it doesn't matter if they win the national title or not as long as he enjoys the time he has left with Florida.
"I mean just not take everything for granted. We didn't know how much more time we have left. Either way you look at it we were done after this. Whether we hold the trophy or not. Just trying to enjoy whatever time I had left," he said.
Caglianone concluded his three-year stint with Florida, hitting .365 with 75 home runs and 189 RBIs as a hitter and 12-6 with a 4.55 ERA as a pitcher. He thanked everyone who has made his three-year stint with the Gators memorable.
"That's why you play for Florida. You come here more oftentimes than not. I couldn't ask for a better career. I couldn't ask for a better group of guys to share with," he said.
The 21-year-old left a lasting imprint in the Gators' program as its best two-way player ever. He will now focus on MLB where he is expected to be a Top 5 pick in this year's draft.