The Florida Gators baseball team secured its third portal acquisition Friday afternoon and picked up former UCF right-handed pitcher Russell Sandefer. The sophomore from Tampa made 18 appearances in 2025, six of which he started.
He pitched 50.2 innings, recording 49 strikeouts while surrendering 46 hits and 19 runs. His 3.38 ERA ranked third-lowest for the Knights this past season. The Tampa native finished the season with a 2-3 record on the mound.
Sandefer spent his freshman season at Saint Leo University. With the Lions, he pitched 45.2 innings and struck out 39 batters. He finished with a 5-2 record and posted a 3.35 ERA.
Sandefer joins former Notre Dame pitcher Ricky Reeth and former Wabash Valley College catcher and designated hitter AJ Malzone as the three portal acquisitions so far for Florida.
The move comes after Gators left-handed pitcher Jacob Gomberg entered the portal. The sophomore from Coral Springs made just three appearances in 2025, recording one strikeout while surrendering seven runs and eight hits. He is the only Florida player to enter the transfer portal since it opened Monday.
Contact Adrian Carmona at acarmona@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @abcarmona04.
Adrian Carmona is a third-year journalism major and the Summer 2025 baseball reporter. In his spare time, he enjoys completing Sporcle quizzes and ranting about Miami sports.
