The Chicago Cubs have selected Florida pitcher Pierce Coppola with the No. 211 pick in the seventh round of the 2025 MLB Draft.
Coppola is the third Gator to be drafted in the 2025 MLB Draft, and the 113th draftee under Kevin O’Sullivan’s tenure. He is the second Florida pitcher drafted this year following the selection of Jake Clemente with the No. 198 pick in the seventh round.
Coppola only made one start in his first two seasons due to recurring back and leg injuries. As a redshirt sophomore in 2024, he went 1-4 with a 8.75 ERA while adding 35 strikeouts.
Coppola improved as a redshirt junior, posting a career best 2.53 ERA and struck out a career-best 43 batters. He went 3-1 in seven starts, with his one loss coming in his final outing of the year. He suffered an undisclosed upper-body injury against the Miami Hurricanes on March 1, and returned against the South Carolina Gamecocks May 4.
Coppola joins a Cubs team that stands first in the National League Central Division at 57-39. The Cubs have the No. 8 farm system according to the MLB farm rankings. Chicago’s pitching unit ranks No. 14 in the MLB in ERA at 3.84.
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.