Sophomore right-handed pitcher Cooper Walls had a debut to remember for the Gators.
The Hawaii transfer earned the win in his first Sunday start, finishing with four strikeouts in five innings while adding five fly outs and six ground outs. Walls exited the field in the sixth to the sounds of cheers from the fans at Condron Family Ballpark.
The Gators (2-1) defeated the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers (1-2) 6-1 to take the opening series.
“I thought the tone was set by our pitching,” said associate head coach Tom Slater. “It always starts on the mound.”
It was another hot start for Florida’s offense in the first frame. Sophomore center fielder Kyle Jones had yet another leadoff double, followed by a two-run bomb from sophomore shortstop Brendan Lawson to make it a quick 2-0 lead for the Gators.
Jones finished the weekend with five doubles, an impressive start to his 2026 campaign after missing much of 2025 with a shoulder injury.
“It was something I’ve had marked on the calendar for a very long time,” Jones said. “We know we can hit. We know we’re a very good team.”
After sophomore first baseman Ethan Surowiec earned a walk, freshman right fielder Cash Strayer doubled to send Surowiec to third. Senior left fielder Blake Cyr’s sacrifice fly allowed Surowiec to score to make it a three-run game.
The Blazers got on the board in the sixth. Junior center fielder Kevin Hall Jr. singled to right field and stole second base soon after. Sophomore left fielder JP Head then doubled to score Hall Jr. to make it a two-run game.
Senior transfer pitcher Ernesto Lugo-Canchola promptly subbed in for Walls, also marking his Gator debut.
Lugo-Canchola started off his Florida career with a tag on Blazer sophomore outfielder Landon Beaver followed by a fly out, leaving Head stranded on third. He got the job done in relief, finishing with two strikeouts and four fly outs in two innings of action.
“Ernie did a heck of a job behind [Cooper],” Slater said. “He pitched for us right there to give us a chance to add on to our lead.”
The Gators added insurance in the bottom of the frame. Surowiec led off with a double, and a sacrifice groundout from Strayer led Surowiec to third.
Cyr was hit with a pitch by freshman Blazer Carter Samuelson, and senior catcher Cole Stanford doubled to score Surowiec. Freshman designated hitter Colton Schwarz then earned his first career hit and RBI to score Cyr to make it a 5-1 ballgame.
The cherry on top came from Strayer in the eighth as he homered for the first time in his young career to make it a 6-1 advantage.
Florida held on defensively behind freshman righty Joshua Whritenour and took home its second win in Saturday's doubleheader.
The Gators will begin midweek action Tuesday against the Stetson Hatters in DeLand, Florida. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
Contact Adrian Carmona at acarmona@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @abcarmona04.
Adrian is a senior journalism major and the baseball reporter for the Spring of 2026. He previously served as the soccer reporter in the fall of 2025. He enjoys playing Sporcle quizzes and ranting about South Florida sports.
