Outside of Florida’s big three of junior Liam Peterson and sophomores Aidan King and Cooper Walls, the Gators are still building a reliable bullpen rotation.
“We're getting to a point during the season where we're trying to figure out who we can trust and who we cannot trust, and it's getting closer,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “Obviously, we'll find out a lot more about our team going on the road against Miami.”
With the schedule getting tougher by the week, including a trip to Coral Gables to face off against the No. 17 Hurricanes this weekend, Florida inches closer to rounding out the arms that will relieve its weekend starters.
One of the biggest bright spots of the Gators’ pitching room has come from an unlikely story. Senior Ernesto Lugo-Canchola, a transfer from DII school Northwest Nazarene, has performed well in relief duty.
“A lot of people dream of representing this logo,” Lugo-Canchola said. “When I get between those lines, I’m gonna go do my job.”
Lugo-Canchola retired the first 17 batters he faced this season. In three appearances, the former DII Baseball Pitcher of the Year has recorded a 1.04 ERA with eight strikeouts while surrendering just two walks and one run.
His breakout performance came against Stetson on Feb. 18. In three innings of work, he surrendered zero hits and walks while fanning five Hatters.
“Ernie was outstanding again,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said after the game. “He’s extremely competitive. He’s got a heart of a lion.”
He had another standout performance on Wednesday night against the Florida International Panthers. He recorded three strikeouts to just one hit in two innings, but his biggest stand came in the seventh. With bases loaded and just one out, he fanned two consecutive Panthers to strand three runners.
Another transfer that has made an instant contribution is redshirt senior Ricky Reeth. The former Notre Dame pitcher has appeared four times on the mound for the Gators this season with nine punch-outs while surrendering nine hits and two runs in eight innings.
Reeth earned his first win in a Florida uniform Tuesday in the team’s 17-11 win over FIU, fanning six batters while not issuing a walk in three frames.
But one transfer that has seen limited reps due to injury is former Central Florida junior Russell Sandefer. The Tampa native exited the season-opener against UAB in the eighth inning after surrendering two hits and two runs with zero strikeouts.
O’Sullivan does expect the righty to be available against Miami after missing the last week.
The Gators have also seen some production from their freshmen, including a solid performance of relief from Eli Blair against FIF.
Blair fanned two Panthers while surrendering zero walks, as he was able to settle down the game in his short two-inning stint. Redshirt freshmen Schuyler Sandford and Joshua Whritenour have also gotten some time on the mound with sustained success.
Sandford has recorded a 1.59 ERA in four appearances this year with six strikeouts to just three walks. Against FIU on Wednesday night, he settled the game with five forced outs and two fans. Meanwhile, Whritenour shut down the Panthers to close the game with two scoreless frames while punching out three batters to secure the victory.
In contrast, the bullpen inconsistencies have been present in freshman Jackson Hoyt. The Brooksville, Florida, native has surrendered six runs and five hits across 1.1 innings in two appearances.
Additionally, the Gators have seen mixed results from returning bullpen arms.
Junior Luke McNeillie has dealt with injury so far this season and has made just two appearances. In a controlled start against Stetson last Tuesday, he threw two frames, striking out two Hatters and walking none.
But he had a shaky outing against FIU on Tuesday, surrendering three hits and two runs in just one full inning of play.
“I think he’s probably a little rusty still,” O’Sullivan said. “Hopefully he’ll be sharp when we head down to Miami.”
Jackson Barberi has produced well in relief to begin his sophomore season, currently ranking fifth on the team with a 1.50 ERA across three appearances. In six total innings of play, he has amassed nine strikeouts to just three walks.
Redshirt senior Billy Barlow has had his ups and downs in three games. In his season debut against Stetson, he pitched four innings in relief for McNeillie, throwing five strikeouts and zero walks while giving up five hits.
But he struggled against Kennesaw State, surrendering three runs on two hits with zero strikeouts.
In his first start of 2026 against FIU on Wednesday, he pitched two innings, logging three strikeouts and two walks.
Redshirt sophomores Caden McDonald and Christian Rodriguez have combined for eight allowed runs and 10 hits in just eight combined innings of action while totaling nine strikeouts.
Against FIU on Wednesday, Rodriguez’s first two pitches resulted in a solo-home run and a walk after he hit a Panther.
Overall, Florida has seen some contributions and signs of talented arms from their bullpen from returners and new faces alike. But the amount of pitchers who will see the mound for the Gators this year continues to shorten as O’Sullivan begins to round out his pitching.
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.
