The Gators concluded their fall exhibition schedule with two matchups, starting against Jacksonville on Oct. 31 and followed by a 14-inning doubleheader against Georgia Southern on Sunday.
Florida controlled the opener against GSU 8-2 and followed it with a comeback in Game 2, erasing a 6-1 deficit in the fifth by scoring 10 runs over two innings to win 11-6.
The program returns 22 players from last season and added 19 newcomers, including nine true freshmen. While roster decisions remain months away, several players produced notable performances during fall ball.
Cade Kurland - Junior INF
Florida lost significant power from last year’s roster with catchers Luke Heyman and Brody Donay and shortstops Colby Shelton and Bobby Boser all selected in the MLB Draft. That leaves opportunities for returning bats to step up.
Kurland, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery during the 2024-25 season, was effective in limited action last year, slashing .316/.490/.605 across 38 at-bats.
Now fully healthy, he picked up where he left off this fall. Kurland went 4 for 10 across UF’s three exhibitions, highlighted by the game-tying home run in the comeback win over Georgia Southern.
Ethan Surowiec - Sophomore INF
Surowiec’s path to Gainesville was a bit unconventional, as the Mississippi native saw only 16 at-bats as a freshman at Ole Miss.
Surowiec’s breakout instead came over the summer with the Duluth Huskies of the Northwoods League, where he spent most of his time at third base. He posted a .383/.471/.781 slash line, falling just short of a triple crown and earning MVP recognition. That production quickly drew transfer interest, and the Gators were the one to land him.
With UF, Surowiec is expected to start at third base. He was a standout on offense during scrimmages, and he notched two RBI in the three exhibition games, including a home run against Jacksonville.
Joshua Whritenour - Redshirt Freshman RHP
Pitching was another area of concern for Florida last season. The Gators posted a 4.89 team ERA, ranking 12th in the SEC.
Whritenour, one of the top high school arms in the 2024 recruiting class, was expected to factor into the rotation before an injury led to Tommy John surgery.
He enters this season healthy and has been one of UF’s more consistent performers in both fall scrimmages and exhibitions. Whritenour closed out the Jacksonville game and the second matchup against Georgia Southern, delivering scoreless outings in both appearances.
Contact Daniela Ortiz at dortiz@alligator.org. Follow her on X @danielaortizUF.
Daniela is a junior sports journalism student and the enterprise/hockey beat reporter for Fall 2025. When not writing an article, you can catch her drawing or playing with her roommates' cats.
