When the Florida Gators took on the NC State Wolfpack in the College World Series, head coach Kevin O’Sullivan turned to his two-way star Jac Caglianone to start the game. Unfortunately, things didn’t go well for Caglianone on the mound. He only was able to pitch one inning, walking two, hitting another batter, and giving up an early run.
After the game, Caglianone confirmed that he’s not battling with any kind of injury while sharing that he hopes it’s not his last chance to pitch for Florida.
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“Definitely didn’t have my best stuff today,” Jac Caglianone said. “But I know I still had opportunities at the plate to step up for my team. I didn’t really put that into perspective. Hopefully, it’s not. But I just knew that I had opportunities at the plate and I wanted to take full advantage of them.”
The concerns about Jac Caglianone being injured don’t seem entirely unfounded. His fastball velocity was below its season average in the one inning he pitched. Then, following the inning, ESPN’s broadcast cameras caught a trainer apparently looking at his arm.
Still, when asked if he had any kind of physical injury, Caglianone was succinct in his denial.
“No,” Caglianone said.
If Jac Caglianone was dealing with any kind of injury or discomfort, it didn’t show when he was at the plate. He had another massive day, hitting a three-run home run that helped the Gators jump out to a lead. After that, NC State didn’t mind pitching around him and he walked twice.
That three-run home run was a historic one for Florida too. It was Caglianone’s 74th career home run, which tied the career record at Florida that was set by Matt LaPorta.
It remains to be seen how many more chances Jac Caglianone is going to get to pitch at Florida. He has proven over the course of his career that he’s a capable pitcher. However, he’s struggled in the last two seasons at Omaha. The Gators also may need to rely on him if they can continue their run at the College World Series and need pitching depth.
This does seem like it’s going to be Jac Caglianone’s last ride at Florida. He’s a very unique MLB prospect given his status as a two-way player and, even though most MLB teams don’t want two-way players, he’s expected to be a high first-round pick with his natural talent.
The post Jac Caglianone confirms he is not battling any injury with his pitching appeared first on On3.