Gators baseball adds Stetson outfielder Kyle Jones, 4 other transfers
Stetson outfielder Kyle Jones is among five collegians to join the Gators recently after he earned Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year honors. He batted .355, stole 23 bases and posted a .459 on-base percentage to with 5 home runs and 32 RBI.
GAINESVILLE — Florida’s unexpected postseason run didn’t keep coach Kevin O’Sullivan from overhauling the Gators with an influx of transfers.
Stetson outfielder Kyle Jones is among five collegians to join the Gators recently after he earned Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year honors. He batted .355, stole 23 bases and posted a .459 on-base percentage to with 5 home runs and 32 RBI.
The 6-foot-3, 170-pound Georgia native also was a Rawling Gold Glove finalist in center field, bolstering the Gators’ defense that was uncharacteristically inconsistent in 2024.
Jones also was selected to the NCAA Tallahassee Regional all-tournament team after batting .417 (5 for 12), with 2 RBI on a pair of solo home runs and scoring 3 runs.
Jones will join four other UF transfers: Miami infielder Blake Cyr, who is expected to move to the outfield in Jacksonville infielder Justin Nadeau; Texas Tech infielder Landon Stripling and Samford pitcher Michael Ross.
The 5-foot-11, 188-pound Cyr, who hails from Windermere, was a consensus Freshman All-America in 2023 after he batted .305 with 17 homers, 63 RBI and 50 runs scored. But he hit just .284 with 7 home runs, 21 RBI and 22 runs after appearing in just 25 games as a sophomore following season-ending thumb surgery required after he broke it sliding into a base.
Nadeau batted .395 in 30 games as a sophomore in 2024, along with 36 runs, 8 doubles and 11 steals. He hit .294 with 30 RBI during 49 games in 2023 to earn ASUN All-Freshman team honors, but did strike out 47 times at a rate of 20.8%. The primary value of 6-foot, 185-pound native of St. Johns is versatility as an infielder.
Stripling, a native of Winter Haven who grew up in Georgia, arrives in Gainesville after he started during 24 of his 33 appearances as a freshman at Texas Tech. He batted just .253, with 4 homers and 20 RBI. But he posted an on-base percentage of .361 after drawing 17 walks and striking out just 12 times in 99 at-bats.
The 6-foot, 200-pound Stripling can play multiple infield positions. UF third basemen Dale Thomas and Tyler Shelnut no longer have eligibility, while shortstop Colby Shelton is likely to enter the MLB Draft along with star first baseman Jac Caglianone, a projected top-five pick.
Ross, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound right handers from Lakeland, will head to UF after he earning Souther Conference Pitcher of the Year honors.
Ross was 13-0 with a 3.27 earned-run average, 88 strikeouts and just 21 bases on balls while opponents hit .240 against him.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com