Cade Kurland's Leadership a Consistent Force in Chaotic Offseason for Gators Baseball

Florida baseball has had a chaotic offseason with multiple coaching changes. As a result, Cade Kurland's leadership has become that much more important.

Cade Kurland missed most of the Florida Gators' 2025 season with a shoulder injury. | Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Cade Kurland enters his senior season confident in both himself and the team the Florida Gators have for 2026.

Most importantly, though, he is healthy.

The second baseman played through a hand injury in 2024 before missing most of the 2025 season with a shoulder injury.

"It's extremely frustrating. I think it would be for anybody," Kurland said. "But, you know, stuff happens, and it's kind of how you bounce back from it."

And bouncing back he is, at least during the fall.

Kurland has shown signs of his pre-injury self throughout Florida's fall ball season, evidenced by a strong performance in the Gators' exhibition against Georgia Southern on Sunday. Across two seven-inning exhibitions, Kurland was 2-for-5 with a home run, a triple and a walk, which resulted in three runs.

Florida won the exhibitions, 8-2, and, 11-6.

Kurland with a stand up triple scores Jones from 1st who got on via a walk. pic.twitter.com/juBKS3MLgn

— Gator Diamond Pod (@GatorDiamondPod) November 9, 2025

While Kurland said there were a couple of swings he wish he didn't make, he was happy with his and the team's performance.

"I'm really happy with how the fall's going so far," he said. "Obviously, I got my shoulder tightened up over the summer, and it's just been the matter of doing PT, getting stronger, and then just kind of getting back on the field. It feels great."

That 11-6 win in Game 2 was the ultimate testament to Kurland's and Florida's offseason.

As Kurland prepped for his senior season, the Gators saw change with head coach Kevin O'Sullivan taking a leave of absence, assistant and interim head coach Chuck Jeroloman leave for Tennessee and Tom Slater joining the staff in Jeroloman's place.

While overcoming the uncontrollables with the changes in the program, Florida overcame a 6-1 deficit to Georgia Southern. Kurland's home run in the sixth inning tied the game.

"It's electric. That's the brand of baseball we play here," Kurland said. "We come down, we're never out of a game. That's how we do it. That's awesome. Fires me up.

Kurland goes BOOM!!! pic.twitter.com/Q0f2R4zkiy

— Gator Diamond Pod (@GatorDiamondPod) November 10, 2025

For Kurland specifically, the changes around the program meant stepping up even more as a leader.

"I kind of always thought that I lead by example the way I put my work in day in and day out, but there's definitely a role nowadays that—I've seen the way this program is at its best, and I know how it's supposed to look," Kurland said. "There's definitely a time where you need to let people know this his how you do this and do that."

This is also a personal role for Kurland, who is joined by his younger brother, Rivers, on this year's team. Rivers Kurland, a left-handed pitcher whom Kurland called a "stud" who attacks the zone, enters his freshman season with the program.

"It's surreal. You don't see that very much," Kurland said. "We played high school together for a year, and playing SEC ball at Florida with my brother, you can't make that up."

Brotherly love?

Rivers Kurland hits brother Cade Kurland on the first pitch of the AB #Gators pic.twitter.com/0tkG9rnoDn

— Cam Parker (@camparker25) November 12, 2025

So, while the program deals with some inconsistency ahead of the 2026 season, Florida's brand of baseball, headlined by Kurland and his leadership, remain consistent.

"The program's made up of the players we have and the brand of baseball we play," Kurland said. "We play hard, and we show up every day, keep our head down, and we compete. That's all there is to it."