Gators Baseball to Host Transfer Pitcher Next Week

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan's quest to reshape his pitching staff through the bullpen continues as the Gators are set to host Jacksonville State righty Maddox McDougall on Tuesday, according to Gator Country's Nick Marcinko.

McDougall, who posted a 2.76 ERA during his sophomore campaign, is the second reported transfer to have visited or scheduled a visit after Northwestern State lefty Brody Trosclair visited on Thursday.

News: Jacksonville State transfer RHP Maddox McDougall will visit Florida on Tuesday, he tells me.

McDougall posted a 2.76 ERA in 49 innings during his sophomore season.

54-18 strikeout to walk ratio. https://t.co/6saq7eL7RY pic.twitter.com/xjBsimrHGG
— Nick Marcinko (@marcinko_nick) June 6, 2026

McDougall (6-0, 180 pounds) saw tremendous improvements last season after recording a 5.01 ERA and 4-3 record as a true freshman in 2025. In addition to a 2.76 ERA, McDougall was 5-0 across 23 appearances (one start) with 54 strikeouts in 49 innings, which also included just 18 walks.

McDougall's visit is the latest move as O'Sullivan looks to revamp his pitching staff from top to bottom for his 20th season leading the program. Florida recently fired pitching coach David Kopp after the team's postseason struggles in 2026 and saw a bulk of reserves — redshirt junior righty Matthew Jenkins, redshirt freshman righty Cooper Moss, redshirt junior righty Christian Rodriguez and junior lefty McCall Biemiller — and junior righty bullpen contributor/occasional starter Cooper Walls leave the program via the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Florida is also set to lose a group of contributing seniors in righties Billy Barlow and Ricky Reeth and lefty Ernesto Lugo-Canchola for next season, and is expected to lose rising senior Liam Peterson to the 2026 MLB Draft.

After Florida's noted postseason struggles, which included giving up an average of 10.75 earned runs across the Gainesville Regional as well as a total of 10 home runs in its four games, O'Sullivan said Florida would prioritize lefty arms in the portal and said that the staff just needs "to get better" after a week in which he felt Florida was chasing their opponents.

"You go into these things feeling fully confident that you’re going to win, and when it doesn’t turn out that way, and the way the last two games have turned, it’s going to take a little while to digest it," he said after the season-ending loss to Troy last week. "But obviously it’s my responsibility to figure out where we need to improve. I know that’s coaches' speak, but honestly, we need to evaluate this because we have to be more consistent all the way around."

Florida is balancing holding exit meetings with its 2026 roster while recruiting the portal throughout the upcoming weeks.

"There's not a whole lot of time to reflect. We got to get better," O'Sullivan said. "Certain areas we got to get better at."

As it stands, Florida has landed one commitment out of the portal in junior catcher Jon Embury from Florida Gulf Coast. Embury is ranked as the No. 16 overall transfer by Baseball America.

The NCAA Transfer Portal closes on June 30.

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