Florida Gators Baseball Adds another Big Transfer

The Florida Gators may have wrapped up their 2024 season, but they keep rolling on the recruiting trail.

Florida Gators head coach Kevin O'Sullivan is on a role on the recruiting trail. / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Florida Gators baseball reeled in a commitment from former Samford pitcher Michael Ross on Saturday, per D1 Baseball’s Kendall Rogers. 

Ross is a 6-foot-2, 205 -pound righty that hails from Lakeland, Fla., and is the reigning Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year. 

This past season, he went 13-0 on the mound across 15 starts. Over these 15 starts, he tossed 96.1 innings and recorded a 3.27 ERA. Moreover, Ross struck out 88 batters to just 21 walks.

Now, there is no guarantee that Ross will make it to Gainesville as he is a redshirt junior and is draft eligible for this year’s upcoming draft. 

He could potentially still forego his remaining eligibility in favor of the pros if he is drafted or signed as an undrafted free agent.

We saw it last year when the Gators got the commitment from Kelly Austin, but he decided to instead sign with the Houston Astros. 

Now, Ross becomes the fifth commitment the Gators have earned this offseason, joining former Miami utility player Blake Cyr, former Jacksonville infielder Justin Nadeau, former Texas Tech infielder Landon Stripling and former Stetson outfielder Kyle Jones. 

The timing of this commitment also pairs well with the recent departure from Gators freshman righty Grayson Smith. 

With this addition, Florida adds a veteran presence on the mound that will most likely take a starting spot on the weekend that opened with the loss of Jac Caglianone and potentially Brandon Neely.

Ross will certainly be one of the more experienced players the Gators will have next year and will be hoping to bring a solid level of pitching the Gators severely lacked this past season having the worst team ERA in the SEC.