Florida Gators Add Left-Handed Pitcher from Junior College Ranks

The Florida Gators latest commitment spent his high school days at Forest High School in Ocala.

New Florida Gators commitment Mason Laurito was at Forest High School in Ocala before spending a season at Junior College. / Doug Engle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Florida Gators Baseball nabs another pitching commitment from the JuCo level. 

A product of Forest High School in Ocala, Left-handed pitcher Mason Laurito spent 2024 at Gulf Coast State College. He announced he will be heading to Gainesville on his personal X page. 

Excited to announce I’ll be continuing my baseball career at the University of Florida!🐊🐊 @GatorsBB @LanzilliCam pic.twitter.com/r4iU7NJVgH

— Mason Laurito (@LauritoMason) July 22, 2024

Laurito was intrigued by the larger role he would get to take on with the Gators. He would provide much needed lefty depth on the pitching staff. 

“It means a lot to me that they really needed me," Laurito told Jacob Rudner of 247 Sports. "I can step into some big roles and come through for the team. Maybe that's pitching against Florida State in a midweek game, which would be incredible. I could be pitching against freakin' Arkansas on a Friday night. It's just very exciting."

He also wants to be the guy who steps up in the big moments.

"I want to be the guy that comes into the game on a Friday night with the bases loaded and two outs, game on the line,” he said. 

Laurito started 11 games for Gulf Coast State College in 2024. In 32 1/3 innings, he had a 3.34 ERA with a 1.61 WHIP and 42 strikeouts. 

While those are respectable numbers for the freshman lefty, they don’t tell the full story.

The bulk of the runs Laurito gave up last season happened over the course of 3 2/3 innings in two of his starts - he gave up nine of his 12 earned runs in these innings. In 28 2/3 innings over nine other starts, he had a 0.94 ERA - three earned runs. 

He has a pitching arsenal that consists of a fastball in the low-90s, a slider, a curveball, a changeup and a cutter. He touched 91 on his fastball at a Perfect Game event in February.

Laurito believes his time in junior college helped prepare him for SEC-level baseball.

He is the eighth commitment the Gators have gotten from the college level so far this summer.