While the Florida Gators’ baseball season is still underway, the college baseball transfer portal opened on June 3rd, indicating that the Gators are looking for potential additions to next year’s roster.
Kevin O’Sullivan has already signed two infielders: Texas Tech’s Landon Stripling and Jacksonville’s Justin Nadeau, who visited school Tuesday.
TTU’s Landon Stripling
Landon Stripling, a Texas Tech infielder, batted.253 with four home runs and 20 RBI in 33 games, including 24 starts, as a freshman. He also scored 15 runs and walked 17 times in 117 plate appearances.
Stripling formerly played first base and designated hitter for the Red Raiders.
During his first collegiate season, the 6’0, 200-pound infielder had a low swing and miss rate, striking out on only 12.1% of his at bats. For instance, Florida’s 2024 team strikes out on 27.1% of their at-bats, which explains why Stripling would be of interest to Kevin O’Sullivan.
Stripling was the 76th overall recruit for the 2023 high school class and the 8th in Georgia. Stripling was born in Winter Haven, Florida, and is the nephew of current Major League Baseball starter Ross Stripling of the Oakland Athletics.
Stripling is a draft-eligible sophomore coming to Gainesville who still has years of eligibility remaining.
JU’s Justin Nadeau
The Gators met Jacksonville infielder Justin Nadeau on a visit Tuesday before he announced his commitment to Florida on social media.
“I’m excited and blessed to announce that I will be furthering my baseball career at the University of Florida,” Nadeau stated in his commitment post.
Nadeau recently completed his sophomore season at Jacksonville, where he batted.395 with 28 RBI, 36 runs, and one home run in 29 games. The 6’0, 185-pound infielder also grabbed 11 bags in 12 attempts.
Nadeau started all 49 games for the Dolphins as a freshman, batting.297 with 17 multi-hit games and earning ASUN All-Freshman honors. He tied for third in hits and fourth in on-base percentage, becoming the first JU freshmen to achieve 30 RBIs since 2010.
Nadeau began 47 games at second base and two at first base in 2023. In 2024, he usually played second base, including a 7-6 victory over Florida in which he had two hits, a run, and one RBI.
As a freshman, Nadeau made 10 defensive errors out of 219 chances. Those figures were quickly improved in year two, when the second baseman made only one error in 100 chances, for a fielding percentage of.990.
Nadeau has two years of eligibility left.
