The Tampa native owns 28 home runs and 76 RBI while pitching to a 4.14 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 63 innings.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida first baseman/left-handed pitcher Jac Caglianone<https://floridagators.com/sports/baseball/roster/jac-caglianone/15489> was named one of five finalists for the 2023 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year on Tuesday, as announced by the College Baseball Foundation.
Joining Caglianone as a finalist are left-hander/first baseman T.J. Fondtain from San Diego State, right-hander/first baseman Caden Grice from Clemson, right-hander/infielder Ryan Ignoffo from Eastern Illinois and left-hander/infielder Payton Tolle from Wichita State.
“We started this season with one of the largest watch lists we’ve ever had for this award, and these five tremendous individuals have risen to the top with their consistency and production all season,” Olerud Award co-chairman George Watson said. “The finalists have differentiated themselves not only through the statistics they’ve racked up but by being leaders of their respective teams. Each one of them is more than deserving of this award.”
As the lone SEC player on the list, Caglianone announced his presence early on in the season with a tremendous start and hasn’t slowed down since. His 28 home runs lead the Southeastern Conference while ranking second in the nation, and his 76 RBI rank second in the SEC and T-12th in the country. Entering NCAA Regionals, the Tampa, Fla. native is slashing .349/.409/.790 and is the lone Gator to start every game this season.
Serving as a weekend starter for UF all year long, Caglianone is 6-3 with a 4.14 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 63.0 innings. The southpaw has held opposing hitters to a team-best .184 batting average.
The John Olerud Award is named for the former Washington State University standout who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s and was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. The award will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation later this summer.
For more information on the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award or the College Baseball Hall of Fame, visit www.collegebaseballhall.org<http://www.collegebaseballhall.org/>.
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