Florida left-handed pitcher Eli Blair, a rising sophomore, is entering the transfer portal. Blair announced the move on Monday on his social media pages.
The 6-foot-8-inch southpaw out of J. R. Arnold High in Panama City Beach, Florida, took the mound nine times as a true freshman. He finished the season with a 4.82 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and a 9-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 9 1/3 innings. Blair drew a 48.1% groundball rate and did not allow a home run. Opposing batters hit .278 against him.
Kevin O’Sullivan said the goal was to bring in more left-handed help, which was a signal that his current lefties weren’t cutting it. Blair is the third Florida southpaw to enter the portal, joining McCall Biemiller and Rivers Kurland.
Other Florida Gators in the transfer portal
Florida has already seen five arms depart for the transfer portal. McCall Biemiller, Matthew Jenkins and Cooper Moss announced on June 1, the first day the portal opened, and Christian Rodriguez followed on later that week. Cooper Walls (Georgia) hit the transfer portal on June 5, and Rivers Kurland hit the market on June 7.
Florida lost starting second baseman Cade Kurland to the transfer portal on June 9; he’s headed to LSU. Infielder Kolt Myers and outfielder Blake Brookins are the two other position players to enter the transfer portal so far.
Florida earned its first transfer commitment from former FGCU catcher Jon Embury, the 2026 ASUN Player of the Year, on June 4, followed by Jacksonville State right-hander Maddox McDougall on June 9.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida baseball loses another southpaw to transfer portal
Reporting by David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By David Rosenberg, Gators Wire | USA TODAY Network
