Florida baseball is getting back its starting infielder and cleanup hitter, rising junior Ethan Surowiec, after going unselected in the 2026 MLB Draft this past weekend. He announced his intent to return to the program on social media shortly after the draft concluded and has three years of eligibility with the recent passing of the five-for-five rule.
Surowiec started all 62 games for Florida last season — the only player to do so — alternating between first and third base on defense, while leading the Gators in hits (78), batting average (.317), RBI (63), total bases (130) and at-bats (246). He also led his team with at least three runs scored in 12 games while ranking second in multi-hit contests (21) and multi-RBI efforts (16).
The Gulfport, Mississippi, native also added 12 home runs, 14 doubles, one triple, 53 runs scored, 37 walks and two steals to his stat sheet while putting up a slash line of .317/.409/.528, which adds up to a .937 OPS.
Surowiec transferred from the Ole Miss Rebels for his sophomore season after playing 11 games in Oxford, making just three starts. His performance last summer, in which he logged a 1.255 OPS thanks in part to his 24 doubles and 17 home runs along with 52 RBIs and 15 steals, led to him being named the Northwoods League MVP, foreshadowing his breakout campaign in Gainesville this spring.
The Gators standout re-signed his NIL agreement with Florida Victorious at the end of June.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Ethan Surowiec returns to Florida after going unselected in MLB draft
Reporting by Adam Dubbin, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Adam Dubbin, Gators Wire | USA TODAY Network
