After homering in an NCAA-record nine straight games from April 6-19, two-way star Jac Caglianone followed the act with an equally brilliant one by going 66 consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout from April 7-27, before being fanned in the eighth inning of the series finale at No. 2 Arkansas.
At present, the slugger ranks among the top-45 most-difficult hitters to strike out in the country with 10.1 at bats per strikeout. Caglianone’s unparalleled power-contact combination has fueled him to a 21-to-41 strikeout-to-walk ratio, 8.2% strikeout rate and 29 home runs on the season, the latter of which is tied for third nationally. He now owns each of the two most prolific home run seasons in Gators history, setting the team record with 33 last season, while his 29 bombs this year passed Wyatt Langford (2022) and Matt LaPorta (2005) for second most in club history.
Caglianone paces the Gators in virtually every offensive statistic including batting average (.413), on-base percentage (.552), slugging percentage (.851), OPS (1.376), hits (86), homers, RBI (58), runs (66) and walks (41). The two-way standout ranks second in the SEC in homers, batting average (ninth in NCAA) and slugging (fifth in NCAA), third in hits (13th in NCAA), OBP and total bases (177), fifth in runs scored and seventh in RBI.
On the mound, Caglianone is 5-1, and his .217 batting average against is the eighth-best in the SEC, as the southpaw has been charged with the fifth-fewest hits allowed and second-fewest homers surrendered among qualified SEC hurlers.