4 days ago
Florida baseball loses LHP to transfer portal
Florida baseball loses LHP to transfer portal
Florida sophomore left-hander Jacob Gomberg entered the transfer portal on Monday, marking the first departure of the 2025 offseason for the Gators baseball program.
Gomberg was a minimal factor in Florida's bullpen, making just four appearances and throwing two total innings over as many seasons. He walked five and struck out three of the 19 batters he faced, ending his time in Gainesville with a 40.50 ERA.
The 5-foot-10 left-hander signed with Florida as a member of the 2023 recruiting class. Ranked No. 327 nationally by Perfect Game, Gomberg was among the elite southpaws at the high school level and ranked inside the top 50 positionally. He played alongside Jake Clemente and Christian Rodriguez at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, winning three consecutive state championships, and was a member of the Canes National Scout Team (NY Mets Scout) that finished the travel circuit ranked No. 1 among 17U clubs in the 2022 summer circuit..
Gomberg's calling card was a wipeout slider, which is still talked about locally as one of the best pitches to ever come through the area. The problem is that the legend has stayed local, for the most part. Gomberg has dealt with injuries since the summer of 2022 when he was with that Canes team. He didn't throw an inning his senior year at Douglas and made just one appearance as a true freshman last season.
Kevin O'Sullivan rarely called Gomberg's number throughout the season. When he did, the game was getting out of hand or there already. Still, the lefty struggled in these situations, recording just three outs over 13 batters faced. His final appearance was a four-pitch walk against Vanderbilt that brought Sully back out after one batter. The writing has been on the wall here for some time. Gomberg wasn't getting innings in a season where Florida didn't have a left-handed relief arm.
With draft eligibility coming into play next year, Gomberg needs to go somewhere he'll get innings. If that slider returns to form, he can salvage a career at a mid-major. Despite being labeled a sophomore, Gomberg has three years of collegiate eligibility remaining.
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