Jacksonville transfer Justin Nadeua breaks down fit with Gators
Justin Nadeau spent the last two seasons at Jacksonville before entering the NCAA transfer portal Justin Nadeau, a former Jacksonville utility player and St. John's, Florida native, has joined Florida from Jacksonville, where he entered the NCAA Transfer portal on June 3 and the Gators' coaches expressed their interest. Nadeua, who entered the transfer portal a day after he entered, visited Florida's campus and committed a day later. The rising junior shared that his versatility with the glove, ability to play multiple positions, and ability to control the bat were among the top reasons for Florida's interest. Florida is confident in his ability to perform well at the plate after two successful offensive seasons with Jacksonville. The team is also hoping to use this player's skills to help them achieve their second consecutive College World Series appearance and help to reduce the number of strikeouts.
Publicerad : 10 månader sedan förbi Jacob Rudner i Sports
Justin Nadeau's desire to play for Florida didn't just materialize this offseason after he entered the NCAA Transfer portal on June 3 and the Gators' coaches reached out to express their serious interest.
The former Jacksonville utility player and St. John's, Florida, native said that it's been a life-long desire to don orange and blue.
So when the opportunity arose for him to make that dream a reality, the sophomore didn't hesitate. A day after he entered the portal, he visited Florida's campus. A day later, he committed.
"It was just the perfect fit for me and my family," he told Swamp247.
Nadeau's eagerness to represent the Gators was only matched by Florida's desire for him to do so throughout his very brief transfer portal recruitment.
With players like first baseman Jac Caglianone, left fielder Tyler Shelnut, third baseman Dale Thomas, utility player Armando Albert and center fielder Jaylen Guy guaranteed to move on from the college ranks and others such as shortstop Colby Shelton and right fielder Ty Evans candidates to do the same, the Gators prioritized their recruitments of players like Nadeau, who are defensively versatile and offensively steady.
In 2024, Nadeua showed off standout footwork and a strong arm, which Florida believes could allow him to man a corner outfield spot or any of the infield positions.
The rising junior shared that his versatility with the glove was among the top reasons for the Gators' interest.
"I have the ability to play multiple positions which helps me a lot and gives me some leverage," he said. "Obviously it's still early but I'll be a utility guy that can hit and play anywhere they need me to."
Florida is appears equally confident that Nadeau will bring significant production at the plate after two impressive offensive seasons with the Dolphins.
As a freshman in 2023, Nadeau batted .294 across 194 at-bats and became the first Jacksonville freshman to record 30 or more RBI in a single season since 2010.
A year later, he appeared in 30 games and batted .395 with a home run, eight doubles, two triples and 11 stolen bases and experienced a significant jump in batting average on balls in play, which climbed from .374 in 2023 to .484 in 2024.
"The strength I have is the ability to control the bat. I have the ability to hit the ball to all parts of the field and be an hard out. I play the game hard and want to win every time I step on that field so I can't wait to do that with Florida."
The Gators are hopeful that Nadeau's offensive skill set can contribute to a slight strategy retooling at the plate in 2025.
Entering its second consecutive College World Series appearance, the Gators have struck out at a higher rate than all but 25 Division I teams, a statistic head coach Kevin O'Sullivan has bemoaned throughout the season.
The long-time Gator skipper is hoping to "cut down" on the whiffs next season, a goal he could achieve via players like Nadeau, who cut his strikeout rate from 20.8 percent as a freshman to a very solid 16.9 percent as a second-year player.
"If I could point to one thing that we've struggled with this year," O'Sullivan said, "it would be the amount of strikeouts that we've had. We have to cut those down.
Nadeau said he's committed to helping the Gators meet their objectives on both sides of the ball. He's eager to play anywhere the Gators might need him to and envisions himself as the pesky, tough out at the plate that Florida is seeking.
Above anything, though, he's grateful to be a Florida Gator.
"My main goal is just to help contribute each and every day in a positive manner," he said, "bring the Gators back to Omaha and win it."
Ämnen: Baseball