![Florida utility Caden McDonald (21) pitches during the fifth inning of an NCAA college baseball matchup Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville, Fla. FSU rallied to defeat UF 8-4 off a walk-off grand slam from Alex Lodise in the ninth inning. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01kr9m8yd7na75czzb68.jpg "Florida utility Caden McDonald (21) pitches during the fifth inning of an NCAA college baseball matchup Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville, Fla. FSU rallied to defeat UF 8-4 off a walk-off grand slam from Alex Lodise in the ninth inning. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]")
What can’t Caden McDonald do? The Florida Gators sent off their seniors with a 9-6 victory over Kentucky on Sunday morning in the regular season home finale, giving them the 2-1 series win over the Wildcats as well in a game that was led by another immaculate performance for McDonald, the redshirt sophomore out of Tampa, FL.
McDonald began the day as the DH, but later came on to pitch in relief for the Gators, and he had huge success on both sides of the field. At the plate, he was 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored. On the mound, he went on to throw 4 1/3 no-hit innings of relief in the Gators’ Senior Day win in Gainesville.
Caden McDonald once again power Florida to a win
After Kentucky struck first in the top of the first, sophomore Brendan Lawson got the Gators started offensively in the bottom half of the first with a one-out home run that tied the game 1-1. They continued to add on from there to take the lead over Kentucky.
After back-to-back singles by Ethan Surowiec and McDonald, the senior Karson Bowen drove in Florida’s second RBI of the day on an RBI double that scored Surowiec to make it 2-0 Florida for a Senior Day RBI.
The Gators kept their rally going with two-outs as Landon Stripling drove in a run on an RBI single that scored McDonald.
After Kentucky struck back against the Gators in the fourth, scoring four to make it a 5-3 game, the Gators came chomping back in the bottom of the inning once again.
With one on, Hayden Yost hit a 2-run home run that tied the game at five.
Later in the inning, with one on, McDonald hit Florida’s third home run of the afternoon, a two-run shot that make it 7-5 Gators.
They then went on to add to their lead in the seventh. With two on, Yost lined out to left field, but with the ball hit deep enough, Kurland scored to make it an 8-5. Lead. Blake Cyr that tacked on an RBI on a sacrifice fly to put the nail in the coffin and make it 9-5.
The Gators never looked back as though Kentucky hit a home run in the ninth, it was not enough as the Gators went on to defeat the Wildcats 9-6 and secure the series win.
Russell Sandefer started the day on the mound for Florida and unfortunately did not have his best stuff, giving up five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.
He was relieved by the two-way standout McDonald. McDonald, not only having a great day at the plate, was lights out on the mound for the Gators. He pitched 4 1/3 no-hit, shutout innings, striking out six on the way to his fifth win of the season.
McDonald was the clear player of the game Saturday as he was 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, two runs scored and his 4 1/3 no-hit innings on the mound. The kid continues to absolutely make a huge name for himself.
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