The throng of children waiting for autographs began lining the railing that fronted the Florida Gators dugout, extending up the tunnel ramp, and leading toward the home team clubhouse at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Florida baseball coach Kevin Sullivan was in the middle of the post-game crowd. Along with his players, he signed every baseball or item requested.
The scene Oct. 24 completed an exceptional day for his team. The Gators pounded out 18 hits, scored 15 runs and used 26 players, outscoring the Troy Trojans 15-5 during a pre-designed, 11-inning fall exhibition game in Pensacola.
“I thought everything was outstanding. Everybody treated us with such class,” Sullivan said, following the last autograph request. “Our players really enjoyed it. We don’t get a chance to go up to the Panhandle very much and the Gator fans (in Pensacola area) had a chance to see us play.
“So, really pleased with how we played, but also really pleased we had such a good turnout.”
A crowd of 4,181 watched the event, which was Florida’s first appearance in Blue Wahoos Stadium since a regular-season game against Southern Mississippi in March 2014. Sullivan, who will begin his 20th season in 2027 as Gators’ head coach, is hoping to return in a much quicker time frame.
“I think it’s important for us to come up here and play, I really do,” said Sullivan, whose team traveled five-plus hours via charter buses the previous day and held a two-hour practice the night before the game.
“I think it’s important to give Gator fans in the Panhandle a chance to see us play,” he said. “I thought everything worked out perfectly. We played really well, it was a great crowd, and our kids really enjoyed the experience. It was a win-win for everybody.”
The exhibition event was a rematch of these teams colliding in early June in the NCAA Super Regional in Gainesville. Troy won that best-of-three series to advance to the Men’s College World Series for the first time in school history.
The fall ball game was decided when Florida blew open a 4-1 lead by scoring eight runs in the sixth inning. But the experience itself was something Troy sought for a gauge on development.
“It’s great this was already prescheduled with Florida having us in here,” said Troy Trojans head coach Skylar Meade. “Pensacola welcoming us, which is great. Awesome stadium. I haven’t been here in 10 years. And a really good crowd.
“I loved that Florida went after it with their best. They’ve got really talented players and it’s the reason they’ll be preseason top five (in the 2027 season ranking). Great for us.
“Some guys got a little bit overmatched which happens. Florida has some of the best (pitching) arms in the country. High octane velo (velocity). I give the utmost credit to them. That’s exactly what you want. Fall games don’t have a winner or loser, because nobody gets anything on their record.”
This was the third consecutive year Blue Wahoos Stadium has hosted at least one fall baseball game. The previous two years involved Florida State. The Seminoles were to play Auburn on Oct. 10, but that game was wiped out by Hurricane Isaias and won’t be rescheduled.
Alabama played Georgia Tech at the bayfront stadium Oct. 17. The Blue Wahoos front office staff, recognized in 2026 as the top staff in Minor League Baseball, rallied together in the storm’s aftermath to get the ballpark in shape.
Efforts included tree removal, makeshift repairs to left field fencing and a temporary black screen (batter’s eye) installed in centerfield in order to play the two games.
Both Troy and Florida were provided a check presentation during the game from Blue Wahoos president Jonathan Griffith to go toward their programs. Similar check presentations occurred the previous week with Alabama and Georgia Tech.
The Blue Wahoos are hoping to make multiple fall baseball games an annual experience.
“I think (fall ball games) is invaluable,” Sullivan said. “You can’t teach that in a regular intrasquad game.
“I thought the field played great. We didn’t make an error in 11 innings. We don’t get a chance to play on (artificial) turf all the time, so I think our guys handled it great.”
The top stars for both teams shined in the Oct. 24 game.
Gators’ junior shortstop Brendan Lawson, a left-handed hitting native of Toronto, Ontario, who is Baseball America’s No. 1-rated player for the 2027 Major League Baseball Draft, showed out for 13 different MLB teams scouts in attendance.
Lawson was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. He singled, doubled and blasted a 3-run homer to highlight Florida’s 8-run sixth.
Three Gators pitchers – Aidan King, Jackson Barberi and Joshua Whritenour – all ranked among the top 40 MLB prospects, combined to work six innings, allowing one run and three hits combined. Barberi pitched three hitless innings and struck out four.
Troy catcher Jimmy Janicki, a junior from Illinois, rated the nation’s top collegiate catcher, went 3-for-5 with an opposite field home run and two RBI.
The Trojans will play their final fall ball game on Nov. 8 at LSU. Florida will host the Ontario Blue Jays, an amateur travel ball team on Oct. 28 in Gainesville, then will play Mercer and Air Force on consecutive Sundays in November to close out their schedule.