Florida baseball’s offense found its swing on the season’s tail end, cashing 106 runs in its last 10 games–nearly a quarter of its 446 total runs this season.
The Gators erupted for 22 runs Saturday against Miami, sealing a 22-10 victory in the NCAA Gainesville Regional. The season-high 22 runs puts Florida in position to sweep a regional for the first time since 2016.
Shortstop Brendan Lawson’s offensive terror continued, extending an 11-game hitting streak including 23 runs and seven homers. However, the sophomore’s dominance shouldn’t overshadow catcher Karson Bowen’s steadiness.
In his 53rd appearance, the senior brought home five runs, launching two over the fence, and maintained a perfect fielding percentage in the dirt for a 13th straight game.
“Karson, he’s the glue,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “He’s that rock, a leader behind the plate.”
Loading ...O’Sullivan put his trust in the catcher, allowing him to call games a majority of the season per the requests of pitchers Aidan King and Liam Peterson.
Bowen spent three seasons at TCU, where he gained experience calling games in his 54 starts his freshman season as catcher in 2023. He split time between catcher and first base over the next two seasons before transferring to Florida for his senior season.
While the senior typically contributes more to Florida’s defense than offense, his bat exploded against Miami, claiming single-game season highs in hits (3), runs (4), home runs (2) and RBIs (5). Bowen demonstrated dominance on the plate lately with 10 hits in his last 10 games.
The catcher also proved himself as a reliable baserunner, notching his only two triples of the season in his last six outings, tying Lawson for the most on the team.
“I always like to think that I’m not as slow as people think so I try to show off the wheels when I can,” Bowen said.
The senior transferred in with rich postseason experience. During his freshman year, Bowen made his Omaha debut, collecting five hits in the 2023 College World Series before the Gators eliminated the Horned Frogs, after Bowen’s current teammate Cade Kurland’s RBI single secured the Gators’ go-ahead run.
“Just trying to be a calming presence for the guys who it’s their first time throwing and even some guys who I didn’t expect to be a little nervous,” Bowen said.
The catcher’s knack for seeing the ball remains key for Florida. Across 528 chances, Bowen records a 0.994 fielding percentage with 3 errors and 503 putouts.
At the 2026 SEC tournament in Hoover, Alabama, the senior’s baseball IQ shined during the tournament’s automated balls-and-strikes challenge system’s trial run. Bowen led the field, going 9-for-10 in successful challenges.
“If you’re going to make a run in the tournament that position is invaluable and he’s certainly filled it,” O’Sullivan said.
