Cade Kurland Leaves Florida Baseball for SEC Rival LSU
Less than one week after entering the transfer portal, Florida second baseman Cade Kurland committed to an SEC rival Thursday night, he announced on Instagram.
Kurland will play for LSU with one more year of eligibility after sitting out in 2025 due to a shoulder injury.
The move comes after the Gators missed out on Super Regional play for the second straight year. The Tampa native made it to Omaha twice, with Florida losing to the Tigers in the 2023 College World Series final and falling to Texas A&M in the 2024 semifinals.
Kurland, a redshirt junior, is eligible for the MLB draft on July 11 and has intentions to play at the next level.
“I want the opportunity to play pro ball,” Kurland said the Gators’ last game of the season in the NCAA Gainesville Regional on June 1.
He finished the 2026 season with a 0.279 batting average, 50 hits, 36 runs and 33 RBIs in 49 games.
In four years, Kurland hit 43 home runs and collected 200 hits, while hit by pitches a program record 52 times. He homered six times in his final 10 games in a Gators uniform, including a grand slam against Troy on May 31.
As a freshman, he notched a 0.297 batting average with 17 homers to earn 2023 Freshman All-American honors.
Asked what he would tell teammates about the portal, Kurland spoke highly of Florida.
“This place speaks for itself,” Kurland said. “It’s one of the winningest teams in all time in college baseball, and to play for a program like this, a power SEC school, it speaks for itself.”
Kurland was the eighth Gator to enter the portal, followed by his younger brother, Rivers, a left handed pitcher, two days later.
After LSU missed out on the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011, Kurland is the fourth transfer to join Tigers coach Jay Johnson’s 2027 roster.
The Tigers finished the year 30-28 and 9-21 in the SEC, getting swept by Florida in the final week of the regular season. In that series, Kurland hit 4-for-11, recording two homers in the series finale.
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