Joshua Whritenour was Florida's closer in 2026.

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Another key bullpen piece for the Florida Gators is set to return for the 2027 season.

Rising redshirt sophomore righty Joshua Whritenour has re-signed with the program for his third season, Florida Victorious, the Gators' official NIL partner, announced on Friday.

Whritenour starred as Florida's closer in 2026, recording seven saves in 36 2/3 innings of work.

He finished the year with a 4-4 record with 49 strikeouts (12 strikeouts-per-nine innings), 14 walks, a 1.23 WHIP and a .223 batting average against.

His seven saves ranked sixth in the SEC, and his four in SEC-play tied for sixth in the league.

Whritenour joins righty Jackson Barberi, ace Aidan King and star infielder Brendan Lawson as the four Gators to have announced plans to return to the program for the 2027 season.

Florida is also expected to return a core group of contributors such as first baseman Landon Stripling, outfielder Cash Strayer, outfielder Hayden Yost and outfielder Jaden Bastian, who missed the entire 2026 season due to a leg injury.

Florida is also waiting on MLB Draft decisions from third baseman Ethan Surowiec, outfielder Kyle Jones, two-way player Caden McDonald and pitchers Russell Sandefer and Luke McNeillie.

"Weve got a really good nucleus," head coach Kevin O'Sullivan said.

"Aidan King is back.

We got Lawson back.

We got Jaden Bastian back, whos been injured the entire year..

Ethan has a chance to be drafted, but who knows, hopefully hes back.

Strip is back.

And theres some other good players.

Like Cash Strayer hasnt played a whole lot.

Hes a middle of the order bat.

But to answer your question, I do feel good about it.

We get Josh back on the mound, we get Barbs back on the mound." In addition to its retention efforts, the Gators have added five transfers to the roster this offseason in Oregon State lefty Trey Morris, Oregon State righty Zach Edwards, Florida Gulf Coast catcher Jon Embury III, Jacksonville State righty Maddox McDougall, Utah Tech infielder Kyle McDaniel and FAU infielder John Martinez.

Morris is expected to compete for a weekend starting role next season, while Embury III is anticipated to start with the Gators losing catchers Karson Bowen and Cole Stanford to graduation.

Meanwhile, McDaniel and Martinez, a former Gator himself, could compete for spots in the infield after Cade Kurland's transfer to LSU, depending on Surowiec's decision.

The NCAA Transfer Portal closes on June 30, with the 2026 MLB Draft beginning on July 11.

The deadline for players to return to college is on July 27.

Sign up for our free Florida Gators newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news! Cam Parker is a reporter covering the Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers and Clemson Tigers with a degree in journalism from the University of Florida.

He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News.

When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester, and dog, Rufus.

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