LHP Pierce Coppola dominates Air Force in first opening weekend start since 2022

It’s been a long and difficult journey for redshirt junior LHP Pierce Coppola, who missed 2+ years due to injury before making his return to the diamond last season.

The New Jersey native ranked as the 50th overall player and 9th best left-handed in the 2021 recruiting class. After skipping out on the MLB Draft and moving to Gainesville, Coppola immediately earned a spot in Florida’s weekend rotation after an exceptional fall and preseason, making his first collegiate start vs Liberty in 2022. The hard throwing left hander tossed 4.1 innings, allowing two runs while striking out seven in a no decision.

After the lone start in his freshman campaign, Coppola ended his season early and underwent…