Meet the Gators: Tanner Garrison and Christian Rodriguez
Tuesday, October 31, 2023 | Baseball
Up next in the 2023 Meet the Gators series are fifth-year senior transfer catcher Tanner Garrison and top high school pitching recruit Christian Rodriguez. Though it seems they could not be more different, their competitive edge, love for the game and new Orange & Blue duds have them looking like brothers already.
Leading off is Rodriguez, the No. 5 right-handed pitching recruit in this year's class per Perfect Game. The six-foot, 210-pounder from Coral Springs, Fla. will wear No. 8 for the Gators.
Rodriguez played his high school ball under Head Coach Todd Fitzgerald at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, helping the team to an undefeated 29-0 record and a Class 7A State Championship in 2023. During his prep career, the Coral Springs, Fla. product played alongside current UF teammates Jake Clemente and Jacob Gomberg. In his senior campaign, the 2023 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Baseball posted a 0.69 ERA with 117 strikeouts against just 13 walks in 70 2/3 innings, going 12-0 across 13 starts.
Rodriguez was named 2023 National Player of the Year by MaxPreps, placing him above names like Noble Meyer, Arjun Nimala, Max Clark and Walker Jenkins – all first-round selections in the 2023 MLB Draft. Notable players to have previously won the award are Jake Odorizzi, Dylan Bundy, Jack Flaherty, Nolan Gorman, and Bobby Witt Jr. Also named the 2023 Perfect Game National Pitcher of the Year, Rodriguez finished his prep career with a 29-2 record, 1.19 ERA and 310 strikeouts in 188 2/3 frames.
Dating back to 2022, C-Rod was offered a spot on USA Baseball's 18U National Team roster. In three appearances for the team, he pitched to a 0.60 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings. His signature performance came against Japan, when he entered with the bases loaded and struck out the side on his way to five shutout innings with seven strikeouts en route to earning the win. Rodriguez netted the International Performance of the Year Award from USA Baseball for his heroics.
Christian is the son of Rafael and Beatriz Rodriguez and has two siblings, Andrea and Jonathan. He plans to major in broadcasting at the University of Florida.
Reverting back to Garrison, the Dallas, Tex. native is set to wear No. 26 for the Gators. Beginning at Coastal during the shortened 2020 season, Garrison played four years for the Chanticleers, coming to Florida as a strong defensive catcher with a veteran's presence.
Over his four years at Coastal Carolina, Garrison slashed .257/.381/.482 with 13 home runs, 11 doubles, 53 RBI and 48 runs in 96 games (56 starts). He is coming off his best offensive season in 2023, as he posted a .275/.396/.588 batting line with career highs in all three slash categories. Garrison also tallied six home runs, 53 RBI and 23 runs scored. Entering the campaign, he was recognized as D1Baseball's No. 42 Sun Belt Conference prospect for the 2023 MLB Draft.
Garrison's success at the plate has been surpassed only by his stellar defensive skills. He recorded a .992 fielding percentage behind the plate over his career highlighted by a perfect 1.000 mark during his sophomore year. He was the top-ranked catcher in Division I in pitch framing in 2023, offering the Gators a dependable backstop for a pitching staff loaded with young arms.
During his high school career, Garrison helped take Cardinal Newman to the 2018 SCISA 3A State Championship. He was a two-time SCISA All-Region selection and a two-time High School Sports Report/SCISA All-State honoree in 2018 and 2019. Garrison came out of high school ranked as the No. 1 catcher and No. 18 overall prospect in South Carolina for the class of 2019 per Prep Baseball Report.
Originally from Elgin, S.C., Tanner is the son of Heather and Ty Garrison. He has three sisters named Tylor, Layne and Cate.
Follow the Gators
#GoGators
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Leading off is Rodriguez, the No. 5 right-handed pitching recruit in this year's class per Perfect Game. The six-foot, 210-pounder from Coral Springs, Fla. will wear No. 8 for the Gators.
Rodriguez played his high school ball under Head Coach Todd Fitzgerald at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, helping the team to an undefeated 29-0 record and a Class 7A State Championship in 2023. During his prep career, the Coral Springs, Fla. product played alongside current UF teammates Jake Clemente and Jacob Gomberg. In his senior campaign, the 2023 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Baseball posted a 0.69 ERA with 117 strikeouts against just 13 walks in 70 2/3 innings, going 12-0 across 13 starts.
Rodriguez was named 2023 National Player of the Year by MaxPreps, placing him above names like Noble Meyer, Arjun Nimala, Max Clark and Walker Jenkins – all first-round selections in the 2023 MLB Draft. Notable players to have previously won the award are Jake Odorizzi, Dylan Bundy, Jack Flaherty, Nolan Gorman, and Bobby Witt Jr. Also named the 2023 Perfect Game National Pitcher of the Year, Rodriguez finished his prep career with a 29-2 record, 1.19 ERA and 310 strikeouts in 188 2/3 frames.
𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿
— Perfect Game USA (@PerfectGameUSA) June 23, 2023
Christian Rodriguez (@thecrod10), Stoneman Douglas (FL) pic.twitter.com/A5soXl94aw
Dating back to 2022, C-Rod was offered a spot on USA Baseball's 18U National Team roster. In three appearances for the team, he pitched to a 0.60 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings. His signature performance came against Japan, when he entered with the bases loaded and struck out the side on his way to five shutout innings with seven strikeouts en route to earning the win. Rodriguez netted the International Performance of the Year Award from USA Baseball for his heroics.
Christian is the son of Rafael and Beatriz Rodriguez and has two siblings, Andrea and Jonathan. He plans to major in broadcasting at the University of Florida.
Reverting back to Garrison, the Dallas, Tex. native is set to wear No. 26 for the Gators. Beginning at Coastal during the shortened 2020 season, Garrison played four years for the Chanticleers, coming to Florida as a strong defensive catcher with a veteran's presence.
Over his four years at Coastal Carolina, Garrison slashed .257/.381/.482 with 13 home runs, 11 doubles, 53 RBI and 48 runs in 96 games (56 starts). He is coming off his best offensive season in 2023, as he posted a .275/.396/.588 batting line with career highs in all three slash categories. Garrison also tallied six home runs, 53 RBI and 23 runs scored. Entering the campaign, he was recognized as D1Baseball's No. 42 Sun Belt Conference prospect for the 2023 MLB Draft.
The Chants absolutely exploded in the 8th inning by hanging 8 runs to take a commanding 12-7 lead. A Nick Lucky HR, Caden Bodine 2-RBI single, and this Tanner Garrison 2-run doubles were the big blows. Coastal sent 13 hitters to the plate! pic.twitter.com/7UYwWWfaln
— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) March 28, 2023
Garrison's success at the plate has been surpassed only by his stellar defensive skills. He recorded a .992 fielding percentage behind the plate over his career highlighted by a perfect 1.000 mark during his sophomore year. He was the top-ranked catcher in Division I in pitch framing in 2023, offering the Gators a dependable backstop for a pitching staff loaded with young arms.
During his high school career, Garrison helped take Cardinal Newman to the 2018 SCISA 3A State Championship. He was a two-time SCISA All-Region selection and a two-time High School Sports Report/SCISA All-State honoree in 2018 and 2019. Garrison came out of high school ranked as the No. 1 catcher and No. 18 overall prospect in South Carolina for the class of 2019 per Prep Baseball Report.
Originally from Elgin, S.C., Tanner is the son of Heather and Ty Garrison. He has three sisters named Tylor, Layne and Cate.
Follow the Gators
#GoGators
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballMonday, June 01
Monday, June 01
Sunday, May 31
Sunday, May 31
