Meet the Gators: Alex Philpott & Grayson Smith
Thursday, December 14, 2023 | Baseball
With the calendar's final month reaching its midpoint, the 2023 Meet the Gators series picks back up with freshman right-handed pitchers Alex Philpott and Grayson Smith. Philpott comes to Gator Country from Strawberry Crest High School in Tampa, Fla. while Smith is a Rocky Face, Ga. native out of McCallie School.
Both right-handers arrived on campus as top-300 recruits nationally per Perfect Game, with Smith at No. 163 and Philpott coming in at No. 71. Smith ranked as the No. 7 right-hander and No. 17 player in Georgia, whereas Philpott held status as the No. 12 righty and No. 37 recruit in Florida.
Competing under head coach Eric Beattie at Strawberry Crest, Philpott earned a pair of letters from 2022-23 while helping the Chargers to a combined 37-17 record. In those two seasons, the six-foot-five hurler posted six saves, a 3.96 ERA and .261 batting average against over 26 appearances. Philpott struck out 102 batters compared to 33 walks across 58 innings, equating to a 3.1 K-BB ratio and a 15.7 K/9.
Looking specifically at Philpott's senior campaign, he logged a career-best 2.80 ERA and .182 BAA in 25 frames while fanning 40 batters. He also performed admirably at the dish, hitting .292/.358/.458 over 53 plate appearances in his final season.
Having also competed for Ostingers Baseball Academy during his prep years, Philpott was a two-time PG Preseason First Team All-Region honoree from 2022-23 after collecting Honorable Mention All-Region accolades from 2020-21. As a result of 20 different PG all-tournament team awards from 2017-22, Philpott was invited to the 2022 PG National Showcase. In 2023 with Ostingers, he won the World Wood Bat Association 17U National Championship.
As the son of Cynthia Owens, Alex has one brother, Zaiden Murphy. He is majoring in wildlife management at the University of Florida.
Much like Philpott, Smith left behind a legacy of elite performance as a three-time letterwinner under head coach Tim Costo at McCallie. Over the course of 24 career appearances from 2021-23, Smith dominated to the tune of a 13-5 record, 1.73 ERA and .172 BAA. That included 167 strikeouts in 109 1/3 innings pitched, translating to a 13.7 K/9.
Smith's best season came as a junior, when he went 6-2 with a 1.67 ERA, .186 BAA and 78 strikeouts across 58 2/3 innings spanning 11 relief appearances. In his penultimate campaign, the six-foot-two righty totaled 78 strikeouts against 19 walks for a 4.1 K-BB ratio.
Thanks to those numbers, Smith was named PG Preseason First Team All-Region in 2022 and 2023. In addition to being PG Honorable Mention All-Region as a sophomore, he participated in the 2022 PG National Showcase. Smith was honored on 16 various all-tournament teams at PG events from 2016-22 including a Tournament Most Valuable Pitcher nod at the 2022 17U BCS National Championship.
Majoring in finance at the University of Florida, Grayson is the son of Karen and Matthew Smith. He has two sisters, Quinn and Reagan.
Season Ticket Information
Season tickets are currently on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online or by contacting the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683. Season ticket prices and availability can be accessed directly here.
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Both right-handers arrived on campus as top-300 recruits nationally per Perfect Game, with Smith at No. 163 and Philpott coming in at No. 71. Smith ranked as the No. 7 right-hander and No. 17 player in Georgia, whereas Philpott held status as the No. 12 righty and No. 37 recruit in Florida.
Competing under head coach Eric Beattie at Strawberry Crest, Philpott earned a pair of letters from 2022-23 while helping the Chargers to a combined 37-17 record. In those two seasons, the six-foot-five hurler posted six saves, a 3.96 ERA and .261 batting average against over 26 appearances. Philpott struck out 102 batters compared to 33 walks across 58 innings, equating to a 3.1 K-BB ratio and a 15.7 K/9.
Looking specifically at Philpott's senior campaign, he logged a career-best 2.80 ERA and .182 BAA in 25 frames while fanning 40 batters. He also performed admirably at the dish, hitting .292/.358/.458 over 53 plate appearances in his final season.
Alex Philpott '23 (FL) worked up to 90 with his FB tonight.
— Rocco Iervasi Jr. (@rocco_iervasi) February 22, 2023
Long, lean frame at 6'5, 170 lbs. Arm works clean w/ minimal effort.
Tight spinning breaker. M2C as he gets stronger.@GatorsBB recruit
FB: 88-90
CB: 73-75 pic.twitter.com/1PPBKcrYkr
Having also competed for Ostingers Baseball Academy during his prep years, Philpott was a two-time PG Preseason First Team All-Region honoree from 2022-23 after collecting Honorable Mention All-Region accolades from 2020-21. As a result of 20 different PG all-tournament team awards from 2017-22, Philpott was invited to the 2022 PG National Showcase. In 2023 with Ostingers, he won the World Wood Bat Association 17U National Championship.
As the son of Cynthia Owens, Alex has one brother, Zaiden Murphy. He is majoring in wildlife management at the University of Florida.
Much like Philpott, Smith left behind a legacy of elite performance as a three-time letterwinner under head coach Tim Costo at McCallie. Over the course of 24 career appearances from 2021-23, Smith dominated to the tune of a 13-5 record, 1.73 ERA and .172 BAA. That included 167 strikeouts in 109 1/3 innings pitched, translating to a 13.7 K/9.
Final: @McCallieBseball 6, Pope John Paul Prep 3. Blue Tornado starter Grayson Smith goes the distance and puts McCallie up one game to none in best of three series in DII-AA first round playoff game. #GoBigBlue pic.twitter.com/oI5AKIwyxw
— McCallie Athletics (@McCallieSports) May 12, 2022
Smith's best season came as a junior, when he went 6-2 with a 1.67 ERA, .186 BAA and 78 strikeouts across 58 2/3 innings spanning 11 relief appearances. In his penultimate campaign, the six-foot-two righty totaled 78 strikeouts against 19 walks for a 4.1 K-BB ratio.
Thanks to those numbers, Smith was named PG Preseason First Team All-Region in 2022 and 2023. In addition to being PG Honorable Mention All-Region as a sophomore, he participated in the 2022 PG National Showcase. Smith was honored on 16 various all-tournament teams at PG events from 2016-22 including a Tournament Most Valuable Pitcher nod at the 2022 17U BCS National Championship.
Majoring in finance at the University of Florida, Grayson is the son of Karen and Matthew Smith. He has two sisters, Quinn and Reagan.
Season Ticket Information
Season tickets are currently on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online or by contacting the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683. Season ticket prices and availability can be accessed directly here.
Follow the Gators
#GoGators
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