Trey Morris, who started his college career at Oregon State, has transferred to UF. (Photo: Chris Pietsch/USA TODAY Sports via Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard)
Carter's Corner: Gators Get a Special Two-Package Delivery From Corvallis
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 | Baseball, Scott Carter
The UF baseball program received a jolt this week with the addition of a new coach and left-hander from Oregon State.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — On the afternoon of May 31, Oregon State freshman lefty Trey Morris took the mound in an elimination game of the Eugene (Oregon) Regional against Washington State. Watching from the dugout at PK Park was pitching coach Rich Dorman, who in seven seasons with the Beavers had built one of the country's top pitching staffs.
A freshman from Easton, California, Morris made Dorman's job easy that day, tossing 6 2/3 innings in Oregon State's 10-1 win. In other words, more of the same. In his last five starts, Morris went 5-0 with a 1.53 ERA (29 1/3 IP, 18 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 6 BB, 33 SO) to make multiple freshman All-American teams.
Meanwhile, nearly 3,000 miles away on the same day, UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan watched the Gators lose to Troy with an opportunity to advance to a Super Regional, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 the following day. The Gators lost again, ending their season and sparking a series of changes.
Sixteen days later, Dorman is UF's new pitching coach, and Morris is arguably the most promising transfer in program history. The 1-2 special delivery from the West Coast has the Gators once again thinking Omaha as the College World Series plays out this week without them.
Dorman's track record at developing young pitchers and the addition of Morris have provided a jolt to the program. Let's start with Morris, who emerged as one of the country's top freshman pitchers after working out of the bullpen for most of the first half of the season.
He made his collegiate debut on opening weekend against Michigan and retired the first 10 batters he faced, instantly gaining attention as an up-and-comer nicknamed "Boogie" by his father, Randy Morris.
"I don't know that any of us were surprised,'' Oregon State coach Mitch Canham said after the game.
The 19-year-old Morris moved into the starting rotation when an injury sidelined Beavers right-hander Dax Whitney. Morris took off to finish the season 7-0 in 16 appearances (eight starts) with a 1.98 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 29.1% strikeout rate.
His final outing for the Beavers was his most important, keeping their season alive until a loss to host Oregon ended their postseason stay. Morris threw 117 pitches in the win over Washington State and never faced serious trouble.
"I knew I was going to be able to go a little longer," Morris told reporters afterward. "I don't think I've ever thrown that much."
With right-hander Aidan King set to return, Morris helps fill the loss of Liam Peterson, a projected first-round pick in next month's MLB amateur draft. The Gators have two-way player Caden McDonald back, right-hander Jackson Barberi, and potentially right-hander Russell Sandefer, who was effective as the No. 3 starter after Cooper Walls (transferred to Georgia) struggled to hold down the spot.
While the Gators are far from done in the transfer portal, adding a player of Morris' stature could help draw other players. And don't forget about Dorman.
"Rich instantly makes our program and our players better, and we are thrilled to add someone of his caliber and national notoriety to the Gators," O'Sullivan said this week.
Dorman's track record at Oregon State speaks for itself, and he was a talented prospect as a player.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected Dorman in the 13th round of the 2000 draft, the same year they used their first-round pick to take outfielder Rocco Baldelli. They thought enough of Dorman, a college pitcher, to take him 90 spots ahead of future big-leaguer Jamie Shields (a high school pitcher) in the draft.
Dorman made it as far as Triple-A in the Mariners organization but never made the majors, retiring after the 2008 season and eventually embarking on a coaching career.
Now at Florida, Dorman has new arms to work with. And a familiar one.
A freshman from Easton, California, Morris made Dorman's job easy that day, tossing 6 2/3 innings in Oregon State's 10-1 win. In other words, more of the same. In his last five starts, Morris went 5-0 with a 1.53 ERA (29 1/3 IP, 18 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 6 BB, 33 SO) to make multiple freshman All-American teams.
Meanwhile, nearly 3,000 miles away on the same day, UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan watched the Gators lose to Troy with an opportunity to advance to a Super Regional, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 the following day. The Gators lost again, ending their season and sparking a series of changes.
Sixteen days later, Dorman is UF's new pitching coach, and Morris is arguably the most promising transfer in program history. The 1-2 special delivery from the West Coast has the Gators once again thinking Omaha as the College World Series plays out this week without them.
Dorman's track record at developing young pitchers and the addition of Morris have provided a jolt to the program. Let's start with Morris, who emerged as one of the country's top freshman pitchers after working out of the bullpen for most of the first half of the season.
He made his collegiate debut on opening weekend against Michigan and retired the first 10 batters he faced, instantly gaining attention as an up-and-comer nicknamed "Boogie" by his father, Randy Morris.
"I don't know that any of us were surprised,'' Oregon State coach Mitch Canham said after the game.
The 19-year-old Morris moved into the starting rotation when an injury sidelined Beavers right-hander Dax Whitney. Morris took off to finish the season 7-0 in 16 appearances (eight starts) with a 1.98 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 29.1% strikeout rate.
His final outing for the Beavers was his most important, keeping their season alive until a loss to host Oregon ended their postseason stay. Morris threw 117 pitches in the win over Washington State and never faced serious trouble.
"I knew I was going to be able to go a little longer," Morris told reporters afterward. "I don't think I've ever thrown that much."
With right-hander Aidan King set to return, Morris helps fill the loss of Liam Peterson, a projected first-round pick in next month's MLB amateur draft. The Gators have two-way player Caden McDonald back, right-hander Jackson Barberi, and potentially right-hander Russell Sandefer, who was effective as the No. 3 starter after Cooper Walls (transferred to Georgia) struggled to hold down the spot.
While the Gators are far from done in the transfer portal, adding a player of Morris' stature could help draw other players. And don't forget about Dorman.
Oregon State baseball has built something special!
— The College Baseball Show (@CollegeBSBShow) December 19, 2025
Pitching Coach Rich Dorman (@RD461pKs) talks about what has gone into building the culture of excellence at Oregon State ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/pc3S023TRw
"Rich instantly makes our program and our players better, and we are thrilled to add someone of his caliber and national notoriety to the Gators," O'Sullivan said this week.
Dorman's track record at Oregon State speaks for itself, and he was a talented prospect as a player.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected Dorman in the 13th round of the 2000 draft, the same year they used their first-round pick to take outfielder Rocco Baldelli. They thought enough of Dorman, a college pitcher, to take him 90 spots ahead of future big-leaguer Jamie Shields (a high school pitcher) in the draft.
Dorman made it as far as Triple-A in the Mariners organization but never made the majors, retiring after the 2008 season and eventually embarking on a coaching career.
Now at Florida, Dorman has new arms to work with. And a familiar one.
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