2024 Baseball Roster

John Paternoster
John Paternoster
Victoria Riccobono
Emma Bissell
Maddie Washburn
Maddie Washburn
Brie Andrews
Arnav Barpujari
Craig Haas

1 Dale Thomas

  • Height 5-10
  • Class Senior
  • B/T R/R
  • Hometown De Leon Springs, Fla.
  • High School Bishop Moore (Coastal Carolina)

Biography

2024 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2023 University of Florida Graduate (Summer)

Career:
  • Appeared in 80 career games for the Gators while making 60 starts as an infielder throughout his career
  • Slashed .231/.368/.367 with four homers, one triple, 13 doubles, 25 RBI, 35 runs and four stolen bases across 199 at bats
  • Finished with a .969 fielding percentage over 130 defensive chances in the infield

2024 (Senior):
  • Appeared in 50 games while drawing 46 starts at the hot corner for the Orange & Blue
  • Batted .225/.348/.344 in 151 at bats
  • Totaled three home runs, nine doubles, 34 hits, 21 RBI, 28 walks and four steals – all setting new highs as a Gator
  • Picked up two hits including a double and drew one walk in the season opener vs. St. John’s on Feb. 16
  • Homered and drove in two runs en route to a 1-for-2 night with one walk against Columbia on Feb. 24
  • Drove in his most runs as a Gator with a four-RBI performance at Miami on March 2, finishing 2-for-3 highlighted by his second homer of the campaign
  • Drew walks in six-straight games from Feb. 21 through March 1 as well as March 10 to March 23
  • Doubled and drove in two runs while going 1-for-3 vs. Texas A&M on March 16
  • Went 2-for-4 with one double and two runs in the win over South Carolina on April 14
  • Delivered three knocks, two RBI and one run (3-for-4) in game one against Kentucky on May 10
  • Stayed hot in game two vs. the Wildcats, going 2-for-3 with one double, one run, one RBI and two walks
  • Popped off for a 3-for-5 game featuring a home run, double, two runs and two RBI in the NCAA Regional victory over Nebraska on June 2
  • Was 3-for-8 in the Clemson Super Regional (June 8-9) with two runs scored, one RBI and three walks
  • Collected a pair of hits including one double vs. Texas A&M in the College World Series on June 15 while posting one double, one run, one RBI and one stolen base
  • Compiled three multi-hit games and three contests with two-plus RBI
  • Made just four errors all season long over 94 chances, equating to a .957 fielding percentage

2023 (Junior):
  • Played in 30 games including 14 starts in his debut season at Florida
  • Slashed .250/.429/.438 across 48 at bats
  • Tallied one homer, one triple, four doubles, 12 runs, four RBI mand 14 walks
  • Recorded his first hit as a Gator with a pinch-hit double in the sixth inning against Charleston Southern on Feb. 18
  • Picked up two hits, two runs and one double vs. South Florida on Feb. 22
  • Launched a two-run, pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning at Kentucky on May 20
  • Went 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored against Alabama in the SEC Tournament on May 24
  • Posted a 1.000 fielding percentage across 28 defensive chances split across third base, second base and corner outfield

PRIOR TO FLORIDA:
  • Competed at Coastal Carolina from 2020-22
  • 2022 All-Sun Belt Second Team
  • 2021 Florida Collegiate League MLB Top Prospect List
  • Ranked No. 19 nationally in D1Baseball’s third base power rankings
  • Slashed .281/.376/.481 with 18 homers, three triples, 19 doubles, 84 runs, 75 RBI and eight stolen bases across 116 career games
  • Set career highs in games started (59), games played (59), hits (62), batting average (.284), slugging (.688), home runs (13), triples (two), doubles (15) runs (49), RBI (49) and stolen bases (five) in 2022
  • Posted a .951 career fielding percentage over 247 defensive chances
 
BISHOP MOORE HS:
  • 2019 Perfect Game/Rawlings Preseason All-American and Preseason Florida All-Region selection
  • Tabbed a 2018 Perfect Game/Rawlings Preseason Underclass All-American honorable mention
  • 2018-19 Perfect Game Showcase Top Prospect List and Team member
  • A two-time Golden Glove Award winner (2018 and 2019)
  • Lettered in baseball and football at Bishop Moore High School in Orlando, Fla.
  • 2019 5A-8 All-District Team selection at shortstop
  • Led his team to three-straight district championship titles
  • Helped his team win the regional championship in both 2017 and 2019, finish state runner-up in 2017, and reach the final four in 2019
  • Hit .317 with four home runs, three triples, 16 doubles, 37 RBIs, and 60 runs scored in his three-year career at Bishop Moore
  • Hit .323 with four home runs and nine doubles his senior season in 2019 after hitting .359 with a .505 on-base percentage as a junior in 2018
  • Was 22-for-27 in stolen bases for his varsity high school career
  • Tabbed the Team MVP on the football team and named the MVP of the East-West Shrine Game his senior season
  • Was named the Team MVP in both football and basketball as a freshman at Father Lopez Catholic High School
  • Named to the 2017 PGBA 16U Tucci Lumber Wood Bat Challenge All-Tournament team
  • Tabbed a 2017 Team USA Final 40 prospect
  • Led his team to the 2017 Indianapolis 16U Baseball Championship title
  • Ranked as highly as the No. 42 shortstop in the class of 2019 for the state of Florida by Perfect Game
  • Also competed for Chet Lemons Juice from 2012-19
 
PERSONAL:
  • Son of Dennis and Michelle Thomas
  • Has one older brother, Jonathan, and one older sister, Kirsten
  • Also has one niece, Luca Grace, and four nephews: Layton, Casson, Asher and Levi
  • Pursuing his master’s degree in entrepreneurship at the University of Florida
  • Enjoys hunting and fishing
  • Goal is to become a Navy Seal after his playing career
 
WHY FLORIDA: It has been a lifelong dream.

MAJOR: Received graduate certificate in Non-profit Leadership in May 2024.
 
AVG GP GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SLG% BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB PO A E FLD%
2020* .273 8 0 11 4 3 0 0 0 0 .273 1 0 2 0 .333 0 0 0 1 1 0 1.000
2021* .277 49 48 166 31 46 4 1 5 26 .404 22 7 37 3 .377 4 10 3 75 112 11 .944
2022* .284 59 59 218 49 62 15 2 13 49 .550 31 2 48 6 .377 1 5 5 42 99 6 .959
2023 .250 30 14 48 12 12 4 1 1 4 .438 14 1 17 0 .429 0 1 0 9 27 0 1.000
Total .278 146 121 443 96 123 23 4 19 69 .476 68 10 104 9 .382 5 16 8 127 239 17 .956
* Statistics from prior team/school

UF SINGLE-GAME HIGHS:
Hits: 2, two times, last vs. Alabama, May 24, 2023
Doubles: 1, four times
Home Runs: 1, at Kentucky, May 20, 2023
Total Bases: 4, at Kentucky, May 20, 2023
RBI: 2, at Kentucky, May 20, 2023
Runs Scored: 2, South Florida, Feb. 22, 2023
Walks: 2, Bethune-Cookman, April 4, 2023
Struck out: 3, vs. Vanderbilt, May 25, 2023
Sacrifice Flies: N/A
At bats: 4, three times
Stolen bases: N/A
Assists: 4, two times, last vs. Bethune-Cookman, April 4, 2023
Putouts: 2, two times, last vs. Florida State, May 2, 2023

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 1

    2023Junior

    INF
    5'10" 205 lbs
    1
  • 1

    2024Senior

    INF
    5'10" 205 lbs
    1