North Marion SS Sterlin Thompson makes it official with Florida
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The last 2020 Florida commit, Sterlin Thompson, officially signed his National Letter of Intent last Thursday. The Ocala native put pen to paper in his high school cafeteria, making it all official with the Gainesville-based program.
On Perfect Game, Thompson checks in as the nation's 54th-ranked prospect and the ninth-ranked shortstop. He was originally committed to Stetson University, but backed off his pledge and flipped to Florida a week later.
“Stetson has a good program, but I’ve always dreamed of playing at Florida and competing in the SEC,” Thompson told GatorsTerritory. “I feel like the program and coaches Florida will help me be the best player I can be.”
Once Thompson de-committed, many of the top SEC baseball programs came calling. In fact, he received offers from Mississippi State, LSU and Kentucky just shortly after he was back on the market.
Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan was the Florida coach who extended the offer to Thompson. His message certainly helped Florida’s chances with the in-state product.
"His (Kevin O’Sullivan) message to me was my bats could contribute in the Gators' lineup and (I could) be a utility player,” Thompson said.
It didn’t take much for Thompson to make his commitment to Florida, as he has always dreamed up of suiting up for the orange and blue.
“They’re a powerhouse baseball program,” Thompson told GT. “They are always in the College World Series, which has always been a dream of mine, and they’re a great school to get my education.”
Once he faxed his NLI to Gainesville, Thompson knew he was living his childhood dream.
“It feels surreal,” Thompson said. “I’ve always dreamed as a kid of playing for the Gators and I’m glad I can turn that dream into a reality.”
Even though Sterlin Thompson has signed with Florida, it’s not certain if he will make it to campus. Thompson could hear his name get called in the 2020 MLB Draft and eventually sign a professional contract.
FanGraphs released a Top 2020 MLB Draft Prospects list with Thompson outside of their top-200.