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  • MBB: Gators land UMKC transfer Brandon McKissic

    MBB: Gators land UMKC transfer Brandon McKissic

    Photo by Keith Gillett | Getty Images

    The Florida men’s basketball time earned its first transfer Friday, when Missouri-Kansas City guard Brandon McKissic announced he would spend 2021-22 in Gainesville via Twitter.

    McKissic, one of the most sought-after transfers, chose Florida over the likes of Kansas, Missouri, Saint Louis, Oregon State and Kansas State.

    McKissic spent four years at UMKC, and scored more points each consecutive season. His senior year, he tallied 17.2 points a game. He shot efficiently, 50.8% from the floor and 42.9% from three in 2020-21, and earned a field goal percentage north of 50% each of his last two seasons.

    The 6-foot-3, 195 pound guard also pulled down 3.7 rebounds, dished out 3.3 assists and grabbed 1.5 steals per game last season. He was named Defensive Player of the Year for the Summit League.

    He knows how to be a focal point, as UMKC used him on 28.9% of offensive possessions and for 30.4% of shots, 80th and 61st in the country.

    His increased usage in 2020-21 coincided with a jump in turnovers, as he gave the ball away 3.0 times a game and owned a turnover rate of 18.9%. However, Florida’s starting backcourt both fared worse, with Tre Mann and Tyree Appleby owning a turnover rate of 19.6% and 24.9%, respectively.

    He’s struggled from the penalty stripe in his career, and never shot more than 66.7% from the line.

    After a mass exodus from the Florida program, including Mann and wing Scottie Lewis to the draft and sharpshooter Noah Locke to the transfer portal, McKissic should be a favorite to start for Florida next season.

  • WGYM Liveblog: Athens Regional ft. No. 1 Florida

    WGYM Liveblog: Athens Regional ft. No. 1 Florida

    EDIT: Catch up here on all the action from semifinals, then head here to get in on the action for finals!

    After a surprising set of morning sessions, we are ready to go for session two with the Gators at regionals!

    To round up the events from this morning, California and Ohio State qualified to the Morgantown final, Alabama and Arkansas qualified to the Tuscaloosa final (leaving Iowa out despite a huge score), Utah and Arizona State advance in Salt Lake City, and Minnesota and Denver are the first two teams that Florida will likely face tomorrow in Athens.

    Looking ahead to this evening, remember the keys we discussed in the regionals preview:

    • Leading after beam
    • Thomas in more than just bars and firing on all cylinders
    • The team having fun and staying loose on the sideline, but going after every tenth in routines

    If the Gators win this semifinal, that means they’ll rotate in Olympic order tomorrow, which would add an extra level of comfort in addition to the familiar arena coach Rowland was excited about in a press call earlier this week.

    https://twitter.com/mycluttereddesk/status/1376945848572125187?s=21

    If you plan on watching, this meet is on ESPN3 tonight, and if you can’t watch, make sure to keep refreshing this page – it all starts at 7pm ET – just a few minutes!

    6:59pm: Broadcast is starting!

    Beam lineup is being flashed on screen, looks like both Thomas and Johnson-Scharpf are out, so Schoenherr is in the anchor spot again. I’ll try and get some routines besides Florida.

    7:02pm: Richards, BB: Triple series is good. Switch to straddle is solid. Side aerial back full, little slide it looked like.

    Illinois starts with a stick on bars from O’Donnell.

    Something happening with Central Mich on floor. No one is competing.

    Jordan, NCSU VT: FTY, little piked forward on the landing.

    Biondi, Ill UB: Releases good. DLO little short, hop forward

    7:04pm: Skaggs, BB: Switch to split, both gorgeous. Bhs loso is super steady. Front aerial is great. Switch side is good too. Side aerial back full stuck!

    Double tuck to close on floor for Central Mich is good.

    Not sure who that was on VT for NCSU just now but it looked like a roundoff half on front tuck off? Might be wrong on the entry, but either way it wasn’t an FTY so it’s nice to see. Ah, it was Benson.

    7:07pm: Double pike to open for Williams of Central Mich on floor. Cool headstand choreo, that’s fun.

    Shepard, NCSU VT: FTY is just gorgeous, great amplitude.

    Lazzari, BB: Leaps are lovely, maybe a little flexed foot on the split jump. Hit the rest! Great!

    Oooooh, Williams just crashed her double tuck, faceplanted onto the floor, oof.

    7:09pm: Illinois UB: Gorgeous high Jaeger but caught a little close?? Couldn’t tell if that was supposed to be a bail or just a shootover. Double tuck with a step.

    Baumann, BB: Bhs loso, super straight on. Switch to split, lovely extension. Front aerial is perfect, just textbook. Switch half is great! Definitely hit 180 tonight. stuck her 1.5 dismount cold!!! A queen!

    Last VT for NCSU looked like a Y1.5? It was great! That was Hunter, I believe.

    Central Michigan is getting it back on floor, dance elements were a little wild but it’s a hit. That was DeMers, I believe.

    7:13pm: Clapper, BB: Triple series is excellent. Super steady so far. Switch to split, good. Sider aerial back full, stuck! Yes Leah!

    Pitchell, FX: Double pike to open is solid. Straddles in oversplit, lovely. Double tuck to close, a little overcooked maybe but covered well. Another hit in the quest to drop Williams’s fall.

    Another 9.975 for Baumann – when are they going to give her the 10??? A crime, I swear.

    7:16pm: Schoenherr, FX: Front aerial was great. Bhs loso, little bobble with the front foot but puts it back down with no trouble. Wowww, straddle 3/4 was the best I’ve seen her do. 1.5 dismount, hop forward.

    DeMarinis, FX: First two passes hit. Double pike to close, a little short but she stays on her feet, they’ll take it.

    Seeing some individuals competing here too – the top ranked individuals on each event and AA in each region qualify without their teams, and they rotate with an assigned team for the night, but only earn scores for themselves.

    Piringer for Nebraska on FX: just killed her DLO. 1.5 to front pike is floaty and she barely needs half the floor for it. Some fun floor choreo here, little knee spin up to standing. Double pike, a little short but not as bad as DeMarinis before her.

    AFTER ONE: UF 49.625, NCSU 49.075, ILL 49.05, CMU 49.0

    To update you on what’s happening elsewhere in the country, Michigan had a bobblefest on beam and sits in third after one in Morgantown, while UCLA leads.

    Floor lineup on screen looks like Johnson-Scharpf is back, very exciting. Clapper leading, Baumann anchoring. Richards is out then.

    Rotation two!!

    7:28pm: Townes, Ill BB: Switch to straddle 1/4, lovely positions. Bhs loso, lovely and steady. Cat leap to sider aerial to back tuck full stuck! Great start for the Illini.

    Clapper, FX: Rudi to double stag to start off, a little wild in the air. 1.5 to front lay to stag, better control there. Double pike to finish, looked like she went OOB but commentator does not… we’ll see if the judges take it.

    Jordan hit UB to lead off for NCSU.

    Clean FTY for CMU, I think that was Cesarone.

    7:30pm: Nelson, NCSU UB: Gorgeous Tkachev. Bail is a little loose in the knees. Great last handstand! Double tuck dismount, little hop.

    Borden, BB: Front aerial to front handspring to straddle 1/4, wow! That’s fun, and very well connected. Beat to sheep, actually a good sheep jump, she can stay. Stuck her dismount!

    Skaggs, FX: Still obsessed with this routine. Rudi to double stag instead of a split jump? That didn’t look 100% intentional, might get deducted for that. Gorgeous splits on her dance series. 1.5 to front lay, great control coming out.

    Yes, Clapper did go OOB. Florida will want to drop that.

    7:34pm: Biondi, BB: Love her mount sequence! Bhs loso, little lean but locks it down. Split to double stag, lovely. Side aerial, breaks at the hips but stays on. 1.5, hop forward.

    Robinson hit UB for NCSU, little dismount hop.

    Lazzari, FX: Double pike, little bounce back. 1.5 to front lay to stag, great control there. Gorgeous in the dance series, awesome amplitude. Double tuck to finish, lunge is controlled nicely. Another great one for her!

    Cox, UB: Almost overarches her last handstand but saves it. DLO stuck!

    Y1.5 from the individual from Nebraska, whose name escapes me at the moment. Will update. Ahh, Dujakovich.

    7:37pm: Johnson-Scharpf, FX: Double arabian is SPOT on, so good for her. Combo pass is solid, well controlled. Love her choreo. Double tuck, a little stutter back but keeps it in bounds fine. Love seeing her back.

    Murphy, UB: Another individual! Releases are great. Ooh a double twist for her dismount! Love it.

    Takekawa, BB: Oh no, she’s off on an acro element and it looks like she’s hurt? She CRASHED into the beam. Shaking her leg, maybe it’s a cramp. Gets back up to finish. Bhs gainer full stuck! Good recovery.

    7:40pm: Reed, FX: DLO is gorgeous as ever. Rudi is solid. Dance elements are good. Double pike to close, lands it standing straight up, great control! That should be a huge score.

    7:43pm: Scott, BB: Front toss to bhs, don’t know if I’d give that connection but that’s me. Front toss was nice though. Jump series is good. Front aerial to bhs is also good, I guess that’s a backup series? Stuck dismount! They’ll drop that fall.

    Baumann, FX: Double tuck to open, just a hair short but she covers well. 1.5 to front full, great control. Sooo high on her dance series. Double pike, also short, bounced forward. Won’t be a high score but they’ll drop Leah’s OOB.

    AFTER TWO: UF 99.0, NCSU 98.4, ILL 98.025, CMU 97.825

    Sooo NC State might actually make regional final? That would be the ultimate story after being shafted by being sent to a play-in.

    To update you from the other regionals around the nation, Michigan has moved into a pretty safe second behind UCLA now and ahead of WVU by nearly six tenths.

    Vault rotation on screen now, Foberg leading off, still no Thomas, but Richards is anchoring. Hopefully she can hit it this week.

    The rotation on screen is apparently incorrect? This is from the the Gators:

    7:54pm: Foberg, VT: clean FTY, little hop forward. Good start.

    Nelson, NCSU BB: hit so far, little bobble on the full turn. Stuck dismount though!

    Ewald, ILL FX: Looked like a hit, nothing major so far.

    Lazzari, VT: big FTY, little slide back.

    7:55pm: Skaggs, VT: FTY, gorgeous body position but some leg sep, itty bitty hop.

    Noonan, FX: Front double full, nice! Rudi is great, barely needs the run into it. Final combo series is well controlled. Great routine for her!

    Foland, BB: Front toss to bhs bhs, a little squatty in the toss. Jump series is good. 1.5 dismount is stuck!

    Schoenherr, VT: Y1.5, one of her best! Just a little hop forward.

    8:00pm: Reed, VT: Y1.5, huge amplitude, great form in the air. Just a hop forward. Needs to find that landing!

    Shepard, BB: Bhs loso is super solid. Side aerial, snaps it down. Side aerial back full is stuck! They’re keeping that momentum going!

    Biondi, FX: Double pike to open, nice. Double tuck to finish is great too! Another solid hit for Illinois.

    Baumann, VT: FTY, very bouncy but only one hop. Wonder if Richards is okay.

    8:02pm: Townes, FX: Front double full is gorgeous! Ooh, I love her floor choreo, lots of power. Wolf full is a little wonky. 1.5 front full is well controlled and clean. That’ll be a great score!

    Cox, BB: Series is solid. Switch to tuck 3/4 was tight and barely made it around. Cat leap to side aerial, steady. Stuck gainer full!

    Kotas for CMU on UB ran out of gas a little there. Roby from Nebraska should be next.

    8:06pm: Negrete, BB: Front aerial to bhs, lovely. Switch to switch half, a little tight on that half. Didn’t see if she stuck, but another hit.

    Mueller, FX: Double pike, a little short and bounced back. Front lay to front full, much better. Dance series is nice. Double tuck to close, solid.

    Roby, Nebraska individual on UB: Jaeger is gorgeous. Pak, lovely. Little hop forward on her dismount, but really nice to see her finish out her career here.

    8:08pm: Scott, FX: Front double full again, gorgeous twisting form! Lovely splits in that dance sequence. 1.5 to front lay, super floaty. Choreo is so dramatic here, love it. Rudi to finish, very nice.

    Webb, BB: Love seeing her thrive at NCSU! How cool would it be to have both of these teams in the final tomorrow. Series is great. Switch to split, great extension. Front aerial, very nice. Beat to… Sloan says sheep jump but it looked like a stag to me, weird angle on the camera though. Small step on the dismount, but NCSU keeps going!

    Murphy, WMU individual on BB: Piked front toss, nice. She has just gorgeous lines, wow. Bhs loso, steps back and breaks at the hips but stays on! Beat to sissone? Unclear shape there. Side aerial to back full stuck! NCSU erupts into cheers! Love that.

    AFTER THREE: UF 148.275, NCSU 147.475, ILL 147.225, CMU 146.575

    Morgantown moving a little slow, Michigan has moved into first ahead of UCLA after some missteps for the Bruins on floor and a lights out vault rotation for the Wolverines. Tuscaloosa’s regional has started, which is only three teams strong now, due to a withdrawal from Auburn and the NCAA’s weird ruling that EMU and Maryland still had to do a play-in instead of letting both teams compete. Oklahoma leads there, but by a surprisingly small margin, as Missouri is only 0.125 behind.

    Bars lineup for the Gators shows Gallentine in the anchor slot? No Clapper, Thomas in.

    8:22pm: Richards, UB: Maloney to bail, a little struggle on the Maloney but keeps it going. Short on all handstands through here, but stuck her DLO? Comes out in the wash I think for a good start.

    Jordan, NCSU FX: Combo pass to open is nice. Such drama here! I missed her second pass but it was a hit, it seems.

    Biondi, Ill VT: I missed Mueller apparently. Yhalf it looked like, stuck! Nice!

    Lazzari, UB: Tkachev is gorgeous. Pak a little short it seemed like but she makes it down fine. Full in, little slide back. Another hit.

    Takekawa, VT: FTY, little slide.

    8:25pm: Cox, FX: Missed her first punch and only does a front half, big bounce. 1.5 to front lay to finish, good finish, but the damage is done, she will not start from a 10.

    Skaggs, UB: TKachev to pak, aggressive and lovely. Great last handstand. DLO, just drops it in! Yes!

    Townes, VT: Another stick! Wow!

    8:27pm: Rowe, VT: FTY is sooo clean in the air, little bounce back.

    Schoenherr, UB: Releases are good this week. Double front half out STUCK! YES!

    Waight, VT: Y1.5, looked stuck to me! Wow! That’s huge for them.

    Long wait for NCSU’s floor score, have to recalculate start value.

    8:30pm: Thomas, UB: Maloney to uprise, gorgeous. Pak is super floaty. Great handstand on low bar. Van Leeuwen, legs pasted together. Great last handstand. STUCK DLO! For her only routine tonight, that was a HUGE win. SHE GOT THE TENNNNNNN! YES MA’AM!

    Benson, FX: Double pike to open, very nice! 1.5 to front pike, great control and body positions there. Popa to wolf full, wolf position was a little funky. A good reset for the Pack.

    Gallentine, UB: Transitions solid. DLO bounce back. Great to see her come back that way!

    8:33pm: DeMarinis killing it on beam for CMU. Stuck her dismount! Very nice!

    Nelson, FX: Back 1.5 to front tuck, floaty, nice. Double pike, well controlled. Switch side to wolf full, good. A little short on final combo pass but covers well with a lunge.

    Tong, BB: Another great hit for the Chippewas, and a stick to close it out! Love seeing them fight to the end.

    8:37pm: Shepard, FX: Only one of these last two athletes needs a 9.8 or better and they’ll clinch it. Double pike to open, very nice. Front lay front full, great control and form. Double tuck to close, and that’ll do it!

    Roby, Neb individual on BB: Front aerial, so crisp! Series is solid. FUll turn clean. Split to stag, gorgeous. Side aerial back full, gets the stick! Great to see her killing that.

    8:41pm: Negrete, FX: This is just a victory lap! Double pike to open, great. Super clean in her dance elements, great extension in the split. Front full front lay, gorgeous. Double tuck, just lays it back into the lunge. That should be a great score!

    Murphy, WMU individual: Double back to open, soo high. Fun floor choreo in here. This is Myia Hambrick’s old floor music, from LSU. Exact mix and everything. Rudi to straddle, super high but well controlled in the air. Lovely splits. Double pike to close, a little low on the end but what a night for her!

    I think this is Higgins on BB for Neb, she’s hitting it out of the park too.

    FINAL: UF 197.95, NCSU 196.775, ILL 196.375, CMU 195.575

    NC State makes the regional final after being forced to compete in a play-in!!! That’s insane! And Florida’s scorecard, even without Thomas, is absolutely A+ material tonight.

    In other regional news…

    Michigan and UCLA advance in Morgantown, pitting them against Cal and Ohio State tomorrow. Oklahoma and Missouri will almost assuredly advance in Tuscaloosa, filling out the field with Alabama and Arkansas in the final. And Salt Lake City is about to start in just 10 minutes!

    Thanks for hanging out tonight! We’ll see you back here tomorrow night, same time, same place. Follow me @mycluttereddesk on Twitter for more gymnastics thoughts tonight, and be sure to follow @ChompTalk for all your Florida athletics news!

  • BSB: Florida’s Experiment Pays Off With Win Over No. 3 Ole Miss

    BSB: Florida’s Experiment Pays Off With Win Over No. 3 Ole Miss

    Photo by Kristen Oliff | ChompTalk.com

    Just four days after traveling home following a sweep to South Carolina, Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan decided to shake up his pitching staff.

    Instead of rotation stalwarts, Tommy Mace and Jack Leftwich starting, Franco Aleman and Christian Scott were named the starters.

    The strategy paid off in spades on Thursday as Florida defeated No. 3 Mississippi 4-1 at Florida Ballpark.

    Aleman tossed four innings before giving way to Mace, who finished the game. Aleman allowed just three hits and an unearned run in making his first start. Mace struck out seven and allowed only one hit in his five innings of work.

    The Gators got on the scoreboard early, plating a run in the first as Jacob Young scored on a double by Nathan Hickey. The Rebels evened the score with a sacrifice fly in the third inning, but a Colby Halter single in the fourth put the Gators back ahead.

    Florida tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth as Young tripled to score Jordan Carrion and Nathan Hickey grounded out to score Young.

    Mace threw a perfect ninth, striking out the side to close out the win.

    Pitching Decision:

    • W: Franco Aleman (1-1)
    • L: Gunnar Hoglund (3-1)
    • S: Tommy Mace (1)

    Individual Stats:

    • Young: 2-4, 2B, 3B, RBI, 2 R
    • Aleman: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 K, 0 BB
    • Mace: 5 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
    • Fabian: 0-4, 2 K,

    On Deck:

    Florida and Ole Miss will square off in game two of the series on Friday at 6:30 PM. Christian Scott is expected to get the start for the Gators.

  • WGYM: Two Steps Back… Can the Gators Take Another Step Forward at Regionals?

    WGYM: Two Steps Back… Can the Gators Take Another Step Forward at Regionals?

    At the SEC Championships two weeks ago in Huntsville, it was almost like deja vu for some Gator fans. It’s never the same event, but at the last two SEC tournaments, Florida has had problems, tripping just before reaching the finish line that would earn it the first conference trophy since 2016. 2018 and 2019 both saw problems on floor, and 2019 also had some vault trouble, but in 2021, bars proved to be the troublesome event for the Gators. The team essentially counted a fall on the event when both Savannah Schoenherr and Alyssa Baumann lost momentum after their Jaeger releases, and it was clear the pressure was getting to some of the team, as the Gators had to hit five in a row after Payton Richards fell in the leadoff slot on beam. Florida ended up third to winner Alabama and runner-up LSU, though luckily it maintained its No. 1 ranking nationally and still had four athletes named to the All-SEC team.

    Despite the relatively small impact this meet had on the statistics and awards, lots of Gator fans are still concerned. Could this be a repeat of 2019? Could Florida crash and burn in postseason and come up short again, even after such an incredible season?

    The short answer? Yes. It’s gymnastics, anything is possible. Nothing matters except what you do on the day of. There is no safety net, no substitute, no timeout.

    The long answer? I don’t think so. This team has endured far more this season than in any previous year. COVID-19 protocols have completely changed the way and times they practice, travel, and compete, and that’s not to mention how far these Gators have had to reach into their depth to continue to field full lineups all season and how quickly they’ve had to adjust to those subsequent lineup changes. This team has been stretched to its limits and remained resilient, and this is just the latest in that string of tests it must face in order to earn its place at the top once more.

    But as we saw with SECs, the road to the top is not easy, and regionals will bring more of the same challenges. The Gators will have two back-to-back nights of competition ahead of them to qualify to nationals, and the competition is stiff.

    Since the format changed just a few years ago, let’s do a little refresher course on how Regional Championships work in gymnastics. Regionals weekend will feature three rounds of competition with nine teams at each site. Round 1 won’t involve the Gators, as it is a dual meet between the two lowest-ranked teams at the site to determine who will compete in the regional semifinals – this meet is called a play-in. The second round consists of two quad meets, with four seeded teams in the 1-16 range and four unseeded teams distributed “geographically” according to the NCAA in the 17-36 range. Only the winner of the play-in will move to the regional semifinal, rounding out the eight teams in semifinals. The top two from each semi will then compete in the regional final on the following day, and the top two from that meet will advance to nationals.

    Thanks to its absence from SECs, Georgia had no chance to move into the seeded 1-16 rankings, so the Gymdogs will play a dangerous underdog host to the four seeded teams coming to it. The Athens regional will feature a play-in between N.C. State and Western Michigan – a travesty in and of itself, as N.C. State should have been ranked high enough to escape a play-in, but because of the NCAA’s strange definition of “geographic” distribution, the Wolfpack got shafted. The winner of that meet will go on to compete against Florida, Illinois, and Central Michigan in the second semifinal, while the first semifinal will consist of Minnesota, Denver, Georgia, and Oregon State.

    Overall, the Gators should be fairly safe to advance to the regional final. Illinois is the strongest challenger in the group, and though they had a solid meet at Big 10 Championships, the Illini are only ranked No. 16 in the nation and their average meet score is more than a full point below Florida’s. However, the first semifinal is far more competitive. All four teams in that semifinal have qualified to nationals before, and though Minnesota and Denver are certainly the favorites to advance, Georgia’s high score of the season is very competitive with an average score from both teams. Oregon State is far less likely to qualify (and therefore far less likely to give Florida deja vu in the worst way possible), but crazier things have happened.

    https://twitter.com/mycluttereddesk/status/1114731575093149696?s=20
    From the archives: After a beam disaster in the opening rotation, Florida came up 0.2 short of qualifying to nationals, behind Oregon State.

    Regional finals is where things might get hairy. Assuming Illinois and Florida qualify from their semi, they could face any two of Minnesota, Denver, and Georgia, all of whom have scores this season that can compete with a normal Florida score. They don’t have to be perfect – top two qualify, so they don’t even have to win – but the Gators cannot have another night like Huntsville.

    Minnesota and Denver are almost equally strong challengers. Both are coming off of upset wins at their conference championships, and both have strong all-arounders that can challenge Florida’s Trinity Thomas even when she’s fully healthy. Lexy Ramler at Minnesota and Lynnzee Brown at Denver are both ranked No. 2 in the nation in the all-around, a mere 0.02 behind Thomas. If you don’t know their names, it might just be because you’re only watching SEC gymnastics – both are absolute superstars for their teams, and both are up for the AAI Award, the top award in NCAA gymnastics.

    Additionally, if you take those three gymnasts out of the equation, each of the three teams in question have similar numbers of gymnasts ranked in the Top 30 of each event. On vault, Minnesota and Florida are even with two apiece; Florida has two on bars while Minnesota and Denver each have one; and floor is even at two from both Florida and Minnesota as well. The only exception is beam, where Florida has four aside from Thomas (Lazzari, Clapper, Skaggs, and Baumann) while Minnesota (Korlin-Downs) and Denver (Vasquez) each only have one aside from their top all-arounders.

    All this to say, beam should give Florida the edge. It has all season, and it’s what stopped the bleeding at SECs, so it could be the Gators’ greatest asset going into Saturday night. However, without Thomas in the picture, it could be very tricky to fill out all the lineups with dependable and high-scoring routines. Vault and floor both significantly suffer without her usual 9.9+ scores, and her bars and beam replacements aren’t holding up to her typical consistency and confidence, as we saw at SECs. Having Thomas at full health and the beam squad firing on all cylinders will likely be the two keys to a qualifying performance. At press on Tuesday, Rowland was unsure about Thomas’s AA readiness for Regionals, but does believe she’ll be in the bar lineup and seemed to hope for more.

    https://twitter.com/mycluttereddesk/status/1376945847414439938?s=20

    The last key to the Gators’ success at regionals will be their mindset. Juniors Leah Clapper and Nya Reed both used words like “complacent” and “going through the motions” to describe their team’s attitudes in the practices leading up to SEC Championships. Their energy was low, they said – “we weren’t hungry for it,” Reed said. But since the team returned from Huntsville, things have changed. Reed recounted the first practice back, saying, “We came back and had a big discussion of what really happened and how we can move forward from that.” Clapper added, “Everyone had a chance to say what they want to do differently and what they think they can do better… It was an opportunity for us to look in the mirror and take an honest look at ourselves.”

    One of Rowland’s big buzzwords this season has been “ownership” – as in, each individual athlete taking ownership of her gymnastics and her ability to step up and raise her hand to the judges. She said of the same conversation, “I always open it up and present the opportunity for the team to say what they have to say. It’s about taking ownership and stepping up for themselves and for each other. It was great to see each of them speak from the heart and share their goals and dreams for this team.”

    SECs taught them many lessons. Reflecting on the energy in the corral during SECs, Reed said, “After bars, our mindset became ‘can we win?’ when it should have been ‘we need to push.’” It’s clear that the Gators are pushing now – all three of them emphasized how different the energy has been in the gym this week and how well the team has responded to this setback. “SECs was a wakeup call,” Reed said. “Nothing is going to be given to you. What matters is when you raise your hand, can you do it or can you not?” That attitude has already gotten the Gators quite far this season – if they continue it into Regionals, they should be unstoppable.

    All regional meets this year are being broadcast on ESPN3, so make sure to tune in at 7pm ET on Friday and Saturday night to catch Gator Gymnastics in action. If you can’t make it, we’ll be covering both nights of competition right here on ChompTalk, so make sure you keep an eye out!

  • SB: Adams Extends Hit Streak To 13 Games As Gators Top Jacksonville

    SB: Adams Extends Hit Streak To 13 Games As Gators Top Jacksonville

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk.com

    Up 3-0 in the top of the fifth inning, Florida second baseman Hannah Adams belted a two-run shot — her fifth home run this season — to grant the Gators a commanding 5-0 advantage. After going 4-4 against LSU Saturday, Adams’ dinger capped off another perfect night at the plate as the No. 5 Gators took down the Jacksonville Dolphins Wednesday at the Debbie and Fred Pruitt Softball Complex.

    Adams went 3-3 with a walk and extended her hitting streak to a career-long 13 games. In her last three games, the senior Hoschton, Georgia native is 9-11. During this stretch, Adams’ batting average has risen nearly 50 points from .423 to .472.

    Jacksonville starting pitcher Skylar Whitty struggled to find the strike zone from the get-go; she walked five of the first six batters she faced, which allowed Adams to score the first run of the game. An inning later, Whitty yielded another bases-loaded walk before Jacksonville made a pitching change. The Dolphins managed to escape the jam, but Florida catcher Julia Cottrill hit a RBI single in the top of the fourth to extend the lead before Adams went yard in the top of the fifth,

    Florida right-hander Natalie Lugo hurled four shutout innings until the bottom of the fifth when Lugo’s fielding error allowed Jacksonville’s lone run of the night to score. In the bottom of the seventh, sophomore southpaw Rylee Trlicek entered the circle in relief and delivered a hitless final frame.

    Final (R/H/E)

    No. 5 Florida : 5 / 8 / 1

    Jacksonville: 1 / 4 / 2

    Pitching Decision

    Win: Lugo (7-1)

    Loss: Whitty (7-4)

    Individual Stats (season totals)

    Lugo: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (1.61 ERA; 1.02 WHIP)

    Trlicek: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K (0.54 ERA; 1.15 WHIP)

    Adams: 3-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB (.472 BA)

    Lindaman: 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB (.333 BA)

    Echols: 0-4, 1 BB (.373 BA)

    Cottrill: 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB (.295 BA)

    Wilkie: 1-3, 1 BB (.270 BA)

    Hoover: 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB (.299 BA)

    Goddard: 0-2 (.167 BA)

    Longley: 0-1, 1 R, 2 BB (.156 BA)

    Lindsey: 2-4, 1 R, 1 SB (.390 BA)

    SEC Rivalry Weekend

    The Gators will continue north as they head to Athens for a three-game series against conference rival No. 20 Georgia. The series will kick off at 8 p.m. Saturday and will air on ESPN.

  • SB: Weekly Wrap-Up

    SB: Weekly Wrap-Up

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk.com

    Following a non-conference, walk-off loss to UCF in Orlando last Wednesday, the Gators bounced back at home this past weekend against the LSU Tigers. Florida notched its second straight SEC series sweep and won its second top-15 conference series this season.

    Junior right-hander Elizabeth Hightower picked up her first loss against UCF, but she rebounded with a pair of complete games against LSU on Friday and Sunday. Friday’s game marked Hightower’s fifth shutout this year before Sunday’s contest marked her eighth complete game. After improving to 12-1, the Monticello, Florida, native ranks top-10 in the nation in wins and trails only one SEC pitcher — Arkansas RHP Mary Haff (17-2).

    In the series opener versus LSU, Florida sophomore catcher Julia Cottrill hit her first career home run — a three-run shot — in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Hightower insurance runs before she completed the shutout in the top of the seventh.

    In Saturday’s game, Florida second baseman Hannah Adams went 4-4 with four singles and senior right-hander Natalie Lugo picked up her sixth win after she dealt 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

    In the series finale, Florida center fielder Cheyenne Lindsey drove in a career-high five runs en route to a 9-3 victory. Freshman outfielder Katie Kistler, who’s been utilized primarily as a pinch runner thus far, laid down a bunt single in the sixth frame to earn her first career hit.

    _______________________

    Overall Record: 24-3 (.889; 19-1 at home, 5-2 on the road)

    SEC Record: 8-1 (2nd place trailing 9-0 No. 13 Arkansas)

    National Ranking (USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll): 5

    Last Week:

    Pitcher of the Week: RHP Elizabeth Hightower (Jr.)

    • 2-1, 15.1 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 7 K (2.78 ERA, 0.86 WHIP)
    • Threw two complete-games vs LSU
    • Threw fifth shutout this season

    Player of the Week: 2B Hannah Adams (Sr.)

    Upcoming Week:

    • Wednesday, 3/31 @ Jacksonville @ 6 p.m.
    • Saturday, 4/3 @ No. 20 Georgia @ 8 p.m. (airing on ESPN)
    • Sunday, 4/4 @ No. 20 Georgia @ 3 p.m. (airing on SECN)
    • Monday, 4/5 @ No. 20 Georgia @ 7 p.m. (airing on SECN)
  • The Gridiron Growl Podcast: Coach Hayes Talks College Football And More

    The Gridiron Growl Podcast: Coach Hayes Talks College Football And More

    Check out the latest episode of The Gridiron Growl Podcast as David Soderquist and Brian Fox are joined by Coach Kyle Hayes from CoachHayesFootball.com to talk about all things college football and more.

    The trio discuss his coaching career, the star rating system, the transfer portal, bowl games and the playoff system and more in this action packed episode.

    Brian and David then briefly discuss the happenings around UF’s spring sports.

    Click play on the following audio player to listen to this week’s episode of The Gridiron Growl Podcast:

    You can also follow The Gridiron Growl Podcast on the following platforms:

  • BSB: What Went Wrong In Columbia, SC?

    BSB: What Went Wrong In Columbia, SC?

    Photo by Kristen Oliff | ChompTalk.com

    Florida centerfielder Jud Fabian came up in the top of the eighth with two runners on and one down. Trailing 8-3, the projected first round pick had an opportunity to overcome an awful weekend of baseball. Instead, another swinging strikeout concluded his 0-13 series that included 11 strikeouts.

    Fabian was hardly the only Gator to struggle this weekend. Florida’s starting pitching staff put up their worst performances in years. Tommy Mace started the poor pitching by only lasting four innings. Jack Leftwich hit six batters on Saturday in his 4.2 innings of work. Finally, Hunter Barco lasted a weekend high of five innings, but gave up four earned runs en route to a 8-5 loss to clinch the series sweep for the Gamecocks.

    But the poor play didn’t end there. The lineup scored 15 runs on the weekend, but so many opportunities were missed. South Carolina pitchers combined to walk 13 batters on Friday, four of those were to the first batter of an inning and twice the leadoff guy was put on (walk to Hickey in the 10th, Thompson hit by pitch in 12th) without making contact in extra innings.

    The batting order also struck out 45 times over the weekend, highlighted by Fabian’s eleven. Fabian’s struggles at the plate have to be concerning. His strikeout rate has reached 46% (43-99 at bats). I’m no draft analyst, but surely those numbers have to be alarming to MLB scouts.

    Fielding has also been an issue so far this season. That’s pretty uncommon under Kevin O’Sullivan as the Gators usually rank amongst the nation’s best in fielding percentage. Florida ranked No. 164 in D1 baseball in fielding (.966%) entering the South Carolina series. Shortstop Josh Rivera has recorded eight errors and is fielding just .901 on the season, a disturbingly low number. Rivera’s struggles have followed him into the batter’s box. He’s hitting .195 on the season and has struck out in nearly a quarter of his at-bats this season. Freshman Jordan Carrion got the start at short in the finale against South Carolina.

    Not All Is Lost:

    The good news is, there is a lot of baseball still to play. Florida has played just 24 games and are 16-8 on the season. There are still 31 games to be played, including 24 in conference play.

    A quick silver lining: in 2017 the Gators opened SEC play by being swept at Auburn. How did that season end? Florida hoisted the national championship trophy.

    The Gators have to figure out the pitching and situational hitting, but if there’s a coach in the nation that deserves the opportunity to do so, it’s Kevin O’Sullivan.

  • MBB: Colin Castleton to enter NBA Draft

    MBB: Colin Castleton to enter NBA Draft

    Photo by Maddie Meyer | Getty Images

    Florida forward Colin Castleton joined Tre Mann and declared for the 2021 NBA Draft Sunday, he announced on Twitter

    https://twitter.com/Castleton_/status/1376223679357587460?s=20

    The junior, who played at Florida for the first time in 2021 after he spent the previous two years at Michigan, scored 12.4 points per game, the second-most of any Gator, and paced the team with 6.4 rebounds and 2.25 blocks per contest. He led the Florida front court, with the most starts (21) and minutes (25.8 per game) of any forward.

    Castleton nabbed a few awards in his first season in the SEC, twice named SEC Player of the Week honors on both Jan.4 and Feb. 2. He tallied three double-doubles, four games with five or more blocks and four 20-point games on his way to second-team All-SEC Honors at the end of the season.

    Castleton rose to the moment in the NCAA Tournament as well, as he recorded a double-double in both games, including 19 points and 14 rebounds in the opening win over Virginia Tech. He swatted three blocks and nabbed a steal in both postseason games.

    Castleton’s decision to not hire an agent and retain his eligibility parallels a similar decision from Mann a year ago. The Florida guard declared for the 2020 Draft last April, but retained his eligibility and eventually returned to campus after he spoke with professional teams. Mann broke out this past season and now sits No. 15 on ESPN’s Draft Board.

  • SB: Florida Dominates LSU In Series Finale To Complete Sweep

    SB: Florida Dominates LSU In Series Finale To Complete Sweep

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk.com

    No. 5 Florida cruised past No. 13 LSU 9-3 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium Sunday en route to completing its second straight conference series sweep.
    The Gators hopped out to an early 7-0 lead through the first three frames. They tacked on three first-inning runs before LSU pulled starting pitcher Maribeth Gorsuch in favor of right-hander Shelbi Sunseri. Sunseri escaped the jam but surrendered four earned runs in the bottom of the third. A leadoff double followed by a walk and a single loaded the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, Florida shortstop Sarah Longley drew an RBI walk before center fielder Cheyenne Lindsey sent a bases-clearing double to the wall in left-center. Lindsey mentioned how Kendyl Lindaman and Jaimie Hoover’s pair of two-run shots in Saturday’s win severed as motivation for her. “It’s always an inspiration to see two other people get two-run home runs and it always feels good to get that as well,” Lindsey said.
    After hurling a complete-game shutout Friday, Florida right-hander Elizabeth Hightower dealt her eighth complete game this season. The junior faced only 25 batters to record 21 outs as she yielded just five hits and no walks. Hightower gave up two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth innings.
    Entering the bottom of the fifth, Florida’s lead shrunk to four runs until Longley and Lindsey delivered again. Longley led off with a double into the left-center gap and Lindsey bombed one to dead center that just cleared the 220-foot sign. Lindsey’s second home run this year granted the Gators a 9-3 lead, which they held through the final two frames.
    Despite Florida’s huge offensive performance, head coach Tim Walton noted how two of the top hitters in the lineup — Lindaman and third baseman Charla Echols — failed to get a hit.
    “When we win games and Charla Echols and Kendyl Lindaman go hitless, . . . I think that’s a great sign for our team,” he said. “Really proud of the entire offense . . . really happy to see other contributions.”

    Final (R/H/E)

    No. 13 LSU: 3 / 5 / 0 No. 5 Florida: 9 / 12 / 0

    Pitching Decision

    Win: Hightower (12-1) Loss: Gorsuch (2-1)

    Individual Stats (season totals)

    Hightower: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (1.22 ERA; 0.69 WHIP)Adams: 2-4, 1 R (.456 BA)Lindaman: 0-3, 1 BB (.316 BA)Echols: 0-3, 1 BB (.378 BA)Cottrill: 2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI (.308 BA)Wilkie: 2-3, 2 R, 1 BB (.297 BA)Hoover: 1-2, 1 R, 2 BB (.318 BA)Goddard: 1-3, 2 RBI (.200 BA)Longley: 1-2, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB (.182)Lindsey: 2-4, 1 R, 5 RBI (.390 BA)

    Next Up

    The Gators will return to action Wednesday to face Jacksonville in an away non-conference matchup; Florida is 21-1 in the all-time series. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.