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  • LAX: Gators Finally Set to Return to Action

    LAX: Gators Finally Set to Return to Action

    Florida returns after an 11-month forced hiatus to battle the Louisville Cardinals.


    Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com


    The time is finally here.

    The No. 8 Gators Lacrosse team make their 2021 debut as they face off against the unranked Cardinals in Louisville on Saturday.

    The last time Florida properly hit the grass was last March against Navy, almost two months before the scheduled 2020 American Athletic Conference Championship.

    Last season’s success makes up for its rather tumultuous and unconventional ending, however.

    In the eight games played, the Gators racked up a .75 win percentage and ranked No. 1 in their conference and No. 10 in the nation. They beat then-top 3 teams Maryland (No. 1) and Stony brook (No. 3).

    Redshirt senior attacker Brianna Harris led the team in points at 42 (27 G, 15 A) and senior midfielder Shannon Kavanagh led in goals at 34.

    The team lost only to Loyola and Dartmouth.

    The 2021 season is set to have a strong ending, too.

    This is Florida’s third season in the AAC and they’re dominating the pre-season charts.

    The Gators ranked No. 1 in the AAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll with five of six first-place votes and topped the All-AAC player list with six Gators nominated: senior defender Kaitlyn Dabkowski, Harris, senior attacker Grace Haus, Kavanagh, redshirt sophomore goalie Sarah Reznick and fifth year defender Cara Trombetta.

    Cincinnati, Temple and Vanderbilt followed behind with four players each.

    Florida’s captains for the season are Kavanagh, Harris, Dabkowski and Trombetta. They’ll be leading 35 players, ten of which are freshman.

    The Gator’s have a promising future but —as with every team— have room for improvement.

    The Gators stomped the competition last season in total goals: 108 to a collective 89 on the opponent’s side, but the large margin didn’t seem to repeat across scoring stats.

    Florida only led their collective opponents in assists, shots, shot percentage and shots on goal by an inch.

    This season they have five freshmen on midfield and three on the attack, which should help polish it up.

    Still, the pressure is on for Florida.

    The game on Saturday versing the Cardinals will be the first in program history and will make for one of eight straight games on the road. Florida returns to Dizney Stadium on March 26 against Cincinnati.

    The lack of home advantage may hurt their already vulnerable motivation upset by COVID-19.

    Amid the pandemic, team bonding events are few and far between, practices have to follow strict protocols and the vibrant energy from fans will be inconsistent.

    The season will have distinctive hardships, but the Gators have proved themselves able to transcend the limits and come out victorious.

    The Louisville game begins at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday and can be watched live on the ACC network on ESPN.

  • VB: No. 9 Florida Defeats LSU in Four Sets

    VB: No. 9 Florida Defeats LSU in Four Sets

    Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com


    The No. 9 Gators volleyball team held on for another win against the unranked LSU Tigers Thursday. The final score of the match was 3-1, Florida.

    This was not an easy win for the Gators, by a long shot. The Tigers came back from yesterday’s sweep fighting– leading the Gators in both attacks and kills for the night.

    Here is how it happened

    Set 1: 25-17 UF

    The two teams started out the first set with back-and-forth action. However, Florida came back to take a strong lead 18-11. LSU began their process of slowly chipping away the 7-point lead, but a string of kills by the Gators and a lost challenge ultimately cost LSU the set.

    Set 2: 25-22 LSU

    The second game was a nailbiter with neck-and-neck action between both teams. Neither team held much of a lead over the other until the Gators committed a couple of errors towards the end of the set to give LSU the slight advantage.

    Set 3: 25-20 UF

    The beginning of the third set mirrored the previous set. Both the Tigers and the Gators presented back-and-forth action without giving one team much of a lead over the other. After coming back from a timeout taken by LSU, the Gators began to take the slight edge on the set 22-18. A few final kills by the Ceasar gave the Gators the win.

    Set 4: 25-19 UF

    Florida came into the final set with an early lead over LSU, 6-1. However, the Tigers began the process of trying to dismantle the lead held by the Gators. This set saw numerous errors that affected both teams, and it led to a timeout taken by LSU. However, similar to the ending of the third set, a final few kills by Ceasar gave the Gators the set and match win.

    Leaders

    Digs:

    McKissock, 22

    Ceasar, 15

    Blocks:

    Carlton, 3

    Kills:

    Ceasar, 20

    Hall, 19

    Aces:

    Carlton, 3

    Ceasar, 2

    McKissock, 2

    What’s Next?

    The Gators will go back on the road to take on Mississippi State in Starkville for a two-part series against the Bulldogs. The matches will take place on Feb. 19 and 20, and they are slated to begin at 7 p.m.

  • VB: Gators Sweep LSU in Spring Season Home Opener

    VB: Gators Sweep LSU in Spring Season Home Opener

    Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com


    The No. 9 Gators women’s volleyball team swept their spring home opener against the LSU Tigers. The Gators were previously scheduled to open their spring season in a two part series against the Missouri Tigers, but the series was postponed due to a positive COVID–19 result among the Gators.

    The Gators led an impressive attack. T’ara Ceasar and Holly Carlton racked up 15 and 14 points respectively to help put the Gators on top. Ceasar led the way with 14 kills, and Carlton followed with an also impressive 10. Elli McKissock also notably put up a career-high of 24 digs for the Gators.

    Despite the clean sweep by Florida, LSU did not go down without putting up a fight.

    How it happened

    Set 1: 27-25 UF

    The Gators held the early led to start out the match, grabbing a lead 15-12. A solid effort by the Tigers helped to diminish the Gators lead, and they were able to lead the Gators 25-24. However, the Tigers were not able to overpower the Gators in action after two points by Ceasar cinched the first win for Florida.

    Set 2: 25-15 UF

    The teams came back from a tough set strong. The teams were tied up 6-6, before the Gators went on a 4-0 run to put them on top. The Gators continued to dominate the rest of the set. They went on another 4-0 run to seal the win in the set. Notably, Florida hit a .370 clip in the frame, and they were able to hold LSU to a -.086 clip.

    Set 3: 28-26 UF

    The final set of the match was extremely close. The Gators went on an early 5-0 run, but the two teams went back-and-forth in an action-packed set. Neither team held much of a lead over the other until the Tigers went on a 6-1 run to give them the lead over the Gators. Two kills, one by Ceasar and a final kill by Hall, put the Gators on top and determined the fate for the Tigers.

    Match Leaders

    Kills

    Ceasar, 14

    Carlton, 10

    Forte, 8

    Digs

    McKissock, 24

    Monserez, 8

    Ceasar, 7

    Blocks

    Dooley, 6

    Forte, 5

    Monserez, 4

    Carlton, 4

    What’s Next?

    Florida returns to the Exactech Arena on Thursday for another matchup against the LSU Tigers. The match is slated to start at 6 p.m. and is available to watch on ESPN.

  • 2021 Florida Softball Preview

    2021 Florida Softball Preview

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com


    With only a few days until the start of opening weekend, No. 7 Florida looks to pick up right where it left off last season.

    After sweeping Auburn last March, the Gators finished the condensed 2020 season atop the SEC standings with a 3-0 conference record. Florida boasted a 23-4 overall record including wins over five different ranked opponents.

    Returning Players

    UF enters the 2021 season with nearly all of its returning starters. Despite losing longtime shortstop Sophia Reynoso and outfielder Jade Caraway, the Gators return three seniors — outfielder Jamie Hoover, first baseman Kendyl Lindaman and southpaw Gainesville native Katie Chronister — who were each granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA.

    New Faces

    Florida added five new freshmen — Haley Pittman, Avery Goelz, Emily Wilkie, Kali Reis and Katie Kistler — to its roster. Reis, a shortstop from Bradenton, Florida, is expected to fill Reynoso’s void in the Gators’ middle infield. “[Reis isn’t] quite ready to play at this level every single day,” UF head coach Tim Walton admitted. But Walton attributes her mishaps to simply being an immature freshman. “I’ve been really patient with her…her knowledge of the game is really, really, really high.”

    The Gators also acquired Alabama transfer Skylar Wallace this offseason. The junior shortstop started all 22 games for the Crimson Tide last year and brings a wealth of experience to the Gators’ infield. Last year, Wallace hit .387 with 18 RBIs, 27 runs scored and nine stolen bases. In 2019, Wallace played on the U-19 USA Women’s National Team and made the SEC All-Freshman and All-Tournament Teams.

    Pitching

    In the circle, the Gators are led by senior Natalie Lugo and Sophomore Rylee Trlicek. The duo started all but four of Florida’s games last season, compiling a 16-4 combined record. While maintaining a team-low .91 WHIP, Lugo hurled over 80 innings and struck out over 100 batters, both of which ranked No. 2 in the SEC. The California native led the conference in saves (6) and recorded the seventh lowest ERA (1.64) by a junior in program history.

    In her freshman campaign, Trlicek pitched remarkably. The southpaw Texan boasted a sub-two ERA (1.99) and led the SEC in shutouts (3) en route to winning SoftballAmerica.com Freshman Pitcher of the Year. Trlicek became the first freshman in UF softball history to toss back-to-back complete-game shutouts in her first two conference starts.

    In relief of Lugo and Trlicek, Florida will rely on Chronister, Pittman and junior right-hander Elizabeth Hightower to throw quality innings. Chronister and Hightower went a combined 7-0 across 37.2 innings pitched last year. Meanwhile, newcomer Pittman carries high expectations into Gainesville after winning Alabama Sports Writer Association 4A State Pitcher of the Year.

    Offense

    Florida’s top-two batters, Lindaman and third baseman Charla Echols, enter the season with lofty expectations after making the 2021 Preseason All-SEC Team. Lindaman and Echols were the only two Gators to hit over .400 last year. The duo hit over half of the team’s home runs (15 of 29) and drove in a combined 50 runs. “When you have an All-American like Kendyl Lindaman in your lineup…it’s definitely a luxury to have,” Walton said.

    The Gators will lean on the bats of catcher Julia Cottrill, second baseman Hannah Adams as well as outfielders Cheyenne Lindsey and Baylee Goddard for extra run support. Each of the four returning starters racked up double-digit RBIs last year, and Cottrill, Adams and Lindsey all hit above .300.

    Still, Florida’s lineup depth is what elevates the Gators to the next level. “We have 16 hitters that can play this year, and legitimately I think we can go 15 of them at any given day and really not drop off a ton,” Walton said.

    Upcoming Schedule

    Florida will head to Tampa this weekend for its opening series against USF. Following a double-header Saturday, the Gators will wrap up the road series Sunday afternoon before returning to Katie Pressly Seashole Stadium for their home opener on Feb. 17 versus Jacksonville. Florida will then host the Bubly Invitational before rounding out its non-conference schedule, which includes notable opponents such as Louisville and No. 12 Florida State. On March 12, the Gators will open SEC play in a home series against No. 13 Kentucky.

    “It’s almost been a year since we’ve played as as a team…so we’re all super excited for this weekend and just to get out there and finally feel like a team again,” Lindaman said.

  • 2021 Florida Baseball Preview

    2021 Florida Baseball Preview

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

    The Florida Gators enter the 2021 season with lofty expectations thanks to an experienced roster that added one of the nation’s top freshman classes.

    This iteration of UF’s baseball team only lost two members from last year’s team that finished 16-1 before the Covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the season. Gone are longtime stawarts Austin Langworthy and Brady Smith, but those are literally the only two missing pieces from a year ago.

    What has resulted for the Gators is an incredible depth at pretty much every spot on the field.

    Pitching:

    Florida’s weekend starters are pretty much set in stone, the same way they were when play was halted last year. Junior Tommy Mace (2-0, 2.70 ERA in 2020) will command the mound on Fridays and set the tone for junior Jack Leftwich (2-0, 4.15 ERA) and freshman lefty Hunter Barco (2-0, 1.40 ERA).

    There are so many options with the bullpen and the midweek guys that it could simply be a matter of whose stuff has been the best most recently. Sophomore Christian Scott (2-0, 1.20 ERA) is expected to continue his role in key relief situations with the ability to start midweeks as well. The same can be said of sophomore Nick Pogue (1-1, 5.23 ERA). RHP Ben Specht (2-0, 1.20 ERA) figures to enter the season as the closer, a role he took on last year. Brandon Sproat ( 6 IP, 8 K) is a flame thrower that will likely see a lot of action in the midweek. Kevin O’Sullivan gave Tyler Nesbitt (11.2 IP, 0 ER) several opportunities last year in the midweek and bullpen. Jordan Butler (6.23 ERA) is a a left handed option that will also see a lot of opportunities in the field and at the plate. David Leuthje (2-0, 5.19 ERA) and Trey Van Der Weide will also see significant time out of the bullpen this season. I’m also genuinely excited to see what freshman lefty Timmy Manning (No. 89 prospect in 2020 class) does. Like I said, it’s a loaded staff.

    Catcher:

    Junior Cal Greenfield is currently slotted in as the likely starter behind the plate. He has built a nice rapport with the pitching staff, particularly Friday starter Tommy Mace. Freshman Nathan Hickey showed a lot of promise at the dish in 2020, hitting .311 with 4 homers in the shortened season. I expect him to see a lot of opportunities as the DH. Incoming freshmen Mac Guscette and Wyatt Langford were both highly rated prospects that could push for playing time as well.

    Infield:

    Florida’s infield returns almost all of its talent from a year ago (minus Brady Smith at first). Senior Kirby McMullen will likely start at third base with slick fielding freshman Josh Rivera logging most of the action at short. Sophomore Cory Acton started 15 games at second last season, but struggled at the plate, hitting at just a .192 clip. I suspect that sophomore Kris Armstrong will open the season at first base for the Gators. Acton and Armstrong will have to perform in order to keep their place in the lineup as Florida fields a number of options at each position. Acton will have to ward off incoming freshman Jordan Carrion, a slick fielder who will challenge Rivera for best glove on the team, while Armstrong will face a bevy of options, including sophomore Kendrick Calilao, who will likely open the season in the outfield, and junior Jordan Butler. McMullen will also see a push from new freshman Colby Halter, who was a top-100 prospect out of Bishop Kenny in Jacksonville.

    Outfield:

    Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Gators’ outfield is stacked with talent. Sophomore Jacob Young returns to lead off the order. He hit at a whopping .450 average last season and enters 2021 on an 18-game hitting streak that dates back to his freshman year. It doesn’t stop there, however. Most likely batting second in the lineup will be sophomore Jud Fabian. The Ocala native led the team with five homers in 2020 and is a true five-tool player when you also talk about his defense. Fabian is gaining a lot of attention as an MLB Draft prospect that could be taken early in the first round. His fall and spring has shown no reason to believe otherwise. With Young in left and Fabian patrolling center, that leaves a (small) question in right field. Calilao will likely open the season there, but Florida, again, has other options as well. Freshman Sterling Thompson and junior Brock Edge are names to watch for in the Florida outfield. Thompson was the nation’s No. 55 overall prospect in 2020 and Edge transferred to UF from Santa Fe before last season.

    Projected Opening Day Lineup:

    • Young, 7
    • Fabian, 8
    • McMullen, 5
    • Hickey, DH
    • Armstrong, 3
    • Calilao, 9
    • Acton, 4
    • Rivera, 6
    • Greenfield, 2

    Overall:

    Florida is the unanimous No. 1 ranked team in the nation for a reason. They are insanely deep in every aspect of the game. Florida was able to field two full teams in the fall for scrimmages and either one of those rosters would have been solid heading into the season. Kevin O’Sullivan will have almost unlimited options for any situation they are presented this year. Anything short of a College World Series berth this season would be seen as a major disappointment.

    Florida opens the 2021 season with the debut of the brand new Florida Ballpark against the Miami Hurricanes on February 19.

  • The Gridiron Growl Podcast: National Signing Day Recap and More

    The Gridiron Growl Podcast: National Signing Day Recap and More

    Check out the latest episode of The Gridiron Growl Podcast as David Soderquist and Brian Fox recap Florida’s quiet February National Signing Day. They also delve in to the recruitment of 5-star safety Terrion Arnold.

    The two also discuss the transfer of former 5-star TE Arik Gilbert, who announced his commitment to the Gators last Sunday.

    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:

  • Gators land commitment from 2022 4-star DE Francois Nolton

    Gators land commitment from 2022 4-star DE Francois Nolton

    Photo by Andrew Ivins / 247Sports

    The Florida Gators landed one of the nation’s top defensive ends on Friday as Francois Nolton, of Miami, committed to the program.

    Nolton is a highly sought after prospect as he holds offers from Alabama, Florida State, and Miami among others. He is rated a 4-star DE by the 247 composite rankings.

    The Edison High junior is the No. 12 DE in the 2022 cycle and the No. 214 overall prospect in the nation.

    Nolton is Florida’s second commitment to the 2022 class, joining WR Syveion Ellis. Five star athlete Sam McCall was a pledge, but decommitted after DBs coach Torrian Gray was let go.

  • BSB: Gators Named Nation’s Unanimous No. 1 Team

    BSB: Gators Named Nation’s Unanimous No. 1 Team

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

    The Florida Gators enter 2021 with massive expectations following a 16-1 start to the 2020 season before the Covid-19 pandemic cancelled the remainder of the season. As a result, Florida is the nation’s unanimous preseason No. 1 team, according to the polls.

    The USA Today Coaches Poll placed Florida ahead of second ranked UCLA on Thursday to complete the unanimous rankings. The Gators received 24 of 31 first place votes in the poll.

    Florida previously ranked first in five other polls: D1Baseball, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Perfect Game, and Baseball America. Earlier this week, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association also placed Florida on the top spot.

    This year marks the fourth time since Kevin O’Sullivan took over that the team has been a unanimous preseason No. 1 (2012, 2016, 2018). In all, it has happened eight times since 2008, but Florida is the only program to achieve the poll position multiple times.

    The Gators open the season against Miami in the confines of the brand new Florida Ballpark on February 19.

    Check out our 2021 Baseball Preview as it is set to be published early next week.

  • Lindaman and Echols Make Preseason All-SEC Team

    Lindaman and Echols Make Preseason All-SEC Team

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com


    Florida infielders Kendyl Lindaman and Charla Echols earned spots on the Preseason All-SEC Team Wednesday.

    In January, the duo made the USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 “Watch List.”

    Kendyl Lindaman

    Lindaman, a fifth-year first baseman, started all 27 games in last year’s shortened season. She hit .410 with seven home runs, 22 RBIs and a team-high .525 on-base percentage. The Iowa native reached base safely in every game and produced a 15-game hitting streak, marking the sixth longest streak in UF program history.

    Lindaman won the final SEC Player of the Week award of 2020 after impressive performances versus Penn and Florida State. The fifth-year senior went 4-for-4 and hit a pair of timely home runs against the Quakers and the Seminoles.

    The three-time NFCA All-American leads all active NCAA softball players in career RBIs (207). Lindaman also ranks inside the top-five among active athletes in career home runs (62: second), walks (176: second) and total bases (440: fifth).

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

    Charla Echols

    After transferring from Michigan State, Florida third baseman Charla Echols wasted no time easing into her role at UF. The Newnan, Georgia, native led the Gators last season in nearly every category. She led in batting average (.417), hits (35), total bases (64), home runs (8), RBIs (28) and slugging percentage (.762). Echols also led the team in multi-hit games (8) as well as multi-RBI games (10).

    In her first season at Florida, Echols recorded a career-long 10-game hitting streak and reached base safely in 25 of her 27 games played. The third baseman was responsible for the game-winning RBI in four separate games and scored the game-winning run in another game.

    Looking Ahead

    No. 7 Florida will kick off the 2021 season on Feb. 13 in a weekend away series against USF before returning to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium on Feb. 17 to face Jacksonville in the Gators’ home-opener.

  • MBB: Gators winning streak comes to an end after late lead blown

    MBB: Gators winning streak comes to an end after late lead blown

    Photo by Matthew Maxey / Getty Images


    The No. 22 Florida Gators men’s basketball team lost their first game since Jan. 16 with a six-point loss to South Carolina after not making a basket in the final six and a half minutes

    Following a four-game stretch that included wins over a then-No. 6 Tennessee team at home and then-No. 11 West Virginia away, a 4-6 South Carolina team seemed to pose little challenge to the newly-ranked Gators, who appeared in the AP top 25 for the first time this season in this week’s rankings.

    However, the Gamecocks didn’t come to Gainesville to roll over and let the Gators fast forward to LSU and Kentucky in the upcoming week. South Carolina went on an early 14-2 run to open up a 19-9 lead after pulling down five of the first seven rebounds of the game and making three of its first four shots from long range. The Gamecocks still lead by 10 with 12:36 to go in the first half.

    However, Florida refused to look defeated for long and spent the rest of the first half fighting back. Behind an 13-point opening half from Noah Locke, who was 3-5 from three, along with nine points and seven rebounds from Tre Mann, the Gators stormed back. 100 seconds later, they were within four. Four minutes after that, they tied the game, and they retook the lead with 5:56 remaining in the first half.

    The Gators went to the locker room with a 40-35 lead. They hadn’t lost a game all season when they had lead at the half.

    Colin Castleton had a huge second half for what felt like the hundredth time this season, ending with 11 points, seven rebounds and a career-high eight blocks. Omar Payne also got a starting nod in the Gators new dual-big lineup and performed admirably, scoring 10 points on a perfect 5-5 night from the floor

    But Florida just couldn’t put the Gamecocks away. South Carolina, led by guard AJ Lawson’s 22 points and 8 rebounds and 12 second-half points from guard Seventh Woods, went on two separate 10-0 runs in the second half. With 14 minutes to play, the Gators lead by eight points, but the Gamecocks had the lead four minutes later after five unanswered baskets.

    The Gators pulled back in front shortly after and after an Omar Payne dunk put them ahead 59-65 with 6:37 remaining, it felt like Florida’s game to lose with the lead, momentum and the home court on their side.

    The Gators scored one point the rest of the game.

    As South Carolina stormed back on a 13-1 run to finish the game, the Gators couldn’t point just one finger as to what went wrong Wednesday night. The team didn’t make a basket the final six and a half minutes and shot 10-31 (32.3%) in the second half. They were outscored in the paint 50-30. South Carolina’s 20 second-chance points on 13 offensive rebounds. Noah Locke’s two-point second half after an electric opening twenty minutes. Scottie Lewis, who still hasn’t found his stride since being sidelined for two weeks for health and safety reasons, managed only one point in fourteen minutes.

    Florida will hope to leave this game behind when they travel to Louisiana this week to play LSU Saturday that could control who ultimately finishes second in the SEC for the regular season. The Gators are now 10-5 on the year and 6-4 in conference play.