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Weekend Observations: Franks has earned QB1 status

April 15, 2019

Photo by David Rosenblum / Getty Images

Football: Florida’s redshirt (rising) junior QB Feleipe Franks has put all reasonable doubt aside and solidified his place as the Gators starting QB heading into fall camp.

Franks was methodical in the annual spring game on Saturday and threw for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns (in fairness, against a very vanilla defense). Franks has also proven to be a leader and is clearly a favorite in the locker-room.

It will be nice heading into fall camp with no doubt as to who will be receiving first team reps at the most important position on the field, and with the bevy of talent at the skill positions, Franks could be set for a monster year statistically.

Baseball: The Gators took a series from South Carolina thanks to a 3-run, walk-off homer from Jordan Butler on Saturday. Florida will look to bottle up the momentum gained from the series win as they head into a weekend series at No. 9 LSU after a midweek contest against Jacksonville on Tuesday.

One major change Kevin O’Sullivan made: benching Wil Dalton whose batting average dipped to .221 after an 0-2 day at the plate on Thursday. Dalton was expected to be the power source in the lineup, but he just isn’t producing (3 HR, 17 RBI). Jacob Young got the start in right on Friday with Kendrick Calilao earning the start on Saturday.

Butler may be forcing O’Sullivan’s hand after a 4-5, 4 RBI performance on Saturday with the start at first base. It will be interesting to see if Sully chooses to stick with one of his top options (and only lefty) out of the bullpen in a starting role on the field.

Softball: It appears the UF softball team used a 2-0 loss to Florida State on April 3rd as a springboard. The Gators have won 7 straight including two straight conference sweeps (over Arkansas and Texas A&M) since the loss to their rivals.

The team is now 9-6 in conference play and is back in the thick of the league race with only nine (SEC) games to play. Florida will get to test their mettle against FSU on Wednesday in Tallahassee. The Gators follow that up with a series against No. 5 Alabama, who happens to be second in the SEC standings.

Speaking of UF softball, Kendyl Lindaman has been as advertised. The junior catcher is up to 14 homers and 49 RBI to go along with a .372 batting average. Lindaman transferred from Minnesota, where she jacked 40 homers over two years.

Lacrosse: Florida lacrosse is heating up, having won six straight after a 20-10 win over ECU on Saturday. Unfortunately, it’s likely too little, too late in terms of earning a hosting seed in the NCAA Tournament. The RPI ratings came out last week and the Gators were No. 15. With only two games remaining before the AAC Tournament, it’s unlikely that UF will be able to raise their RPI much, if any.

Also, senior attacker Lindsey Ronbeck is one of the most exciting athletes on campus right now. Ronbeck has recorded a hat-trick in 12 of 14 contests this year and has totaled 65 goals thus far.

Men’s Tennis: Florida earned the regular season SEC Title and will play host to this week’s SEC Tournament. The Gators will play on Friday at 3:00 PM against either Mississippi or Alabama.

Women’s Tennis: Florida will head to College Station for the SEC Tournament. They will face No. 10 seed Mississippi on Thursday at 10:00 AM.

Also: The Florida Letterman’s Awards Ceremony is Monday evening. ChompTalk.com has been invited and will be in attendance for the event.

We have also chosen to sponsor The Gator Dugout Club’s Inaugural Golf Tournament at Ironwood on April 27. We are proud to partner with a club that plays a vital role in the support of the Florida baseball program.
FB: Gators Land 3-Star ATH Jaheim Bell

April 13, 2019

Photo by John Del Bianco / Getty Images

Shortly following the conclusion of Florida’s spring game, Dan Mullen and his staff received a commitment for the class of 2020. Jaheim Bell, of Valdosta High in Valdosta, GA., checks in at 6’2″ and 213-pounds, and is the number 23 ranked athlete in the cycle. Bell announced his commitment via Twitter:

Committed!!!!! #Gatornation 🐊🐊 @GatorsFB pic.twitter.com/Pv5EFiYqZC

— Jaheim Bell🥶 (@Jaheim_Bell1) April 13, 2019

Boasting a 4.66 forty and a 38.1″ vertical, Bell has received thirty-eight offers. As his primary recruiters, Larry Scott and John Hevesy beat out several high profile programs, such as Florida State, Tennessee, Ole Miss, LSU, and Alabama.

The Gators 2020 class currently ranks fifth nationally, and third in conference with 10 commitments. Bell has a composite score of 88.89% and is in the three star recruit range, while 247Sports regards him slightly higher giving him four stars.
FB: Offense Soars in Orange & Blue Debut

April 13, 2019

Photo by David Rosenblum / Getty Images

Head coach, Dan Mullen, promised a fun atmosphere for the annual Orange and Blue Debut, and fans were not disappointed. On the very first play from scrimmage, Kadarius Toney connected with Feleipe Franks on a forty yard double pass. The offense didn’t slow down from there.

For much of the afternoon, fans were treated to an air show as the quarterbacks and receivers were mostly unstoppable. In fact, Feleipe Franks, Kyle Trask, and Emory Jones combined for 315 yards and four touchdowns in the first quarter alone.

Franks finished the day going 13/18 for 327 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for another touchdown. The lone blemish on the day for the incumbent starter was a scripted pick six, thrown to former Gators great, Lito Sheppard.

Sheppard wasn’t the only former Gator to find the endzone. Fans got to relive one of the famous Mick Hubert calls, “Doering’s got a touchdown! Oh my!”, as Chris Doering donned the orange jersey and found the endzone, late in the game.

As much fun as this game was to watch, it is difficult to really get an accurate gauge of where the team is at. This was by design, as many of Todd Grantham’s exotic coverages and blitz packages were ommitted from the day’s playbook. As a result, we didn’t really get to see how much the offensive line has learned throughout the spring session, and the corners were at a clear disadvantage in handling an extremely talented corps of receivers and tight ends.

What we know, is that Franks development has continued and he will be equipped with a lethal arsenal of receivers. The running backs are extremely talented and might help with the offensive line’s learning curve, in their ability to create space on their own.

What truly remains to be seen is just how much improvement the line has made from the start of spring. They looked okay for the most part, save for a few errors by the tackles. But how much different would it have looked against a Grantham defense that wasn’t handcuffed?

Coach John Hevesy has been pleased, and even a bit surprised by the speed at which the unit has caught on. My prediction is that this will be a serviceable group by the season opener, and that we will see them continue to improve as the season wears on, much like last year’s group.

Along with an exaggerated look at the offensive capabilities, the defensive gameplan also keeps future opponents–and yes, fans, too–guessing at exactly what this year’s defense looks like. I can assure you, it is much more potent than the 60-35 final score indicates.

In the end, this year’s Orange and Blue Debut did exactly what it was intended to do. It provided a fun filled fan experience, and a chance for past, present, and future Gators to let loose while getting a look inside Dan Mullen’s program.

One thing they all seem to agree on? The future is bright, and it’s great to be a Florida Gator.
LAX: Kavanaugh Added To Tewaaraton Watch List

April 12, 2019

Photo by Tim Casey / UAA
The Tewaaraton Foundation released the Tewaaraton Watch List on Thursday. Added to the list for Florida was sophomore Shannon Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh is accompanied by senior teammates, Haley Hicklen, Lindsey Ronbeck and Sydney Pirreca, as well as junior Cara Trombetta who were named to the Watch List two months ago.

In 34 career appearances, all of which she has started in, Kavanaugh has tallied 112 points on 77 goals and 35 assists. Earlier in her sophomore season she became the 16^thGator to reach the 100 point mark, making her the third fastest Gator to accomplish the feat.

It’s no wonder Kavanaugh’s name appears on the list – she has had quite the season so far. After just 13 games just season, Kavanaugh has amassed 41 goals and 7 assists. The orange and blue donning sophomore has also recorded nine hat tricks this season, six of which have come in the last six games.

The Tewaaraton Foundation will release a list of Top 25 Nominees on April 25 with five finalists being announced on May 9. The Tewaaraton Award, which is awarded to the nation’s best male and female college lacrosse player, will be presented on May 30 in Washington D.C..
FB : An Orange & Blue Preview

April 12, 2019

Photo by Joe Robbins / Getty Images

The annual Orange and Blue Debut kicks off at 1 p.m. this Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Just like last year, Dan Mullen has stressed that this event will be fun. So what does that mean?

It means that we won’t see an entirely authentic game day atmosphere, but we could see a few special guest appearances and a glimpse of what the coaching staff has seen this spring. A few things that we, here at ChompTalk, expect to see on display are; the continued progression of Feleipe Franks, a fast, physical, and aggressive defense, and an offensive line that is still very much a work in progress.

Ever since the come from behind win over South Carolina last season, Franks has been a different player. He finished the season with two of the best performances of his career and, by all accounts, has picked up right where he left off. Franks has been much more comfortable in his role as the team leader this spring and has continued to play with a chip on his shoulder, pushing himself and those around him to get better with every rep.

This year’s defense actually looks better than last year’s. They are faster off of the edge and get a significant push in the middle of the line. Some of this could be an indictment on the inexperience and youth of the offensive line, but the front seven shouldn’t be slept on.

With the return of Marco Wilson, CJ Henderson, and the emergence of early enrollee, Chris Steele, Florida’s secondary could be one of the top two or three in the nation. They have honed their skills against one of the deepest receiver corps in the country, all spring.

Speaking of the receivers, Florida enters the Spring game with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the skill positions. Van Jefferson and Trevon Grimes are looking even better than they did last season. Both have benefited from a year in the system, as well as from the talent of guys like Freddie Swain and Kadarius Toney, causing defenders to think twice about who they need to cover.

The running backs will pick up where they left off and may also be an improved unit. With Jordan Scarlett departing for the draft, Lamical Perine is the featured back and has been in the best form of his career so far this spring. He is backed up by the electric Malik Davis, who should have a breakout year if he can stay healthy, and Dameon Pierce. Pierce wowed fans with his vision and power last season and has worked on the secondary parts of his game this off-season.

However, the offense is only as good as its offensive line. This year’s line features a lot of talent and very little experience. If there is a weak link on the Gators roster, this is it. After losing four starters to graduation and the NFL draft, Florida returns only one starter in Nick Buchanan.

As bad as it sounds, things aren’t as bleak as one might think. First, because this was expected and coach John Hevesy has embraced the challenge of getting this young crew ready for the SEC gauntlet. Second, while the unit isn’t currently ready, they have shown remarkable improvement from where they were when spring practices began. With continued development and learning, over the summer and twenty-five fall practices leading up to the season opener, this unit could surprise many by being a strength.

Coach Hevesy has already been surprised by the group’s progression. They understand what must be done to accomplish the team’s goals.

Beyond the fun atmosphere for the fans, the coaches will be evaluating the team as a whole and as individuals. Defensive coordinator, Todd Grantham explained,

“Give guys that are maybe early enrollees, guys who haven’t played a lot, an opportunity to play in a front of a crowd – in front of an environment – to let them go and showcase their abilities, games like this are kind of like preseason games, from the standpoint of you’ve really got to look at the individual play of guys and how they play. Because the way you mix and match things it may not be the guys you’re necessarily going to go into the game with all the time, but here are the pieces. And then once we come together, we’re going to put the pieces together. So the biggest thing to me is guys are giving effort, guys are showing improvement.”

While the fans are having fun and the staff is evaluating, the coaches hope that the enormous list of visiting recruits are doing both. Florida will have over seventy recruits on hand this Saturday and will be looking to make a strong impression. For many, this will be a first look at the Gators Football program and its fans. Coach Dan Mullen is hoping for a large fan turnout to help sell the Gators brand.

The teams:

Who ya got??

🔸 #TeamOrange
🔹 #TeamBlue #OBGame Draft Details: https://t.co/YCroxpqtTk #GoGators pic.twitter.com/DwvuryxYh7

— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) April 12, 2019
SB: Gators eke out 1-0 win over South Florida

April 10, 2019
Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com

Final: Florida 1, South Florida 0

A pitchers duel took place on Wednesday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium as the Gators and Bulls combined for just two hits. Florida managed to score the only run of the game, thanks to timely hitting and a ‘pass the baton’ mentality.

The Gators did manage a baserunner in the first and fifth innings thanks to walks, but both runners were left stranded by USF ace Georgina Corrick.

Barnhill meanwhile walked batters in the first and second before a 3-up, 3-down frame in the third. In the fourth USF 1B Bethaney Keen roped a double to right-center, but all runners were left stranded as well.

Florida pinch hitter Cheyenne Lindsey led off the sixth inning with a lined shot off the glove of USF 3B Dezarae Maldonado for the Gators first hit of the contest. Lindsey would come around to score on a sacrifice fly by cleanup hitter, Sophia Reynoso.

That was all Barnhill needed. The Gators star threw 111 pitches and earned the complete game victory. On the season Barnhill is now 22-5 and her ERA dropped to 1.29.

Fast stats:
- Barnhill’s final line: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 11 K, 2 BB
- The two teams combined for 2-41 (.048 batting average)
- The Gators went 0-7 with runners on base (but got the clutch sac fly for the win)
What’s next:

Florida will travel on Thursday in anticipation of a conference series with Texas A&M. The Aggies currently sit last in the SEC with a 3-9 mark. The Gators need to earn some quality wins with the schedule that looks after this weekend as Florida travels to Tallahassee for another crack at the Seminoles before taking on top ranked Alabama.
SB: Hightower Named SEC Freshman of the Week

April 10, 2019

Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com
After sweeping the series against No. 14 Arkansas, Florida’s freshman RHP Elizabeth Hightower was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week for her efforts in the circle.

During the second game of the series, Hightower tossed a five-inning, complete game shutout to help put away the nationally ranked Razorbacks. Hightower is only the second freshman this season to accomplish such a feat.

Hightower left the circle having tallied six strikeouts and two walks. Hightower only allowed three hits on the day.

The last Gator to pitch a complete game shutous shutout against a nationally ranked opponent as a freshman was Kelly Barnhill who torched No. 2 Michigan during opening weekend in 2016.

Florida returns to action on Wednesday as they take on USF at 7 p.m. at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
BSB: Gators send No. 11 (and FSU) to eleventh straight defeat

April 9, 2019
Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com

Florida is probably starting to wish that the rival Seminoles were in the SEC. At least, for baseball.

The Gators faced FSU head coach Mike Martin for what is likely the final time, and sent the winningest head coach in NCAA baseball history reeling to his eleventh straight defeat (matching his uniform number).

The Gators offense struggled for much of the night, but a timely double by pinch hitter Kirby McMullen in the ninth led Florida past their arch-rival.

Game Trend:

Despite not getting their first base hit until the sixth inning, Florida got on the scoreboard first with an unearned run in the top of the fourth. Brady McConnell led off the inning with a liner to center that FSU CF JC Flowers dropped. Jacob Young laid down a perfect bunt to move McConnell to third. McConnell reached the plate thanks to a passed ball by FSU C Matheu Nelson.

The Seminoles tied the game in the fifth after a leadoff walk by David Luethje wound up coming around to score. De Sedas had stolen third base prior to a groundout by Alec Sanchez that brought him home.

Kirby McMullen played hero as a pinch hitter in the top of the ninth as he doubled down the right field line to score Kendrick Calilao (double) and Will Dalton (intentionally walked) to put Florida ahead 3-1.

Fast stats:
- David Luethje earned his first start of the season, final line: 4 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB.
- The Florida bullpen (Justin Alintoff and Ben Specht) tossed five innings, allowing only three hits and walking one while striking out seven)
- Ben Specht (1-0) earned the win, pitching three innings and striking out five to complete the game
- Florida finished the game 1-6 with runners in scoring position while the Seminoles were 0-4 in the same situation.
What’s next:

The Gators will take on South Carolina as part of the #WeChompWeekend beginning Friday evening. The Gamecocks are 19-13 overall and 3-9 in SEC play. Florida needs to take advantage of a team that is below them in the standings to stay relevant in the East Divison race.
LAX: Three Gators Nab AAC Weekly Honors

April 9, 2019

Photo by Kristen Oliff / ChompTalk.com
The Gators lacrosse team, who remained undefeated in conference play with a victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday, had three players earn conference recognition on Tuesday afternoon when the AAC announced it’s weekly honors.

Found on the list for the Gators was Shannon Kavanaugh, Cara Trombetta and Lindsey Ronbeck.

Kavanaugh took home the AAC’s midfielder of the week for the sixth time in her sophomore campaign.

While going 3-for-5 in shooting against Vanderbilt, Kavanaugh tallied her ninth hat trick of the season which also represents her sixth straight game recording a hat trick or better. Kavanaugh also contributed two assists during the Gator’s 18-9 toppling of the Commodores.

Further adding to the stat sheet, Kavanaugh recorded her season best nine draw controls while also picking up four groundballs and forcing a turnover.

As for Trombetta, she earned her first Defensive Player of the Week honor after a convincing defensive effort against the Commodores. Trombetta, who matched up with Vanderbilt’s Hadley Brown, held Brown to 0-for-1 in shooting as well keeping her pointless.

Trombetta also forced two turnovers during Saturday’s contest. The highlight of her day was tallying the 88^thforced turnover of her career. With turnover number 88, Trombetta broke the school record for career forced turnovers. The junior Gator surpassed Caroline Fitzgerald’s former record of 87.

Florida senior, Lindsey Ronbeck made the AAC’s honor roll this week after her five point effort against Vanderbilt. The senior went 3-for-6 on shooting to notch her 10^th hat trick of the season.

During Saturday’s contest, Ronbeck surpassed Kitty Cullen (203) to become the second leading all-time scorer in Florida lacrosse. She also picked up two ground balls and added one draw control to the stat sheet.

Ronbeck currently leads the conference in a number of areas including goals (50), goals per game (3.85), shots per game (8.77) and free position goals per game (1.3).

The Gators (7-6) are back in action this Thursday in Jacksonville as they take on the Jacksonville University Dolphins (10-2) at 7 PM.
SB: Gators sweep Arkansas, slide up SEC standings

April 7, 2019

Photo by Kristen Oliff / ChompTalk.com

The Florida softball team earned a much needed series sweep of Arkansas this weekend. Kelly Barnhill led the charge in the circle with two complete games and the offense took advantage of several Razorbacks fielding micues in taking the series.

Game One:

Florida got the 3-0 win despite being limited offensively to only three hits. In the second inning, Jaimie Hoover started the scoring with a single back to the pitcher that was thrown well past first base allowing Lily Mann to score easily.

The Gators would add two more unearned runs in the fourth as Hannah Adams reached on a fielder’s choice which also was a poorly thrown ball and allowed Kendyl Lindaman and Jaimie Hoover to score.

Kelly Barnhill (20-5) threw a complete game, striking out 7 without allowing a walk.

Game Two:

The Gators clinched the series with a run-rule 8-0 victory on Saturday.

Florida scored early in often in the shortened contest. The Gators took a 3-0 lead before the Razorbacks were able to record an out thanks to a Kendyl Lindaman 3-run blast.

Florida hit a total of three homers in the game, also getting solo shots from Amanda Lorenz (2nd inning) and Jaimie Hoover (3rd inning).

In total the Gators recorded 11 hits from eight different batters in the lineup.

Elizabeth Hightower (2-0) received the start and pitched an excellent game in earning the win. Her first line read, 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 6 K, 2 BB.

Game Three:

The Gators completed the sweep with a 3-1 win on Sunday.

For the first time in the series, Florida trailed as Arkansas’ Katie Warrick hit a solo homer over the wall in left field in the second inning.

The Gators showed their resilience with a pair of runs in the third.

Jade Caraway grounded out to third base for that scored pinch runner Amanda Beane. Beane dodged an attempted tag before the throw over to first that allowed her to score.

Jordan Matthews then scored on Amanda Lorenz’ single up the middle.

Lorenz also got an RBI on a double to left off the wall that scored Caraway for a 3-1 lead.

Barnhill (21-5) once again led the way in the circle and kept Florida in it before the Gators were able to break the game open. Barnhill tossed seven innings, allowed only two hits and struck out eight and walked two.

__________

Florida moves to .500 in SEC play (6-6) with the sweep. The Gators will face South Florida in midweek action on Wednesday before heading to College Station to take on Texas A&M in league play next weekend. The Aggies are currently in last place with a 3-9 conference record.

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