ChompTalk.com

Chomping at the bit for Florida Athletics

recent posts

about

Michael Pfeffer lives in Knoxville, TN with his wife and daughter. Growing up in South Florida, he has been a lifelong Florida Gators fan. When not writing, he enjoys spending time with his family and volunteering at church and with a prison ministry.
  • BSB: Gators roll past Tide with weekend sweep

    BSB: Gators roll past Tide with weekend sweep

    Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com

    Florida hosted the Crimson Tide over the weekend and sent them back to Tuscaloosa with a trifecta of losses. With the series sweep, the Gators improved to 20-10 on the season and 4-5 in conference play.

    Game One:

    Sophomore pitcher, Tommy Mace hurled the first complete game of his career on Friday night and it was a beauty. In six of the nine innings he pitched, Mace faced the minimum number of batters and tallied seven k’s.

    A low scoring affair, the Gators Jacob Young was the first to reach home after stealing third and then scoring on a groundout from Nelson Maldonaldo. Alabama managed to even things up in the third when Kolby Robinson drove T.J. Reeves in with a two-out single.

    Florida regained the lead and closed out the scoring in the fifth inning. Back to back singles by Brady McConnell and Nelson Maldonaldo were enough to bring in Jacob Young for a run. McConnell took advantage of Kendrick Calilao’s RBI groundout to score what would be the final run of a 3-1 ball game.

    Game Two:

    The bats were hot in game two as the Gators ran away with a 12-3 win. In total, the Gators offense recorded sixteen hits and five homeruns on Saturday, while clinching the series.

    Brady McConnell opened things up with a solo blast to left field, putting the reptiles up 1-0 in the bottom of the first. Not to be outdone, at least not yet, Alabama responded with a solo homer of their own to tie things up in the second.

    Florida continued its offensive exhibition in the third when Jacob Young went yard and regained the lead. Nelson Maldonaldo followed suit by cranking a two-run shot which was followed by Wil Dalton’s single serve moonshot.

    In the fourth inning, Jacob Young drove in a pair of runners with a single to right center, extending the lead.

    Maldonaldo, Calilao, and Dalton each hit doubles in the seventh, driving in two more runs in the process. Maldonaldo’s double was his tenth of the season and leads all Gators.

    Brady McConnell launched a two-run bomb in the eighth inning, his second homer of the night. Kris Armstrong closed out the scoring with an RBI double.

    Christian Scott earned the win, pitching 4.2 innings, allowing one hit and five strikeouts. He improved to 3-1 on the season.

    Game Three:

    The Gators bullpen was rock solid in this series and that included freshman Hunter Ruth’s game three outing. Ruth pitched 7.2 innings leading Florida to a 6-3 win, his first career victory.

    After trailing early, Florida scored six straight runs to secure the win. An RBI double by Austin Langworthy and a sac fly from Brady Smith gave Kevin O’Sullivan’s club a 2-1 advantage.

    Langworthy extended that lead with a homerun in the fourth and the score remained until the eighth inning. The Gators recorded four singles to increase their lead to 6-1. Alabama closed the gap ever so slightly when T.J. Reeves went yard on a two-run homer as the pinch hitter.

    Ruth filled in masterfully for starter Jack Leftwich, who exited the game in the second inning due to a blister. The 7.2 innings pitched is a career high for Ruth and he allowed just one run on four hits.

    Ruth averaged less than three (2.93) pitches per batter on Sunday afternoon.

    What’s next:

    Florida will take on Floirda A&M in midweek action on Tuesday. The first pitch is set for 6:02 PM. The Gators will then travel to Oxford, Mississippi to face the Rebel of Ole Miss in conference play from Friday to Sunday.

  • SB: Gators drop third straight SEC series

    SB: Gators drop third straight SEC series

    Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com

    The Florida softball team has dropped their third straight SEC series after a 3-1 loss to Mississippi on Sunday.

    Florida relied heavily on ace pitcher Kelly Barnhill who opened the series with a marathon 15 inning complete game victory. Barnhill was also called upon for multiple innings of relief work on Saturday before starting the finale.

    Friday:

    Final: Florida 5, Ole Miss 2

    Florida owned a 2-0 lead through four innings of play thanks to a Jordan Roberts homer, but the Rebels got both runs back in the fifth inning.

    The contest went extra innings and stretched all the way to the fifteenth inning before either team would add a run.

    In the top of the 15th, Jade Caraway led off with a single. Hannah Adams followed with a sac bunt to put Caraway in scoring position. Ole Miss pitcher Molly Jacobsen opted to intentionally walk defending SEC Player of the Year Amanda Lorenz. Kendyl Lindaman followed with a three-run homer to left which would prove to be the final score.

    Saturday:

    Final: Ole Miss 8, Florida 4

    In a surprise move, Florida opted to start freshman Elizabeth Hightower over Natalie Lugo on Saturday.

    Hightower pitched effectively, allowing only three runs (two earned) in five innings before giving way to Barnhill.

    Florida trailed 3-0, but in the fifth the Gators struck for four and the lead thanks to a pair of homers by Jaimie Hoover and Kendyl Lindaman.

    Ole Miss responded with a run on a bases loaded hit by pitch by Kelly Barnhill.

    Saturday would go to extra innings as well, this time Ole Miss came out on top as Abbey Latham hit a grand slam for the walkoff win.

    Sunday:

    Final: Ole Miss 3, Florida 1

    Rebels 1B Abbey Latham opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first inning, but Florida fought back with Hannah Adams singling home Hannah Sipos in the third to even the score.

    The tie didn’t last long. SS Mikayla Allee hit her first career homer with a solo shot down the left field line. For Allee it was only her sixth hit of the year. Ole Miss tacked on one more run on a strikeout that squaked past Jordan Roberts.

    Florida had opportunities to add more runs to the scoreboard (bases loaded in the fourth, two runners stranded in the fifth, and one left in both the sixth and seventh), but failed to hit in those situations.

    Fast stats:

    • Kelly Barnhill’s line for the weekend: 23.2 IP, 16 H, 10 R (9ER), 30 K, 4 BB
    • Kendyl Lindaman’s line for the weekend: 5-13 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2B, 2 BB
    • For the weekend UF went 5-30 with runners in scoring position.

    What’s next:

    Florida will face #3 Florida State in Gainesville on Wednesday before a home series against #13 Arkansas this weekend.

  • LAX: Gators Leave Temple With First Conference Win

    LAX: Gators Leave Temple With First Conference Win

    Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com

    For the ninth straight season Florida lacrosse opened up conference play with a victory. This time around the Gators bested the Temple Owls 15-8 to open AAC play at 1-0.

    To start the match, it seemed as though the trip to Philadelphia paid its toll on the Gators as they started off a bit slow.

    With less than two minutes off of the game clock, the Owls would strike quickly taking a 1-0 lead over the Gators.

    Shannon Kavanaugh would even the game at 1-1 followed by the Owls going on a 3-0 run to make the score 4-1 with a little over 17 minutes to play in the first half.

    To tighten the gap, Hannah Mardiney assisted Lindsey Ronbeck on a score that would shorten the Owls’ lead to two.

    The Gators would knot the score at 4 apiece behind a Grace Haus score from the free position followed by Kavanaugh dancing past three defenders to score her second goal of the day.

    With 6 minutes remaining before the half way mark, Temple would tack on another score.

    Bound and determined to head into the locker room with the lead, the Gators pieced together a 2-0 run to take a 6-5 lead into intermission. Mardiney started the run and with her 200th career goal, Ronbeck finished it.

    Ronbeck is just the third Gator to reach the 200 career goal mark.  

    Opening up the second half of play, Temple was quick to score again. This time, less than a minute of play had expired.

    Although the Gators didn’t score quick, the Florida squad would score often throughout the second half.

    Following the quick Temple goal, the Gators would go on a 9-0 run to get separation from the Owls for good.

    Haus would start the run, slinging the ball into to the back of the net followed by a goal from Kavanaugh to give her hat trick number eight of the season.

    Caroline Benitez would contribute a goal of her own thanks to an assist coming from Brianna Harris to put the Gators ahead 9-6.

    Haus would tally back-to-back goals to earn herself a hat trick and put the Gators ahead by five.

    Sydney Pirecca, Ronbeck, Mardiney and Harris would all add an additional score to the stat sheet to put the Owls away with a score of 15-8.

    Defending the Florida goal was Haley Hicklen who had 12 saves on the day. Defensively, the Gators also forced four turnovers and held the Owls to 8-of-31 shooting.

    Looking ahead, the Gators (6-6, 1-0)  prepare for a home contest against conference opponent Vanderbilt (8-2, 1-0) next Saturday at Donald R. Dizney Stadium for a 12 p.m. start.

  • MBB: Mike White proves he gets it in latest meeting with media

    MBB: Mike White proves he gets it in latest meeting with media

    Photo by Andy Lyons / Getty Images

    It was a rather tumultuous week for Florida men’s basketball coach Mike White. His team suffered a Round of 32 exit in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday and in less than a week three players on his roster elected to transfer from UF.

    White met with several members of the Gators media on Thursday and proved he gets ‘it’ with his responses.

    The Gators head coach oftentimes took a minute to gather his thoughts before answering the questions posed.

    White explained that none of the players that transferred were a surprise, with the exception of Chase Johnson back in December. “We saw it coming.”

    “Those guys came here for the right reasons and we were excited about those guys, they just needed a change of scenery.”

    -Mike White on the four transfers from the 2018-19 Gators roster

    White mentioned the culture of the program numerous times. He even said that there was some unhappiness in the locker room and on the bench at times. But he also emphasized that there were no issues off the court. “We had some struggles this year, our culture wasn’t as good this year as the previous…”

    The former Louisiana Tech head coach also discussed the struggles of switching programs and building the relationships necessary in recruiting.

    “It took time to develop relationships with guys in that second, third, and fourth class.”

    He continued, “the three guys we signed early (in November, the 2019 recruiting cycle) we had on campus almost immediately after we got the job, it was a long, long relationship. Anyone signed in those first three classes didn’t have the same relationship.”

    When asked what he’s looking for to fill the roster after the attrition, White explained, “we are open to any type of guy that..is a good fit.., would accept a role…, would put winning above individual aspirations.”

    White complimented the efforts of freshmen guards Andrew Nembhard and Noah Locke who both approached their coach eager to step up as leaders, which is exactly what the coach wants.

    “In a perfect world we would have thirteen leaders.”

    With three scholarships still available, White will have the opportunity to find leaders across the nation to help rebuild the Florida brand.

    Gator fans shouldn’t be so eager to see the coach let go, he gets it. It will take a team, nay a program effort, to bring Florida back into title contention.

    “We will figure it out.”

    Note: ChompTalk.com was not present at the media availability, but did watch the video posted to YouTube by Jacquie Franciulli of Gators Territory.

  • MBB: Gators land commitment from 6’11 C Jason Jitoboh

    MBB: Gators land commitment from 6’11 C Jason Jitoboh

    Photo via 247Sports

    Mike White and the Gators have landed a big catch in the 2019 recruiting cycle. Jason Jitoboh announced his commitment to Florida in a ceremony at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

    Jitoboh is a 6’11, 270 lb force down low that has been missing for much of Mike White’s first four seasons.

    Jitoboh is ranked by 247Sports composite rankings as the #255 overall recruit in the nation and the #48 center in the 2019 cycle.

    According to 247Sports, Jitoboh visited UF in June 2018. He also has offers from Tennessee, UCF and Louisville among others.

    On March 6, Jitoboh announced on Twitter his final three schools of UF, Tennessee, and UCF.

    Florida now has three scholarships available after the departure of three players from last year’s team due to transfers (Keith Stone, Mike Okauru, Deaundrae Ballard) since the season ended in the NCAA Tournament.

  • SB: Gators pound Bethune-Cookman 15-0 in midweek action

    SB: Gators pound Bethune-Cookman 15-0 in midweek action

    Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com

    Final: Florida 15, Bethune-Cookman 0

    Gainesville, FL – The Florida Gators offense struck for 15 runs against a Wildcats team that has defeated three ranked teams this season.

    Florida scored three runs in the first inning, with each of the top three batters in the lineup scoring. Jade Caraway led off the game with an infield single and Hannah Adams followed by reaching on a bunt single. A poorly thrown ball allowed Caraway to get to third base, then Caraway darted home with the infield sleeping to give the Gators an early 1-0 lead. Jordan Roberts and Danielle Romanello hit back-to-back sacrifice flies before the inning ended.

    The Gators then put double figures up on the scoreboard in the second by adding ten runs on only four hits. The highlights of the frame were 2-RBI doubles by Amanda Lorenz and Jordan Roberts.

    Florida was able to utilize it’s bench once they took a 13-0 lead. Florida added two runs in the third as Cheyenne Lindsey and Alex Voss came around to score on Lily Mann’s single up the middle.

    In all, 17 Gators made plate appearances, something head coach Tim Walton said they, “earned.”

    Fast stats:

    • Kelly Barnhill started the game and threw three innings to earn her 18th win of the season. Final line: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 K, 1 BB
    • Natalie Lugo (1 IP), Elizabeth Hightower (.2 IP), and Katie Chronister (.1 IP) combined to pitch 2 innings with 4 strikeouts and only allowed one hit.
    • Jade Caraway went 2-3 and scored two runs from the leadoff spot.
    • Hannah Adams went 2-2 with two runs scored.
    • Hannah Sipos made two plate appearances, walking both times.

    Quotable:

    • Head coach Tim Walton: “Jade has gotten better every day.”
    • Amanda Lorenz: “It was good to see something things go our way…hard work is paying off.”
    • Jade Caraway: “(the game has) slowed down, I’m not trying to do too much at the plate.”

    What’s next:

    Florida will travel to Oxford to face Ole Miss in conference play. The series will begin on Friday and run through Sunday.

    The Rebels have the best ERA in the SEC but also have the lowest batting average in the conference.

  • MBB: Gators lose third player to transfer in two days

    MBB: Gators lose third player to transfer in two days

    Photo by Wesley Hitt / Getty Images

    Florida has a much heralded class that already ranks as one of the best in program history. Mike White and company now have a chance to make it even better with four available scholarships after three players have announced their intentions to transfer in just over 24 hours.

    Guard Deaundrae Ballard has entered his name in the NCAA’s transfer portal, which allows other programs to contact him about transferring.

    The 6-5, Atlanta native averaged 4.9 points in limited opportunities in 2018-19 and would likely have seen the floor even less with the guards coming into the program as freshmen.

    In just over 24 hours the Gators have experienced some attrition as Mike Okauru and Keith Stone have each decided to pursue other opportunities.

    Note: Forward Chase Johnson decided to pursue a transfer back in January.

    Florida now has four scholarships available and have a chance to finish what is already one of the best classes in program history on a remarkably high mark.

  • LAX: Florida Thumps Brown in Record Breaking Fashion

    LAX: Florida Thumps Brown in Record Breaking Fashion

    Photo by John W. Robinson

    Coming off of four consecutive top-20 opponents, the 17th-ranked Florida Gators lacrosse team was able to take a deep breath during a 22-11 victory over Brown on Tuesday night.

    While the Bears struck first in scoring, the Gators would knot the game up behind a Brianna Harris to Madi Hall score.

    Before half time, each team would put together runs that lit up the scoreboard at Donald R. Dizney stadium. However, it was the 8-1 run that the Gators closed out the first half with that would shift the momentum of the game. 

    Heading into the locker room, four different Gators had scored. Most notably was Lindsey Ronbeck with her five goals in the first half of play. 

    Coming out of the intermission, both teams continued to score quick and often. 

    Shannon Kavanaugh scored back-to-back goals to increase the Gators’ lead to 14-6. 

    While Brown would answer with a goal of their own, the effort wasn’t enough as the Gators poured on another 5-2 run behind Brianna Harris’ two scores. 

    The Gators would end the night on a 3-1 run, but not before Brown rallied for a “too little, too late” pair of goals to make the final score 22-11.

    While the margin of victory is impressive enough, the number of records broken added an exclamation mark to the win. 

    Leading the effort for the Gators was Lindsey Ronbeck who contributed six goals during the victory. She tallied her eighth hat trick or better this season with the effort. 

    As for sophomore Shannon Kavanaugh, she tallied her 100th goal of her career becoming the 3rd fastest Gator to do so. 

    Brianna Harris also inked her name into the record book as her five assist night broke the single game assist record at Florida. 

    Looking forward, the Florida lacrosse team (5-6) visits Temple (3-7) this coming Saturday for a 12 p.m. draw in Philadelphia. 

  • BSB: Gators top FSU for tenth straight win over rivals

    BSB: Gators top FSU for tenth straight win over rivals

    Photo by Benjamin Fox / ChompTalk.com

    Florida defeated rival Florida State 4-2 in Jacksonville on Tuesday night. The Gators topped the Seminoles for the tenth straight time and will only face FSU head coach Mike Martin one more time (unless the team’s meet in postseason play).

    It started out as a pitchers duel with freshman Nolan Crisp retiring 14 batter in a row after allowing two first inning base runners.

    Florida finally took a lead in the fifth inning when Austin Langworthy hit a double to the corner in left that scored Jud Fabian from first base.

    FSU countered with two runs in the sixth inning on a Mike Salvatore two-run homer to the right field bleachers.

    The Gators however struck in the seventh inning with three runs. Jacob Young singled to second base but the throw went into the FSU dugout, which allowed Fabian to come around to score. Brady McConnell followed with a double that went past the centerfielder who was playing him shallow. Brady Smith and Young scored on the play and put Florida on top 4-2.

    Christian Scott pitched 3.1 innings in relief and struck out R. Albert in the final at-bat of the game to earn his second win of the year.

    Fast stats:

    • Brady McConnell finished the night 2-4 with a double and two RBIs.
    • Kendrick Calilao hit 2-4 as well.
    • Every batter in the UF lineup struck out at least once.
    • Despite going 0-3 in the game, Jud Fabian scored two runs.
    • Florida hit 2-10 (.200) with runners in scoring position.

    What’s next:

    Florida will face Alabama for a three game SEC set in Gainesville. The series will begin Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 PM.

  • Report: Keith Stone to transfer from UF

    Report: Keith Stone to transfer from UF

    Photo by Andy Hancock / Getty Images

    Florida forward Keith Stone will move on from the program after three years, according to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman.

    Stone has had his ups and downs in his time at UF, but many had penciled him into the Gators starting lineup next year.

    In 17 games this season, the Deerfield Beach native averaged 6.1 points and 3.9 rebounds.

    Stone suffered a torn ACL in January against Georgia, but all indications were that he was on track to come back in time for his senior season.

    Instead, it appears that Stone will be playing elsewhere. As Goodman reported, Stone will be a graduate transfer and will be eligible to play immediately.