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  • SB: Gators opportunistic in walk-off win to open Super Regional

    SB: Gators opportunistic in walk-off win to open Super Regional

    FLORIDA 5, TEXAS A&M 4

    RUNS HITS ERRORS
    TAMU 4 2 2
    GATORS 5 5 0
    Photo by Anthony Pena / The Gator Chomp Blog

    Gainesville, FL– This Florida Gators team has a flair for the dramatic. The Gators walked to victory over Texas A&M to open the Super Regionals on Thursday after multiple lightning delays.

    Florida trailed 4-2 entering the seventh inning until Amanda Lorenz crushed a one-out homer to right field to pull the Gators within one. Kayli Kvistad drew a walk with two outs to start the final rally. Jordan Matthews then grounded to second, but the exchange between TAMU’s middle infielders was bobbled by shortstop Kristen Cuyos that let pinch runner Lily Mann reach second safely. The very next hitter, Jaimie Hoover hit a routine ground ball to short that scooted past Cuyos and loaded the bases for Aleshia Ocasio. Ocasio drew a four-pitch walk that tied the ball game. Aggies coach Jo Evans made the decision to pull starter Trinity Harrington for Payton McBride. However, McBride walked Janell Wheaton to score Matthews and put Florida in the win column by a final count of 5-4.

    After the game, Florida coach Tim Walton spoke about his offensive catalyst, Lorenz, stating multiple times that “she is the best player in the country.”

    Florida got behind in the third as Kelly Barnhill appeared to be affected by the two delays. Barnhill hit Riley Sartain before walking a pair of Aggies to load the bases. Sarah Hudek ripped a single to the right side that plated a pair of Aggies.

    The Gators got one back in the bottom half of the third when Amanda Lorenz hit an RBI double that scored Sophia Reynoso.

    Both teams added a run in the fourth before the dramatic conclusion.

    Barnhill pitched a complete game while allowing two hits and striking out eight.

    Lorenz finished the game 3-3 with a double, a homer, and 2 RBIs. Wheaton added a pair of RBI while going 1-2 at the dish.

    Florida has a 1-0 lead in the best of three super regional. The two teams will play again on Friday at 7:00 PM.

    Stay tuned with The Gator Chomp Blog for all the latest as the Florida softball team continues through postseason play.

    W: Barnhill (29-1)

    L: Harrington (13-6)

  • FB: Gators and USF agree to three game series

    FB: Gators and USF agree to three game series

    Photo via Getty Images

    On Tuesday, the University Athletic Association announced that the University of Florida and the University of South Florida had agreed to meet for a three game football series beginning in 2022.

    The Gators will host the Bulls in Gainesville in 2022 and 2025, but will travel to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for the 2023 contest.

    Florida defeated USF 38-14 in the only previous meeting between the two programs (the second week of the 2010 season).

    Tampa has a large contingent of UF alumni and Florida fans will likely flock to the 2023 contest.

    According to the UAA press release, the Gators have faced Miami, UCF, USF, FAU, FIU, and FAMU in the last fifteen years in addition to their annual rivalry clash with Florida State.

    Florida is scheduled to open the 2019 season with a neutral site game against Miami in Orlando.

  • BSB: O’Sullivan, India, Singer earn SEC yearly honors

    BSB: O’Sullivan, India, Singer earn SEC yearly honors

    India, Singer, Schwarz, and Byrne also named to All-SEC First Team

    SEC Coach of the Year, Kevin O’Sullivan (Per Getty Images)

    Florida Gators head coach Kevin O’Sullivan has done a masterful job of keeping his team focused as they attempt to defend last season’s national championship.

    On Monday the SEC announced the 2018 award receipients and, not surprisingly, Florida was well represented.

    O’Sullivan was named the SEC Coach of the Year while his ace pitcher, Brady Singer earned SEC Pitcher of the Year. Third baseman Jonathan India was named the SEC Player of the Year.

    In 11 years at the helm of the program, O’Sullivan has guided Florida to a 489-223 record, including this year’s 41-15 mark. O’Sullivan was the 2011 Baseball America College Coach of the year and the 2017 consensus National Coach of the Year. This marks the third time O’Sullivan has been named the conference coach of the year (2010, 2014).

    SEC Pitcher of the Year, Brady Singer (Per Getty Images)

    Brady Singer has served as the Gators ace and is the usual Friday night arm for Florida. Singer has a 10-1 record in 13 starts this season. He has compiled 92 strikeouts to 18 walks in 88 innings of work. He has one complete game and opponents have only hit at a .186 clip against him. Singer is the third Gators pitcher to earn the SEC Pitcher of the Year award.

    SEC Player of the Year, Jonathan India (Per Getty Images)

    Jonathan India earned the SEC Player of the Year honor backed by a strong .365 average to go along with an on-base percentage of .506 and a slugging percentage of .730. India played 54 games and slugged 16 homers and drove in 40 RBI. India is the third Florida player named SEC Player of the Year, however Matt LaPorta earned the honor twice. India was also named to the SEC All-Defensive Team, the only Gator to be named.

    In addition to Singer and India, JJ Schwarz and Michael Byrne earned First Team All-SEC honors while Jackson Kowar and Wil Dalton earned Second Team All-SEC recognition.

  • SB: Gators advance to Super Regionals behind Aleshia Ocasio’s no-hitter and 2 RBI’s

    SB: Gators advance to Super Regionals behind Aleshia Ocasio’s no-hitter and 2 RBI’s

    FLORIDA 4, OHIO STATE 0

    RUNS HITS ERRORS
    GATORS 4 2 0
    OSU 0 0 0
    Photo by: Benjamin Fox / The Gator Chomp Blog

    Gainesville, FL– For the first time in program history, the Florida Gators have pitched a pair of no-hitters in one Regional Tournament. Florida advances to the NCAA Super Regional on the back of an Aleshia Ocasio no-hitter as Florida defeated Ohio State 4-0 on Sunday.

    Ocasio breezed through much of the game and finished with twelve strikeouts and three walks, two of those walks came in the final inning as Ohio State had one last gasp at extending their season. Junior OF Amanda Lorenz said Ocasio’s stuff was, “nasty.”

    Despite a seven hour delay to the game, Ocasio said that she knew before the delay that she would be today’s starter. Florida head coach Tim Walton chose not to deviate from that plan.

    The Gators took an early advantage with a bases loaded walk to Hannah Adams that scored Kayli Kvistad. A pair of hit batters and a walk made the bases loaded.

    Florida added to their lead in the fifth inning when Ocasio reached in a fielder’s choice that saw Alex Voss score.

    The Gators, then added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth when Jaimie Hoover kicked off the stanza with a shot to the right field corner that resulted in a triple. This was the first hit that Florida recorded in the contest and Walton referred to Hoover all weekend as “a spark”. Lorenz followed with an RBI double to score Hoover. Ocasio would again help her own cause with an RBI sac fly to increase the Gators lead to 4-0.

    Ohio State started senior Shelby McCombs, who pitched more than 100 pitches in all three games she started this weekend. For the entire weekend she threw a total of 438 pitched while walking 29 and hitting five more. McCombs walked 14 Gators on Sunday.

    Florida also pitched a no-hitter in the Regional opener against Bethune-Cookman. That was a combined effort between Kelly Barnhill and Ocasio.

    The Gators will move on and face Texas A&M in Super Regional play this weekend.

    Stay tuned with The Gator Chomp Blog for a preview of the Super Regionals this week.

    W: Ocasio (21-6)

    L: McComba (17-8)

  • SB: Gators open 2018 regionals with run-rule victory, no-hitter

    SB: Gators open 2018 regionals with run-rule victory, no-hitter

    FLORIDA 8, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 0 (6)

    RUNS HITS ERRORS
    B-C 0 0 1
    GATORS 8 8 0
    Photo by: Benjamin Fox / The Gator Chomp Blog

    Gainesville, FL– The Florida Gators have received impressive pitching performances in NCAA regional play since their early exit in 2012. Friday was no exception. Backed by the power of sophomore Jaimie Hoover and a combined no-hitter, the Gators stand just two wins away from another Super Regional berth.

    Kelly Barnhill to threw four innings before being relieved by Aleshia Ocasio for the final two frames. This was the second combined no-no for this duo on the year.

    Barnhill finished with 10 strikeouts while only walking one Wildcat. At one point, Barnhill struck out nine Bethune hitters consecutively, which is a personal record. Ocasio added four more strikeouts while in the circle.

    Bethune-Cookman appeared to have the start they wanted. The teams were scoreless after one frame and the Wildcats had navigated through the heart of the Gators order.

    However, as anyone can tell you, there is no ‘weak link’ in this Florida lineup. In the second inning Jaimie Hoover hit a pinch-hit, two out, three-run homer and the Gators never looked back. Hoover said after the game that “I knew it was going out when I hit it.”

    A 47-minute lightning delay forced the teams off the field in the top of the third, but Florida seemed unaffected.

    The Gators added three runs in the bottom of the third when Hoover again connected. With the bases loaded, Hoover singled up the middle to score Janell Wheaton and Aleshia Ocasio. The five RBI tied a career high for Hoover.

    With the Florida aces dealing, it seemed only a matter of time before the Gators offense put the run-rule in effect.

    Nicole DeWitt took care of that in the sixth inning, hitting a two run bomb to right.

    Florida head coach Tim Walton said he was thankful for the fans who came out despite the forecast.

    When asked if he had a tough time weighing whether to pull Barnhill with a no-hitter, Walton responded, “winning a regional is more important than throwing a no-hitter,” while adding that this is the ninth no-hitter by Florida pitching this season.

    Since Florida lost to South Florida in the 2012 Regionals, the Gators have surrendered only one earned run over 107 innings of regional play. That equates to an ERA of 0.07. Note: Florida did allow an unearned run in the 2013 Regionals against both Hampton and USF.

    The Gators will face Ohio State, who defeated South Florida 3-0 on Friday, at 2:30 PM. The two teams have met two times before, but not since 2014. Florida has won both previous contests.

    W: Barnhill (27-1)

    L: Alexis Bermudez (13-10)

  • Reaction: Former SEC Commissioner Mike Slive passes away at 77

    Reaction: Former SEC Commissioner Mike Slive passes away at 77

    Photo via Getty Images

    On Wednesday, the Southeastern Conference announced the passing of former commisioner Mike Slive. Slive was 77 years old.

    Slive served as the commissioner from 2002-2015 and oversaw the conference as it became the preeminent league in collegiate football.

    The SEC won a total of 81 National Championships, including eight in football, under Slive’s guidance. The University of Florida won 17 of those titles.

    A memorial will be held in Birmingham, Alabama on Friday at 11:30 AM.

    Some of the reaction via Twitter is listed below. Everyone that came in contact with Slive has a positive memory and a story to share.

    Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin:

    Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun:

    Edgar Thompson of The Orlando Sentinel:

    NFL.com reporter Ian Rapoport:

    Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports:

    Outkick the Coverage’s Clay Travis:

    Per the SEC Press Release:

    Rest In Peace, Mike Slive. Thanks for all you did for the betterment of collegiate athletics.

  • SB: Gators named #2 overall seed for NCAA Tournament

    SB: Gators named #2 overall seed for NCAA Tournament

    Photo via Tim Casey / UAA

    The Florida Gators learned their NCAA fate on the Selection Show Sunday night. The Gators moved to the #2 overall seed after sweeping through the SEC Tournament this weekend and will host this weekend’s regional.

    The Gators will face MEAC Champions Bethune-Cookman (31-24) at 7:30 PM on Friday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

    In Friday’s early game Ohio State (34-14) will face South Florida (38-21).

    Florida (50-8) has faced only one of these teams so far this year, having beated USF twice, by scores of 14-3 at USF and 9-0 in Gainesville.

    Florida has faced Bethune-Cookman 18 times in program history, winning 16 of those contests. The Gators are 2-0 all-time against Ohio State with the last meeting being in 2014.

    The Gators are led by SEC Player of the Year Amanda Lorenz and SEC Pitcher of the Year Kelly Barnhill.

    For the second straight season all 13 members of the SEC advanced to post-season play. Florida is set up with a potential Super Regional date with Texas A&M.

    The complete NCAA Softball Tournament bracket

    Stay tuned with The Gator Chomp Blog as we will be with you as Florida looks to win the program’s third National Championship.

  • LAX: Gators advance to Elite Eight with resilient victory over Colorado

    LAX: Gators advance to Elite Eight with resilient victory over Colorado

    FINAL: FLORIDA 13, COLORADO 9

    1st 2nd OT FINAL
    COLORADO 5 4 X 9
    GATORS 8 5 X 13
    Photo via Getty Images

    Gainesville, FL – The Florida Gators are Elite Eight bound! The Gators topped Colorado by a 13-9 margin to clinch the NCAA quarterfinals berth.

    The Gators had to scrap and claw in order to advance this time as they dug themselves into an early 5-0 deficit. Florida’s defense made the necessary adjustments and advanced thanks to the effort. While acknowledging that they can’t afford to get down early against the #3 seed James Madison next week, Florida head coach Amanda O’Leary pointed out that this team has done it all year.

    Trailing by five less than six minutes into the contest, the Gators made a feverish rally. Grace Haus started the rally for Florida, scoring at the 22:31 mark of the first half off a feed from Caroline Benitez.

    In all, the Gators went on an 8-0 run to close out the first half. In addition to Haus, both Sydney and Shayna Pirreca added three goals each in the span to send Florida to the locker room with a 8-5 lead.

    The Buffs opened the second half with a goal just 45 seconds into the period, but the Gators forced them to trade goals for much of the half with the exception of two straight by Colorado to make it a one-goal advantage at 9-8 with 18:08 left in regulation.

    Benitez put the final nail in the coffin with the final tally with just 1:23 remaining.

    For Florida, Haley Hicklen recorded 11 saves while Shayna Pirreca finished with a team high four goals. Sydney Pirreca added a hat-trick herself with three and Haus added a pair as well.

    The Gators move on to the Elite Eight for the fourth time, but just the first time since 2012. They will face #3 seed James Madison in a road contest for the right to move to the Final Four. The Dukes advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals with a 15-12 victory over Virginia on Sunday. JMU is 19-1 on the season with wins against #3 North Carolina, #20 Penn State, #17 Virginia (twice), and #6 Towson twice. The Dukes are undefeated at 11-0 in home contests this season.

    Team Stats:

    COLORADO GATORS
    SHOTS 28 29
    SOG 20 24
    SAVES 11 11
    DRAW CONTROLS 14 10
    TURNOVERS 11 14
  • SB: Gators win fourth SEC Tournament Championship with 3-1 win over South Carolina

    SB: Gators win fourth SEC Tournament Championship with 3-1 win over South Carolina

    FLORIDA 3, SOUTH CAROLINA 1

    RUNS HITS ERRORS
    USC 1 2 0
    GATORS 3 4 0
    Photo via ESPN 2

    Columbia, MO– The Florida Gators have swept the SEC regular season and post-season championships. The Gators defeated South Carolina by a 3-1 decision on Saturday to earn the tournament crown.

    The Gators were led by the efforts of starting pitcher Aleshia Ocasio and a three run home run from SEC Player of the Year, Amanda Lorenz.

    The Gamecocks got on board early as Ocasio gave up a double to the first hitter of the contest, Kenzi McGuire. South Carolina got on the board with a sacrifice fly by Cayla Drotar just two batters later.

    In the third inning, Lorenz struck. Ocasio reached base with a single, and Alex Voss walked to put a pair of runners on. With two outs, Lorenz got down in the count, 0-2 before taking a couple of pitches and hitting a home run that barely scaled the wall in centerfield. What makes this more impressive was just how ugly of a swing Lorenz took in getting behind. Lorenz made a half-hearted offer at the second pitch of the at-bat. She told the ESPN broadcast crew after the game that she was happy she didn’t make contact on that attempt.

    Armed with a 3-1 lead, Ocasio was able to cruise. For three innings (second through fifth), Ocasio didn’t even throw a ball out of the strikezone. Ocasio finished with a final line of 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

    Nicole DeWitt, Amanda Lorenz, Aleshia Ocasio and Janell Wheaton were each named to the All-SEC Tournament team with Lorenz taking home the Tournament’s MVP honors.

    This is the fourth time in program history that Florida has earned the Tournament title and first since 2013 when it was held in Lexington, Kentucky.

    The Gators will await Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show to find out where they will be seeded. Head coach Tim Walton said he “optimistically” expects to be in the two to four seed range.

    The NCAA Softball Tournament Selection show can be watched live on ESPN 2 at 10:00 PM on Sunday.

    The Gator Chomp Blog will do a feature previewing the regional round of play Thursday morning. Please stay with us as the Gators look to make a run through the NCAA Tournament beginning next weekend.

    W: Ocasio (20-6)

    L: Kelsey Oh (13-5)

  • SB: Nicole DeWitt launches Gators into SEC Tournament finale

    SB: Nicole DeWitt launches Gators into SEC Tournament finale

    FLORIDA 10, TENNESSEE 2 (5)

    RUNS HITS ERRORS
    TENNESSEE 2 5 2
    GATORS 10 6 0
    Photo via The Associated Press

    Columbia, MO– History has repeated itself. For the first time since 2009 an SEC Tournament semifinal game was won via run rule. The Gators topped Tennessee 10-2 in five innings behind a pair of Nicole DeWitt home runs.

    Junior Kelly Barnhill pitched the complete game despite throwing more than one hundred pitches, including 35 in the first inning alone. Barnhill allowed five hits, but struck out nine and only walked two despite an incredibly small strike zone.

    Tennessee’s Matty Moss didn’t fare as well. Moss finished the game with only one strikeout while walking eighth in three innings of work. Moss allowed a first inning two run homer to DeWitt, then promptly walked the next two Gators hitters before being relieved by Caylan Arnold.

    Arnold struggled through the second inning giving up a four-spot on the scoreboard. DeWitt hit her second homer of the game, a three run shot that opened the floodgates and gave the Gators a 7-0 advantage.

    Janell Wheaton connected with a double that scored Alex Voss to increase the lead to eight. (Wheaton also had an RBI single in the first.)

    The Volunteers got on the board in the third with a pair of runs as they finally got to Barnhill with three hits, but a perfect relay from second baseman Hannah Adams to Wheaton caught Chelsea Seggern out at the plate to end the threat.

    The Gators tacked on another insurance run in the fourth and completed the run-rule victory in the bottom of the fifth as Moss struggled with her command. When Moss did find the strike zone, Florida hitters were able to put a solid bat on it. The final sequence of the game saw Amanda Lorenz nearly end the game with an opposite field shot that landed in a Volunteers glove at the wall. DeWitt was intentionally walked followed by a Kayli Kvistad unintentional walk to load the bases. Freshman outfielder Jordan Matthews, who got ahead 3-1 in the count, took a 3-2 pitch to center to score Adams and end the game.

    DeWitt finished the game tying a career high with five RBI while going 2-3 at the dish. DeWitt is up to 13 homers on the year which leads the Gators.

    Moss threw a total of 98 pitches over the three innings she pitched. Only 45 of those were in the strike zone.

    Florida will face South Carolina in the title game on Saturday. The game is slated for an 8:00 PM start on ESPN 2.

    W: Barnhill (26-1)

    L: Moss (17-6)