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  • GYM: USA National Team’s Trinity Thomas commits to Gators

    GYM: USA National Team’s Trinity Thomas commits to Gators

    Florida head coach Jenny Rowland just landed one of the top gymnasts in the 2019 recruiting cycle.

    York, PA native Trinity Thomas committed to Florida over both UCLA and LSU via a Facebook Live video. Thomas becomes the fifth prospect to commit to Florida’s 2019 class.

    Thomas has been competing on the national scene since March 2016 and most recently finished fourth in the All-Around at the P&G Championships in Anaheim.

    Thomas also participated in the 2016 and 2017 City of Jesolo Trophy competition. In 216 she was fifth in the All-Around, and earned the floor title.

    Thomas has stated in the past her desire to compete for the USA in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

    A well rounded athlete, Thomas also earned a trip to PIAA State Championships in Diving this season.

    Thomas has a family of athletes including her father who played wide receiver at Penn State. Her siblings are all engaged in athletics as well, partaking in Swimming, Gymnastics, and football.

  • LAX: Gators defeat Villanova 18-8, Kavanagh sets program record

    LAX: Gators defeat Villanova 18-8, Kavanagh sets program record

    FINAL: FLORIDA 18, VILLANOVA 8

    1st 2nd OT FINAL
    GATORS 14 4 X 18
    VILLANOVA 4 4 X 8

    Villanova, PA – Freshman Shannon Kavanagh set a program record with 12 draws controlled while Lindsey Ronbeck scored five goals to lead Florida past Villanova 18-8.

    Villanova actually took an early 1-0 lead less than a minute into the game when Christine Graziano scored an unassisted goal. The Wildcats’ lead didn’t last long though. Sydney Pirreca scored just sixteen seconds later to tie the contest. The Gators went on a 10-1 run to take control of the game with 11:45 to play in the opening half.

    The Gators defense stood tall in the contest. Florida took eight free-position shots, while only allowing four for Villanova. Florida forced Villanova into 22 turnovers on the contest.

    Ronbeck finished with a team high six points while Shayna Pirreca added four (two goals, two assists). Sydney Pirreca netted three goals while Grace Haus, Madisyn Kittell, each added two scores (along with Shayna Pirreca).

    Kavanagh broke the draw control record that Mollie Stevens (11) set in 2017.

    Florida improves to 10-3 overall and 5-0 in Big East play. The Gators have now won 27 straight conference games. Florida will face Marquette on Saturday at 12:00 PM at Dizney Stadium.

    Team Stats:

    GATORS VILLANOVA
    SHOTS 37 21
    SOG 25 14
    SAVES 6 7
    DRAW CONTROLS 17 11
    TURNOVERS 19 22

    What’s Next:

    The Gators will take on Marquette in a showdown of undefeated teams in Big East play. Marquette (9-4, 5-0) defeated Vanderbilt 13-11 on Sunday. The game is slated for Saturday at noon at Dizney Stadium in Gainesville.

    BIG EAST STANDINGS (Through April 8)

    SCHOOL Big East W L Overall W L
    Florida 5 0 10 3
    Marquette 5 0 9 4
    Georgetown 4 1 8 4
    Denver 3 2 8 4
    Vanderbilt 3 2 8 5
    Temple 2 3 7 6
    UConn 2 3 6 7
    Villanova 1 4 6 6
    Cincinnati 0 5 6 6
    Butler 0 5 1 12
  • FB: Gators get commitment from 3-star QB Jalon Jones

    FB: Gators get commitment from 3-star QB Jalon Jones

    The Florida Gators have landed a top target at the QB position. Three-star QB Jalon Jones announced his commitment via Twitter on Saturday after visiting the school on Friday.

    Jones is a 6’3 180 lb dual-threat quarterback from Baltimore, Maryland (St. Frances Academy).

    247sports.com lists Jones as the #436 prospect in the 2019 recruiting cycle and the #10 dual-threat QB prospect.

    Jones has offers from Ohio State, Michigan State, Virginia, and several more. Jones also recently visited the Buckeyes as well as North Carolina, and NC State.

    Jones had built a relationship with Gators head coach Dan Mullen at Mississippi State before being hired ay Florida. Jones committed initially to Mississippi State in June of 2017, but decommitted when Mullen left for Florida.

    (Photo via Hudl.com)

  • Steve Spurrier named Orlando head coach in new pro football league

    Steve Spurrier named Orlando head coach in new pro football league

    The Head Ball Coach is back!

    After a brief coaching hiatus, legendary head coach Steve Spurrier is back. Spurrier has agreed to take the reigns of the new Orlando-based Alliance of American Football team.

    The AAF is set to debut in February of 2019 and is backed by Charlie Ebersol and CBS Sports. Spurrier is another big name to join forces with the new league as former NFL executive Bill Polian and longtime DB Troy Polamalu have executive roles within the league.

    Orlando is the first city selected as a host city for the AAF and is expected to play games at UCF’s Spectrum Stadium.

    Spurrier last coached at South Carolina in 2015 and will turn 73 later this month. Overall, Spurrier has gone 228-89-2 in his collegiate coaching career, including a 122-27-1 mark at the University of Florida. Spurrier led the Gators to their first National Championship in 1996.

    Spurrier did coach professionally in the USFL for the Tampa Bay Bandits. The Bandits went 35-21 in three seasons under Spurrier’s guidance.

  • Watch: Tim Tebow homers in first Double-A at-bat

    Watch: Tim Tebow homers in first Double-A at-bat

    His life reads like a Hollywood script, so it shouldn’t surprise us when Tim Tebow does something incredible anymore. Yet, here we are.

    Tebow, facing Double-A pitching for the first time in his career, homered in his first at-bat, and on the first pitch with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

    6’4 righty Teddy Stankiewicz was the Portland pitcher who gave up the no-doubt, three-run shot to Tebow.

    Tebow, hitting seventh and playing left field in the Binghamton lineup, was promoted to Double-A despite going 1-18 with 11 strikeouts in Major League camp with the Mets.

    Earlier in the first inning, Mets #4 prospect and former Gator Peter Alonso also connected for a two run homer for the first Rumble Ponies runs of the year.

    Here’s video of Tebow’s first Double-A blast (courtesy of Binghamton Rumble Ponies official Twitter):

  • Report: Mike Miller to be named assistant coach at Memphis

    Report: Mike Miller to be named assistant coach at Memphis

    Despite reports that former Gator Mike Miller had talked with Florida about it’s vacant assistant coach position, it appears that Miller is headed to Memphis.

    John Martin of 92.9 ESPN-Memphis reported via Twitter that a deal is very close to being done:

    According to The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal, Miller was weighing all of his options, including Florida, Louisville, and TCU in addition to Memphis.

    Miller spent the last year coaching an AAU club in Memphis that featured his son, Mason, a 6’6 rising sophomore with a smooth stroke from deep, as well as training several of the top prospects in the country.

    Miller played two years at Florida, leading the Gators to a national title appearance before declaring for the NBA Draft. Miller averaged 13.3 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 48% from the field while wearing the orange and blue.

    With the impending announcement of Miller at Memphis, Florida head coach Mike White will have to look at other options to fill the opening left by Dusty May, who took over the program at Florida Atlantic.

  • LAX: Lindsey Ronbeck named Big East Attacker of the Week

    LAX: Lindsey Ronbeck named Big East Attacker of the Week

    On Tuesday, the Big East announced that Florida junior Lindsey Ronbeck has earned the conference’s Attacker of the Week honor.

    Ronbeck was a relatively easy choice given her performance against UConn. Ronbeck scored six goals and assisted on four others for a total of ten points in the Gators 21-8 victory on Saturday.

    The junior scored goals on all six shots she took, including five in the first half. Her ten points represent the second most by a Gator in program history, just one point shy of Ashley Bruns’ mark set in 2012.

    The Manhassett, NY native managed to do all this in her return to the lineup after missing the previous three games.

    Ronbeck is third on the team with 34 points, despite the missed time.

    Florida returns to action on Wednesday with a noon tilt at home against Temple, before traveling to Philadelphia this weekend for a game against Villanova.

  • BSB: Jonathan India named SEC Player of the Week

    BSB: Jonathan India named SEC Player of the Week

    Florida Gators third baseman Jonathan India was named the SEC Player of the Week for his play during week eight of the baseball season.

    Per the official SEC press release:

    Player of the Week: Jonathan India, Florida

    Florida’s Jonathan India went 6-for-13 with a pair home runs, four RBI five runs scored and three stolen bases to help Florida record four top-10 wins last week. During the week, India extended his hitting streak to 15 games and his two home runs tied him for the SEC lead in overall home runs (11) and HR in league play (5). He also tied his career-long errorless streak at 20 games.

    India is leading the Gators and the entire SEC with an astonishing .433 batting average in 29 games this season. India is tied for the Florida lead with 11 homers and trails Wil Dalton by one RBI for the team lead with 26.

    While fielding the hot corner, India has only made two errors on the whole season and has had flashes of brilliant play throughout the year.

    The Gators return to the field on Tuesday against FGCU at home before traveling to Tennessee to face the Volunteers in SEC action this weekend.

  • BSB: Gators return to #1 in D1Baseball.com rankings

    BSB: Gators return to #1 in D1Baseball.com rankings

    The Florida Gators are back atop the national rankings in at least one of the polls. On Monday, D1baseball.com released their week eight poll that saw the return of Florida to the top spot.

    The Gators (25-5, 7-2) enjoyed a 4-0 week that featured a midweek win over #6 Florida State as well as a conference sweep over #15 (previously #8) Vanderbilt. Florida has won six straight against top-ten competition since losing the series opener against Arkansas, before taking the final two. The Gators haven’t lost a three game series yet this year.

    The rise to #1 was in part thanks to Oregon State losing their series to conference foe Utah this weekend.

    The SEC has nine teams ranked inside the Top-20.

    Florida will host Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday in midweek action before traveling to Knoxville to face Tennessee in a conference series next weekend. Tennessee is 17-12 overall and 4-5 in SEC play.

    D1Baseball.com Top 25 (4/2/18)

    1. Florida (25-5)
    2. Stanford (20-3)
    3. Mississippi (25-4)
    4. Oregon State (21-4)
    5. Arkansas (19-9)
    6. Florida State (22-7)
    7. Texas Tech (23-6)
    8. NC State (23-5)
    9. Kentucky (19-9)
    10. Indiana (20-5)
    11. Clemson (22-6)
    12. East Carolina (20-6)
    13. Southern Miss (19-7)
    14. Duke (24-5)
    15. Vanderbilt (17-11)
    16. Georgia (21-7)
    17. LSU (18-11)
    18. Missouri (21-7)
    19. Auburn (22-7)
    20. Oklahoma (20-10)
    21. UCLA (16-7)
    22. Louisiana Tech (22-8)
    23. Missouri State (19-7)
    24. Coastal Carolina (21-9)
    25. Wichita State (19-6)
  • SB: Ocasio and Lugo combine for perfect game as offense powers #4 Gators past Lady Pirates

    SB: Ocasio and Lugo combine for perfect game as offense powers #4 Gators past Lady Pirates

    FLORIDA 18, HAMPTON 0 (5)

    RUNS HITS ERRORS
    HAMPTON 0 0 0
    GATORS 18 19 0

    Gainesville, FL– It appears that Aleshia Ocasio has an early track for this week’s SEC Pitcher of the Week honor. Ocasio followed her Wednesday night no-hitter against Florida International with a combined perfect game with freshman Natalie Lugo.

    Ocasio threw three innings, striking out five while Lugo pitched the final two innings, totaling a pair of punchouts. This was only the second combined perfecto in program history.

    The two pitchers threw a total of 59 pitches in the win.

    As dominant as the pitching was, the offense made it particularly easy for them, exploding for 18 runs and 19 hits.

    Ocasio enjoyed a 9-0 lead after Florida’s first at-bat thanks to three first inning three-run homers. First baseman Kayli Kvistad hit a blast to center that scored Amanda Lorenz and Nicole DeWitt. RF Jaimie Hoover also hit a three-run shot just four batters later to put the Gators up 6-0. DeWitt’s second at-bat in the first resulted in another homer that put the Gators up 9-0.

    Freshman second baseman Hannah Adams hit a two run homer for Florida’s only scores in the second.

    Fellow freshman Jordan Matthews crushed a pitch to right for yet another three-run homer to put the Gators in control 14-0 in the third inning.

    Florida would tack on three more runs in their final at-bat in the fourth frame.

    The Gators were able to play a large number of players thanks to the large lead. Freshman Haven Sampson (LF), freshman Josie Page (PR), junior Lily Mann (RF), sophomore Katie Chronister (PH), freshman Danielle Romanello (C) junior Theresa Swertfager (PH) all saw action in reserve roles for Florida. Even Florida’s star pitcher, Kelly Barnhill, had an at-bat. She walked to load the bases in the fourth inning.

    Florida was scheduled to play Jacksonville after the game, and while the game did get underway, the rains came in and forced the postponement of the rest of the game. The game will pick up where it left off tomorrow with the teams tied at one in the fifth inning.

    The Gators will face Hampton at 12:30 PM, and will then finish the game with Jacksonville, before playing another full game against the Dolphins.

    W: Ocasio (13-2)

    L: Allie Hotetz (7-8)