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  • Brady Singer named #1 college prospect by MLB Pipeline

    Brady Singer named #1 college prospect by MLB Pipeline

    MLBPipeline.com released its top ten college prospects for the 2018 MLB Draft on Tuesday. For the third straight year a Florida Gators pitcher earned the number one spot.

    After AJ Puk and Alex Faedo earned the top spot in 2016 and 2017, Brady Singer joined the group for 2018.

    Singer finished his sophomore campaign at Florida with a 9-5 record to go with a 3.21 ERA. Singer also recorded a 9.21 strikeouts to walk ratio in 126 innings of work. Singer played an important role in the Gators first National Championship.

    Top College Prospects of 2018 per MLBPipeline.com

    1. LHP Brady Singer (UF)
    2. RHP Shane McClanahan (South Florida)
    3. RHP Casey Mize (Auburn)
    4. 2B/SS Nick Madrigal (Oregon State)
    5. OF Griffin Conine (Duke)
    6. SS Jeremy Eierman (Missouri State)
    7. OF Travis Swaggerty (South Alabama)
    8. 1B Seth Beer (Clemson)
    9. LHP Ryan Ellison (Mississippi)
    10. RHP Logan Gilbert (Stetson)
  • #7 Florida defeats Troy 5-0 in home opener

    #7 Florida defeats Troy 5-0 in home opener

    FINAL: FLORIDA 5, TROY 0

    1st 2nd OT FINAL
    TROY 0 0 X 0
    FLORIDA 3 2 X 5

    GAINESVILLE, FL- The #7 Florida Gators improved to 2-0 with a win against the Troy Trojans on Sunday. The Gators offense was sparked by five goals from five different scorers.

    Just as Florida dominated play at Florida Atlantic on Friday, the Gators once again set the tone against their opponent from the Sun Belt Conference. Florida allowed the Trojans to only take one shot at GK Susi Espinoza, and that shot was off target.

    The Gators got on the board early when freshman Deanne Rose chipped the ball over Troy keeper Haleigh Mercer in just the 11th minute. Florida increased it’s lead when senior Gabby Seiler volleyed in a corner kick by Briana Solis at the 27:48 mark. The Gators took a 3-0 lead into halftime after junior Brittney Bennett scored in the 36th minute.

    The second half started much the same way, with a quick Florida goal as sophomore Parker Roberts scored off another Solis corner less than two minutes into the second half. The Gators would tag on one more goal after a handball inside the Troy box gave Tess Sapone a penalty-kick.

    Florida will face #2 Stanford on Friday at Pressly Stadium. The game will be televised on SEC Network, and will show exactly how the Gators match up against the nation’s elite.

    TEAM STATS:

    TROY FLORIDA
    SHOTS (ON GOAL) 1 (0) 23 (15)
    CORNER KICKS 1 10
    FOULS 8 5

    Goal Scorers:

    • 11th minute: UF ROSE (1)
    • 28th minute: UF SEILER (2)
    • 36th minute: UF BENNETT (1)
    • 47th minute: UF ROBERTS (1)
    • 86th minute: UF SAPONE (1)

    Cautions/Ejections:

    • NONE

    What’s Next:

    Florida Gators vs #2 Stanford Cardinal

    5:00 PM / August 25, 2017

    SEC NETWORK

  • #7 Florida defeats FAU 1-0 in overtime

    #7 Florida defeats FAU 1-0 in overtime

    FINAL: FLORIDA 1, FLORIDA ATLANTIC 0 (OT)

    BOCA RATON, FL- The Florida Gators soccer team defeated the Florida Atlantic Owls with an overtime goal scored by redshirt senior Gabby Seiler. Florida improves to 17-4-2 all time in season opening games.

    The Gators dominated action through most of the game as they outshot the Owls 14-2. Florida was also awarded seven corner kicks, compared to FAU’s two, showing just how dominant Florida’s time of possession was. The Owls couldn’t keep up with Florida’s speed, often resultin in fouls, and a yellow card in the 81st minute. Despite Florida’s domination, they were unable to score until the 96th minute. FAU’s Jennifer O’Campo made nine saves on Florida’s ten shots on goal.

    Junior midfielder Lais Araujo almost sent the Gators into halftime with the lead, however her header banked off the crossbar as the halftime horn sounded.

    Florida will face Troy on Sunday in the home opener at 1:00 PM.

    Game Summary:

    1st 2nd OT FINAL
    FLORIDA 0 0 1 1
    FAU 0 0 0 0

    Goal Scorers:

    • 96th minute: SEILER (1)

    Cautions/Ejections:

    • 81st minute: YELLOW: FAU- Arnadottir

    What’s Next:

    Florida Gators vs Troy Trojans

    1:00 PM / August 20, 2017

    SEC NETWORK

  • Florida Soccer tops preseason SEC Coaches Poll

    Florida Soccer tops preseason SEC Coaches Poll

    For the nineteenth time in the program’s twenty three seasons, the Florida Gators have been named the preseason favorite to win the SEC by the conference’s coaches.

    Florida won the SEC Tournament last season and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Auburn.

    Florida, ranked #7 in the national coaches poll, returns 2016 All-SEC players Kristen Cardano and Gabby Seiler, but will have to make up for the loss of four-time All-American Savannah Jordan.

    The 2017 SEC Preseason Coaches Poll

    1. FLORIDA
    2. TEXAS A&M
    3. SOUTH CAROLINA
    4. MISSOURI
    5. ARKANSAS
    6. AUBURN
    7. TENNESSEE
    8. VANDERBILT
    9. MISSISSIPPI
    10. ALABAMA
    11. LSU
    12. KENTUCKY
    13. GEORGIA
    14. MISSISSIPPI STATE

    __________

    THREE GATORS ON SEC PRE-SEASON WATCH LIST

    The SEC release its preseason awards watch list on Thursday and, not surprisingly, a trio of Gators were represented.

    Redshirt senior Kristen Cardano, Junior Mayra Pelayo, and redshirt senior Gabby Seiler each made the cut.

    Cardano is expected to be Florida’s top defender, and has been a stalwart on Florida’s back line for the last few years.

    Pelayo is expected to pick up much of the scoring that was lost with the graduation of Jordan.

    Seiler proved last year to be one of the most versatile players to have come through Florida, rotating from midfield to defender for the good of the team. Look for Seiler to be Florida’s leader in the midfield this year.

    Florida’s first game will be on the road at Florida Atlantic on Friday before their home debut Sunday afternoon against Troy.

  • OPINION: It’s time for UF to part ways with Antonio Callaway

    OPINION: It’s time for UF to part ways with Antonio Callaway

    Antonio Callaway has been one of the most electric players since his arrival on campus in 2015. Despite being on a sputtering offense for much of his two years at Florida, Callaway has shined having caught 89 passes for 1,399 yards. In fact, Callaway has shined so much that top NFL Draft prognosticators have projected him as a first round pick in 2018.

    Unfortunately, Callaway has also been unable to keep himself out of trouble. Callaway spent the entire spring and summer of 2016 suspended for his role in an alleged sexual assault, and when he was eventually cleared it was because he said, “I was so stoned that I had no interest in having sex with anyone.”

    “I was so stoned that I had no interest in having sex with anyone.”

    -Antonio Callaway

    After the investigation concluded, Callaway was allowed to return to the team and was eligible to play the first game of the season against UMass.

    I was very critical of Florida head coach Jim McElwain for the lack of a suspension at the time, but I also understood that it was just pot and it was a first offense (being that the sexual assault case was complete). I assumed that McElwain would level a punishment far worse than a missed game.

    However, Callaway has gotten into more trouble this off-season. In May, he was arrested on a charge of marijuana possession. And while the arrest is a big deal, the fact that he was driving around Gainesville with a 40-year old known felon with a lengthy record including cocaine possession, drug trafficking, and lewd and lascivious behavior with a minor between 12 and 16 years old, is much more concerning.

    Even after that incident, McElwain chose to discipline from within and not to suspend Callaway for the season opening game against Michigan.

    It took the most recent incident, this time for his misuse of financial aid for McElwain to suspend his star receiver.

    Callaway is a junior. He knows how his financial aid money is supposed to be used. He blatantly defied the laws, and fortunately for him UF is refusing to prosecute. Callaway should have set an example to the other six athletes that committed the crime, instead he chose to go along with it.

    Due to his numerous off the field transgressions, and the fact that Florida is loaded at wide receiver*, the time has come for the Florida Gators to release Antonio Callaway from his scholarship.

    * The Florida Gators two-deep depth chart at wide receiver is full of former ESPN 300 prospects.

  • WR Antonio Callaway among seven Gators suspended for opener against Michigan

    WR Antonio Callaway among seven Gators suspended for opener against Michigan

    The Florida Gators twitter-verse was on fire Saturday as unverified reports of Florida football players taking part in a credit card fraud scheme began to swirl.

    The report from In All Kinds of Weather was sparse on details at first, but accused several Gators players of misusing student-athlete credit cards.

    On Sunday, the Florida Gators announced the suspensions of seven players for the opener against Michigan. UF is officially saying that the suspensions are for “violating team rules.”

    Those suspended:

    • Jr WR Antonio Callaway
    • Jr DL Keivonnis Davis
    • RS So DL Richerd Desir-Jones
    • RS Fr DL Jordan Smith
    • Fr LB James Houston
    • Fr LB Ventrell Millet
    • Fr OL Kadeem Telfort

    Most noticeable is the presence of star WR Antonio Callaway among those suspended. The junior WR was once projected as a first round draft pick in 2018, but has had a string of run-ins with law enforcement since arriving to UF.

    “We have a small group of players that have made some choices that are extremely disappointing,” Florida head coach Jim McElwain said via a press release, “They have missed some practice and will miss the Michigan game.”

    If the In All Kinds of Weather report is true, each player could be looking at felony charges for financial-aid fraud. In All Kinds of Weather though, has stated that the criminal matter is being handled internally.

    UPDATE: At his Monday press conference, Jim McElwain stated that the suspensions are “indefinite” for those involved.

  • Florida Volleyball ranked #12 in preseason AVCA Coaches Poll

    Florida Volleyball ranked #12 in preseason AVCA Coaches Poll

    The Florida Gators volleyball team will open the 2017 season ranked for the twenty sixth straight time. The AVCA Coaches Poll was released Wednesday, and Florida was awarded the 12th most points.

    The Gators return 13 of their 14 letter-winners from a year ago when Florida won the SEC. Florida finished 2016 with a 27-4 record and ranked #15 overall.

    The Gators also return four AVCA All-American’s: senior Rhamat Alhassan (pictured), senior Carli Snyder, senior Caroline Knop, and redshirt junior Allie Monserez.

    The Gators season starts August 19 at 3:00 PM at home against Coastal Carolina. Florida will face SIX teams in the top 25: #1 Texas, #5 Nebraska, #11 North Carolina, #14 Kentucky (twice), #15 Florida State, and #19 Missouri (twice).

    (Photo courtesy of ESPN.com)

    AVCA TOP 25

    1. TEXAS
    2. STANFORD
    3. WASHINGTON
    4. MINNESOTA
    5. NEBRASKA’S
    6. PENN STATE
    7. WISCONSIN
    8. KANSAS
    9. CREIGHTON
    10. BYU
    11. NORTH CAROLINA
    12. FLORIDA
    13. UCLA
    14. KENTUCKY
    15. FLORIDA STATE
    16. MICHIGAN
    17. MICHIGAN STATE
    18. OREGON
    19. MISSOURI
    20. HAWAII
    21. OHIO STATE
    22. SAN DIEGO
    23. UTAH
    24. ARIZONA
    25. PURDUE
  • DT Marlon Dunlap to transfer to Florida

    DT Marlon Dunlap to transfer to Florida

    The Florida Gators are on a roll. After securing the commitment of 4-star RB Dameon Pierce, the Gators also found out that DT Marlon Dunlap plans to transfer into the program.

    Dunlap (6-5, 285 lb) played in four games as a true freshman for North Carolina. He made four tackles and was credited with 0.5 sacks for the Tar Heels.

    Dunlap was a three-star prospect out of Charlotte, when he signed with UNC. North Carolina officials confirmed that Dunlap was leaving the program on July 20.

    Dunlap will have to sit out for the 2017 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but will have three years of eligibility remaining and will help Florida’s depth along the offensive line.

  • 4-star RB Dameon Pierce commits to Florida

    4-star RB Dameon Pierce commits to Florida

    The first three weeks of August are known in recruiting as a “dead period”, but that hasn’t stopped the Florida Gators momentum. On Saturday, four-star running back Dameon Pierce announced his commitment via Twitter.

    Pierce is a 5’11, 205 lb pound back from Bainbridge, Georgia who has run for 4,656 yards and 60 touchdowns in three years.

    247sports.com has ranked Pierce the #186 overall prospect in the 2017 class and the #9 running back. Pierce was originally committed to Alabama, but committed on May 18. Pierce visited the Gators twice just before the dead period.

    Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider was the primary recruiter for Pierce. Pierce chose Florida over Auburn and Alabama among many others.

    (Photo courtesy of Scout.com)

  • Florida ranked #16 in preseason Amway Coaches Poll

    Florida ranked #16 in preseason Amway Coaches Poll

    The preseason Amway Coaches Poll was released Thursday afternoon. The Florida Gators checked in at #16 in the poll.

    Florida enters the season with questions on defense after losing several starters to the NFL. Florida also has a camp QB battle between graduate-transfer Malik Zaire and redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks.

    Florida is one of six SEC teams to be ranked in the top 25. Alabama (1), LSU (12), Auburn (13), Georgia (15), and Tennessee (24) are the others.

    The Gators open the season with a neutral-site game against Michigan who is ranked ninth in the poll, and Florida ends the regular season with a home date against #3 Florida State.