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  • BSB: Bats Silenced in Extra Innings Loss to Mizzou

    BSB: Bats Silenced in Extra Innings Loss to Mizzou

    Photo by James Gilbert | Getty Images

    The No. 6 Gators dropped game one against Mizzou (13-18, 2-8 SEC) by a score of 2-1 in 11 innings Friday night. Despite strong bullpen outings from Fisher and McNeillie, the offense only produced two hits on the night to drop the series opening game.

    Mizzou got on the board first in the first inning to go up 1-0.

    Brandon Neely threw five innings and finished with three strikeouts and Cade Fisher took over in the sixth. Fisher was very effective out of the bullpen, throwing four strikeouts in two innings.

    The Gators got their second hit of the night and were finally able to get on the board in the eighth inning. Luke Heyman hit a solo homerun to tie the game 1-1.

    Luke McNeillie continued his strong SEC play with four strikeouts in the eighth and ninth to send the game into extra innings.

    Both teams couldn’t get anything going in the 10th, but in the 11th, the Tigers walked it off with a single. Final score, the Gators lose 2-1 in 11 innings and drop game one.

    Game two will be at 4 p.m. Saturday.

  • WGYM Liveblog: Gainesville Regional Semifinal II ft. No. 4 Florida, No. 13 Missouri, No. 20 Georgia, Iowa State

    WGYM Liveblog: Gainesville Regional Semifinal II ft. No. 4 Florida, No. 13 Missouri, No. 20 Georgia, Iowa State

    Brace yourselves, Gator fans – tonight is just a taste of what’s coming on Sunday. Florida has already beaten all three of these teams this year, and most of those wins came in the O-Dome, so tonight should hopefully not be too stressful, but like I’ve said before – it’s postseason, anything can happen.

    Missouri should also advance, beating Georgia and Iowa State, but the margin may be a little smaller. The Tigers’ best event is floor by a good margin, followed by bars, vault, and finally beam. Expect strong performances from powerhouse all-arounders Jocelyn Moore and Amari Celestine, as well as former SEC Specialist of the Year Sienna Schreiber (UB/BB/FX), freshman Hannah Horton (VT/FX), and transfer Mara Titarsolej (UB).

    On its best day, Georgia could beat Mizzou on a little bit of an off day – it wouldn’t take much – but it feels unlikely given that Georgia’s best this season is such an outlier: just one score over 197.5. The Gymdogs’ best event is bars, followed by beam, floor, and then vault. Lily Smith is their star and can be counted on for strong performances on almost any event, but Ady Wahl (VT/FX), JaFree Scott (UB/BB), and Anya Turner (BB) are also all capable of 9.9+ performances.

    Iowa State has already defeated Clemson to be part of this meet in last night’s play-in, so we know the Cyclones are hungry for it, but they’ll have a long way to go to qualify to Sunday’s final. Vault is their strongest event, followed by floor, beam, and bars. Don’t miss Josie Bergstrom on VT and BB, Noelle Adams on BB and FX, and Ella Schell and Kaia Parker on FX.

    We’ll also see individual competitors from Clemson and Rutgers, including Kielyn McCright of Clemson who can really pack a punch on beam. She could sneak by and qualify to Nationals, representing her team at the big dance in the first year of its existence.

    If you’ve been paying attention at all this season, you’re familiar with the Gators’ strengths and weaknesses. Vault has been a highlight this year, but sometimes they’ve struggled with landings. Bars gave some veterans the yips early-to-mid-season, but things seemed to be evening out as the postseason approached. Beam has overall been their best event, but there have been a few uncharacteristic misses from typical stalwarts Ellie Lazzari and Leanne Wong. Finally, floor has seen a huge rotating cast in the lineup trying to find the true top six, and we’ve even seen compositional changes in order to better refine the top performers’ routines. Ideally, tonight, we’re looking for:

    • Dialed in landings with good amplitude on vault. If they can’t stick, they’d rather a controlled step forward than overpower it too much or undercook it.
    • Hit handstands and stuck landings on bars, with no weird moments on low bar. Let’s hope they’ve been drilling those low bar pirouettes and handstands these last few weeks.
    • Confidence and calm on beam – they cannot let the pressure get to their heads. UCLA just lost out on a finals berth by a single tenth to Arizona State, it won’t take much.
    • Controlling the tumbling landings and really performing to the full extent of their ability on floor will be key. Strong performance quality and precision of gymnastics was well rewarded in the first session.

    The coaches will also have to juggle needing to qualify tonight with needing to compete again on Sunday – one thing about postseason they haven’t practiced this year is a two-meet weekend. Lineups may not look 100% ideal tonight, especially if they’re trying to save anyone who might be nursing an injury for finals and/or nationals. They don’t need to win, they just need to qualify. The pacing has been really smart so far this season, so I can’t imagine it wouldn’t continue this weekend. Jenny Rowland knows what she’s doing.

    It all starts at 7pm on ESPN+, but if you don’t have access or can’t make it to a TV, we’ll have all the quick hits right here!

    7:03pm: Rotation 1 time!

    Draser, UF VT: Y1.5, absolutely DRILLS it! Just floats it down, sticky feet on the landing, does not move. What a great start!

    Schell, ISU UB: Release is clean. Bail a little floppy? Final handstand a little short, but pirouette is great! Double tuck is stuck!

    Howard, UGA BB: Acro series is super steady, very nice. Split to switch half, definitely short of 180. Side aerial, little wobble there. Sticks her gainer full!

    Schreiber, MIZ FX: Front double full to start, coming out strong. Rudi back layout to straight jump, takes it riiiight to the edge of the mat but doesn’t go out. What a strong leadoff for them!

    Nguyen, VT: Y1.5, better distance than Draser, just a little shift to one side. One of her best!

    Morgan, BB: Acro series is solid. Switch to switch half, little check there. Sam’s right, she’s landing very straight-legged. 1.5 dismount, single step.

    Cooke, UB: Missed this entirely, I apologize. Looked like a step on the dismount.

    Pilgrim, VT: Y1.5, small hop forward, but sooo clean in the air.

    Kratzer, FX: Whip through to double tuck, well controlled, nice and high. Really selling this choreo section, love watching them. Double pike, definitely short there, has to step forward. 1.5 to front lay to close, very clean there. Another solid one for the Tigers.

    Battle, BB: Switch to split, clean 180 positions there, some feet. Front toss to beat jump, nice quick connection. Bhs loso, dead on. Gainer full off the side is stuck!

    Willis, UB: Another hit, but the dismount was really close to the bar, a little slide back.

    Ferris, VT: Y1.5, just a little slide back, but much better control than we’ve seen in the last two weeks from her.

    Horton, FX: Full in to start, well controlled. Big air on her leap series, very precise in her positions. Punch through to double tuck, again, good control.

    Turner, BB: Bhs loso loso, little lean but covers well. Switch to split, a little labored but hits 180 it looks like. Roundoff 1.5, a little shift back.

    Loyim, UB: Jaeger, a little close to the bar. Pak salto looks clean, although the angle doesn’t love her. Great final handstand. DLO is like a dart into the mat, couldn’t move if she wanted to! Well done.

    Wong, VT: Yhalf on pike half off, little hop back, solid amplitude this week, not too flat like we’ve seen before. This is a great rotation for the Gators, I’m thrilled.

    Celestine, FX: Full in, huuuge air for her. Dance series is great. Front full front lay, very clean. Really having fun with this choreo section, choreographed for her by brother Artyon, a former DWTS Juniors pro. Closes out with a double back – so impressive. Love her routine.

    Smith, BB: Front aerial to bhs loso, pretty steady. Dance series very clean, gorgeous 180 positions. Stuck gainer full off the side.

    Thomas, UB: Jaeger is strong, pak salto had some big leg separation. DLO, floats it down but her knees give on the landing, couldn’t see if the knee went down or not but big step forward.

    Lazzari, VT: Y1.5, big bound forward. They’ll be able to drop that, but they’ll want someone else in that six slot for Sunday and Nationals, I think.

    Scott, BB: Front handspring to bhs loso, that’s fun! Switch to split, very clean. A step on the dismount, but overall a strong routine.

    Griffin, FX: Punch through to double back, great amplitude there. Double pike, looked almost over the line but I didn’t see a hand. Triple dance sequence to finish, hits each position really precisely, didn’t see any landing issues either. Another strong one for the Tigers!

    Basuel, UB: Tkachev to pak, that’s nice. Pirouette is nice and on top of the bar, double tuck dismount is stuck! A great finish.

    McCright, indiv Clemson BB: Bhs loso, super steady. Dance series was good, love seeing a tuck jump full. Single step on the dismount – should be a good score, but not sure it’ll threaten Smith’s 9.95, who’s currently in qualifying position if they don’t make Nationals.

    Moore, FX: DLO to open is fabulous. Triple dance series, all the split positions looked fabulous. Punch through to double tuck to finish – that’ll be a huge score for Mizzou.

    Wells, indiv Clem UB: Tkachev to immediate overshoot, strong connection there. Slings out her full in dismount but somehow stuck it?? Wow.

    Clark, indiv Clem FX: Her DLO just fliiies, wow. Leaps are fantastic, she really shows off those oversplits. Really performing the heck out of this choreography, wow. Punch layout front full front tuck and ooh, sits the tuck, that’s rough. She had such a great routine going! Bummer.

    AFTER ONE: UF 49.575, UGA 49.45, MIZ 49.3, ISU 48.975

    THAT is the kind of vault rotation that will take Florida to Four on the Floor, although they’ll want something a little better from Lazzari or to slot back in a stronger landing from Blakely.

    I’m shocked to see this level of competition from Georgia against Mizzou on Mizzou’s best event – it’s definitely going to be closer than we expected between them, barring disaster from one or the other.

    7:33pm: Schreiber, MIZ VT: Yfull, good amplitude, just a little slide back.

    Blakely, UF UB: Maloney, clean, to pak, oh no! She missed her second hand and came off – she twisted badly, I bet that hurt her wrist. Gets back up, finishes with her dismount, just a hop forward. That’s not good.

    Loyim, ISU BB: Bhs loso, nice and patient with it. Front aerial to beat jump, good quick connection. Gainer full off the side is stuck!

    Fitzgerald, UGA FX: Rudi to loso, good clean start. A little off-axis on her wolf element in her dance series, but plenty of amplitude and no landing cheats, from what I could tell. Double back to finish, well controlled lunge. A good leadoff for the Dogs.

    Davis, VT: Yfull, another little slide back. About the same as Schreiber.

    O’Brochta, BB: A fun tick-tock mount, love seeing that. Bhs bhs loso, strong. Switch to split, maybe a little shy of 180. Gainer pike off the end, fights for it and doesn’t move! Good for her.

    Griffin, VT: Yfull, another big bounce, and another step. Without the 10.0 starts, no one is getting 9.9+ on vaults like this.

    Wilke, BB: Full turn to start, clean. Cat leap to front toss to back tuck, that’s a fun series! Don’t see that very often. Cat leap to switch side, hits 180 fine. 1.5 dismount stuck!

    Nguyen, UB: A looooooong wait for her while they figure out Blakely’s score. Finally starts as Wilke is finishing. Maloney to pak, pretty clean, some minor leg sep. Last handstand maybe a little shy? DLO, little hop. Still, it’s a hit, they’ll take that.

    Celestine, VT: Y1.5, just a little hop forward but a deep squat. Still, miles better than her peers so far.

    Laclair, FX: First pass is clean, nice twisting form. This choreography with this song is honestly pretty underwhelming… Back double to loso, her legs got weirdly tucked in the middle there? That will probably be pretty heavily deducted.

    Adams, BB: Bhs loso, a little bobble and lean. Switch to switch, maybe shy of 180? Dismount looked stuck from here!

    Lazzari, UB: Great first handstand. Tkachev is good. Pak salto is clean. Full dismount, just a little bouncy there. Still, another hit. Breathe in, breathe out.

    Moore, VT: Y1.5, just a little hop forward.

    Bergstrom, BB: Cat leap to front toss to bhs, patient with it, doesn’t wobble at all even though she seemed off. Switch to switch, maybe shy of 180 on the first one. Split jump is clean. Stuck dismount!

    Cashman, FX: 1.5 to front lay to start, very clean. Dance series is nice and high. Double tuck, well controlled as she finishes.

    Horton, VT: Y1.5, just another hop forward. Still, so great to see her back doing this after getting the twisties a few weeks ago!

    Draser, UB: Maloney to pak, legs glued together, very nice. Strong final handstand. DLO, single step back. That should be a good score. They needed that.

    Thomas, BB: Strong so far on the series. Switch to switch side, good 180 positions. Roundoff 1.5, little hop forward.

    Wahl, FX: Full in to start, almost to the line but stays in. Punch through to double back, short there, pops it up quickly to the lunge.

    Pilgrim, UB: Maloney to pak, super clean leg form, gorgeous. Final handstand is good. Full in is stuck cold! That’s much better, thank you!

    Wells, indiv Clem BB: Switch to switch 3/4, that’s unusual! Nice. Bhs loso, snaps those arms down to lock it in. Roundoff double full is stuck! That’ll be excellent for her, well done.

    Snyder, FX: Rudi to layout to… jump position was imprecise, that’ll be deducted. Dance series is clean. Double pike, really well controlled on that one.

    Wong, UB: Strong opening handstand. Maloney to pak, very clean there. van Leeuwen, looks good. DLO, single step forward, but that’s okay. Doesn’t need to be perfect, they just needed to drop Blakely’s fall and they did that.

    Smith, FX: Front double full, big bound forward, back foot comes dragging behind her. 1.5 to front lay, super clean, better control there. Switch side to wolf jump full, those are clean, although the wolf looks a little labored. Rudi to straddle jump, incredible oversplit. A great routine for Georgia.

    Arnold, indiv Clem FX: Full in, front foot moves on the lunge. Dance series is nice, great hang time in the air. 2.5 to punch front to finish, very strong.

    AFTER TWO: UF 98.875, UGA 98.75, MIZ 98.675, ISU 98.325

    Crisis averted, but the Gators cannot afford another gaffe like that – this meet is too close, and Sunday will be even less forgiving.

    Laclair, UGA VT: Yfull, bounce back.

    Burns, Miz UB: Blind change is fine. Jaeger is big to immediate overshoot, good amplitude. Dismount is stuck!

    Draser, UF BB: Bhs loso, dead on, good. Dance series is clean, no issues there. Roundoff 1.5 twist, small step back. A good start. Very calm, they’ll take that.

    Manternach, ISU FX: Double back to start, good control. Double pike, another solid landing. Really shining with this choreography, even as simple as it is.

    Smith, VT: Yfull, bounce back.

    Blakely, BB: Front aerial bhs, might have had some problems but corrected them mid air, showed no sign. Switch half to beat jump, very clean. Full turn is fine. Gainer full, little hop in place.

    Patrick, UB: Good handstands. Jaeger is good, almost overarches her handstand but saves it! Bail is fine. Little hop on her dismount.

    Scott, VT: Yfull, not a lot of distance, big bounce back.

    Cooke, FX: Front double full, runs out of it a little bit, but stays in bounds. Dance series is alright, wolf elements a little off axis. 1.5 to front lay to finish out, nice and clean.

    Pilgrim, BB: Candle mount to start. Bhs loso, just lays it in, so patient. Beat jump to front aerial, super steady. Leap series is lovely, split positions are so good. Gainer full dismount stuck! She’s dialing it up for them – they need that!

    Marshall, UB: Jaeger to overshoot, good amplitude. Looked like a little shift back on the double back dismount.

    Howard, VT: Yfull is stuck! That’ll be a big score for them.

    Wilke, FX: 1.5 to front lay, good control as she dances out. Dance series is great, love the height she gets. Double pike to close, well controlled lunge.

    Nguyen, BB: Love the roll mount. Onodi to bhs, breaks at the hips but doesn’t fall. The leaps! Just gorgeous. Bhs 1.5 twist is stuck maybe? Maybe an adjustment? Hard to tell from this angle.

    8:15pm: Battle, VT: Y1.5, small hop forward.

    Schreiber, UB: Great releases, great final handstand, but couldn’t stick the landing – just a little slide back on her DLO.

    Wong, BB: Switch leap to split leap, excellent extension through both, no question about the 180s. Bhs loso, just a little arm wave there. Front aerial to beat jump, well connected, very clean. Roundoff double full is stuck! Well done!

    Schell, FX: Rudi to double stag, travels back quite a bit in the air. 1.5 to front lay, much better control there. Cyclones just keep on trucking, doing their own thing.

    Wahl, VT: Y1.5, another small hop forward.

    Moore, UB: Jaeger to overshoot, very aggressive in that release sequence. Sticks her full in!

    Lazzari, BB: Big deep breath before she mounts. Bhs loso loso, one of her best this year! Switch to split, so sharp. Split 1/2 from side stand, very clean. Cartwheel gainer full – stuck! She needed that boost of confidence, and the Gators will love to have that score. Should be a great rotation score.

    Parker, FX: Double wolf to start, that’s fun. Didn’t see what her first pass was but it was a hit. Double back to finish, well done.

    Arnold, indiv Clem VT: Y1.5, little step back.

    Titarsolej, UB: This’ll be a treat. Great opening handstand work. Maloney to pak salto, legs just perfectly together, toes pointed perfectly. Great final handstand, pirouette on top of the bar. Double tuck stuck – that’s a big score if I’ve ever seen one.

    Adams, FX: Layout to Rudi, big slide back. Cracks a smile as she looks to the judges and starts dancing, love that. Dance series is excellent, very crisp in the corner. Double back to close it out, well controlled – a big score for the Cyclones.

    Wells, indiv Clem FX: Full in, didn’t get a lot of air but somehow landed really well controlled and not underrotated? Dance series is clean. 1.5 to through to back double full – that’s a great routine!

    AFTER THREE: UF 148.45, MIZ 148.15, UGA 148.05, ISU 147.525

    Mizzou has overtaken Georgia now, and gets to go to beam, which has been quite loosely scored all day. Georgia will go to bars, though, which is its best event, so it’ll be a race to the finish, down to the last routine, I expect, unless Mizzou gets splatty.

    Florida still needs to be cautious and not take anything for granted, but it’s in a much better position than at the halfway point. I’ll be interested to see who ends up being in the lineup for Gators floor as well.

    8:35pm: Rotation 4! Let’s goooo!

    Finnegan, UGA UB: Tkachev is solid, pak salto pretty clean. Sticks her full in – great start for Georgia as they try to take it back from Mizzou.

    Nguyen, UF FX: Front double full to sissone, one of her good ones, though I didn’t have a great angle as far as movement in the jump. Switch ring to switch half, really milking the drama in this choreography. Y turn is gorgeous. 1.5 to front lay to finish, such a quick twister. A great leadoff for this team!

    Wills, ISU VT: Big delay due to lineup changes, apparently. Here we go. Yfull, not a lot of height, just a little hop back.

    Howard, UB: Tkachev to overshoot, pretty clean. Pirouette is right on top of the bar, to double tuck dismount – stuck!

    Davis, MIZ BB: Bhs loso, little check. Straddle to sheep, not the worst one I’ve ever seen but still not deduction-free. Sticks her gainer full off the side.

    Lazzari, FX: Front double full, lands a little lock-legged but handles it okay, it looks like. Triple dance sequence is solid, great positions in the air. 1.5 to front lay, excellent control, just an arabesque out of it. A great back half for the senior tonight.

    Loyim, VT: Yfull, very short, twisted too early and had to stumble forward on the landing.

    Light, BB: Bhs bhs loso, some knees in there but very steady. Dance series is good. Cartwheel to knee, that’s a fun little low-to-the-beam sequence. Cat leap to gainer pike off the end, stuck!

    Wahl, UB: Maloney to pak, legs together, good. DLO, little hop back.

    Pilgrim, FX: 1.5 through to double back, a little short, has to lunge forward instead of back. Dance series is clean, just two elements now since they changed that first pass. Really performing her choreo, hitting every mark in the music. Orphan front tuck, hate it but I guess she needs it? Double pike, overcooks it and sits it down! What?! Mistimed her opening out of the pike, very unusual for her. Now the Gators have a score they need to drop.

    Parker, VT: Yfull, much better amplitude than her predecessors.

    Snyder, UB: Close on her Jaeger, was supposed to connect it so there may be a start value issue. Transition is fine, double tuck dismount but can’t stick it.

    Griffin, BB: Front toss to bhs, a little sluggish to connect but I don’t think they’ll take it from her? Switch leap to switch split jump, that’s kinda fun. Bhs 1.5, little slide back.

    8:45pm: Blakely, FX: She needs a good one here. Punch front through to double back, a little short but covers well. Dance series looked clean to me. 1.5 to front full to finish out, great control as she finishes out.

    Bergstrom, VT: Yfull, short, just tried too hard to stick I think. Covered better than some of her peers but it won’t be a good one.

    Schaffer, BB: Acro series and she’s off! Oh no, they needed that score. Switch to split, clean 180 positions there as she gets back up. 1.5 dismount, looked like a small shift back.

    Scott, UB: Tkachev to pak, very nice. Deep knee bend on her DLO, somehow hung onto the stick?

    Adams, VT: Yfull, much better looked like just a small adjustment.

    Wong, FX: DLO to start, one of her good ones. Gorgeous dance series, just lovely extension through her toes and arms every time. Whip half to front full, kinda had to pull it around but made it work. Just one more hit and the Gators will be safe.

    Celestine, BB: Single wolf turn to start, clean. Side aerial to side aerial, that’s fun. Wobble after the split 3/4 but keeps it small. Maybe stuck? Maybe a small bounce? Hard to tell.

    Smith, UB: Maloney to bail, leg form is super clean, hits handstand well. Sticks her dismount, but maybe shy on the last handstand? SHould be a great score though.

    Schell, VT: Yfull, no amplitude but landing is relatively fine. A good meet overall for the Cyclones, but just not enough in the end.

    Draser, FX: Punch through to double back, good control. Double wolf turn, not the best but passable. Dance series is clean, good split positions. Double pike, well controlled – they’re into Sunday!

    Schreiber, BB: Acro series is clean, good. Switch half, balance check. Split to split 3/4, great positions, well extended. Gainer full is stuck!

    Baiser, indiv Rutgers UB: Tkachev is great, pak salto is clean. Switch kip isn’t my favorite. DLO, small shift – good for her, waiting the whole night just to do her one routine.

    Wells, indiv Clem VT: Yfull, deep knee bend but doesn’t move a muscle! Dropped it in from the sky, well done.

    FINAL: UF 197.925, MIZ 197.525, UGA 197.425, ISU 196.575

    Florida and Mizzou will face Utah and Michigan State on Sunday!

    If what I’m reading about tiebreakers is correct, Lily Smith is qualified as the all-arounder from this regional, no matter who qualifies on Sunday, as she tied for the AA title with Nikki Smith at 39.675 and wins the tiebreak if Michigan State doesn’t qualify. Georgia represented at Nationals – who would’ve thought?

    Provided Florida qualifies, Emma Silberman of Maryland will be the vault individual qualifier, as she and Victoria Nguyen tied for the vault title with a 9.95. If Florida doesn’t qualify, it’ll come down to the head judge’s score as a tiebreak, which we won’t have until official results are posted in an hour or so.

    If Florida and Utah qualify, bars qualification becomes a tie between Nikki Smith and Mara Titarsolej. Again, we’ll have to wait on the head judge to break that tie. If Florida misses out, Anya Pilgrim will go, as she tied for the title with Lily Smith for a 9.975, and Smith is already going for AA. If Utah misses out and Florida does not, Amelie Morgan will enter into the tiebreak conversation with Nikki Smith and Titarsolej, unless Michigan State also qualifies, which would mean Smith qualifies with her team.

    Again, provided Florida and Utah qualify, Nikki Smith will qualify for beam with her 9.95. If Utah misses out in any scenario, Abby Paulson would go, as she won the event outright with a 9.975. If Utah qualifies and Florida misses out, it’s down to a tiebreak between Smith and Ellie Lazzari, who both earned 9.95s. If Michigan State goes and Florida does not, it would just be Lazzari.

    And for floor, if Utah and Florida qualify, it’s a tiebreak between Skyla Schulte and Jocelyn Moore as to who qualifies. If Utah misses out in any scenario, Jaylene Gilstrap would go, as she won the event outright with a 9.95. If Utah goes and Florida does not, it’s a tiebreak between Leanne Wong and Victoria Nguyen, who both earned 9.925s.

    I’ll be sure to tweet the final qualification projections once we have the judging breakdowns. In the meantime we’re going to tune into Berkeley’s second semifinal at 10 – but we’ll see you back here on Sunday at 5pm for the Regional Final!

  • WGYM Liveblog: Gainesville Regional Semifinal I ft. No. 5 Utah, No. 10 MSU, Towson, Maryland

    WGYM Liveblog: Gainesville Regional Semifinal I ft. No. 5 Utah, No. 10 MSU, Towson, Maryland

    Happy Regionals Weekend to those who celebrate! Today we’re looking at two semifinals in Gainesville, where in each semi, the top two teams will qualify to Sunday’s regional final, which will send the top two teams to nationals.

    The Gators will compete later, but provided they qualify to Sunday (which feels likely), this meet will feature two of their opponents, so it’s important we get a good look ahead of time!

    Utah and Michigan State are certainly favored to qualify to Sunday’s final as the two seeded teams in this session. Utah’s No. 5 ranking puts their NQS just behind Florida by 0.01. Floor is the Utes’ strongest event, followed by beam, bars, and then vault. While a strong team, they don’t necessarily have a strong all-arounder to pin their hopes on – instead, their strategy relies on two- and three-eventers like Maile O’Keefe and Grace McCallum (UB/BB/FX), Jaylene Gilstrap (VT/FX), Makenna Smith (VT/UB), Ella Zirbes (UB/FX), and Abby Paulson (BB/FX). McCallum and Smith do compete AA, but both have at least one weaker event (VT for McCallum, BB for Smith).

    The biggest story at Utah this season has been more behind-the-scenes with their coaching troubles – former head coach Tom Farden was accused of emotional abuse and dangerous coaching practices during the 2023 offseason, and shortly before the season began, he and the school reached a mutual agreement that he would resign, supposedly unrelated to the allegations. Farden’s AC Carly Dockendorf became the interim head coach, and fairly quickly had that arrangement made permanent, so the question remains: has anything really changed at Utah? And amidst all this, do they still have what it takes to make nationals?

    Michigan State, on the other hand, is a program on the rise after several challenging years. After the full-scale scandal that rocked the gymnastics world, they’ve rebuilt, but it hasn’t been easy. In 2021, they had to withdraw from season after COVID-19 concerns cancelled several of their meets. But since 2022, the Spartans have been steadily improving, and each year, head coach Mike Rowe has been named Coach of the Year by the Big 10 Conference. That climb culminated this year in their first conference championship win, beating long-time rival Michigan, and earning one of their highest rankings in program history, entering this competition at No. 10. The Spartans’ best event is vault, followed by bars, floor, and beam. Watch out for all-arounder duo Skyla Schulte and Gabrielle Stephen, as well as Nikki Smith on VT/UB/FX, Sage Kellerman on VT/UB, Baleigh Garcia on BB, and Delanie Harkness on UB/FX.

    On a normal day, it feels unlikely that Towson or Maryland would be able to catch either of the two frontrunners here, but in postseason, anything can happen. Towson’s highest score is a 197.5, which would have qualified at any of yesterday’s semifinals, as would either of their other two 197+ scores this season. The Tigers are Top 20 on vault and bars, but struggle more on beam and floor. Keep an eye out for Elise Tisler on VT/FX, Bella Minervini on UB/FX, and Grace Vaillancourt on UB/BB.

    Maryland’s season high of 197.3 would also have qualified at any of yesterday’s meets, though it may need a little more help from misses from the top teams to get through, since it’s only crossed that 197 threshold once this year. Bars is the Terps’ best event, followed by vault, floor, and beam. Watch for strong routines from Alexa Rothenbuescher and Rhea Leblanc (UB/FX), Natalie Martin (VT/BB/FX), and Maddie Komoroski (BB/FX).

    The action is about to begin on ESPN+! If you are busy with another meet or can’t tune in, we’ll have all the quick hits for you right here.

    1:01pm: The event is live on ESPN+! But we have a black screen with just audio… joy.

    We’ll also have a few individuals competing today from LIU, New Hampshire, UNC, Brown, and Temple for individual berths to Nationals, but it will depend on which teams qualify to Nationals as to whether any of them will make it all the way, as I don’t believe any of them can win their events outright with the competition we have here today.

    1:06pm: Here we go!

    Gilstrap, UU VT: Yfull, pretty clean, just a small shift back.

    Gatzendorfer, UM UB: Big leg sep on the pak salto. Short on last handstand. Double tuck with a big hop forward. Not the start they’d want.

    Keener, Tow BB: Little wobble on acro series. Gorgeous switch leap to tuck jump 3/4, love that. Front toss is super steady. Gainer full off the side, looked stuck?

    Beaufait, MSU FX: Front double full to start, a sizable lunge out. Switch ring in her dance series is gorgeous. 1.5 to front lay, little hop forward. Really showcasing her lines throughout this choreo section, love it. Rudi to close – nice finish. A great start for the Spartans!

    Zirbes, VT: Y1.5, nice and laid out, little hop forward.

    Brozowski, UB: Blind change is good. Jaeger is nice and high. Good handstand after, bail is a little crooked on the low bar. DLO is stuck! Much better.

    Portillo, BB: Front aerial, nice and steady. Goes for her bhs loso and there’s a fall! Oof. Split jump, wobbles, has to repeat. Split to ring, much better. Gainer full off the side is stuck, but they’ll want to drop that to stay in this.

    Tucker, FX: Hits first pass, although I missed what it was. Nice double turn into her dance series to start things off, wow! Front double full to finish, very clean in the air, landing well controlled.

    Glynn, VT: Y1.5, a little short, has to take a step back. Utah not quite firing on all cylinders right now.

    Kondo, UB: Great opening handstand work. Jaeger to immediate overshoot, great amplitude. Stuck dismount!

    Hong, BB: Side aerial to roundoff, that’s a fun series! Never seen that before. Dance series is clean. Punch gainer full off the end is stuck!

    Stephen, FX: Punch through to double pike, great control there. Great height and shape in her dance series, fantastic. Final pass is also very clean, super sharp twisting form. That’ll be a great score!

    Smith, VT: Omelianchik – Yhalf on, pike off – and it’s a solid landing, just one step.

    Griot, BB: Triple series, bobble at the end but saves it! Wow! Dance series, another bobble it looked like. Sticks her dismount!

    Silberman, UB: Geinger, very nice, keeps her legs together and gets good height. Overshoot is fine. Single step forward on the dismount.

    Harkness, FX: Full in to open, chest a little low? Dance series is gorgeous, very precise in her positions in the air. Punch front through to double tuck, well controlled. Well done!

    Rucker, VT: Y1.5, sits it! Oh boy. Utah opening the door.

    Weitz, BB: Front aerial to beat jump, excellent, very quick connection. Bhs loso, bobbles all over and was so close to saving it, but ended up falling. Towson will count a fall right off the bat, that’s rough.

    Rothenbuescher, UB: I missed her routine while watching Weitz stumble, but she stuck her dismount and Brett Nelligan roared in celebration, so I think it was good!

    Nikki Smith, FX: Nails her first pass, really well controlled lunge. Dance series is so crisp and so high, we love to see it. Combination pass, super clean form. Double back to close, basically 2ft stick, just steps back into a lung because she can. What a routine!

    McCallum, VT: I know she’s doing a very different vault but I missed what it was entirely, just that she hit it.

    Vaillancourt, BB: Very steady in her acro series, she looks so calm, what a pro. Switch leap switch leap split jump, that’s a hard dance series and she connected all of them well, maybe shy of 180 on the second switch? Stuck gainer full!

    LeBlanc, UB: Jaeger, maybe not as big as she can go but solid. Bail is clean, hits 180. Gorgeous final handstand. Sticks her DLO? Maybe?

    Schulte, FX: This will be a gem, do not miss this y’all. Full in to start, fabulous amplitude, well controlled landing. Really giving it to the crowd in this choreo section. The leap series!! Oh my goodness. Front through to double tuck, two foot stick! Back tuck to front support to close it out – that’s an anchor routine if I’ve ever seen one.

    Gorgenyi, indiv UNH BB: Bhs loso, clean. Side aerial to beat, a little slow to connect. Leap series looked clean. Small adjustment on the dismount.

    Morris, indiv LIU UB: Piked Jaeger, gorgeous. Pak salto is clean. A little shy of final handstand? Sticks their DLO!

    Bedell, indiv Brown FX: Full in to open, a little short. Dance series is lovely, into a really cool choreo sequence, showcasing her lines and flexibility really well. I need to watch more Brown meets apparently?? Front through to double tuck, again short of rotation, but covers well. Switch leap to calypso turn to finish things up. Great to see her out here representing the ECAC!

    AFTER ONE: MSU 49.375, UU 49.225, UMD 49.05, TU 48.5

    1:36pm: Rotation 2, here we go!

    Schulte, MSU VT: Yfull, just a little hop in place, a little pike in the hips.

    Smith, UU UB: Pak salto is very clean, floaty. Gorgeous low bar handstands. van Leeuwen is clean. Final handstand work is strong. Toe on pike half off is stuck! That’s an unusual dismount for them.

    Silberman, UMD BB: Leap series is very clean. Little step on the dismount, it looked like.

    Vaillancourt, TU FX: Front full front lay to start off, very clean. Switch side to straddle jump, gorgeous oversplit. Rudi to straddle jump, doesn’t travel at all, well controlled. Another dance series, again very clean. A great start!

    Tucker, VT: Y1.5, has to take a little step back.

    Hammer, BB: Bhs loso, super steady. Front toss, solid. Switch to split, maybe a hair short of 180? Gainer full is stuck! Another strong one for the Terps.

    Zirbes, UB: Great handstand to open. Tkachev to direct pak, very big amplitude. Full in dismount stuck – Utah getting it back, it seems.

    Weitz, FX: Front through to double tuck, a little short there. Double pike, pulled it around somehow. Shushunova to finish – Towson needs to step it back up a little if they want to get back in this.

    Zsarmani, VT: Y1.5, little hop forward, but big amplitude, lovely clean body position.

    Martin, BB: Acro series – bobbles as she tries to put her foot down on her side aerial but somehow puts it down with minimal arm waving. A little shy of 180 on one of her dance elements. Little adjustment on the dismount, it looked like.

    Morgan, UB: Maloney to Bhardwaj, wow! And sticks her dismount somehow? I’m so impressed.

    Stephen, VT: Y1.5, single step to the side, outside the lines.

    Calafati, FX: Double full to punch front, felt a little out of control? But pulled it out. Dance series is fine, maybe a little less precise than others we’ve seen. Rudi to back layout to a jump to finish, that’s fun.

    Gatzendorfer, BB: Triple series, super steady, very nice. Switch to split, lovely toe point. Gainer pike off the end, little shift back. Another solid hit for the Terps!

    O’Keefe, UB: Maloney to pak salto, little leg separation there. Looked a little labored on the half turn on the low bar? Double arabian dismount, just floats down and sticks it cold.

    Nikki Smith, VT: Y1.5, so close to sticking, just a little shuffle forward with her toes.

    Hong, FX: Front double full, little bit skiddy on the landing. Dance series is much cleaner. Hits last pass, but I missed what it was watching Komoroski fall.

    Komoroski, BB: One-arm bhs loso – and she’s off. That’ll need to be their drop score, but they may be out of this. Dance series is fine. Roundoff 1.5, little hop forward.

    McCallum, UB: Maloney to pak salto, big leg sep on that. van Leeuwen, actually really nice. Full in, bounce back, I think that might be their first non-stuck landing? Lots of flexed feet throughout there though.

    Kellerman, VT: Handspring pike half, a little close to the table but just the tiniest of shifts back.

    Tisler, FX: Front lay to Rudi, very nice. Switch half to stag half? That’s interesting. 1.5 to front lay, very clean. A very quick routine but efficient.

    Kogler, BB: Bhs bhs loso, leans to the side but stays on. Forward roll, don’t see that very often. Dance series, very clean. Gainer full off the side is stuck! Good fight.

    Sabado, UB: Jaeger to overshoot, big amplitude on that. Sticks her dismount!

    Dekanoidze, indiv UNC VT: Yfull, very solid, just a little bounce in place.

    Halsell, FX: Piked full-in to open! Wow! Great extension in her splits in her leap series. Double pike to finish, nice!

    Morris, indiv LIU BB: Rolling mount sequence akin to Nugyen’s that’s fun. Switch leap to pike jump, love that!. Series is super steady, good for them. Full turn is clean. Side somi, not a wobble in sight. Split 3/4, wow this is just packed with difficulty. Roundoff double full, single step back. Wow! What a big routine.

    Schafer, indiv UNC UB: I missed what her single-bar release was the but the transition to low was nice. Short of last handstand though, and a little step on the dismount.

    Gorgyeni, indiv UNH FX: Double pike, well controlled but steps into the lunge forward instead of back. 1.5 to front pike, very clean, keeps it perfectly in bounds. A little awkward in the wolf element of her dance series? Love this choreography, although Black Panther music feels like an interesting choice for her. Rudi to finish, closing it out strong. Keeping herself in the conversation!

    AFTER TWO: MSU 98.825, UU 98.8, UMD 98.175, TU 97.575

    2:06pm: Rotation 3!

    Hoffman, TU VT: Yfull, big amplitude, just a little hop backward but great body position in the air.

    Schulte, MSU UB: Maloney to bail, clean on both. Great final handstand. DLO, just a little bounce back.

    Morgan, UU BB: Bhs bhs loso, nice and steady. Switch to switch half, clean. Front gainer off the side, that’s unusual! Looked stuck though.

    Rech, UMD FX: Front double full! Nice! Double tuck, well controlled. Dance series is fine, not the most amplitude we’ve seen today. 1.5 to front lay, two foot stick! A great start for the Terps!

    Belanovski, VT: Yfull, very short, has to stumble forward a little.

    Zsarmani, UB: Pak salto is clean, to Maloney – had to recast in order to get it though. DLO, little step forward.

    Smith, BB: Bhs loso, very steady, light. Beat to split 1/4, clean. Gainer full off the side is stuck!

    Osterhout, FX: Double tuck to open, controlled lunge. Very clean straddle positions in that dance series, super sharp. Double pike to finish, well controlled again. Maryland doing their job on floor so far.

    Poblete, VT: Yfull-on, back pike off? I think? That’s probably the only one of those we’ll see all day, that’s fun.

    McCallum, BB: Triple wolf turn, into a double wolf. Acro series is solid. Split to switch, good 180 positions there. Gainer tuck full off the end looked stuck fomr here.

    Kellerman, UB: Jaeger has great amplitude, transition to low is clean. Finally a stuck dismount! Fabulous.

    LeBlanc, FX: Front double full, very nice! Love seeing these E passes from Maryland. Front full front lay, super clean. Rudi to finish, twisting form is so tight, well done.

    Vitoff, VT: Yfull, big hop back and not a lot of height.

    2:15pm: Paulson, BB: Beat to side aerial loso, that’s fun. Switch to split, very clean. Full turn is fine. Sticks her gainer full off the side – Utah doing what they do.

    Stephen, UB: Maloney to bail, a little loose in the handstand but brought it back. Final handstand is excellent! Full in, I thought she had that dismount but took a step back.

    Komoroski, FX: Rudi to open, very clean. Switch ring is nice in this dance series, second element is less precise. 1.5 to front lay, really has to pull it around but stays on her feet.

    Halsell, VT: Big Yfull, but also a big hop back.

    O’Keefe, BB: Split leap is lovely as she gets going. Side aerial loso, very steady. She’s got her game face on. Bhs gainer full, little step on the dismount.

    Nikki Smith, UB: Great low bar handstand work. Maloney gets great rise, pak salto legs just pasted together. Final handstand is fab. DLO is stuck!

    Tisler, VT: Y1.5, wow! Great amplitude, just a little shuffle forward.

    Rothenbuescher, FX: Double tuck to start here, solid. Orphan front tuck, okay. Switch side to Popa, clean, not the most amplitude. Double pike to finish, but has to step forward instead of back, indicating an underrotation.

    Gilstrap, BB: Wolf turn to start, fine. Front aerial is pretty clean. Bhs 2ft layout, breaks at the hip. More bobbles in her dance series. Little adjustment on the dismount it looked like.

    Harkness, UB: Gienger is strong. Bail is good, final handstand too. Full in, just a little hop.

    Gorgyeni, indiv UNH UB: Yfull, strong body position, just a little slide back.

    Martin, FX: Full in, very well controlled. 1.5 to front layout, really had to whip that around but stayed on her feet fine. Front handspring to knee into choreography, that’s very nice. Dance series is nice and crisp, not the biggest amplitude but passable. Double tuck to finish – that’s a great closer for them! And from a freshman!

    Dekanoidze, indiv UNC UB: Great opening handstand on the low bar. Maloney to bail, very clean, legs glued together. Maybe a little shy of final handstand? DLO, little shift back. Good for her!

    Morris, indiv LIU FX: Double tuck to open, nice and high, great control on the landing. Really performing the heck out of this choreography. Dance series is well extended, nice and precise in the landing positions too. Front lay to front full, just a little crossover step on the landing. Double pike is a bit short to finish, crown pose to finish. I love that routine!

    AFTER THREE: UU 148.4, MSU 148.175, UMD 147.175, TU 146.65

    Maryland and Towson are almost certainly out of this, but they’re not letting off the gas, which is great to see. Beam scoring for Utah felt really generous to me, but Michigan State definitely gave up some tenths on bars, especially on dismounts. We’ll see how the last rotation goes!

    2:36pm: Last rotation, here we go!

    Weir, UMD VT: Yfull, big step back and across the line. Maybe injured? Is limping off the floor, oof.

    Keener, TU UB: Short of first handstand? Releases looked okay, but double tuck dismount and her knees just gave out, went to her knees.

    Kalefe, MSU BB: Series looks clean, no wobbles. Switch leap to tuck jump full, that’s nice! A little arm wave maybe though. Cartwheel to gainer full is stuck! A strong leadoff.

    Smith, UU FX: Front double full to start, a big lunge forward, drags that back foot a little. Rudi to layout to straight jump, perfectly on beat, good for her. Rudi to straddle jump to finish – a great start for the Utes.

    Rech, VT: Yfull stuck! Really no amplitude, but drilled the heck out of that landing, wow.

    Greene, UB: Shy of opening hanstands, blind change is good, Endo?? That’s fun! Jaeger is good, to overshoot, okay. Stalder to double tuck, just a step back.

    Tucker, BB: Beat to split 3/4, pretty clean. Cat leap to side aerial, nice and steady. Acro series was clean. Stuck landing on the dismount! They’ll take that!

    Zirbes, FX: Front double full to open, great quick twisting form. Dance series, very precise, flings those arms down by her side to emphasize how in control she is. Looked like a two-foot stick on her last pass? Wow.

    Kogler, VT: Yfull, pretty clean, little shuffle.

    Vitoff, UB: Jaeger and she’s off! Ouch, that fall looked rough. Gets back up, transition to low is fine, short of final handstand. Big step on dismount.

    Nikki Smith, BB: Acro series is steady to start, good for her. Dance sequence looks good, good extension in her split position. Full turn is clean. Roundoff double back dismount – that’s hard for NCAA – and STUCK COLD! Wow!

    2:45pm: Paulson, FX: Punch front through to double full, strong start. Front lay to front full, came close to the line but didn’t step out. 1.5 to front tuck, really had to pull that around – not sure if that was supposed to be tucked or laid out? If it was supposed to be laid out, she may have a start value issue…

    Silberman, VT: Yfull-on, pike off STUCK COLD! Wow, Maryland coming through with the vaults!

    Schulte, BB: Dance series to start is gorgeous. Bhs loso – break at the hips, bobbles but saves it somehow. Sticks her dismount but they’ll need to drop that. That may dash her chances at qualifying individually if Michigan State doesn’t qualify as a team.

    Rothenbuescher, VT: Yfull-on tuck full off? Another unusual vault, just a step back on the landing.

    Hong, UB: Jaeger is excellent! Bail doesn’t quite flatten out to handstand, stays piked. Great final handstand though! Double front, hop forward.

    Garcia, BB: Starts with her full turn, getting comfortable. Bhs loso, and she’s off! Holy cow! This just got really interesting. Front aerial to split jump as she gets back up. Dance series is clean, split is lovely, toes pointed. Bhs gainer full is stuck, but wow, that will be their drop score, Schulte’s 9.7 will have to count.

    Rucker, FX: Full in, well controlled lunge. Really showing off in this choreo. Double back to close it out. Utah cruising to qualification over here on autopilot.

    Martin, VT: Y1.5, just a step to the side – that’s big for them!

    Vaillancourt, UB: Shy on opening handstand, blind change to Jaeger is great. Bail, missed her toe hand but somehow saved it? Stuck her dismount!

    Stephen, BB: A big deep breath before she mounts. Pike front toss, has to take a step forward but doesn’t wobble. Full turn is clean. Bhs loso, big amplitude, rock solid. Beat to split 1/2, super well extended. Roundoff double full stuck!

    Gilstrap, FX: Front lay to Rudi to open, solid. Dance series is nice, lovely extension. Front lay front full to finish.

    Morris, indiv LIU VT: Yfull, comes up short, has to step forward, across the line.

    Minervini, UB: Ray to open, so clean. Transition to low is gorgeous, just toe point to die for. DLO is stuck! I hope she and Mara Titarsolej in the next session tie as the bars winners for this regional, that’s next-level excellence.

    McCallum, FX: Full in to open, very well controlled, drops it in pretty casually honestly. Dance series is excellent, 180 positions are great. Front lay to Rudi, a little whippy but makes it work. That’ll be a good closing score.

    Gorgenyi, indiv UNH UB: Maloney to pak salto, gorgeous. Full in dismount is stuck cold!

    Donabedian, indiv Temple FX: All eyes on her as the last athlete in the session – she’s waited all meet to go. Rudi to a very floaty loso, gorgeous. And Sam’s right, her toe point in her tumbling is next-level. Her dance series is also lovely, well-extended. Y turn, very clean. Front double full to finish! E pass to finish! What a fabulous routine.

    FINAL: UU 197.825, MSU 197.475, UMD 196.35, TU 195.05

    Utah and Michigan State qualify to Sunday’s regional final, as expected.

    Nikki Smith currently leads the AA race with a whopping 39.675, so unless someone from a non-qualifying team (Jocelyn Moore, Sienna Schreiber, Lily Smith, or any of Florida’s AAers if the Gators have an off day) this afternoon can beat her, she’s going to Nationals either way.

    Emma Silberman of Maryland currently leads vault, so as long as no one beats her 9.95 in the second session from a non-qualifying team, she’ll go to Nationals!

    If Utah and Florida are the qualifying teams to Nationals as the numbers would dictate, and Smith goes as the AA winner, Isabella Minervini of Towson currently leads bars qualifications with her 9.925! If Utah has an off day and doesn’t qualify, Amelie Morgan would go instead with a 9.95. This is, of course, assuming no one from a non-qualifying team in the afternoon scores higher, and Mizzou’s Mara Titarsolej and Georgia’s Lily Smith are coming and have both scored 10.0s in the past, so that feels unlikely.

    Again, assuming Utah and Florida qualification and a Smith AA berth, Grace Vaillancourt of Towson leads beam qualifications with a 9.9. If Utah has an off day on Sunday and doesn’t make it as a team, Abby Paulson would go instead with her whopping 9.975. Vaillancourt’s score could yet be beaten by someone like Sienna Schreiber of Mizzou, Kielyn McCright of Clemson, or any of several Gators if Florida has an off day on Sunday, but it has to feel good to be the leader in the clubhouse.

    And for floor, assuming the same conditions, Skyla Schulte leads qualifications with her 9.9, but that score could well be beaten by someone like Jocelyn Moore or Amari Celestine from Mizzou, Brie Clark from Clemson, Lily Smith of Georgia, or Noelle Adams of Iowa State. If Utah has an off day Sunday, Jaylene Gilstrap would lead instead with her 9.95, and if the Gators miss Nationals, any number of their floor squad could also beat Schulte’s 9.9.

    I know a lot of that is confusing, but we’ll have more answers after session II, I promise. I’ll see you back here at 7pm to root on the Gators!

  • SB: Gators run-rule Hatters in shutout win

    SB: Gators run-rule Hatters in shutout win

    The No. 10 Florida softball team earned its second run-rule victory of the season over the Stetson Hatters (12-24)  Thursday evening.

    In the 8-0 win, three Gators (32-5) went yard all on two-run shots.

    Keagan Rothrock recorded her sixteenth career win, which marks her fourth on UF’s list of all-time wins by a freshman.

    She pitched four innings with one hit, two walks and four strikeouts.

    Olivia Miller came in as relief in the fifth inning to record the final three outs.

    The Gators scored six of their eight runs on home runs today from Skylar Wallace, Korbe Otis and Ariel Kowalewski.

    On her ninth home run of the year, Wallace got all of a pitch in the top of third inning to score herself and Kendra Falby.

    Otis and Kowalewski homered in fourth and fifth innings, respectively.

    Kowalewski’s home run enforced the mercy rule to end the games in five innings, which gave the Gators their 25th run-rule win of the season.

    Florida is back home Saturday at 6 p.m. to start a three-game series against No. 5 LSU.

  • BSB: Gators Power Past Rattlers for Midweek Win

    BSB: Gators Power Past Rattlers for Midweek Win

    Tuesday, the Gators were finally able to find some answers in their midweek game struggles. Hitting five homeruns on the night, two from Brody Donay, UF’s offense was in full force. The bullpen provided nine strikeouts, five from Cade Fisher in a 10-7 win against Florida A&M.

    Florida A&M got on the board early, putting up three runs in the first. In the bottom of the inning, Caglianone was hit by a pitch and Shelnut reached on a walk. Cade Kurland was able to take advantage of the situation and tie the game, 3-3, with a homerun to right field.

    The Rattlers added two more in the second to take the lead and make it 5-3.

    Slater’s day ended after two innings and Fisher Jameson took over. Slater gave up six hits and five runs, striking out one batter. Florida A&M added another run to make it 6-3.

    The Gators were able to capitalize off of the Ratter’s mistakes again in the third as Heyman and Albert were both hit by pitches, and Donay hit a three run homerun to take a 7-6 lead.

    Colby Shelton got in on the homerun party with a solo shot of his own in the fourth, his 13th of the season. Gators now up 8-6.

    Jameson again went 1-2-3 in the fourth and fifth innings, providing a strong outing out of the bullpen. His day ended in the sixth after giving up a solo homerun, and Blake Purnell took over. He had three strikeouts on the day.

    Cade Fisher entered in the top of the seventh inning, ending Purnell’s day after one and one-third innings and one strikeout.

    Caglianone hit his 14th blast of the season in the seventh inning that went 490 feet to right field. Gators up 9-7.

    Donay hit his second homerun of the day, his fourth of the season, to make it 10-7.

    Cade Fisher closed things out in the ninth with two strikeouts. He finished with five strikeouts out of the bullpen.

    Final score, Gators win 10-7 and improve to 17-11 on the season.

    The Gators will travel to play a series against Mizzou this weekend. First pitch will be Friday at 7 p.m.

  • BSB: Caglianone’s Walk-Off Blast Leads Gators Past Mississippi State

    BSB: Caglianone’s Walk-Off Blast Leads Gators Past Mississippi State

    Photo by Jay Biggerstaff | Getty Images

    The Easter Bunny didn’t bring eggs or candy this year. It brought No. 6 Florida baseball fans a walk-off win against No. 21 Mississippi State on the partly cloudy, warm Sunday afternoon.

    Florida’s two-way weapon Jac Caglianone not only delivered a solid start on the mound but propelled the Gators (16-11, 6-3 SEC) to their third straight SEC series win on a two-run home run to right field.

    Florida’s first two runs came in the third and sixth innings on a wild pitch and RBI single from pinch hitter Hayden Yost, respectively.

    The Gators, down by two, lucked out with the brunt of their order coming up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. After Ty Evans was hit by a pitch, the fifth Gator to be hit by a Bulldog pitcher, Caglianone ripped a fastball foul down the right field line.

    He found the sweet spot on the next pitch.

    “It was top spun, so I was hoping that I had enough to get out,” Caglianone said postgame. “So, I was like, please just get up.”

    Almost prophetical, the whole stadium was on its feet as he drilled one into right field to win the game.

    On the mound, he went five and two thirds innings with four of those hitless. He gave up the first run to the Bulldogs (19-10, 4-5 SEC) on an RBI single in the fifth before a two-run sixth inning.

    In the sixth, the Bulldogs scored on another RBI single before Caglianone walked a runner in.

    From there, head coach Kevin O’Sullivan called upon freshman Luke McNeillie to take over in the sixth with two outs.

    “You can’t emphasize it enough, the pitches that he made,” O’Sullivan said.

    McNeillie looked calm as he recorded the final out in the sixth thanks to a diving catch from right fielder Evans.

    “That was the play of the game,” McNeillie said. “If he didn’t make that, we definitely would have lost that game.”

    Luckily for the Gators, Evans made the play, and McNeillie thanked him with three and one third innings of shutout baseball.

    McNeillie finished with no two hits, three strikeouts and his third win.

    He had a rocky start to the season and had given up 16 runs in just five and two thirds innings through four appearances. Since then, the right-hander has been lights out.

    He has thrown 10 straight innings of no-run baseball with 14 strikeouts against the Gators’ tough SEC opponents (and one outing against Jacksonville), all ranked in the top 25 nationally.

    “I think the biggest thing is just trying to stay myself and trust myself,” he said about his performance today.

    Tuesday evening, the Gators are set to host Florida A&M at 6 before heading to Columbia to take on Missouri.

  • BSB: Gators struggle in Saturday night loss to the Bulldogs

    BSB: Gators struggle in Saturday night loss to the Bulldogs

    Photo by Jay Biggerstaff | Getty Images

    Unusually, the No. 6 Gators struggled on all fronts.

    Nothing was clicking for the Gators (15-11, 5-3 SEC) in their loss to the No. 21 Bulldogs Saturday night. With the win, Mississippi State (19-9, 4-4 SEC) evened the series at one a piece.

    The first problem was in the pitching. Starting pitcher Liam Peterson had a solid start through the first three innings but fell apart in the fourth.

    The Bulldogs hit back-to-back home runs before three consecutive RBI singles to stretch a 5-1 lead.

    “We can’t keep letting these things get away from us,” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said postgame.

    Peterson finished with five earned runs, seven hits, two walks and four strikeouts through 3.2 innings pitched. It was his third loss this season.

    With a young pitching staff, O’Sullivan said he knows mistakes are going to be made. But, his team has to learn from them.

    “When one guy makes mistake, the other people need to be paying attention, watching the game and learn from them.”

    The defense struggled at times, as well. After intentionally walking a Bulldog to load the bases and set up a double play, a routine popup fly fell past the defense for a double, scored three of Mississippi State’s runs and extended the inning.

    While recording hits few and far between, batters couldn’t drive runners in to score but had few opportunities. The Gators had six hits to the Bulldogs’ 14.

    Tanner Garrison put the Gators on the board first with an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. However, that was Florida’s only lead of the night.

    Mississippi State totaled 10 unanswered runs through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings until the Gators got one back on a Cade Kurland RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.

    “It’s frustrating to watch,” O’Sullivan said.

    The Bulldogs put the final nail in the coffin on a solo home run in the top of the ninth to extend their lead back to 10 runs.

    Florida’s offense struck out a total of 11 times in the loss and finished with only one extra base hit out of the six. It proved difficult to get runners into scoring position.

    The Gators and Bulldogs square off in the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m. to decide the series winner. Jac Caglianone is set to take the mound.

  • SB: Gators Complete Comeback to Claim Series Win

    SB: Gators Complete Comeback to Claim Series Win

    Saturday, the No. 10 Florida Gators completed a comeback of their own against the No. 17 Mississippi State Bulldogs after giving up the lead in Friday’s contest.

    Keagan Rothrock gave up three runs in the first three frames as the Gators (31-5, 7-2 SEC) stayed quiet offensively.

    But, as on most days, Florida’s offense woke up. Saturday, it was led by catcher Jocelyn Erickson who totaled three RBI with the game winning home run.

    Ava Brown scored the first Gator runs on a two-run shot in the top of the fourth inning. However, the Bulldogs (25-9, 6-6 SEC) added three more to their lead in the fourth.

    Down by three runs going into the fifth inning, the Gators mustered two runs to chip away at the Bulldogs’ lead.

    The Bulldogs were unable to respond before Skylar Wallace tripled and drove in Kendra Falby. Then, Erickson hit the two-run home run to give the Gators a lead going into the bottom of the seventh.

    Rothrock held the Bulldogs to no runs in the seventh and secured the series win for the Gators.

    With the victory, the Gators collected their third straight SEC series win.

    Florida’s next game is Wednesday at 6 p.m. in DeLand, Florida, against Stetson.

  • BSB: Gators Rally For Walk-Off Winner vs Mississippi State

    BSB: Gators Rally For Walk-Off Winner vs Mississippi State

    Photo by James Gilbert | Getty Images

    The Gators scored five runs in the eighth and ninth inning to come from behind and take game one against the Bulldogs 7-6. They improve to an impressive 5-2 in SEC play on the season in a solid night for the Gators bullpen.

    Evans got the Gators on the board first with a solo homerun in the bottom of the first. Gators up early 1-0.

    The Bulldogs responded in the third, tying the game 1-1.

    In the bottom of the third, Garrison hit his first homerun as a Gator to take a 2-1 lead.

    Mississippi State loaded the bases in the fourth and Cade Fisher took over on the mound. The Bulldogs added four runs, going up 5-2. Neely’s first Friday start of the season ended after 3.1 innings with four strikeouts.

    From there, both teams bats were quiet until the seventh inning when the Bulldogs added another run, now up 6-2. Fisher’s day out of the bullpen ended after 3.1 innings and five strikeouts. Fisher Jameson took over for the Gators and then Purnell kept them scoreless in the eighth.

    After a quiet few innings for the Gators offense, they were able to get back on the board with an RBI groundout from Shelnut and then an RBI double from Cade Kurland, now only down 6-4.

    Luke McNeillie continued to work his magic in the ninth, going 1-2-3, striking out every batter he faced. He has not given up a run in SEC play.

    Hayden Yost started the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff single to left field and then Armando Albert walked. Evans brought in a run with two outs on an RBI single to left field, the Gators now only down 6-5. Caglianone singled to load the bases. Tyler Shelnut, the tying run, was walked, and the game was tied 6-6. Kurland hit a single to center field to end the game and score Evans.

    The Gators win 7-6 in walk-off fashion to start their series against the Bulldogs. They move to 5-2 in SEC play on the season.

    Game two will be 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

  • SB: Erickson Leads Gators Past Bulldogs to Even Series

    SB: Erickson Leads Gators Past Bulldogs to Even Series

    Photo by Brian Fox| ChompTalk

    The No. 10 Florida Gators bounced right back to even the series 1-1 against the No. 17 Mississippi State Bulldogs.

    The first runs of the game came in the bottom of the first when the Bulldogs (25-8, 6-5 SEC) took a 2-0 lead.

    The Gators (30-5, 6-2 SEC) put runs on the board and took the lead when catcher Jocelyn Erickson hit a three-run home run in the top of the fourth.

    In her next at bat in the sixth, Erickson homered again. She drove in herself and Korbe Otis.

    She totaled 5 RBI in the win against the Bulldogs.

    With the 5-2 lead, the Gators added two more before Ava Brown homered, as well.

    Florida went into the seventh inning with a 8-2 lead.

    The Bulldogs chipped away at the lead slightly but were unable to take the lead.

    Mississippi State added three more in the seventh but fell short of a comeback and handed the Gators a win to even the series.

    Keagan Rothrock along with Katie Kistler’s extraordinary play halted any hopes of a Bulldog rally.

    The Gators and Bulldogs will compete Saturday at 1 p.m. to claim the series win in Starkville.