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Jackson Castellano is the Baseball contributor for ChompTalk. He is a student at the University of Florida, studying sports media journalism. Contact Jackson Castellano at jaxcastellano@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter @jaxacastellano.
  • BSB: Gators clobber Missouri in weekend opener

    BSB: Gators clobber Missouri in weekend opener

    Photo by James Gilbert | Getty Images

    It’s unclear if the Florida Gators came in extra motivated by a disappointing series on the road against South Carolina last weekend. However, if there was any extra motivation, it propelled UF a long way.

    No. 4 Florida (33-10, 12-7 SEC) defeated Missouri (24-17, 5-14 SEC) in a 11-1 run-rule beatdown that only needed seven innings to decide.

    Friday starting pitcher Brandon Sproat got to work early in the series opener, retiring six straight batters with four strikeouts to kick off the contest.

    The Gators took advantage of the clean scoreboard with six runs in the bottom of the second. Santa Fe College transfer Tyler Shelnut launched a three-run bomb followed by sophomore two-way player Jac Caglianone’s 24th homer of the year to make it 6-0. It put him just two home runs away from tying Matt LaPorta and Wyatt Langford’s single-season record.

    Sproat let up his first hit in the fourth on a double. A pair of sacrifice flies scored the runner for what would eventually be Mizzou’s only score.

    Florida took no time to respond, and that response came from an unlikely source. Redshirt freshman Michael Robertson, who had started in 39 games without a homer, launched a solo-shot over the wall for the first of his UF career. Veteran catcher BT Riopelle launched a solo bomb of his own in the fifth inning to make it 8-1 Gators.

    On the mound, Sproat was able to work through seven innings with just one more hit and walk through the effort. Unbeknownst to him, this would be enough for a complete game Friday night.

    The Gators entered the bottom seventh up 9-1 and approaching the run rule. After a wild pitch scored Riopelle to bring it down to one run, Shelnut finished what he started with an RBI single to close the contest.

    Florida will look for the series win tomorrow against Mizzou. The game has been moved up to noon in anticipation of inclement weather. It will stream on SEC Network+.

  • NFL Draft: Richardson Selected No. 4 Overall by Indianapolis

    NFL Draft: Richardson Selected No. 4 Overall by Indianapolis

    Photo by Stacy Revere | Getty Images

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Quarterback Anthony Richardson was selected fourth overall by the Indianapolis Colts after three years at the University of Florida.

    The prolific dual-threat quarterback finished his collegiate career with 24 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing scores, while throwing for over 3,000 yards.

    Richardson’s eye-popping combine and pro day results vaulted his stock up the draft boards. Weighing in at 6’ 4” and 244 pounds, he clocked a 4.43 40 yard dash. He set two quarterback records in the broad jump and vertical jump, with a 10’ 9” broad jump and 40.5” vertical. Richardson also showed off his arm strength throwing multiple deep balls and even a ball off the roof at the UF pro day.

    Richardson will look to be the face of the Colts franchise, who have been struggling to find consistent quarterback play since Andrew Luck’s retirement.

  • LAX: No. 8 Gators Take Down Dolphins in Jacksonville

    LAX: No. 8 Gators Take Down Dolphins in Jacksonville

    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The no. 8 Gators lacrosse team (13-3) defeated the Jacksonville Dolphins (9-7) 16-11 Wednesday night.

    Six Gators netted goals in the contest, with Maggi Hall scoring a team-high five goals. Madison Waters and Emily Heller had hat tricks as well, with three apiece. Ashley Gonzalez and Danielle Pavinelli netted two goals, while Emma LoPinto added one to increase her team lead.

    Emily Diaz and Paisley Eagan led the team with three draw controls. Kaitlyn Davies, Heller, and Liz Harrison had two each.

    LoPinto led the team with two assists and Hall and Gonzalez assisted with one each.

    On the defensive side of the ball, Catherine Flaherty collected three groundballs, while Heller had two.

    Goalkeeper Sarah Reznick saved five shots in her 54 minutes in goal for a .417 save percentage. Elyse Finnelle closed out the win with four saves and a .500 save percentage.

    The Gators will wrap up regular season play when they travel to play the Old Dominion Monarchs on Saturday at 12 p.m.

  • SB: Gators Drop Top-15 Sunshine State Showdown to Seminoles in Tallahassee

    SB: Gators Drop Top-15 Sunshine State Showdown to Seminoles in Tallahassee

    After being swept by No. 3 Tennessee in Knoxville this past weekend, No. 14 Florida lost 5-3 to No. 4 Florida State Wednesday at JoAnne Graf Field in Tallahassee. Following their fourth straight loss, the Gators drop to 32-15 overall and 7-8 on the road.

    In the circle, Florida right-hander Elizabeth Hightower made her 23rd start this season but surrendered five earned runs on five hits and five walks en route to earning her third loss in the last four games.

    In the bottom of the fourth, senior southpaw Rylee Trlicek entered the circle in relief after Hightower gave up a two-run double without recording an out. Trlicek pitched the final three frames while yielding only one walk and a pair of singles.

    At the dish, the Gators managed only four hits and one walk off the trio of FSU pitchers who appeared in the circle.

    Shortstop Skylar Wallace — who earned D1Softball National Player of the Week honors Tuesday after she went 8-13 (.615) with three home runs and seven RBIs last week — ended her 11-game hit streak. But Wallace drew a walk to lead off the game before the redshirt junior stole her 28th base this year — leads the team — and scored on second baseman Reagan Walsh’s sacrifice fly.

    Two innings later, Walsh hit a two-out, two-run bomb — her sixth home run this season — to the opposite field to break the Seminoles’ no-hitter and give Florida its second and final lead of the night.

    The Sunshine State rivals will meet for a rematch this Wednesday in Gainesville.

    Box Score

    UF: 3 / 4 / 1

    FSU: 5 / 7 / 1

    Pitching Decision

    Win: DuBois (5-3)

    Loss: Hightower (14-9)

    Save: Sandercock (7)

    Individual Stats

    RHP Hightower: 3 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 1 K

    LHP Trlicek: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

    1. SS Wallace: 0-3, BB, SB (28)
    2. 3B Echols: 0-2, RBI
    3. 2B Walsh: 1-2, 2 RBI, HR (6)
    4. RF Egan: 0-2, HBP, 2 K
    5. 1B Wilkie: 1-3, K
    6. DP Gigante: 0-2, 2 K
    7. C Longley: 1-3, 2 K
    8. CF A. Goelz: 0-3, K
    9. LF Falby: 1-3, K

    On Deck

    The Gators will return to Gainesville this weekend to welcome Ole Miss for their final home series of the regular season. Florida swept the Rebels last year in Oxford, and Ole Miss won only one of its first six SEC series this season. The Gators maintain a two-game advantage over the Rebels in the conference standings entering the weekend. The series opener is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. Game two will air on the SEC Network Saturday at 3 p.m.

  • BSB: The good, the bad, and the reality of Florida’s series vs. South Carolina

    BSB: The good, the bad, and the reality of Florida’s series vs. South Carolina

    Photo by James Gilbert | Getty Images

    Up to this past weekend, the Florida Gators were cruising through the season with little adversity. Far from perfect, the Gators had still won each of their weekend series and were 11-4 in Southeastern Conference play, with a No. 3 ranking nationally.

    Florida hit a speed bump this weekend in Columbia, South Carolina.

    The Gators (31-10, 11-7 SEC) now ranked 4th in the D1Baseball top-25 rankings, were swept in their weekend series with the No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks (34-6, 13-4 SEC).

    Reaction on social media has been panicked. After winning with question marks all season, UF was stumped by South Carolina. The Gators only led for two innings collectively across the three games and only met half of the Gamecocks’ weekend run total (26-13).

    There is more to be considered when it comes to the weekend series. Although there are certainly issues to be addressed in terms of consistency on both sides of the ball, the Gators were swept by what is a good South Carolina team. UF is its third conference sweep, albeit next to Georgia and Missouri. The Gamecocks are growing into what looks like one of the top teams this season, jumping from sixth to third in the top-25 and from second to first in the RPI.

    A sweep is a sweep, but there is more to be unpacked from the Gators’ weekend skid.

    The Good

    The “good” here isn’t really about what UF did good this weekend — because there isn’t much to be said. The pitching from starters to relief wasn’t at its peak and the batting was far from it. But there’s reasons to believe this happened in a vacuum of sorts.

    There’s no argument Florida is one of the better offensive teams this season. The batting has been solid through the order and it’s hard to think a bad weekend will completely derail that.

    Pitching has been a lingering issue throughout the season. The relief is spotty, but at its peak UF’s starting rotation looks like one of the best in the country. When the Gators’ starters can go seven or more innings, the bullpen can usually work something out with the final two.

    That’s not an easy ask, however. As seen this weekend, Florida seems in limbo if one of its aces has a blowup start. Still, the flashes of potential shows the Gators can pitch well where it counts, and its more of a matter if they will.

    The Bad

    The nice thing about a vacuum is it doesn’t reflect upon the whole season. If things go bad, it doesn’t necessarily make the team bad. What seems to panic Florida fans more than anything is the idea of what will happen in must-win games.

    This is a valid point. Regional, super regional and perhaps college world series games at times are both single-game vacuums and highly consequential. While the Gators have a solid track record overall with a couple blemishes, a season can end very fast if those blemishes rear their heads in must-win games later this season.

    Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s temperament suggests the Gators aren’t going to panic as much as their fanbase. Still, there is some quality control to be done in Florida wants to avoid a sweep in a series that has bigger implications in June.

    The Reality

    Things aren’t going to get easier for UF. The Gators face two more top-25 teams in weekend series before regional play, hosting No. 5 Vanderbilt and traveling No. 16 Kentucky, who is ranked second in RPI. Vandy is a perennial challenger and Kentucky has played multiple higher ranked teams and looked better this year.

    Still, there’s 14 games left before post-season play begins with the SEC Tournament. There isn’t much reason to think Florida will have a total collapse in that time. The Gators will likely still be a top-25 team and host a top-10 regional. Beyond that is where it gets tricky. For now, Florida fans shouldn’t panic and rather should choose to re-evaluate in late May.

  • SB: Wallace Shines as Gators Suffer Series Sweep in Knoxville

    SB: Wallace Shines as Gators Suffer Series Sweep in Knoxville

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk

    After winning back-to-back SEC home series, No. 14 Florida got swept by No. 3 Tennessee Monday in Knoxville.

    The Lady Vols run-ruled the Gators in Saturday’s series opener before they prevailed 11-10 Sunday night to clinch the series. Tennessee completed the series sweep Monday with a 10-6 victory.

    Florida shortstop Skylar Wallace extended her hit streak to 11 games after the redshirt junior went 6-10 against Tennessee with six RBIs and a home run in all three games.

    Wallace — who earned D1Softball National Player of the Week honors Tuesday — leads the SEC in nearly every offensive category. The Woodstock, Georgia, native leads the nation in on-base percentage (.623) and slugging percentage (1.098).

    In Monday’s series finale, Gator third baseman Charla Echols and junior Emily Wilkie each recorded multi-hit games with a solo shot. Following her ninth home run this season, Echols leads Florida and ranks third in the SEC with 52 RBIs.

    After hitting a walk-off, grand slam last week against USF, Wilkie went yard to the opposite field for her fifth homer this year.

    In the circle, Florida right-hander Elizabeth Hightower and southpaw Rylee Trlicek struggled.

    Hightower pitched in all three games but gave up nine earned runs across five innings en route to picking up a pair of losses. Trlicek started Sunday’s game and yielded seven earned runs in five innings before the senior Texas native allowed five earned runs in only 2 1/3 innings Monday to earn the loss.

    Following the series sweep, Florida drops to 32-14 overall, 7-7 on the road, and 8-10 in conference play — eighth place in the SEC standings.

    Game 1 Box Score (F/5)

    Florida: 1 / 4 / 0

    Tennessee: 9 / 5 / 2

    Game 2 Box Score

    Florida: 10 / 9 / 1

    Tennessee: 11 / 9 / 4

    Game 3 Box Score

    Florida: 6 / 8 / 1

    Tennessee: 10 / 13 / 1

    Mid-Week Rivalry Game On Deck

    The Gators will return to the Sunshine State to face another top-five ranked opponent — No. 4 Florida State — Wednesday in Tallahassee. The Seminoles boast a 26-2 home record this season and will enter the matchup on a five-game winning streak. Florida leads the all-time series, but FSU prevailed in both meetings with its rival last year. Wednesday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will air on the ACC Network.

    This weekend, Florida will return to Gainesville to welcome Ole Miss for its final home series of the season. The Rebels won only one of their first six SEC series this year. Game two will air on the SEC Network Saturday at 3 p.m.

  • LAX: Gators Dominate Vanderbilt; Improve to 12-3 Overall

    LAX: Gators Dominate Vanderbilt; Improve to 12-3 Overall

    GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 8 Gators lacrosse team (12-3) dominated the Vanderbilt Commodores (3-11) on Saturday afternoon, 22-6.

    The offensive onslaught was led by Danielle Pavinelli and Emily Heller, scoring four goals each. Emma LoPinto had a hat-trick of her own, while Paisley Eagan and Madison Waters netted two. Emily Diaz, Jill Quigley, Maggi Hall, Sarah Mackey, Tayler Warehime, Ashley Gonzalez and Madison Reilly scored one for the Gators. 

    Eagan and LoPinto had three assists on the day, while Pavinelli had two and Kaitlyn Davies, Jill Quigley, Janine Suris and Kelly Schluederberg had one. Hall served up a team and career-high four assists.

    Emily Diaz had control of the circle all afternoon winning six draws.

    The Gators’ defense turned in another fantastic performance, causing ten turnovers and letting the Commodores convert on 6-23 shooting.

    Sarah Reznick and Elyse Finnelle saved five and three goals each, with a save percentage of .556 and .600.

    The Gators will wrap up the regular season on the road against the Jacksonville University Dolphins this Wednesday at 7 p.m.

  • SB: Wilkie Hits Walk-off Grand Slam to Lift Gators Over Bulls

    SB: Wilkie Hits Walk-off Grand Slam to Lift Gators Over Bulls

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk

    Knotted up at three runs entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Florida junior Emily Wilkie dug into the right-handed batter’s box with the bases loaded and one out. On a 2-0 count, Wilkie tattooed a 60 mph pitch over the left-center-field wall — her fourth home run this year — to lift the Gators past in-state rival USF 7-3.

    Sophomore second baseman Reagan Walsh gave Florida an early lead with a two-run shot in bottom of the first.

    In her past three games, Walsh is 7-11 at the pate with five RBIs.

    An inning later, Gator shortstop Skylar Wallace recorded her 11th multi-hit performance of the season and drove in her 44th run — tied for fifth most the in the SEC.

    Florida right-hander Elizabeth Hightower started in the circle and allowed three earned runs across five innings. In the top of the sixth, senior southpaw Rylee Trlicek came in for relief and recorded the final six outs en route to picking up her 11th win this season.

    After capping off their eight-game home stand with a victory, the No. 13 Gators improve to 32-11 and 21-4 at home.

    Box Score

    USF: 3 / 5 / 0

    UF: 7 / 10 / 0

    Pitching Decision

    Win: Trlicek (11-2)

    Loss: Ponn (3-1)

    Individual Stats

    RHP Hightower: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

    LHP Trlicek: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

    1. SS Wallace: 2-3, RBI, BB, 2 SB (26)
    2. LF Falby: 0-3, BB, 3 K
    3. 3B Echols: 0-4
    4. 2B Walsh: 3-4, 2 RBI, HR (5)
    5. RF Egan: 0-3, BB, K
    6. DP Roe: 1-2, HBP
    7. C Longley: 1-2, 2 BB
    8. 1B Wilkie: 2-4, 4 RBI, HR (4)
    9. CF: A. Goelz: 1-3, K

    On Deck

    The Gators will travel to Knoxville, Tennessee, this weekend to face the No. 4 Lady Volunteers in a three-game series. Saturday’s series opener will air on ESPNU at 4 p.m. before games two and three on Sunday and Monday air on the SEC Network at 7 p.m.

    Tennessee currently leads the SEC with a 13-2 conference record and a 35-5 overall record. Florida and Tennessee split their previous 10 meetings, but the two rivals haven’t met in Knoxville since 2017.

  • BSB: Bats Erupt in Gators’ Defeat of FAMU

    BSB: Bats Erupt in Gators’ Defeat of FAMU

    Photo by James Gilbert | Getty Images

    Final: Gators 17, FAMU 7 (7 Innings)

    Florida DH/1B/LHP Jac Caglianone continued to add to his candidacy for the nation’s top honor, the Golden Spikes, with his performance Tuesday.

    Caglianone got the scoring started with his first at-bat as he hit a sacrifice fly to center that plated the Gators’ first run of the night.

    An inning later, Caglianone crushed an 0-1 pitch that might still be in orbit. The homer was his nation-leading twenty-second of the year through 38 games.

    For good measure, Caglianone added a double in the third inning that put a pair of runners in scoring position. Both runners would score in the third as Florida jumped out to a 13-2 lead through three innings.

    Florida started little used infielders Dale Thomas and Deric Fabian for the matchup and they didn’t disappoint. Fabian smashed a blast to the berm and finished the day 1-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Thomas added an RBI double to the statline, as well.

    Armed with a large lead, Florida was able to get more work out of younger, inexperienced players. Wyatt Langford was replaced after a 2-2 start to the game and catcher Rene Lastres saw time behind the plate, until suffering an injury to the groin.

    Freshman Luke Heyman finished the night 2-2 with four RBI, thanks largely to three sacrifice flies and a solo homer of his own.

    Freshman Yoel Tejeda, Jr. (1-0) got the start for Florida and threw four innings. Fisher Jameson, Blake Purnell, and Clete Hartzog also saw action on the mound. Hartzog threw a perfect inning in the top of the seventh to preserve the run-rule victory. Since he has pitched more than half of the game. Tejeda was awarded with his first collegiate win.

    Florida improved to 31-7 overall while the Rattlers are now 18-18 on the season.

    The Gators will bus to Columbia, SC Wednesday morning as they prepare for a Thursday-Friday-Saturday series against the nation’s No. 6 ranked team, South Carolina.

  • MBB: Gators Land Commitment of Seton Hall C Tyrese Samuel

    MBB: Gators Land Commitment of Seton Hall C Tyrese Samuel

    Photo by Rich Schultz | Getty Images

    Florida head coach Todd Golden is in the process of rebuilding the Gators’ roster and appears to be building from the inside out.

    The Gators have already reeled in 7’1 center Micah Handlogten and 6’8 forward EJ Jarvis. Sunday night, 6’10 big man, Tyrese Samuel announced his commitment to Florida via social media.

    https://twitter.com/Tyrese5G/status/1647769065228840960

    Samuel spent the last four years at Seton Hall, appearing in 118 games for the Pirates.

    In 2022-23, the Montreal, Canada native posted an average statline of 11 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per contest.

    In addition to what Samuel brings on the court, he is also a three time member of the Big East All-Academic team. He will have one year of eligibility remaining.