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  • WGYM Liveblog: No. 2 Florida at No. 1 Oklahoma

    WGYM Liveblog: No. 2 Florida at No. 1 Oklahoma

    It’s the top meet in the country this week – and maybe all season – as the Gators face longtime championship rival Oklahoma!

    Competing in the top-ranked meet in the nation isn’t anything new for Florida; they’ve had that honor twice already this season. But there’s something different about competing against Oklahoma that will challenge the Gators in a way they haven’t been challenged yet – they come into this meet the underdogs.

    Oklahoma has put on dominant performance after dominant performance this season, reaching a season high of 198.575 last week in its fifth straight score of over 198. In comparison, Florida has only scored over 198 twice this year, with the highest a 198.35.

    That said, Florida still has not put together what head coach Jenny Rowland would call a “complete meet.” At a media availability earlier this week, Rowland shared that that was something this team was still striving for and had not hit yet. These Gators have put together several strong rotations, but never a complete 100% hit on all four events and all twenty-four routines. If they can figure it out tonight in Norman, they might have a chance at beating the Sooners.

    Tonight will see some of the highest-quality gymnastics that fans will be treated to throughout the season, as there are three or more athletes on both teams ranked in the top 10 on at least one event. In the all-around, three of the top ten in the nation are Gators: Trinity Thomas at No. 3, Leanne Wong at No. 8, and Kayla DiCello at No. 10. Thomas is also T-6 on vault, T-1 on bars, T-8 on beam, and No. 2 on floor. Wong is T-4 on bars, and DiCello is T-4 on beam. Aside from these stellar three, Sloane Blakely’s confidence has been rising lately – watch for her potentially on all four, but if she’s dialed in, her vault and floor will especially killer. Victoria Nguyen also has some gorgeous lines on her three events, and her unique dance elements are sure to wow on beam and floor.

    For the Sooners, Jordan Bowers leads their all-around efforts at No. 5, as well as T-6 on vault and T-4 on beam. Kat LeVasseur is T-4 on vault, Audrey Davis T-4 on bars, and Faith Torrez No. 6 on floor. Apart from these four, Olivia Trautman is one to watch – she struggles with nagging injuries every year, but as postseason approaches, she slides into lineups one by one. Ragan Smith is also a force on her three events, but beam is her specialty – she has three 10.0s on the event in her career.

    One last element that could boost the Gators over the Sooners tonight is the return of a few injured athletes. Rachel Baumann’s return on vault would give the Gators six 10.0 start-value vaults, which Oklahoma has had for awhile now. Savannah Schoenherr should also be nearing a return after breaking her foot the night before season began, with the team needing her most and her likeliest ready routine both being on bars. Either of them stepping into the lineups with ready routines would be major boons to Florida, but both would really give the Gators an edge they haven’t yet had this season.

    It all starts at 9pm ET on ESPN2, but if you can’t find a TV or don’t have access, we’ll have all the action for you minute by minute here on our liveblog!

    8:59pm: Banner under the basketball game is saying first vault at 9:05, so we will be patient!

    Not sure who Sam has in the arena but I trust her to know – this is VERY curious, especially against Oklahoma. However, it’s not all about winning… a strong away score will be good enough for this team to stay in a strong seeding position for NQS, and they’ll know it’s not a 1:1 comparison come postseason if they don’t put up their top athletes tonight.

    9:05pm: No lies were told! Here we go!

    Sievers, VT: Yurchenko 1.5, a little slow as she twists but she just drops it into a stick. Feet a little bit apart, but they are starting off ridiculously hot.

    Blakely, UB: Maloney to pak salto, some leg separation on the Maloney. Solid final handstand work. Double front, DRILLS it! That’s the way to start this competition!

    Stern, VT: The way she used to go much later in this lineup and now she’s only second… speaks to the quality of the rest of the vaults in this group. Yurchenko 1.5, great distance, little hop forward.

    Nguyen, UB: A little shy on the opening handstand – Maloney is pasted together but some leg sep on the pak. Last handstand also looked short? DLO, saluted herself into a slide backward.

    LeVasseur, VT: Y1.5, another little slide forward, huge distance, maybe a little off to one side?

    DiCello, UB: Ray is HUGE, good toe point. Great handstand there. Pak is strong. Low bar work is solid. van Leeuwen looks good, just the dismount now. Full out, just that little step on the landing.

    9:11pm: Trautman, VT: Only her second competitive vault this year – Y1.5, a little knee bends in the air, maybe crossed ankles, but she sticks it! Aaaaaaand we have our first 10.0. The first vault from Sievers was superior, in my opinion.

    Thomas, UB: Maloney to pak, super clean. van Leeuwen, excellent. DRILLS her DLO! The handstand angles are impossible to tell from these camera angles, but Kathy is gushing about her handstands, so I’m assuming it was another banger.

    Bowers, VT: Y1.5, very clean, little hop forward. They are really nailing these.

    Wong, UB: Maloney to pak salto, super patient with it. Legs glued together on the van Leeuwen. DLO, I think she maybe showed enough control to get the stick? She was so excited though, she saluted and started jumping around more quickly than I would’ve liked to see.

    Davis, VT: Y1.5, some major knees as she blocks, cleans it up as she comes in for the landing, little hop.

    McCusker, UB: Maloney to pak salto, just gorgeous. The extension and toe point – incredible. Stalder to double tuck, really makes sure they saw her stick. That’ll be another great score!

    We are really off to the races, y’all!

    AFTER ONE: OU 49.6, UF 49.525

    https://twitter.com/mycluttereddesk/status/1631841173953232897?s=20
    https://twitter.com/hharden85/status/1631842039619788802?s=20

    9:24pm: Rotation 2 time!

    Richards, VT: Y1.5, SHE STICKS IT! That’s the best vault she’s ever done, holy cow!

    Sievers, UB: Transitions look super clean, she’s got such a patient swing. DLO dismount is stuck! A stick machine tonight, she’s 2 for 2.

    Wong, VT: Yhalf on, pike half off – not as good as last week but better than most of the rest of this season. Clean in the air, decent body position on the landing, little slide back.

    Fletcher, UB: Piked Jaeger is gorgeous! Pak whips a little bit. Solid low bar handstand. Short on the last high bar one though. Little scoot back as she saluted out of her full in dismount.

    Blakely, VT: Y1.5, big distance but a big hop and off to the side. I would rather her do that than underdo it like she has previously, but hopefully that can be the score they drop.

    Victoria Nguyen will be debuting her Y1.5 at the end of the lineup though!!

    Trautman, UB: Super clean transitions, legs just glued together. DLO dismount just floats down into a stick. She is an absolute rock for this team, incredible how she comes in just to finish the season like this.

    DiCello, VT: Y1.5, just a little hop in place! Great distance, some knees in the air, it’s more visible in slow-mo.

    Smith, UB: Great Ray to open. Pak floats down nicely. Low bar handstand is a little funky, but final one is much better. DLO dismount, little hop.

    9:31pm: Thomas, VT: Okay, here we go! Needs to be another good one tonight. Y1.5, single step forward but it’s more than shoulder width. Big amplitude though.

    Bowers, UB: Great opening handstand work. Jaeger is fantastic, nice and high and pointed toes all the way through. Pak salto is clean. Maybe a little shy on the low bar handstand, final handstand looked okay. Full in dismount is stuck!

    Nguyen, VT: Her vault debut! She misses the board and doesn’t have time to recover, can’t block, goes end over end over the board. Clearly stunned, but is able to get up and walk away on her own power. She may be on concussion protocol after that.

    Davis, UB: A gorgeous routine, but I wasn’t paying enough attention, I was worried about Nguyen. Slow-mo showing off her excellent handstand work and her stuck dismount.

    AFTER TWO: OU 99.125, UF 99.05

    Even despite not being as dialed in on vault as Oklahoma, Florida didn’t lose any ground on that rotation. The bigger concern is going to be if Nguyen can’t compete on beam or floor if she had planned to – Florida will have to regroup and change things up. They have the depth to do so, but it’s always a little jarring to watch a teammate have a miss like that and then have to step in last-minute. Rowland did confirm that Nguyen is thankfully okay physically, but we’ll see what her mental situation is after this.

    9:43pm: Rotation 3 time!

    Dunn, BB: Fun opening choreo into a forward roll on the beam. Triple series – back handspring, back handspring, layout stepout (bhs bhs loso), very solid. Dance series is clean, nice 180-degree positions in the air. Gainer full off the side is stuck! A great leadoff, as she has been for quite a while for the Sooners.

    Clapper, FX: Looks like lots of athletes resting on floor this week. Opens with a Rudi to layout-stepout (loso), takes it riiiight to the corner. Switch side to Popa, not super amplitude but plenty clean and shouldn’t incur a deduction. 1.5 to front layout, has to really pull that second element around. Good for her first competitive routine all season, but that will not be a postseason option, I can’t imagine.

    Trautman, BB: Bhs loso for her series, nicely done. Cat leap to switch side, little bobble there. Front toss, super solid. Roundoff 1.5 twist, has to step on the landing. It’s good to know they’re not absolutely killing every detail here.

    Brubach, FX: Front lay to Rudi, big slide back on the landing. A little bouncy coming out of her dance series, but great split positions in the landing. Double tuck to close it out, much better on this one. Another solid outing, but again, not what they’ll want for post.

    9:50pm: Bowers, BB: Fun opening choreography low on the beam as she gets started, showcasing her flexibility and different angles across the beam. Bhs loso series, dead on. Split leap, switch half, a little awkward. Roundoff double full dismount, stuck! Had to squat for it but held it fast.

    Baumann, FX: Double wolf turn, quick and steady to get her started. 1.5 to front full, great control as she dances right out of it. Switch side to straddle jump, incredible amplitude and oversplit, travels maybe a little bit. So sharp in all her choreography here. Double pike, bounces OOB – just one foot, but that is not ideal.

    Davis, BB: Full turn to start, clean and quick. Bhs loso, some soft knees and a balance check. Front aerial, much better there. Ring jump, definitely could’ve used more angle as she threw her head back. Roundoff double full is stuck though! That’s a way to cap off a routine.

    Richards, FX: DLO to open, a little bouncy on the landing but stayed in bounds. That may be the meet right there unless Oklahoma gets bouncy too. 1.5 to front full, much better here. I expect Richards to be a possibility for postseason, but she will want a cleaner routine than that.

    9:58pm: Torrez, BB: Wolf jump to open. Side aerial loso and she’s off! Wow! That’s unusual for Oklahoma. Rest of the routine looks clean, dismount is stuck, but OU will need to drop this score to stay competitive.

    Wong, FX: Piked double arabian, one of her best! Does connect the sissone this week. Dance series is lovely and precise. Love the balletic choreography in here, her dance training really shines through. Whip half to front full – that’s maybe her best routine this season? Amazing!

    Smith, BB: Love her handstand mount sequence! Bhs loso, just lays it in, patient with it. Front aerial, bobbles there. Straddle 1/2 to immediate bhs swingdown/korbut, that’s great innovation there! Full turn is clean. Bhs gainer full stuck! Sooners will drop the fall.

    Hurd, FX: Front lay to front full, solid control coming out of that. Switch ring to switch half, gorgeous. Switch ring half, it’s a good one. Double pike, it’s great but slings it out too far and just lands OOB. Other than that, maybe her strongest routine yet.

    AFTER THREE: OU 148.6, UF 148.225

    Yeah, barring a bunch of OOBs or a counting fall or start value issue from Oklahoma on floor, that’s the meet right there.

    Glad it wasn’t just me! I can’t wait until she puts that routine together 100%, it’s going to score so well.

    10:14pm: Last rotation!

    Blakely, BB: Front aerial to bhs, super floaty, good for her. Switch to switch half to beat, maybe a little back leg on the half? Gainer full off the side is stuck! That’s a great way to reset after a rough floor.

    Johnson, FX: Front lay to Rudi, maybe a little off axis as she twisted, but lands with plenty control. Dance series is clean. Double tuck to close is really short, she can’t really mask it at all.

    Lazzari, BB: Triple series to open is just fantastic. Switch leap to split jump, lovely 180 positions there. Front aerial, just lays it in. Full turn is clean. Cartwheel to gainer full, lands in a deep squat but keeps the stick!

    Davis, FX: Front double full to open, solid control coming out of it. Very precise with her dance series, wow. 1.5 to front full, clean twisting form throughout. Not in love with the choreography, she hits some really strange, sometimes awkward shapes, but it’s clearly the position she’s intending. But that’s personal preference.

    DiCello, BB: Candle mount, excellent. Double wolf, BIG bobble in the second rotation but hangs on somehow. Switch leap to split jump, gorgeous extension in both. Bhs loso, lean to one side but recovers. Front aerial much better. Bhs gainer full off the side is stuck! Not her best, but lots of fight – we love to see that, especially in a freshman.

    Fletcher, FX: Huge open double tuck to start, we love to see it. Front lay to front full, came up short but somehow stood it up? Talk about fight! Dance series nice and precise, great extension through her feet. 2.5 twist, super floaty, just a single step forward. Gorgeous.

    10:25pm: Thomas, BB: Split leap mount. Switch leap to split leap, lovely. They’re playing Lift Me Up for her beam music, I kinda love it. One-arm bhs loso, little bobble there. Puts the front aerial to two feet back in, yes! Beat to korbut, solid. Side aerial 1.5, it’s stuck, but not her most polished routine. She’s clearly not thrilled with herself.

    Sievers, FX: Full in to open, wow! Front through to double tuck, good control there as well. Really milking the choreography section here – that’s all that’s left in her routine, since she front-loads her tumbling. Another great one for OU.

    Wong, BB: Switch leap to split leap, lovely through both. Just lays her series in, bhs loso. Full turn is steady. Front aerial to beat, quick connection there. Roundoff double full, she thought about fighting for the stick but decided just to take the step.

    Torrez, FX: DLO to open, great control, does not move her front foot a bit. Dance series is clean, really floats down from that last element. Front through to double tuck, great amplitude as she finishes out. That’ll be a great score for the freshman.

    McCusker, BB: Double wolf turn, much steadier than her teammate before her. Beat jump to front aerial, came in short, it looked like her foot slipped almost? Gets back up, nails her series! Switch leap to split leap, just gorgeous through those. Gainer full is stuck! With another chance next week, I think that could be a really incredible routine for the Gators.

    Bowers, FX: Double pike to open is ENORMOUS and so crisp. Dance pass is excellent. Front double full to front tuck, almost sits it but somehow stands it up?? Oklahoma was not perfect tonight either – they are fallible. If Florida had had their proper floor lineup ready tonight, it might have been much, much closer.

    FINAL: OU 197.95, UF 197.7

    Wong wins the AA with a 39.675, Trautman takes vault with that perfect 10.0, bars goes to Thomas at 9.975, Bowers and Blakely tie for the beam title at 9.95, and Wong and Torrez tie for the floor crown also at 9.95.

    Definitely not the meet we expected tonight, but I’ll have some thoughts late next weekend after Florida’s final regular season meet. I’ll be doing a regular season report card and talking about the most important points moving into postseason, so stick around! We’ll see you back here for the TWU quad meet next Sunday. Goodnight!

  • BSB: Gators Drop Midweek Contest vs Jacksonville, 10-8

    BSB: Gators Drop Midweek Contest vs Jacksonville, 10-8

    One night after securing a ten-run win in Jacksonville, the Florida Gators dropped a 10-8 decision to the JU Dolphins Wednesday night.

    Despite pounding out eight runs, the Florida pitching staff struggled with command all night. As a unit, the Florida pitchers walked eleven batters and hit three more.

    Florida opened the scoring after a clean first frame from freshman RHP Yoel Tejada on a blast from DH Jac Caglianone. For the sophomore, it was his nation-leading eighth homer of the year.

    Freshman Luke Heyman continued the scoring in the second with an RBI double that tracked all the way to the wall in left, plating Tyler Shelnut, who had singled in the previous at-bat.

    Tejada pitched well through two innings, but that all fell apart in the third as he walked four batters, giving Jacksonville their first run without having to swing the bat. LHP Blake Purnell took over and got the Gators out of the jam with just the one run ceeded.

    JU followed by taking the lead in the fourth. Purnell started the inning with a walk and a hit batter and watched those two come around to score on a single by Cam Ridley to make it a 3-2 ballgame.

    Back to back fielding errors by JU in the bottom of the fourth inning allowed the Gators to take a 5-3 lead. Michael Robertson reached on an error at first and Cade Kurland reached on an E-5 that cleared the bases.

    What followed was simply (March) madness.

    JU scored six runs in the sixth inning off three pitchers. The Dolphins recorded five hits and walked four times against three different Florida pitchers.

    Jacksonville added another run in the seventh after a one out walk came around to score following a two out single.

    Josh Rivera cut the deficit to 10-6 with a solo shot to the batter’s eye in center.

    While the Gators added a pair of runs on a bases loaded single by Kurland, the damage was limited as both Wyatt Langford and Caglianone were forced to fly out to end the threat.

    For the game, Rivera, Ty Evans, and Tyler Shelnut each recorded two hits. Clete Hertzog, making his first appearance as a Gator, recorded a 1-2-3 inning and struck out the side in the eighth.

    Florida falls to 8-2 overall with No. 22 Miami coming to town for a weekend series beginning Friday evening.

  • Will Richard’s Big Night Helps Florida Take Down Georgia

    Will Richard’s Big Night Helps Florida Take Down Georgia

    Photo by Brandon Sumrall | Getty Images

    The Florida Gators (15-15, 8-9 SEC) were victorious over the Georgia Bulldogs (16-14, 6-11 SEC) Tuesday night in Athens 77-67.

    The Gators’ 3-point specialist, Will Richard, scored a career high 24 points on 8-11 shooting and 5-8 from downtown to lift Florida over the Bulldogs. Freshman phenom Riley Kugel also had a good night offensively as he scored 19 points, going 8-12 from the floor.

    This was Florida’s eighth straight win over Georgia dating back to the 2018-19 season. With the win, the Gators snapped their three-game losing streak while the Bulldogs extended their skid to four straight.

    Gators Close Out First Half Hot

    Georgia took the lead right off the bat as senior guard Terry Roberts drained a 3-pointer on the first possession. He scored again two trips later on a putback layup to put the Bulldogs up five early.

    Florida responded to the five unanswered points by Georgia with an 11-2 run that was fueled by two made shots from Kugel and a long-range bomb from Richard.

    After an Aleks Szymczyk layup for Florida, Bulldogs’ center Frank Anselem got the crowd going in Athens on an alley-oop slam off a beautiful feed from Justin Hill. This trimmed the Gator lead to one.

    With 12:47 to play in the first half, Gator forward Kowacie Reeves made both free throws at the line to put Florida up 17-14. After these points, the Orange & Blue went over four minutes without putting one in the bucket that was ended by Trey Bonham’s two free throws. Florida still only trailed by one after a good few minutes on the defensive end.

    The Gators responded to this scoring drought with a 14-2 run. They hit three straight triples; one from Kugel, one from Richard and a straightaway 28-footer from Myreon Jones. A few possessions later, Jones put in an up-and-under layup. Richard then knocked down another 3-pointer from a few steps behind the left wing. This hot offensive run gave Florida a 37-28 lead.

    Richard scored the last nine points for Florida in the half. In the final possession, Jones found Richard in the right corner for a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the Gators an 10 point lead at halftime.

    Florida shot 56% from the field in the first half, including going 6-11 from downtown. Four of these triples came from Richard, who led all scorers at halftime with 15 points on 4-6 shooting from 3-point range.

    The Gators were up 43-33 after 20 minutes.

    Florida Puts on Finishing Touches

    Florida’s athleticism was on display early in the second as the transfer from LSU, Alex Fudge, went up high to throw down a lob from Kugel to open the scoring in the half.

    In the next few minutes, the teams went back-and-forth with made baskets and turnovers. Neither team looked to be in a groove offensively to start the second half.

    With just over 12 minutes to play, Georgia’s Kario Oquendo brought the crowd to its feet with an and-one layup and converted the three-point play from the charity stripe. This was Oquendo’s ninth made free throw of the game and cut the Gator lead to eight at the under-12 minute media timeout.

    With 9:20 left, Anselem secured three offensive rebounds in one possession and finished with a powerful slam to draw even closer as it was just a three-point game. On this possession, Fudge was laying face-down on the other side of the court as he appeared to be poked in the eye and was taken out of the game. He later returned.

    A few minutes later, the Gators were up by just two, but went on a 7-2 run including Richard’s career high fifth 3-pointer of the game that helped put Florida back up seven with under six minutes in the game.

    Florida was up 66-61 with just over four minutes to go and went on a 6-0 run capped off by a strong layup by Fudge to go back up by 11.

    After Georgia cut the Gator lead to six with a triple from Jailyn Ingram, Florida scored four straight points, including a wide-open dunk from Kugel to finish off the Bulldogs.

    The Gators won by a final score of 77-67.

    One Game Left

    Florida has just one game remaining in the regular season. They will face off against the LSU Tigers in the O’dome this weekend. In the first meeting between these two in Baton Rouge, the Gators defeated the Tigers 67-56. Florida outscored LSU by 14 in the second half to win that one by 11. Tip-off in the season finale is set for 6 p.m. Saturday on the SEC Network.

  • BSB: Caglianone, Gators’ bats secure series sweep against Cincinnati

    BSB: Caglianone, Gators’ bats secure series sweep against Cincinnati

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk

    After walking the bases full in the fifth inning of the Florida Gators’ series finale with the Cincinnati Bearcats, sophomore two-way player Jac Caglianone was pulled off the mound. By the end of the inning, a 3-1 Florida lead became a 3-3 tie ballgame.

    The response was immediate.

    Caglianone stepped to the plate the following frame. He took one pitch and sent it careening off his bat and deep past the right field wall for a two-run homer, which eventually would become the deciding score in the Gators’ win.

    Florida (7-1) defeated Cincinnati (2-5) 13-5 Sunday at Condron Family Ballpark. Caglianone’s three homers and six strikeouts helped propel the Gators to their second weekend series sweep of 2023.

    The Bearcats would strike first under some unusual circumstances. Sophomore two-way player Jac Caglianone hit the leadoff batter and then gave up a single for the opening hit. Freshman catcher Luke Heyman lost a pitch and allowed both runners to advance. Then, Caglianone walked the bases loaded.

    “Other than the first, I though he threw pretty good,” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “Keep in mind, this is only his second start.”

    A fumbled double play scored a runner to give Cincinnati the opening run. The Gators would escape the inning without any extra damage, but would enter their first at-bats trailing by one run.

    The Gators had a quiet first inning on offense before Caglianone stepped back on the mound for the top of the second. He struck out two batters and recorded three-straight outs after his turbulent opening frame.

    Florida came out in the bottom of the second and got to work on the scoreboard. Junior infielder Josh Rivera sent a solo-shot homer off the center field wall for his second homer of the weekend and the season. He became the fifth UF player with multiple home runs already this season.

    Caglianone continued to move past the rough start with three more strikeouts in the third frame.

    Rivera stepped up to the plate again in the fourth with BT Riopelle at first. He sent a deep shot to right field and plated himself and Riopelle to make it a 3-1 Gators lead. The two home runs marked his first multi-homer game of his career.

    “It was definitely a very fun experience,” Rivera said.

    From there, things took a questionable turn for the Gators.

    After Caglianone walked the bases loaded again in the fifth, O’Sullivan decided it was time for a change. He pulled his starter and sent Blake Purnell to the mound in relief.

    Purnell ended up hitting and walking two batters of his own, making it just a 3-3 ballgame. O’Sullivan went back into his bullpen, this time opting for midweek starter and true freshman Cade Fisher. The lefty was able to close the frame and keep it a tie ballgame.

    After being pulled from the mound, Caglianone stepped to the plate the following frame. He took the first pitch deep past the right field wall for a two-run homer and reclaimed a 5-3 lead for Florida.

    Fisher came out in the top of the sixth and gave up a trio of singles to score a runner and make it just a 5-4 Gators lead. Despite the early slip-up, Fisher was able to strike out two consecutive batters to close the frame and escape the jam.

    Heyman and Colby Halter added back-to-back solo home runs in the bottom of the sixth. Caglianone sent another ball yard himself, this time a whopping 462 feet, to make it a 9-4 lead for the Gators. He watched the ball leave the yard before trotting around the basepaths.

    “That’s the first time I’ve ever hit three home runs in a a game,” Caglianone said. “So I wanted to soak it in a little bit.”

    Cincinnati would add a few runs late, but the Gators would pile on three more, including Caglianone’s third homer to take an overwhelming win.

    Next up, Florida takes on Jacksonville (5-3/4-4) in a midweek doubleheader. The Gators will travel to John Sessions Stadium in Jacksonville for game one Tuesday before hosting the Dolphins in the series finale Wednesday. Jacksonville lost three straight after winning on opening day but took four wins and a series series sweep versus Siena this weekend.

    First pitch Tuesday is set for 6 p.m.

  • SB: Gators Drop Three of Four Games in California

    SB: Gators Drop Three of Four Games in California

    Following a 10-0 start to the season, Florida lost three of four games at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs, California.

    The Gators suffered a run-rule loss to UCLA – the nation’s top-ranked team — Thursday night. Sophomore second baseman Reagan Walsh was Florida’s only baserunner as UCLA right-hander Megan Faraimo struck out nine batters in only five innings.

    The Gators bounced back Friday with a shutout victory over UC Riverside as right-hander Elizabeth Hightower hurled a complete game and earned her sixth win this season. At the plate, Walsh went 3-3 and freshman shortstop Kaila Pollard went 2-3 with a pair of RBIs.

    On Saturday, Florida got shut out by Oregon before falling to Cal State Fullerton in extra innings. Sophomore outfielder Kendra Falby recorded Florida’s only hit against Oregon via a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth.

    Sophomore right-hander Lexie Delbrey made just her second appearance of the year against Cal State Fullerton and yielded three unearned runs through three frames. In extras, junior outfielder Katie Kistler hit an RBI single to give the Gators a 4-3 lead. But Hightower gave up a two-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to cap off an underwhelming west-coast trip.

    Game 1 Box Score

    No. 3 Florida: 0 / 0 / 1

    No. 1 UCLA: 10 / 12 / 0

    Game 2 Box Score

    UC Riverside: 0 / 5 / 1

    No. 3 Florida: 7 / 11 / 1

    Game 3 Box Score

    No. 22 Oregon: 8 / 9 / 1

    No. 3 Florida: 0 / 1 / 1

    Game 4 Box Score

    No. 3 Florida: 4 / 10 / 2

    Cal State Fullerton: 5 / 8 / 1

    On Deck

    The Gators will return to the softball diamond Friday in Birminham, Alabama, to face UAB in a three-game series. The Orange and Blue will return to Gainesville on March 8 to welcome in-state rival UCF.

  • MBB: Gators Fall to Vanderbilt on the Road

    MBB: Gators Fall to Vanderbilt on the Road

    Photo by Matthew Maxey | Getty Images

    The Florida Gators (14-15, 7-9 SEC) were defeated by the Vanderbilt Commodores (16-13, 9-7 SEC) Saturday evening in Nashville 88-72. Riley Kugel’s game-high 20 points weren’t enough to lead Florida over Vanderbilt. Liam Robbins led the Commodores with 18 points to go along with nine rebounds and six blocks.

    This was the third straight loss for the Gators after their star big man, Colin Castleton, broke his hand in their victory over Ole Miss on Feb. 15.

    On the other hand, Vanderbilt has been red-hot as they have now won six of their last seven games.

    Commodores Lead at Halftime

    Both teams were on fire from the floor early. The big men traded buckets in the first couple possessions as Florida’s Jason Jitoboh nailed a turnaround jumper from the low post to open the scoring. Robbins responded on the inside with a reverse layup to tie the game.

    The Gators’ freshman forward, Kugel, then hit a mid-range jumper as he was falling down. That was answered by a Colin Smith jump shot for the Commodores.

    The first media timeout wasn’t called until almost six minutes were played. At this timeout, Vanderbilt led 13-12.

    After the timeout, the Commodores stayed hot while the Gators cooled down a bit. Florida missed seven of eight shots out of the break. Robbins scored five straight to take an eight-point advantage.

    The rivals went back-and-forth the in the next five minutes as Myles Stude lit up from beyond the arc. With 7:01 to play in the first, the Commodores led 33-25.

    With about four and a half to play, Florida’s Kyle Lofton hit two free throws to cap off seven straight points for him. In the next six minutes, Vanderbilt went on a 9-1 run that was helped by 3-pointers from Smith and Tyrin Lawrence.

    With 11 seconds remaining in the half, Ezra Manjon made a layup for the Commodores to give them their largest lead of the first at 13. Lofton ran down the floor and drained a long-range bucket from the left wing at the buzzer. He and Kugel both had 13 points at halftime.

    At the end of the first half, Vanderbilt was up 46-36.

    The Commodores shot 53% from the field in the first, including 7-16 from downtown. The Gators had six threes of their own, but even after their great start on offense, they shot just 38% from the floor.

    Florida Can’t Mount Comeback

    The Lofton 3-pointer to end the first half did not give Florida too much momentum at the start of the second. In the first five minutes out of the locker room, the Gators scored just four points.

    Their defense didn’t come out too hot either as Vanderbilt was up 56-40 with just under 15 minutes to play.

    Florida found the touch on the offensive end, but could not cut the advantage too much in the next seven minutes. After scoring just two points in the first half, Will Richard scored seven straight for the Gators on two layups and a bomb from 3-point range. However, the Commodores had an answer to every Gator score as with about eight minutes left, they had an 11-point lead.

    With 5:04 to go, Florida was able to trim the lead to single digits on a big slam from Alex Fudge. A minute later, Robbins and Trey Thomas drained back-to-back threes for Vanderbilt that put the dagger in the Gators’ comeback hopes.

    After the Fudge dunk, Vanderbilt outscored Florida 15-8 to finish off their victory with a final score of 88-72.

    The Gators will be back in action Tuesday night in Athens as they go up against the Georgia Bulldogs (16-13, 6-10 SEC). Florida and Georgia will both be going into this game on three-game losing streaks. In the last matchup between these two on Jan. 7, the Gators won 82-75 in the O’dome. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday.

  • BSB: Waldrep ices Cincinnati, leads Gators to series win

    BSB: Waldrep ices Cincinnati, leads Gators to series win

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk

    When Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan came out to the mound to have a word with junior right-handed pitcher Hurston Waldrep Sunday, the day two ace had already logged 11 strikeouts and 83 pitches in under five complete innings. He had just let up his second run and walked his third batter.

    Rather than pull his starter, O’Sullivan retreated to the dugout, and was quickly rewarded with another inning of clean work and two more strikeouts for a Gators win thanks to a career game from Waldrep.

    No. 7 Florida (6-1) defeated Cincinnati (2-4) 13-3 to secure the series victory. Waldrep carried the Gators through their Saturday, finishing with a career-high tying 13 strikeouts, three walks and two earned runs on six innings pitched.

    “It’s a little unfair,” Waldrep said about his pitch mix. “But that’s the best part of it.”

    Waldrep got to work early Saturday. He struck out his first two batters, clocking in at 98-99 miles per hour, and forced a fly out to make it a 1-2-3 opening frame.

    The Gators came out firing on the offensive end as well. After loading up the bases thanks to a Wyatt Langford double and a pair of HBPs, Josh Rivera cleared the base paths with a deep shot to right field for the first grand slam of the season for UF.

    Cincinnati responded quickly thanks to a single to give the Bearcats their opening hit. A wild pitch on a strikeout allowed the next batter to reach base and put runners in scoring position. A ground-rule double plated the opening run for Cincy. Still, Waldrep recorded a punch out to close the inning and escape the jam. After just two frames, the Southern Mississippi transfer had six strikeouts.

    Florida was able to set up loaded bases again thanks to an error, walk and HBP. Cincinnati pitcher Chase Horst was pulled in just the second inning for senior right-hander Dylan Brosky. A 6-4-3 double play helped Brosky escape the tough jam with just one unearned run to make it a 5-1 Gators lead after two.

    Waldrep continued to cook on the mound for the Gators. He struck out the side in the third to notch seven Ks through Cincinnati’s first nine outs, including seven across the second and third frame.

    Langford took to the plate in the bottom of the fourth with freshman Cade Kurland at first. He got wind of a hittable pitch, and quickly took that pitch 392 feet from home plate for a two-run homer. After four innings, the Gators led 7-1.

    “Hitting is for sure contagious,” Langford said. “And I feel like this lineup is the best one I’ve seen while I’ve been here.”

    After a quiet few middle innings, the Florida bats began to make some noise once more. A pair of doubles from Matt Prevesk and Kurland helped plate two more runs to make it a 9-2 lead after six.

    Cincinnati added one more run in response, but the Gators put up four more runs in the seventh and eighth inning, including a Ty Evans homer to walk off a run-rule win and the series-clinching victory.

    “It’s early,” O’Sullivan said. “We’ve got a long way to go. Nobody’s a finished product this early in the season.”

    Florida finishes up the weekend series Sunday at noon. With a win, the Gators can secure their second consecutive weekend series sweep, and can enter a tough week featuring Jacksonville and Miami with a 7-1 record. The series finale will stream on SEC Network+.

  • WGYM: Senior Night ft. No. 12 Kentucky at No. 2 Florida

    WGYM: Senior Night ft. No. 12 Kentucky at No. 2 Florida

    Gator fans, tonight is the night! It’s senior night. It’s the fight for the regular season SEC title. It’s the legendary Trinity Thomas’s last night in the O-Dome. What do you say we keep the intro short and sweet and just get ready for a great meet?!

    Kentucky routines to look for include Raena Worley on, well, everything, Ariana Patterson on vault, Kaitlin DeGuzman on bars, and Isabella Magnelli on beam and floor. You all know who to look out for at Florida, but as a heads up, looks like Riley McCusker will be in at least one event tonight! We may also see some exhibitions from seniors who aren’t in the lineups if we’re lucky, but that may be reserved just for arena-goers, as the broadcast may not have time to show us more than just the counting routines.

    It starts at 6pm ET on SEC Network or in the O-Dome, but if you can’t make it or don’t have access, we’ll have the play-by-play right here!

    Starting the feels early tonight, y’all.

    Lineups tonight show McCusker will be on bars! Vault, beam, and floor look relatively the same from last week to this week, with Blakely back in on floor while Wong rests. Blakely, DiCello, and Thomas will be the all-arounders tonight.

    Same though. Doesn’t matter if you’ve seen her in person at every meet, every week, or had to watch her from halfway around the world, she’s a legend in this sport and will be remembered forever.

    6:01pm: Here we go, y’all!

    Richards, VT: Yurchenko 1.5, went too hard for the stick and underdid it a little, ends up a little off to the side and has to scoot back under herself.

    Davis, UB: Short on opening handstand. Jaeger is nice and high, some feet. Next handstand a little labored, bail is fine. Great last handstand! Double layout (DLO) dismount, step to the side. Good start, but some things to refine still.

    Wong, VT: Yhalf-on, pike half off – WOW! That’s the best she’s done it all season, much cleaner in the air and sticks the landing!

    Bunn, UB: Jaeger to open is strong. Next handstand a little short, bail fine. Good final handstand. DLO dismount is stuck!

    Blakley, VT: Y1.5, one of her good ones! Owen was standing in the way of the landing, let’s see the slow-mo – just a small hop bringing her feet together.

    Reigert, UB: Gorgeous opening release! Bail is maybe a little short? Final handstand too. DLO dismount really floats, and she gets the stick!

    6:07pm: DiCello, VT: Y1.5, goes for the stick but has to take a step to the side to steady herself, brings her feet back together to salute, not moving her left foot. Really getting these landing tonight, this is much better than last week.

    DeGuzman, UB: Opening handstand is great! Goes for the Jaeger, HUGE air, but she went too big and missed her hands, absolutely eats the mat. Ouch. Goes to rechalk, will want to repeat that skill for her start value. Huh, remounts and just dismounts – does not end up completing any of her releases. Kentucky will NEED to drop that score.

    Thomas, VT: Y1.5, great distance, not as much height as maybe she’s capable of? Single step forward. She’s clearly disappointed as she walks away.

    6:12pm: Luksik, UB: Long wait, but she’s going now. Big Ray, lots of amplitude. Bail is nice and vertical. Great final handstand. DLO is a little whippy, slides it back on the landing.

    Clark, VT: Yurchenko full, very clean in the air, just a little slide back on the landing.

    Worley, UB: Gorgeous opening handstand, goes big on her release too! Pak salto has some leg separation. Swims for it but gets the stick on her dismount!

    AFTER ONE: UF 49.3, UK 49.2

    Strong showings from Wong and Blakely give me much better feelings about vault overall this week. Thomas was mostly adrenaline, I think, and she knows how to control that in higher-pressure situations. Richards and DiCello are the ones that need to stop focusing on the stick and just stay in the moment. I’m hoping that next week against Oklahoma, we’ll see either Nguyen or Baumann in the six slot instead of Clark, but she’s doing a good job right now making that hop smaller every week if she does need to stay in.

    6:23pm: Rotation two time!

    LaClair, VT: Yurchenko full, just a little hop back on the landing. Not as great in the amplitude department as most Florida vaults.

    Blakely, UB: Maloney to pak salto, some leg separation in both. Great last handstand and NAILS her double front! It’s a little cowboyed, but stuck cold.

    Wilson, VT: Handspring pike half, did not get the block she needed and lands quite hunched over.

    Nguyen, UB: Long wait before she starts for some reason. Great opening handstand. Maloney is clean, pak salto with a big leg separation, mmm. DLO dismount, some knees and a little hop forward. Not her best.

    Patterson, VT: Handspring pike half, HUGE height, quick rotation and good pike position. Looked like just a small adjustment on the landing, slow-mo confirms, but she barely moved those feet. Wow.

    DiCello, UB: Short on opening handstand. HUGE Ray to open, nice pointed feet. Pak salto, a little leg sep, right to her handstand, straight into her van Leeuwen, she doesn’t typically get all those connections but WOW! Full out, some legs at the end, sticks her landing though!

    6:29pm: Magnelli, VT: Handspring pike half, a little off to the side and chest a little low, but sticks it cold!

    Thomas, UB: Gorgeous opening handstand. Maloney to pak, super clean legs. Great handstand work here. van Leeuwen, SO clean. Great final handstand! DLO dismount, stuck cold! Looked like one of the best routines she’s ever done.

    6:31pm: Worley, VT: Y1.5, WOW! Looked like a stick there, but a small adjustment to the side to bring her feet together. Gorgeous in the air.

    Wong, UB: Super clean throughout her releases so far. van Leeuwen is crisp. DLO stuck! Will she get the 10? Thomas didn’t get it somehow.

    Bourque, VT: Y1.5, big crossover step. Love seeing her in this lineup though after not competing the first several weeks.

    McCusker, UB: Look at these transitions, just incredible. So clean, legs pasted together on the van Leeuwen. Slow-mo shows maybe a little short on final handstand? Stalder to double tuck dismount, and it’s a good one! She sticks it, body upright.

    AFTER TWO: UF 99.1, UK 98.675

    The Gators just went 49.8 on bars, an all-time program record!

    6:43pm: Rotation 3!

    Blakely, BB: Front aerial to back handspring (bhs) to open, nice and steady. Switch leap to switch half, back leg looked good, hits 180. Full turn is even. Gainer full dismount off the side is stuck! A great start for the Gators.

    Wilson, FX: Wolf jump 1.5 looked clean to start. Front through to double back is clean and controlled. Second wolf element in her dance series looked a little off axis. 1.5 to front lay, nice and clean twisting form. I feel like she just… didn’t do much? Not a lot of choreography in that routine at all.

    Richards, BB: Little bobble as she gets going maybe? I think the emotions are running high. Opening series is steady. Switch leap to straddle jump, good 180 there. Bhs 1.5 twist dismount, hopped forward.

    Albores, FX: Rudi (front 1.5 twist) to back layout-stepout (loso) – WILD in the air and travels a lot as she connects the two. Double pike, much better control on that landing. Straddle jump just in there randomly, I guess for start value.

    6:49pm: Lazzari, BB: Bhs loso loso, HOW did she save that?? Stuttered on her second element but somehow adjusted midair and fixed it in the third element. Incredible. Dance series is lovely, clean 180 positions. Front aerial, clean. Bhs 1.5 twist, little hop forward.

    Patterson, FX: Back 1.5 to front lay, very clean to start out. A lot more going on in this routine, like that a lot. Switch ring half, couldn’t see her back leg at all to judge position. Gorgeous switch ring in her series though, big amplitude too. Double tuck to close it out is also well-controlled – that’ll be a good score.

    6:53pm: DiCello, BB: Candle mount, Kathy calling it “daring” in her commentary. Thomas said a few weeks ago she doesn’t know how DiCello does it, even after the freshman offered to teach her! Double wolf turn, nice and steady. Leaps are lovely, hits 180 effortlessly. Bhs loso, super solid. Front aerial, little balance check there but covers well. Bhs gainer full dismount, stuck! She is having herself a SEASON.

    Magnelli, FX: Rudi to loso, much better controlled than her teammate previously, very clean and floaty. Switch side to Popa, good amplitude and positions in the air. Double pike, two foot stick! That was clean.

    Thomas, BB: Split leap mount, gorgeous. One arm bhs to loso, snaps those arms down to cover any extra momentum she may have had. Front aerial to two feet – she added back in and did it flawlessly! Beat jump to korbut, gorgeous and floaty. Side aerial bhs 1.5, just a little hop on the dismount. Dang! That would have been perfection otherwise.

    Davis, FX: Some rock’n’roll in here. Double pike to open, good control as she steps back to her lunge. Switch side to Popa, big air on both. 1.5 to front lay, really clean twisting form and well controlled coming out. Wish some of this choreography was a little more meaningful with the great story of this routine – she chose this medley to honor her father who passed away last year. Double tuck to finish, and another great landing. What a great routine to honor her late father!

    7:00pm: Wong, BB: Switch leap to split leap, just gorgeous. Bhs loso, has to take an extra step back and an arm swing to keep her balance. Front aerial to beat, clean. Roundoff double full is stuck! Just that one little check, but just like Thomas, otherwise perfection. Coaches and teammates trying to gas her up, but she’s clearly frustrated with herself.

    Worley, FX: Full in to open, great height, good control. Switch ring to switch side, lovely. Really nailing her musicality in here. Front full front lay, textbook, just like Kathy said. Double tuck to finish, almost a two foot stick, just a little hop in place almost out of excitement maybe? A great finish for the Wildcats on this rotation.

    AFTER THREE: UF 148.55, UK 148.175

    A great beam rotation for the Gators, showing lots of fight. Shades of perfection, but not pushing it so far that they overthink it either. I think this team is in a really good place, but they will want to step it up just a little if they want to show out against Oklahoma next week.

    Thomas saying, “I hope I’m remembered more for who I am than for what I did,” in an interview with floor correspondent Taylor Davis is making me feel things. And her mom is on screen now! Trying not to cry – talking the same talk that her daughter talks about executing on the things she does in practice. Also says she’s proud of her daughter for setting her goals high and attaining almost every single one.

    7:15pm: Last one best one! Time to close it out.

    Luksik, BB: Onodi, gorgeous! Bhs loso, some knees but very steady. Cat leap to switch half, did not reach 180 there. Full turn is clean. Beat jump by itself? Okay. Gainer pike off the end is stuck! Good start for the Cats.

    Nguyen, FX: Love this routine, it’s so elegant. Front double full into immediate sissone, that’s one of the cleanest ones she’s done this year. Switch ring switch half, great extension and amplitude. Y turn is lovely as always. Love seeing Hurd screaming at her in the corner there. 1.5 to front lay, nice control as she finishes out. Great start for the Gators as well!

    Riegert, BB: Side aerial to bhs, looked like some bend in the arms there but she gets it around fine. Full turn is clean. Beat jump… again by itself? Maybe I looked down at the wrong time. Switch leap to back tuck, little bobble but stands it up okay. Roundoff 1.5 twist, step forward on the landing.

    Baumann, FX: Double wolf turn, nice and even-keeled. 1.5 to front full, good control as she dances out of it. Switch side to straddle jump, so far into oversplit, just gorgeous. Double pike to finish, bit of bounce as she takes her lunge. Still should be a good score, but a bigger deduction there than she usually incurs.

    Bunn, BB: Bhs loso loso, only uses like 3/4 of the beam too, wow. Super solid on that. Switch leap to split jump, lovely toe point and split position in those. Roundoff double full is stuck! Great routine from Bunn.

    Richards, FX: DLO, it’s a good one! Just pops it out into a lunge. Dance series looks clean to me. 1.5 to front full, there it is, much better than last week. Her last one in the O-Dome!

    7:26pm: Patterson, BB: Full turn is clean to start things off. Love seeing her confidence on this event. Bhs loso, travels the full length of the beam. Front aerial to split jump, great connection there. Switch leap to switch leap, great split positions on both, that’s hard to do that quickly. Gainer pike off the end is stuck! She’s really shining this year on beam, good for her.

    Blakely, FX: Double arabian, just a little too much juice and ends up OOB. Leaps are nice and high, switch ring half could maybe use a hair more polish? Combination pass to close things out is clean – bummer on the OOB but a great routine for her. Glad she’s figured out that opening pass.

    Worley, BB: Cat leap to switch side, nice and quick, though I could use a little more air on the cat. Chest stand swing through, that’s fun. Front aerial to bhs loso, gorgeous. 1.5 dismount is stuck! She had herself a NIGHT tonight, good for her.

    7:31pm: Thomas, FX: They have a split-screen up with her mom! Aww! DLO to open, just lays it back into the lunge because she can. Leap series is clean, doesn’t go super high with it but I’m not worried about an amplitude deduction or anything. Front full front lay, just a little hop in place, super clean in the air. Signature ending choreography and the crowd goes WILD!!!! Standing ovation, and now everyone is crying.

    Magnelli, BB: Triple series to open, just absolutely solid. Dance series is clean, great amplitude. Gainer pike off the end is stuck – she absolutely stayed in her bubble the whole time, good for her!

    DiCello, FX: Front double full to open, little too much juice, she skids a little on the landing but stays in bounds. Switch ring to switch half, great amplitude there. Double wolf turn, solid. Combination pass to close is great.

    What a night for the Gators! That’ll be the SEC regular season title for them as well as a successful senior night.

    FINAL: UF 198.15, UK 197.575

    I’m going to try and find the senior festivities on SEC+, so check out my Twitter @mycluttereddesk for some tweets on that. Goodnight from here! We’ll see you next week vs. Oklahoma.

  • BSB: Florida collapses against Bulls, earns first loss

    BSB: Florida collapses against Bulls, earns first loss

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk

    The Florida Gators were all but ready to exit Condron Family Ballpark Wednesday out to a dominant 5-0 start. After four solid performances versus Charleston Southern and South Florida, the Gators were ready and waiting with a five-run in the ninth lead to pick up their second series win. Instead, the Gators gave up seven ninth inning runs and entered the final frame facing disaster.

    That miracle never came, and Florida (4-1) fell to USF (2-3) 10-9. The loss secured the Gators’ first loss of the season and split the midweek series 1-1.

    “Bottom line is, we need to get some more help from other guys on the mound,” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said.

    Sophomore two-way player Jac Caglianone has had his hands all over the Gators’ production on both sides of the plate, and that continued Wednesday evening. He sent his first pitch over the Condron Family Ballpark wall for his second homer of the season. The big fly gave Florida a 1-0 lead after the first inning of play.

    Freshman starter Yoel Tejeda Jr. got the start on the mound, finishing with four hits, two earned runs and a strikeout in three innings. He opened up the third inning with his first career strikeout before allowing two singles to put a runner in scoring position. A potential double play ball gave the Gators a chance to close the inning, but junior infielder Josh Rivera whiffed on the throw to first and allowed the tying run to score. Another walk plus an RBI single put the bulls ahead, 2-1, before the Gators could escape the inning.

    In the bottom of the third, the Gators put two runners in scoring position with star hitter Wyatt Langford up to bat. Langford managed a sacrifice fly to tie the game and send Caglianone back up. The Bulls chose to intentionally walk Caglianone, but wrre punished by a subsequent single from Rivera that plated a runner.

    After the opening third, the Gators led 3-2.

    Sophomore right-hander Nick Ficarrotta entered in relief of Tejeda in the fourth. He made quick work, earning three consecutive outs and notching his first strikeout of 2023. Ficarrotta finished his outing with seven strikeouts, four hits and just one earned run in 3.2 innings. He’s the sixth Florida pitcher to throw 5+ strikeouts in a game this year.

    The Bulls battled back after the Gators snagged a lead. Three consecutive singles allowed USF to plate the tying run in the fifth inning.

    Florida came back in the bottom fifth with some more offense of its own. Coastal Carolina transfer Dale Thomas led things off by smoking a ball to deep left for a standing double. Then, redshirt freshman outfielder Michael Robertson laid down a bunt to put runners on the corners with Langford up again.

    Langford ended up striking out, but Caglianone stepped up behind him for a single and another RBI. Rivera was able to plate a runner of his own. Sophomore outfielder Ty Evans did the same. After five, the Gators led by three runs, 6-3.

    Florida cruised through the back third, adding two runs in the ninth for what they thought was good measure. That was until UF reliever Fisher Jameson came in and gave up five scores in what could have been the final frame, including a three-run homer that tied the ballgame. Jameson was pulled for right-handed sophomore Anthony Ursitti with two outs needed to escape the jam.

    Ursitti couldn’t get the job, allowing an RBI triple and another run thanks to a passed ball. Rather than closing the top of the ninth inning and heading home, the Florida batting order stepped up needing a miracle.

    Freshman Cade Kurland stepped up to pinch hit and was walked. Senior BT Riopelle followed up. He struck out and Matt Prevesk emerged from the dugout with two outs. He earned an RBI single to pull the Gators within one, before Rutgers transfer Richie Schiekofer grounded out to third to finish the game and solidify UF’s first defeat of the year.

    “It’s always disappointing when you’ve got errors in critical points of the game,” Rivera said. “But I have to help [the team] understand that this is a part of the game.”

    Next up the Gators have another weekend series at home, this time against the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bearcats opened the season 2-2 after splitting their opening series with Georgia State. Cincinnati did not play a midweek series, so Florida will be just its second opponent of the year. First pitch on Friday is set for 6:30 p.m. The game will stream on SEC Network+.

  • BSB: Florida vs. South Florida Series Preview

    BSB: Florida vs. South Florida Series Preview

    After wrapping up a dominant opening weekend against Charleston Southern in Gainesville, the No. 7 Florida Gators (3-0) will make their first road trip to take on a cross-state foe, the South Florida Bulls (1-2), in a midweek doubleheader to kick off a five-game week for the Gators.

    Florida had a dominant opening series versus the Buccaneers, but should be in for a greater challenge against the Bulls. USF picked up a win on opening day against the No. 13 Maryland Terrapins before ultimately dropping the series, 2-1.

    There are plenty of questions for Kevin O’Sullivan and the Gators in the midweek, and opportunities to prove the team’s offensive outpouring against Charleston Southern wasn’t a fluke.

    The biggest question mark headed into the midweek is the pitching staff. With Jac Caglianone excelling in his debut start Sunday, the weekend rotation is likely solidified for the time being. That leaves O’Sullivan with two spots to fill and plenty of bodies to fill them.

    Freshman left-handed pitcher Cade Fisher is listed as the starter for Tuesday. The Dalton, Georgia, native got some reps on the mound this past weekend. He pitched the sixth inning versus the Bucs on Saturday, recording three consecutive outs, including a strikeout to close the frame.

    Fisher beats out experienced arms like Brandon Neely, Nick Ficarrotta and Ryan Slater, who were all top five in innings pitched for the Gators last year. One of those three will likely get the Wednesday start, which is currently TBA.

    The Gators scored 37 runs in their opening series. Three UF players (Riopelle, Josh Rivera, Ty Evans) are batting above .500 and nine Gators have notched an RBI. Evans currently holds a perfect slugging percentage of 1.000. All of this offensive dominance comes in the absence of much production from junior outfielder Wyatt Langford, who has be dubbed by many to be the gem of the UF roster and a highly touted MLB draft prospect.

    Langford recorded just three hits in 12 at-bats versus the Bucs. While he did record two RBIs, its likely his production will increase back to normal. If the rest of the lineup can keep up, the Gators batting order could be dangerous.

    USF allowed just 24 runs versus Maryland, so the Bulls should provide a greater defensive challenge for the Gators. The Bulls had only one error compared the Charleston Southern’s six from opening weekend. The Bulls’ pitching staff combined for a lackluster 7.33 ERA, but UF will be facing different arms in the midweek. On the series preview published by Florida, sophomore right-hander Jack Cebert is listed as USF’s starting pitcher for Tuesday.

    Cebert appeared in 21 games last season, making five starts. He recorded a 2-3 record, a 7.09 ERA and 31 earned runs. He threw 35 strikeouts across 39.1 innings pitched.

    The Bulls will certainly provide a greater challenge for the Gators as they begin their first five-game week of the 2023 season, but Florida still has an opportunity to remain in its dominant ways and grasp national attention.

    First pitch is set for 6 p.m. tonight. The game will stream on ESPN+.