Gator Spring Sports

[bradleygator]

Batting totally sucked with Gator's on base.
The Fielding looked like a bunch of scared little leaguers in their 1st away game of the season.
And worse, when you can't make the throw to 1st base, you need to be back in diapers, not out on a CWS field...

JJ's lackadaisical closed eye swats at the ball on 1st base, instead of catching the ball, cost them more than his miserable blind-swing at-bats did.... Sorry JJ, you've been a great Gator,,, but you need to go sit down and watch the games, not play in them. Good luck with your coming Pro job...

Singer depended on the guys to have his back, but they took naps instead... I think that it generated the frustration that finally got to him.

If the upperclassmen players are not going to play to win, then play as many of the freshmen as possible. Get them on the field, and begin looking towards team building for next season.

I think this is a little harsh, but JJ definitely had a rough day. It's a lot to ask of a guy who's been sitting for a month to come in and play at that level. On the other hand, I'm sure he wants to play, and he's one of the great Gator baseball players of all time. It would be tough for Sully to sit him. Tough situation all around. Hopefully, JJ hits a couple line drives in game 2 and fields a clean first base and it's a non-issue. Hopefully, he's getting a lot of work on offspeed/breaking stuff in the cage, because those abs were brutal.

I agree Singer was frustrated. He reacted a couple times to Girand bouncing those changeups in the dirt. He also had to shake Girand off a few times to get to the changeup.

 

[instaGATOR]

You can play a favor,,,,,,, or you can play to win.
The choice is simple,,,, but the outcome is,,, not so much...

I got no dog in the fight except as a (it don't matter) fan.

Whatever they choose to do is okay with me at the end of the day.

Nothing personal against JJ, just callin'-um as I see um....
Lame-worthy was also 0-3 at the plate...
At one point the team was 0-11 with runners on base, don't know the final stat.

 

[bradleygator]

Texas doesn't look like they have the firepower that Tech had. Not sure who they're pitching. If we win today, we're one of four teams at 1-1. Then win one more, and we probably get back to Singer. Hopefully we clean up the defense and put some good abs together.

I think Sully has to start Smith at C. Girand is 0-13 with 10 ks since the Regional! And he's been a butcher behind the plate.

 

[ocalaman]

Getting to Omaha is THE major accomplishment, IMO. I've said this before over the past several years. Once you get there, it's a crap shoot and the best or most talented team doesn't always win. It's the team that plays the cleanest defense, gets hits with runners in scoring position and has a player or two come through that had not been counted on. Like we did last year with Dyson. And I think we hit only .210 in the CWS in 2017 and yet every hit was a clutch one that counted. I'll always pull for the orange & blue, but winning 4 straight the way we've been playing the last 2 months is highly unlikely. Still, Goooo Gators.

 

[bradleygator]

Getting to Omaha is THE major accomplishment, IMO. I've said this before over the past several years. Once you get there, it's a crap shoot and the best or most talented team doesn't always win. It's the team that plays the cleanest defense, gets hits with runners in scoring position and has a player or two come through that had not been counted on. Like we did last year with Dyson. And I think we hit only .210 in the CWS in 2017 and yet every hit was a clutch one that counted. I'll always pull for the orange & blue, but winning 4 straight the way we've been playing the last 2 months is highly unlikely. Still, Goooo Gators.

I agree getting to the CWS is the big accomplishment. Actually, winning the SEC regular season is probably the most impressive accomplishment. Baseball does not really lend itself to single games or short series, because it is so random. A .200 hitter could run into a HR and wreck the game, or you could hit line drives all night right at defenders. If you check MLB betting lines, it's pretty rare to see a favorite bigger than 60/40, even with a good pitcher and playing at home.

 

[instaGATOR]

Just like in the Big Dance, it's 'good enough' to get there,,, then 'lucky enough' to win it all...

All Sports Trophies are won by 'getting enough teams there,' not with the most NC's.
==========

Florida finished the Outdoor National Championships in Oregon as the #2 Runner Up.
(just missing a 3-Peat)

The Gators swept the SEC Outdoor Championships Men's and Women's titles for the first time in UF history.

Florida's men won the NCAA Indoor Championships for the first time since 2012, marking their eighth overall National title since 2010, a figure that leads Division I by three during that span.

That title also made Florida's men the fourth program in Division I history to win four indoor and outdoor NCAA titles, and the only program to accomplish the feat since 2010.

Florida's men posted their 20th and 21st top-2 finishes in their 31st and 32nd NCAA Championship meets under head coach Mike Holloway. No other program has more than nine such finishes since 2003, his first year as men's head coach. Coach Holloway recently signed a 10 year extension on his UF contract. SWEET!

The Gators' men posted their 10th consecutive top-3 finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, breaking a tie with Arkansas (1992-2000) for the third-longest streak in meet history.
=======

It's a never-ending job at a Top All Sports school.

June 18, 2018
The private UAA Commits $2.5 Million to Track, Tennis Resurfacing
This project will consist of resurfacing and upgrading the track and field facilities, as well as resurfacing both the competition and practice tennis courts.

 

[bradleygator]

Does Girand know he's allowed to try to throw out a base stealer on a strikeout?

 

[bradleygator]

WTF was that!? Two guys caught in a rundown, the guy sitting on second runs back to first and the lead runner gets thrown out. Man on first instead of second with two outs. Doesn't matter because the batter walked but that was a clusterf....

 

[bradleygator]

Kowar is blowing though. Still a bunch of baserunners stranded. I missed it, but they're saying bases were loaded with no outs in the 2nd, and we didn't score.

 

[ocalaman]

7 stranded through 3 innings. Bases loaded, no outs, and don't score, missed sign on a double steal takes us out of an inning. This is the way they've been playing, though, for the last 2 months.

 

[bradleygator]

Great story about Singer going to the bullpen in game 3 of the super and Sully telling him to sit down. Shows what a great competitor Singer is and the way Sully takes care of his pitchers, which is why he gets so many of them.

Kowar is BLOWING!!!!!!

 

[bradleygator]

This is it. Here come the runs.

 

[bradleygator]

Fair ball. Not even a question.

 

[bradleygator]

in god and Sully I trust, but why put the bunt on and then take it off on a 2-0 count? Guy might have walked Horvath. Now we’ve got the human out up

 

[bradleygator]

what a swing by Maldonado!

 

[bradleygator]

Oh yeah!

 

[ocalaman]

Nice win. We're not a strong lineup with JJ not seeing the ball well and Girand an automatic out. But India's home run was huge and Kowar was great. Now we wait to see who loses between Arky & Tx Tech. My guess is Leftwich starts Thursday night.

 

[bradleygator]

Nice win. We're not a strong lineup with JJ not seeing the ball well and Girand an automatic out. But India's home run was huge and Kowar was great. Now we wait to see who loses between Arky & Tx Tech. My guess is Leftwich starts Thursday night.

Excited to see the freshmen pitch. I’m sure Mace and Leftwich will see innings. I bet we will play Tech and we will be motivated. One win and I think we get back to Singer.

 

[instaGATOR]

Gators are CWS NC's again,,,,, depending on which team shows up at the park?

The 'Hit & Miss' Gators are not a team that I'd bet my money on, but they are still MY Gators, so I'll still watch them and cheer for them to do well.

Good Luck and GoooooooooooooooooooGATORS!

 

[instaGATOR]

Thursday, June 21, 2018
Grant Holloway Authors Letter Announcing Return to Gators

Grant Holloway shares, in his own words, why he's not ready to finish his collegiate career and what's bringing him back for another year. "Gator Nation - we've gotta clear something up. Or as Coach Holloway would say, we've gotta put something to bed." ---- GREAT ARTICLE
https://floridagators.com/news/2018...thors-letter-announcing-return-to-gators.aspx

=============

June 21, 2018
Eriksson Named Google Cloud Academic All-American
Anders Eriksson, (Hammer Thrower) this year's SEC Outdoor Track and Field Men's Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year, becomes the 5th Gator to earn Academic All-America honors for 2017-18, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)

Another athlete Basket Weaver? Hardly...
Eriksson has a 3.79 cumulative GPA as an Aerospace Engineering major .

Overall, Eriksson is the 5th Gator to earn Academic All-America honors in 2018, joining Caeleb Dressel (men's swimming & diving), Josie Kuhlman (women's tennis), Alex McMurtry (gymnastics), and Kelly Barnhill (softball).
Barnhill was softball's Academic All-American of the Year.

 

[ocalaman]

Only 1 national title for the UF athletics program in the 2017-2018 season. With the bar set as high as it is, kind of disappointing. However, without the points counted for baseball yet, we are sitting 4th in the Director's Cup standings and I think once baseball is added in we'll pass USC and finish 3rd in the final standings. Incredibly consistent sports programs at THE University of Florida. Here's the link to the standings as of June 14:
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools...df/2017-18/misc_non_event/June14overallDI.pdf

 

[instaGATOR]

Student/Athletes

May 16, 2018 -- Four Gator teams - Men's cross country, Women's golf and both tennis teams - receive NCAA recognition today for Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores among the Top 10 percent of their sport.

~ Both the Men's and Women's Cross Country teams teams posted 3.36 grade point averages last fall.
=====

Men's Golf made it to the SEC-C simi-finals.
NCAA's Regional - Top 5 Teams advance:
1. UF
2. UCF
3. VU
4. N.C.
5. Kent-St
-----
Florida did not make the Elite 8 to advance to the Final Rounds.
The cut was at +17, UF finished at +22.
=====

Women's Golf made it to the SEC-C quarter-finals.
NCAA's Regional - Top 5 Teams
1. Ark
2. UF
3. Houston
4. aTm
5. Georgetown
-----
Florida did not make the Elite 8 to advance to the Final Rounds.
The cut was at +33, UF finished at +45

Both Golf team were in the NCAA Tourney, but not good enough to make the final rounds.

 

[TennesseeGator]

Another complete sports season in the books and another championship for the trophy case. Like Ocala said...it feels like a disappointment but at the same time it's remarkable we expect multiple championships every season. Baseball, softball, and track aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Lacrosse while young is constantly trending upwards. I'd honestly would not be surprised if soccer, swim/dive, gymnastics won a title any given year. I hope volleyball gets their glory. Of course I will be happy when football and basketball Gators are one of the most feared teams in the nation.

 

[bradleygator]

I think the baseball team’s crazy start with the power calibrated expectations to an unrealistic level. They were the worst defensive team I’ve seen under Sully by a decent margin. The starting pitching was very good, as was Byrne, but the bullpen was pretty raw, although unquestionably talented. And the lineup was very dependent on home runs, which kind of dried up in the second half. Even with all of that, they may win another chip if Schwarz doesn’t get hurt. I also thought during the year that Singer had turned into another Faedo, but we saw the difference in the CWS. Not a knock on Singer, who was spectacular this year, but Faedo was at another level.

 

[HardeeWildcatFan]

I think the baseball team’s crazy start with the power calibrated expectations to an unrealistic level. They were the worst defensive team I’ve seen under Sully by a decent margin. The starting pitching was very good, as was Byrne, but the bullpen was pretty raw, although unquestionably talented. And the lineup was very dependent on home runs, which kind of dried up in the second half. Even with all of that, they may win another chip if Schwarz doesn’t get hurt. I also thought during the year that Singer had turned into another Faedo, but we saw the difference in the CWS. Not a knock on Singer, who was spectacular this year, but Faedo was at another level.

Singer was better last year mainly in the Finaks game he pitched. This year I truly believe the draft got to his head.

 

[instaGATOR]

Singer was better last year mainly in the Finaks game he pitched. This year I truly believe the draft got to his head.

Maybe, maybe not, but the atrocious fielding certainly didn't help out the pitching in the end. The pitching was better than the fielding imo....

 

[bradleygator]

Singer was better last year mainly in the Finaks game he pitched. This year I truly believe the draft got to his head.

I doubt it. If anything, it may have have got him too fired up after he slipped in the first round. I think he just ran into some dialed-in bats. He had a historic year but a bad postseason.

Goes to show you how special Faedo is. There was no doubt he was going to win when he stepped out there. He knew it and he made sure the other team knew it.

 

[ocalaman]

I doubt it. If anything, it may have have got him too fired up after he slipped in the first round. I think he just ran into some dialed-in bats. He had a historic year but a bad postseason.

Goes to show you how special Faedo is. There was no doubt he was going to win when he stepped out there. He knew it and he made sure the other team knew it.

Some teams just have a pitcher's number. Look at some of the best MLB pitchers and you'll find a team or two that they always struggle with. Singer started 37 games in his career with UF. In 34 of those starts he never gave up more than 5 runs in any of them.The other 3 starts were against Arkansas and he gave up 6 runs in each of the first 2 and then was taken out in the CWS against them after 5 innings and 4 runs. Look how Casey Mize struggled against us. Just one of those quirky things about baseball.

 

[ocalaman]

I like Pat Dooley's Back Nine every Tuesday morning. This one talks about how 12 of our 21 sports finished Top 5 nationally. Think about it - that's incredible. http://www.gatorsports.com/2018/06/the-back-nine-12-uf-programs-in-top-5/

 

[bradleygator]

Anybody see CWS Game 2 last night? OSU popped up in right filed foul territory, down 1, man on third, two outs in the 9th, and the Arky 2B, 1B and RF let the ball drop in the middle of them. OSU then tied the game on a single and homered to win the next batter. Baseball is crazy.

 

[instaGATOR]

Tebow selected to Double-A Eastern League All Star Team.

Tebow was selected after batting .261/.335/.398 in his first 67 games for Binghamton.
He has 5 home runs, 12 doubles, a triple and 30 RBI.
And one step closer to moving up again...

 

[instaGATOR]

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Recent University of Florida graduate Caeleb Dressel was awarded the honor of the 2017-18 Roy F. Kramer Southeastern Conference Male Athlete of the Year.

 

[instaGATOR]

Mary 'The Gator's SEC-C Sweetheart' Wise, just graduated 4 All Americans.
MB Rhamat Alhassan
OH Carli Synder
L Caroline Knop
OH Shainah Joseph
Plus
DS Lindsey Rogers


Now she replaces them with 6 stellar Fr Newbees and a 6-7 xfer...
OH Thayer Hall 6-3 - EE
MB Lauren Dooley 6-6 - EE
DS/OH Riley Ficher 5-6
L Paula Cerame 5-8
S Marlie Monserez 6-1 - FL PoY - P-WO
OH Haley Warner 6-2 - Ark PoY - P-WO - Left handed opposite side attacker
-----
OH Holly Carlton 6-7 Soph Left handed opposite side attacker (NC xfer)
(btw, that's likely the #1 recruiting class in the Nation)

Their first 8 days of the upcoming schedule includes:
Neb - Tx - USC,,, holy shee-ite!

 

[bradleygator]

Didn’t realize Chiozza is playing for the Wizzards along with d-rob. Typical line for Chiozza today: 7 points 11 assists. D-rob had 22.

 

[instaGATOR]

Tebow makes the All Star roster and that drives the Online game ticket prices up to $145.00....

“There are few athletes in sports who have the power to singularly impact ticket prices,’’ said Stephen Spiewak, manager of digital content marketing at Vivid Seats. “Tiger Woods playing in the Masters can do that. LeBron James going to the Lakers. And it appears that Tim Tebow has had that impact for the Eastern League all-star game.’’ --

=============

Proof that even 'their own fans don't really believe' that they were the 2017 NC's...

You can buy 'Season Tickets' for the coming 2018 UCF season for just $99.00.... ---

 

[instaGATOR]

An eventual move was probably inevitable, but JUS-DAMN!!!

UF softball assistant coach Jennifer Rocha has accepted the position of Associate Head Coach with the University of Oklahoma, UF announced Wednesday.

Rocha, named the 2015 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year. She has been the UF Associate Head Coach since June 15th, 2017.

“Spending 19 of the past 20 years sharing the same dugout with a person I call a true professional and a friend has been a wonderful opportunity,” UF coach Tim Walton said in a UF release. “We’ve had many terrific memories on and off the field. Jennifer, Paul and baby Ellie have been like family to us. We are definitely wishing the Rocha family all of our best.”

Anyway,,,, good luck in your new position Jenny...

http://www.gatorsports.com/2018/07/uf-softball-assistant-rocha-accepts-position-at-oklahoma/

 

[ocalaman]

An eventual move was probably inevitable, but JUS-DAMN!!!

UF softball assistant coach Jennifer Rocha has accepted the position of Associate Head Coach with the University of Oklahoma, UF announced Wednesday.

Rocha, named the 2015 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year. She has been the UF Associate Head Coach since June 15th, 2017.

“Spending 19 of the past 20 years sharing the same dugout with a person I call a true professional and a friend has been a wonderful opportunity,” UF coach Tim Walton said in a UF release. “We’ve had many terrific memories on and off the field. Jennifer, Paul and baby Ellie have been like family to us. We are definitely wishing the Rocha family all of our best.”

Anyway,,,, good luck in your new position Jenny...

http://www.gatorsports.com/2018/07/uf-softball-assistant-rocha-accepts-position-at-oklahoma/

Ooh. I don't like that. Best of luck to her, but she was a primary reason for the consistent success of the softball program, especially in the recruiting and development of pitchers.

 

[nail1988]

An eventual move was probably inevitable, but JUS-DAMN!!!

UF softball assistant coach Jennifer Rocha has accepted the position of Associate Head Coach with the University of Oklahoma, UF announced Wednesday.

Rocha, named the 2015 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year. She has been the UF Associate Head Coach since June 15th, 2017.

“Spending 19 of the past 20 years sharing the same dugout with a person I call a true professional and a friend has been a wonderful opportunity,” UF coach Tim Walton said in a UF release. “We’ve had many terrific memories on and off the field. Jennifer, Paul and baby Ellie have been like family to us. We are definitely wishing the Rocha family all of our best.”

Anyway,,,, good luck in your new position Jenny...

http://www.gatorsports.com/2018/07/uf-softball-assistant-rocha-accepts-position-at-oklahoma/

She’s coming home instant

Rocha and Walton both dust bowl chokers

I was actually surprised when I read this on soonerscoop. Getting Rocha is amazing after Losing coach Lombardi to Oregon.

Maybe crow hop Barnhill will follow ?

 

[instaGATOR]

She’s coming home instant

Rocha and Walton both dust bowl chokers

I was actually surprised when I read this on soonerscoop. Getting Rocha is amazing after Losing coach Lombardi to Oregon.

Maybe crow hop Barnhill will follow ?

LMFAO
No Gator will follow anyone to your dust-bowl. Here, let me school ya...

UF Head Softball Coach Tim Walton's History.
He from Cerritos, Calif, not the Norman dust bowl.
He began playing baseball for Cerritos College, not choke-la-homo.
He did xfer to choke-la-homo and played there to finish out his college baseball career.
Bach of History degree from OK.
Then he was a 2 year minor leaguer with the Phillies.

4 years Assistant Choker coach (grad Asst 1st year?)
Hired away, 3 years Head Coach at Wichita State.
13 years Head Coach at Florida --- where his real growth and success has developed.

Attempting to claim that Walton is somehow a Choke-la-homo product is grasping at it's best,,, --- he passed through there is about it....
===========

Why would Rocha leave UF for a lateral move to Choker-town?
Tim just signed a 10 year extension at UF.
If she ever want's to be a Head Coach, then Asst. HC in Choker-town is her best bet.
Makes sense to me, so I don't blame her one bit. Doing what's best for her own family.

Like Walton, she began in Calif, playing at Long Beach City College before a xfer to OK.
Neither of them are true, home grown in-bred choke-la-homos...

Jenny was a student-athlete (1996-98) and graduate assistant (1999-2001) for the Doomer Swooners.
Student for 3 years, Grad-Asst for 3 years, then gonzo for a real coaching job in Ore.
Oregon Asst Coach for 1 year.
Walton hired her when he became HC at Wichita State, and then she came with him to UF.

Both have spent the vast majority of their coaching careers in the SEC at UF, (13 years) It's understandable why she would want to return as an OK Alum to the dust-bowl.
There she might have a chance to move up, but not at UF, so good luck to her.

But that permanently ends any interest I might have had in her.
Now, I'm interested in seeing who Walton hires to replace her at UF.

 

[ocalaman]

LMFAO
No Gator will follow anyone to your dust-bowl. Here, let me school ya...

UF Head Softball Coach Tim Walton's History.
He from Cerritos, Calif, not the Norman dust bowl.
He began playing baseball for Cerritos College, not choke-la-homo.
He did xfer to choke-la-homo and played there to finish out his college baseball career.
Bach of History degree from OK.
Then he was a 2 year minor leaguer with the Phillies.

4 years Assistant Choker coach (grad Asst 1st year?)
Hired away, 3 years Head Coach at Wichita State.
13 years Head Coach at Florida --- where his real growth and success has developed.

Attempting to claim that Walton is somehow a Choke-la-homo product is grasping at it's best,,, --- he passed through there is about it....
===========

Why would Rocha leave UF for a lateral move to Choker-town?
Tim just signed a 10 year extension at UF.
If she ever want's to be a Head Coach, then Asst. HC in Choker-town is her best bet.
Makes sense to me, so I don't blame her one bit. Doing what's best for her own family.

Like Walton, she began in Calif, playing at Long Beach City College before a xfer to OK.
Neither of them are true, home grown in-bred choke-la-homos...

Jenny was a student-athlete (1996-98) and graduate assistant (1999-2001) for the Doomer Swooners.
Student for 3 years, Grad-Asst for 3 years, then gonzo for a real coaching job in Ore.
Oregon Asst Coach for 1 year.
Walton hired her when he became HC at Wichita State, and then she came with him to UF.

Both have spent the vast majority of their coaching careers in the SEC at UF, (13 years) It's understandable why she would want to return as an OK Alum to the dust-bowl.
There she might have a chance to move up, but not at UF, so good luck to her.

But that permanently ends any interest I might have had in her.
Now, I'm interested in seeing who Walton hires to replace her at UF.

Rocha & her husband are both OK graduates. I don't know how much money the Sooners are paying her, but Patty Gasso recently became the 1st million dollar softball coach in the NCAA. So I imagine she's getting a pretty significant bump in pay from what UF was paying her. In 2010, Coach Walton made $253,000 and I think he's been bumped up to around $400,000 before the recent 10 year extension. I'm sure he got another nice raise, but nowhere near what Gasso is making. Rocha was being paid probably 1/3 to 1/2 of what Walton makes, so I'm sure she got a major pay hike to move to Norman. I agree that Gasso is much closer to retirement than Walton and if Rocha wants to be HBC at a major program, it will happen quicker there than here. It's a definite hit for the Gator program & a big plus for Oklahoma. Will be interested to see who comes to Gainesville to replace her.