Faced with elimination in the 2012 Southeastern Conference Tournament, No. 2 Florida Gators baseball fought to play another day, defeating the No. 4 South Carolina Gamecocks 7-2 on Friday evening at Regions Park in Hoover, AL.

Junior left-handed pitcher Brian Johnson (7-4) was the king of the hill for Florida, going the distance for the first complete game of his career while allowing just two earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts and no free passes.

The Gators gave Johnson a nice cushion offensively from the get-go, scoring in each of the first three innings and extending their lead with a three-run top of the fifth.

Florida (42-17) rallied for one run each in the first and second and used a two-run homer by junior catcher Mike Zunino (1/3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, SB, BB) in the third to jump ahead 4-0. UF’s lead extended to 7-0 in the fifth after USC walked in a run and freshman second baseman Casey Turgeon (2/4, 2 RBI, R) followed by smacking a two-RBI single.

South Carolina (40-17) was able to plate one run in the sixth and another with two outs in the ninth but was otherwise held scoreless by Johnson and the defense behind him.

With the victory, the Gators advance to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. Florida will face Vanderbilt on Saturday at approximately 4:30 p.m. live on Comcast Sports South. UF fell to VU 2-1 on Thursday, ending a seven-game winning streak the Gators had on the Commodores dating back to last season.

Tags: baseball, Brian Johnson, Casey Turgeon, Mike Zunino, Regions Park, SEC, SEC Tournament, South Carolina Gamecocks

No. 2 Florida Gators baseball (41-16) continued their winning ways over the Auburn Tigers (30-27), outscoring their opponents 6-1 in the opening round of the 2012 Southeastern Conference Tournament on Tuesday at Regions Park in Hoover, AL.

Florida just concluded the 2012 regular season with a three-game series at Auburn last Thursday-Saturday. The Gators picked up two wins over the Tigers and outscored their hosts 20-6 over the three-day period.

UF sophomore right-handed pitcher Jonathon Crawford was excellent in his outing, improving to 5-2 by allowing just one run (unearned) on two hits with four walks and a career-high nine strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Junior lefty Steven Rodriguez, senior RHP Greg Larson and junior closer Austin Maddox combined to toss the remaining 3.1 innings, allowing a single hit while striking out two and walking one.

Freshmen batters provided most of the offense for Florida on Wednesday. Left fielder Justin Shafer (2/4) drove in three runs (two in the second, one in the sixth), and second baseman Casey Turgeon (1/3, R) smacked a two-run double in the sixth. The Gators also got a RBI from junior catcher Mike Zunino (1/4), whose two-out double extended UF’s lead to 6-1 in the seventh.

Florida will have a day off before facing a yet-to-be-determined opponent on Thursday.

Tags: Auburn Tigers, Austin Maddox, baseball, Casey Turgeon, Greg Larson, Jonathon Crawford, Justin Shafer, Mike Zunino, Regions Park, SEC, SEC Tournament, Steven Rodriguez

1 » No. 2 Florida Gators baseball (32-10) got back to its winning ways on Wednesday, taking down the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (24-18) in the team’s second meeting of the season. Florida won 10-1 behind plenty of hitting and a reassuring start from sophomore right-hander Karsten Whitson (3-0, 4.0 IP, 4 H, K). The Gators only hit two homers in the game – a two-run shot by senior right fielder Preston Tucker (2/4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB) in the bottom of the sixth and a solo shot by freshman pinch hitter Brandon Sedell (the first of his young career) – but still managed to manufacture seven more runs. Junior shortstop Nolan Fontana (0/1, 2 RBI, R, BB) and freshman second baseman Casey Turgeon (3/4, RBI, 2 R) also had big nights at the plate. Florida will conclude its nine-game homestand (4-2) with a weekend series against Arkansas.

2 » Two days after announcing his signing, the AFL’s Orlando Predators finally obtained quarterback Chris Leak in a trade with the Jacksonville Sharks. Leak, who went 21-of-31 for 196 yards with five touchdowns and an interception in the season opener for Jacksonville, was moved to a reserve role the next week in practice and refused to continue playing for the team. The Predators tried to sign him on Monday and make him the “face of the franchise,” but he was still under contract to the Sharks, which refused to cut him outright. Instead Jacksonville and Orlando (with the managing partner of each team brothers with the other) swapped Leak for offensive lineman/fullback Ailao Eliapo to complete the transaction.

Click to expand and read two more BITS in this post.

Tags: AFL, Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, baseball, Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, Brandon Sedell, Casey Turgeon, Chandler Parsons, Chris Leak, Draft, Houston Rockets, Jacksonville Sharks, NBA, Nolan Fontana, Orlando Predators, Playoffs, Preston Tucker

Despite entering Tuesday’s game having lost five of their last seven games, No. 4 Florida Gators baseball (26-8) completed the season series sweep of the No. 1 Florida State Seminoles (27-6) for the first time since 1958 with a big 6-3 victory on the road at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee, FL.

Florida came from behind to defeat Florida State in all three of their games in 2012, taking down their in-state rivals 9-2 on March 13 in Gainesville, FL and 4-1 on March 27 in a neutral site game in Jacksonville, FL. With Tuesday night’s victory, UF has now swept FSU and Miami in the same season for the first time in school history.

After going down in order to start the game, Florida found themselves in an early hole as Florida State took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first off a solo homer by second baseman Devon Travis. The Gators loaded the bases with one out in each of the next two innings but stranded all six base runners and failed to get on the board.

The Seminoles made their visitors pay in the bottom of the third, jumping ahead 3-0 after a throwing error by UF junior catcher Mike Zunino and a sacrifice fly by FSU C Stephen McGee allowed two runs to cross the plate.

Florida would not stay down for long, however, finally getting on the board in the next frame. Junior shortstop Nolan Fontana walked to lead-off the fourth, moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a looper double to right by senior center fielder Daniel Pigott (2/4, RBI, BB).

The Gators tied things up in the fifth when freshman 2B Casey Turgeon singled up the middle and Zunino (2/5, HR, 2 RBI, R) followed by smacking a two-run homer to left. It was not long before Florida took and increased their lead on Florida State. UF loaded the bases again in the sixth though only Fontana scored after Turgeon (3/5, RBI, R) singled to left with two outs. Fontana (2/3, HR, RBI, 3 R, 2 BB) continued his stellar offensive performance the next inning with a solo shot to right in the seventh to give his team a two-run cushion.

Though the Gators undoubtedly got the help of some clutch hitting in the middle innings, the pitching in relief of junior left-handed starter Brian Johnson (3.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K) was perhaps even more impressive.

Freshman right-hander Ryan Harris forced eight ground ball outs and registered one strikeout in three no-hit innings, and junior LHP Steven Rodriguez followed by striking out the side (all looking) in the bottom of the seventh. Junior closer Austin Maddox then came on to finish things up, registering the final five outs of the ballgame.

Florida will look to build on Tuesday’s victory when they travel to Knoxville, TN for a three-game weekend series against Tennessee on Friday (6 p.m.), Saturday (3 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.). Saturday’s contest will air live on FOX Sports Florida.

Tags: Austin Maddox, baseball, Brian Johnson, Casey Turgeon, Daniel Pigott, Florida State Seminoles, Mike Zunino, Nolan Fontana, Ryan Harris, Steven Rodriguez

A five-year member of the Florida Gators baseball team playing under head coaches Pat McMahon and Kevin O’Sullivan, former catcher Teddy Foster put together a solid senior campaign in 2009 with seven homers, 25 RBIs and 11 walks while batting .321 and earning 29 starts (including 15 at catcher, 12 at designated hitter and two at first base). No longer with the team and now serving as an associate scout for the New York Mets, he has joined OGGOA as a baseball columnist and will provide his unique perspective on the team throughout the 2012 season.

Here on Wednesday the Florida Gators baseball team still sits atop the recent top 25 polls as the No. 1 team in the country but UF is lucky that ranking came out on Monday because it certainly does not reflect their recent performance.

Florida began their long eight-game road trip by travelling to Columbia, SC for a three-game series in which they managed to squeak out two wins. Then it was down to Jacksonville, FL for a victory over another top-five team in Florida State and things were looking up for UF with a 3-1 start to their trek.

That was until the Gators travelled to Oxford, MS for their second away series in as many weeks. After giving up a run in the final inning of Sunday’s rubber match, Florida had managed only one win against a top-20 opponent in Ole Miss. This disappointing weekend, as you now know, was followed by what can only be described as a lackluster effort against North Florida in Jacksonville on Tuesday.

While the wheels may appear to be falling off, the last few games are relatively typical of any baseball team on the back end of a long road trip. Even though you get to return to Gainesville, FL between games/series, you are going to class and catching up on work that you’ve missed while trying to find some time to relax at home. Sometimes it is tough to wrench up the energy and motivation for what many consider to be “meaningless” mid-week games. This is not a valid excuse, but it happens to every team – college or professional. The four losses may be ugly even if three came to ranked opponents, but it is easy to forget that the Gators beat the Gamecocks on the road twice and followed that up by taking their second game of the season from the Seminoles.

Continue Reading » Teddy’s Catch: Florida has hit a rough patch

Tags: Austin Maddox, baseball, Casey Turgeon, Daniel Pigott, Greg Larson, Kevin O'Sullivan, Nolan Fontana, Teddy Foster, Tyler Thompson, Vickash Ramjit

Falling to 4-4 over their last eight games, all of which were played on the road, No. 1 Florida Gators baseball (24-5) put together what head coach Kevin O’Sullivan described as the team’s worst performance of the season in a 10-5 loss to the North Florida Ospreys (18-13) on Tuesday night in Jacksonville, FL.

Florida sophomore right-handed pitcher Karsten Whitson took the mound for the first time since Feb. 26 and flashed his brilliance by retiring North Florida’s first three batters on eight pitches including a pair of strikeouts.

However, Whitson was pulled after his one inning of work and his replacement, freshman left-hander Bobby Poyner (1-1), imploded by giving up four runs (three earned) on four hits without recording a single out in the second inning.

The Gators brought out six other relievers over the duration of the contest with the first four giving up six more runs (four earned). UF’s defense was equally as poor as the pitching with the team committing three untimely errors. The Ospreys plated at least one run in six-straight innings, and UNF did a good job making sure their opponents never got too close on the scoreboard.

Florida actually held a 1-0 lead on North Florida through 1.5 innings, using consecutive singles from senior centerfielder Daniel Pigott (3/4, RBI, 2 R, BB) and freshman second baseman Casey Turgeon (3/5, R) to help them get on the board in the opening frame. UF never reestablished an advantage for the remainder of the evening.

Entering their extended road trip on a school-record 18-game winning streak, the Gators have dropped four of the eight games they have played away from home since March 22. UF lost to ranked opponents in South Carolina and Ole Miss (twice) before dropping their first game of the season to an unranked opponent on Tuesday.

Despite their three previous losses, Florida maintained their season-long No. 1 ranking in three of the four new top 25 polls released on Monday. The Gators will return to Gainesville, FL for a three-game homestand against LSU to cap off the week.

Tags: baseball, Bobby Poyner, Casey Turgeon, Daniel Pigott, Karsten Whitson, Kevin O'Sullivan, North Florida Ospreys

A three-run sixth inning led No. 1 Florida Gators baseball (23-2) to a 4-1 victory over the No. 4 Florida State Seminoles (21-4) in front of 10,751 fans on Tuesday night at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville in Jacksonville, FL. The win was Florida’s second against their in-state rival this season and clinched the three-game season series that is spread over 27 days in three separate locations.

The Gators defeated the Seminoles 9-2 on March 13 and will travel to Tallahassee, FL on April 10 to play the final game of the series.

Senior right-handed pitcher Greg Larson got the start for UF and began the contest on fire by allowing just one hit over his first three frames. However, Larson (3.2 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 4 K) encountered some resistance in the top of the fourth as a lead-off double came around due to some solid base running and questionable fielding decisions. He was replaced by sophomore left-hander Daniel Gibson (1.2 IP, H, 2 BB, K), who got the final out of the inning to limit the damage.

Florida stranded pairs of runners on base in the fourth and fifth. Gibson struggled in the top of the sixth, giving up a leadoff walk and a single before throwing two passed balls and an intentional walk to load the bases. Freshman RHP Johnny Magliozzi entered the unenviable situation but was able to force a grounder that the Gators’ defense turned into a 5-4-3 double play to get out of the inning unscathed.

The momentum appeared to swing at that point as Florida capitalized in the bottom of the inning. With two on and two out, freshman second baseman Casey Turgeon (1/3, 2 RBI, R, BB) lofted a ball just over the center fielder’s head and legged it out into a triple to score both base runners. He reached home one batter later when junior left fielder Vickash Ramjit (2/4, 2 RBI) hit a sharp single to right to give the Gators a 4-1 lead.

Magliozzi (3-0, 0.2 IP) earned the victory as junior LHP Steven Rodriguez (2.0 IP, H, 2 K) and junior closer Austin Maddox (S8, 1.0 IP, 2 K) shut the door on FSU.

The victory marked UF’s first over Florida State in Jacksonville since 2007. It was also the first time the Gators had defeated the Seminoles in a regular season series since 2009. Turgeon and senior center fielder Daniel Pigott (1/4) each registered their first career triples in the contest.

Florida now has 13 come-from-behind victories in 2012 as well as a 10-2 record against ranked opponents (7-1 against top-10 teams).

The Gators are now halfway through their eight-game road trip and will pick it up on Friday for the beginning of a three-game series against Ole Miss in Oxford, MS.

Tags: Austin Maddox, baseball, Casey Turgeon, Daniel Gibson, Daniel Pigott, Florida State Seminoles, Greg Larson, Johnny Magliozzi, Steven Rodriguez, The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, Vickash Ramjit

1 » Having returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009, nine-seed Florida Gators women’s basketball (20-12) picked up a hard-fought 70-65 victory over the eight-seed Ohio State Buckeyes (25-7) in first-round action on Sunday. Florida led early and maintained their advantage throughout the contest, eventually pulling away in the final few minutes for the win. Junior forward Jennifer George led the way for the Gators with 16 points (she also added six rebounds), but senior guard Lanita Bartley was the player of the game with 15 points, four boards, three assists and two steals. Florida will now face top-ranked Baylor (35-0) and player of the year Brittney Griner on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. live on ESPN2.

2 » No. 1 Gators baseball (19-1, 3-0 SEC) extended their winning streak to a school-record 17 games, sweeping their series against the Vanderbilt Commodores (7-13, 0-3 SEC) with another pair of wins on Saturday and Sunday. Florida outscored Vanderbilt 23-5 over the weekend, beginning with a 10-2 victory in their Southeastern Conference opener on Friday at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville, FL. The Gators pulled out a 5-1 win on Saturday on the heels of one of junior left-handed pitcher Brian Johnson’s best outings. Johnson improved to 3-0 while recording a career-high nine strikeouts in 6.0 innings and giving up just two singles. UF was up 1-0 through 4.5 innings but scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth including two RBIs apiece from senior right fielder Preston Tucker (1/3, HR, R, BB) and senior center fielder Daniel Pigott (1/5, R). Florida captured Sunday’s contest with an 8-2 victory behind another solid outing from sophomore right-hander Jonathon Crawford (2-1, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K). The Gators offense was fueled by a trio of solo homers from Tucker (1/3, RBI, 2 R, BB), freshman designated hitter Taylor Gushue (1/4, 2 RBI, R) and freshman second baseman Casey TurgeonSEC Player of the Week award in his career on Monday.

3 » No. 4 Florida softball (26-2, 7-1 SEC) also swept a conference opponent over the weekend, taking down the South Carolina Gamecocks (19-12, 2-6 SEC) by a combined score of 17-3 over three days at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville. Sophomore RHP Hannah Rogers and freshman RHP/first baseman Lauren Haeger dominated the weekend for the Gators. Rogers (14-1, S 2) earned two victories and a save, while Haeger (8-1) picked up a win and also went 5/8 over the three-game stretch with a homer, six RBIs and a run scored.

4 » No. 6 Florida lacrosse (8-2) defeated the William & Mary Tribe (2-6) 21-8 on the road Saturday. Junior midfielder Brittany Dashiell led Florida with five goals, and UF added four more each from junior attackers Kitty Cullen and Gabi Wiegand and freshman M Shannon Gilroy.

Tags: Alaina Johnson, Ashanée Dickerson, baseball, Brian Johnson, Casey Turgeon, Daniel Pigott, gymnastics, Hannah Rogers, Jennifer George, Jonathon Crawford, Kytra Hunter, Lanita Bartley, Lauren Haeger, Marissa King, McKethan Stadium, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, Ohio State Buckeyes, Player of the Week, Pressly Softball Stadium, Preston Tucker, SEC, softball, South Carolina Gamecocks, Taylor Gushue, Utah Utes, Vanderbilt Commodores, women's basketball