Spring is here and No. 2/4 Florida Gators softball is set to begin their 2012 season this weekend by playing five games as part of a three-day tournament hosted by South Florida in Tampa, FL from Feb. 10-12.

The Gators enter the 2012 campaign having lost a number of major pieces that formed the core of last year’s team that went all the way to the championship round of the 2011 Women’s College World Series. However, a strong and dynamic freshman class coupled with a crop of extremely talented players and superb coaching by Tim Walton means that Florida may not be far off from yet another successful season.

Continue Reading » 2012 Florida Gators softball primer: Build it up

Tags: Aja Paculba, Alyssa Bache, Bailey Castro, Brianna Little, Brittany Schutte, Cheyenne Coyle, Ensley Gammel, Hannah Rogers, Jessica Damico, Kasey Fagan, Kelsey Bruder, Kelsey Horton, Lauren Haeger, Megan Bush, Michelle Moultrie, Sami Fagan, softball, Stephanie Brombacher, Tiffany DeFelice, Tim Walton, Women's College World Series

1 » Though the story is no longer available on the team’s website due to the NBA lockout, the Detroit Pistons had posted an interesting column focusing on their No. 52 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, former Florida Gators center Vernon Macklin. Evaluating his performances in workouts, team vice president Scott Perry raved about Macklin’s potential. “The biggest thing is, he didn’t look out of place,” Perry said. “He was physical, strong, could hold his position in the low post defensively, long arms and he competed. That’s what you want to see.”

Macklin also received support from Detroit personnel director George David, who fueled him during the Portsmouth Invitational. “He said, ‘Are you going to be Joakim Noah or his backup?’” Macklin recalls. “After my first game at PIT, he texted me and said, ‘You were Joakim Noah today.’ And he said the same thing at the end of the workout.”

2 » The 2011 USA Basketball Men’s U19 Team faltered at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championships on Wednesday, dropping a 87-85 contest to Croatia. Just a day earlier, the United States was triumphant in an equally close match, defeating Lithuania 107-105 in overtime. The constant in both games was the play of Florida sophomore center Patric Young, who has turned in some dominant performances after getting off to a slow start. Young went 5/7 both from the field and from the line for 15 points with seven rebounds in 26:24 on Tuesday and followed that up by shooting 7/8 from the floor for 16 points with eight boards in 26:19 on Wednesday. Over his last three international games, Young has shot 85.7 percent and averaged 14.7 points and 7.3 rebounds.

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Tags: Buffalo Bills, David Nelson, Draft, Ensley Gammel, FIBA, FIBA World Championship, Hannah Rogers, Joakin Noah, Jonotthan Harrison, Lynden Trail, NBA, NFL, Patric Young, planking, Portsmouth Invitational, Robert Clark, softball, USA, USA Basketball, Vernon Macklin

Updated on July 1 at 12:45 a.m.

OGGOA is now on day three of our planking watch as Florida Gators student-athletes try to up the ante and take the game to another level. On Thursday, some Florida softball, soccer and women’s basketball players joined in on the fun, but redshirt freshman defensive end Lynden Trail continues to steal the show. Will someone catch up to him or overtake him? Only time will tell…

If you still need to catch up, here are the posts containing the pictures of what Trail and some other football players did Tuesday and Wednesday. Here are Trail’s newest submissions for Thursday as he takes it up a notch:

Even Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden got in on the fun…

The ladies’ efforts are more than respectable with sophomore pitcher/utility player Ensley Gammel and shortstop Cheyenne Coyle representing softball; junior forward Jennifer George, redshirt senior guard Jordan Jones and frosh G Carlie Needles featured for basketball; and sophomore F Taylor Travis taking a seat for soccer. Leading the way here, of course, are ladies from the gymnastics team.

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Tags: Carlie Needles, Cheyenne Coyle, Ensley Gammel, gymnastics, Ian Silberman, Jennifer George, Jordan Jones, Leon Orr, Lynden Trail, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, planking, Robert Clark, soccer, Taylor Travis, women's basketball

Just two years ago, Florida Gators softball entered the Women’s College World Series and fought their way to the finals before losing in back-to-back games to Washington, the top-ranked team in the country.

Two years later, No. 4 Florida powered themselves back to the WCWS Championship Series but suffered a similar fate, dropping consecutive contests to the No. 1 Arizona State Sun Devils and handing another NCAA Championship to a Pac-10 opponent.

The Gators (56-13) fell 7-2 to the Sun Devils (60-6) on Tuesday in the second and final game of the series, ending a spectacular season and great 2011 NCAA Tournament run with a thud at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK.

Playing the final game of her softball career, senior right-handed pitcher Stephanie Brombacher (who has decided to retire from the sport after graduation) started the contest for Florida and got out of a tough spot in the first.

Arizona State stranded on a runner on third, but UF made sure not to follow suit in the bottom of the inning. Junior center fielder Michelle Moultrie led off by smacking a stand-up double up the middle, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, and crossed the plate two batters later when sophomore right fielder Brittany Schutte flied out to deep left. Moultrie’s hit tied the WCWS record for most by a single player in the event (13).

The Sun Devils made up for their missed opportunity, beginning the second with three hits and tying the game on a bases loaded walk. With one out, shortstop Katelyn Boyd singled through the right side, scoring two and giving ASU a 3-1 lead before Brombacher retired the final two batters. Arizona State increased their advantage to 5-1 in the third when designated player Alix Johnson dropped a two-RBI blooper into shallow right.

Brombacher (20-3) was pulled for freshman RHP Hannah Rogers to begin the fourth, and the young hurler got out of the top of the inning unscathed. The Gators hit three balls hard in the bottom of the inning but all resulted in long fly outs near the warning track.

ASU added another run in the fifth, scoring on a two-out RBI single, but a play at the plate ended the frame and left the Sun Devils with a 6-1 lead. Arizona State tacked on one more in the sixth courtesy of a solo homer by RF Annie Lockwood.

UF still went down fighting with senior catcher Tiffany DeFelice hitting a RBI single with two outs in the seventh to score sophomore DP Ensley Gammel, who got on base with a single of her own to lead off the inning.

Sun Devils freshman starter Dallas Escobedo (37-3) led her team throughout the event and once again in the championship series but received plenty of help on Tuesday from Boyd and Johnson, each of whom contributed three-RBI outings at the plate.

Though they posted a record-setting performance in the tournament, Florida failed in their bid to become the first Southeastern Conference team to capture a WCWS title. It was the third time in the last five years that teams from the SEC and Pac-10 went head-to-head for the championship.

2011 NCAA Tournament Honors
Co-Most Valuable Player: Michelle Moultrie
All-Tournament Team: Moultrie, Kelsey Bruder, Brittany Schutte, Cheyenne Coyle

Tags: ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, Brittany Schutte, Cheyenne Coyle, Ensley Gammel, Hannah Rogers, Kelsey Bruder, Michelle Moultrie, NCAA, NCAA Championship, NCAA Tournament, Pac-10, SEC, softball, Stephanie Brombacher, Tiffany DeFelice, Women's College World Series

It started just like a normal softball game. The top of the first ended without much fanfare and the No. 4 Florida Gators were looking to put some runs on the board in the bottom of the inning to take an early lead. No one knew what was coming, especially the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, who were looking to eliminate Florida from the 2011 Women’s College World Series with a victory early Sunday afternoon at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK.

What followed was a record-setting performance for the Gators (55-11), which scored 11 runs in the bottom of the first and demolished the Crimson Tide (53-10) 16-2 to stave off elimination in a five-inning run-ruled game.

Junior center fielder Michelle Moultrie got things started for Florida with a solo shot to center. Senior catcher Tiffany DeFelice (1-3, R) singled to center and was joined on the bags by senior left fielder Kelsey Bruder and sophomore right fielder Brittany Schutte, who were each walked to load the bases.

Freshman shortstop Cheyenne Coyle was hit by a pitch to score another run, and senior second baseman Aja Paculba (1-2, RBI, 2 R, BB) was walked to plate a third and end the day of Alabama pitcher Kelsi Dunne, who was replaced by Jackie Traina.

Traina started her effort by walking sophomore designated player Ensley Gammel and allowing freshman third baseman Kasey Fagan to hit an RBI single, putting the Gators ahead 6-0. All of Dunne’s base runners scored, giving her six earned runs on two hits with three walks and a hit batter in just 0.1 inning.

A double steal attempt with Fagan (1-2, 2 RBI, R, SB) and Gammel allowed the latter to cross the plate, and a single up the middle from Moultrie (2-3, HR, RBI, 2 R, SB) put runners on the corners before she swiped second. With two outs, Bruder (0-0, 3 R, 3 BB) walked on four-straight pitches to load the bases for Schutte (1-1, GS, 4 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB), who took advantage of the opportunity with a grand slam to conclude the 11-run frame.

Florida set a WCWS record with 11 runs in a single inning, snapping the mark previously held by UCLA against UF (nine, 2010). The Orange and Blue also tattooed Alabama for more runs in one inning than they’ve given up in a single game all season. The Crimson Tide gave the Gators six free passes in the inning, walking five batters and hitting one.

Alabama got on the board in the top of the second with a solo shot to right, but Gammel (1-2, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, SB, BB) responded with a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to put Florida ahead 13-1. Traina was pulled at the end of the inning, leaving after coughing up seven earned runs on five hits with three walks in 1.2 innings of work.

The Gators continued their onslaught in the third when Coyle’s (1-1, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, BB) three-run bomb gave them a 16-1 advantage and tied the WCWS single-game record for team homers in a game (four). Florida’s 15 RBI were also a WCWS single-game record, and the 16 runs scored by UF through three innings are the most given up in a single game by UA softball in school history.

Senior right-handed pitcher Stephanie Brombacher (20-2) went the entire way for the Gators, striking out seven while allowing two runs on solo homers. She only gave up three hits and did not walk a single batter in five innings.

Florida and Alabama, each having now lost a game in the WCWS, will square off Sunday evening at 7 p.m. in an elimination game. The victor will move on to the WCWS Championship Series, which begins on Monday at 8 p.m. and airs live on ESPN2.

Tags: Aja Paculba, Alabama Crimson Tide, ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, Brittany Schutte, Cheyenne Coyle, Ensley Gammel, Kasey Fagan, Kelsey Bruder, Michelle Moultrie, softball, Stephanie Brombacher, Tiffany DeFelice, Women's College World Series

The game may have begun Friday night but no conclusion was reached until early Saturday morning as No. 4 Florida Gators softball and the No. 1 Arizona State Sun Devils fought back-and-forth hoping to earn a victory in their second game of the 2011 Women’s College World Series. ASU (57-6) eventually came away with a 6-5 win over UF (53-11) at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK, getting the final say in the matter with a walk-off single in the final frame of the game.

Read the game story and find out about Saturday’s contest…after the break!
Continue Reading » Arizona State walks off with 6-5 win over Florida in Women’s College World Series

Tags: Aja Paculba, Arizona State Sun Devils, ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, Brittany Schutte, Cheyenne Coyle, Ensley Gammel, Hannah Rogers, Kelsey Bruder, Megan Bush, Michelle Moultrie, softball, Stephanie Brombacher, Tiffany DeFelice, Women's College World Series

Appearing in their fourth-straight Women’s College World Series, No. 4 Florida Gators softball (53-10) got off to a hot start and held off the No. 5 Missouri Tigers (52-9) to take a 6-2 opening round victory and advance in the winners bracket at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK.

The Gators scored early and often to start the game. Junior center fielder Michelle Moultrie led off the first with a single, advanced to second on a dropped infield popup and scored one batter later when senior left fielder Kelsey Bruder hit a screamer up the middle for a stand-up triple. Sophomore right fielder Brittany Schutte (0-2, RBI) then brought Bruder home with a sacrifice squeeze to put Florida ahead 2-0 early on.

After getting the Tigers out in order in the top of the first inning, senior right-handed pitcher Stephanie Brombacher got herself into a pickle in the second. With two runners on and no one out, Brombacher was able to wiggle her way out of the inning with a pop out and a pair of clutch strikeouts.

She got in trouble again in the third and was pulled from the game with one out and runners on first and third. Freshman RHP Hannah Rogers relieved her and walked the first batter to load the bases but delivered a strikeout and forced a fly out to end the inning without allowing any damage. Mizzou stranded five total base runners in the two innings.

Flexing their muscles in the bottom of the third, the Gators jumped out to a 5-0 lead thanks to a pair of powerful home runs. Moultrie (2-3, HR, RBI, 2 R, SB, BB) led off the inning with a solo shot to center, and senior first baseman Megan Bush (2-3, HR, 2 RBI, R) hit a two-run bomb to left, scoring Bruder (1-1, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB) from third and setting Florida’s single-season record for homers in a season (21) in the process.

The Tigers answered back in the sixth, getting runners on first and second with no outs early in the inning and fighting to get them home after giving up back-to-back outs. Missouri LF Lisa Simmons hit a two-RBI double to deep left-center, scoring both base runners and reducing their deficit to three runs, 5-2.

Florida did what they could to respond in the bottom of the inning. Freshman shortstop Cheyenne Coyle (1-2, R, BB) walked to lead off the frame, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior catcher Tiffany DeFelice (0-2), and scored two batters later to give the Gators a 6-2 lead when sophomore designated player Ensley Gammel (2-3, RBI) singled to right center.

The six runs Florida scored against Mizzou starter Chelsea Thomas were the most she has given up all season. Rogers (34-6) earned the win for the Gators after striking out four, walking three and allowing a pair of hits in 4.2 innings.

The Gators advanced in the winner’s bracket and will face No. 1 Arizona State (56-6), which beat Oklahoma (42-18) 3-1 on Thursday, at 9:30 p.m. on Friday. The game will air live on ESPN and ESPN3.com.

Tags: ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, Brittany Schutte, Chelsea Thomas, Cheyenne Coyle, Ensley Gammel, Hannah Rogers, Kelsey Bruder, Megan Bush, Michelle Moultrie, Missouri Tigers, NCAA, softball, Stephanie Brombacher, Tiffany DeFelice, Women's College World Series

The first team in Southeastern Conference history to advance to four-straight Women’s College World Series, No. 3 Florida Gators softball (52-10) moved on in the 2011 NCAA Tournament with a 7-0 victory over the No. 11 Oregon Ducks (42-16) on Saturday in Super Regionals action at Pressly Softball Stadium in Gainesville, FL.

Florida won game one 9-1 and outscored Oregon 16-1 over the weekend.

Freshman right-handed pitcher Hannah Rogers (33-6) got the start for the Gators and was consistently productive all afternoon. She tossed a complete game shutout, striking out three batters, walking one and allowing only four hits in seven innings.

With runners on first and second in the top of the second, Florida junior center fielder Michelle Moultrie hit an infield single up the middle to advance the runners. An error by Oregon second baseman Kaylan Howard allowed junior pinch runner Ellie Langley, in for senior catcher Tiffany DeFelice (0-3, BB), to score and put the Gators up 1-0.

Florida added another run in the third, when senior first baseman Megan Bush (1-4, RBI) doubled deep to right center, scoring sophomore right fielder Brittany Schutte (on base via a walk) from first to give the Gators a 2-0 advantage.

After Florida loaded the bases in the top of the fourth, senior left fielder Kelsey Bruder (1-3, 2 RBI, R, BB) stepped up and worked her way to a full count. Two pitches later, she singled up the middle to score Moultrie (3-4, RBI, 2 R, SB) and sophomore designated player Ensley Gammel (1-2, R, BB) but was called out at second after trying to stretch it into a double. Schutte followed her by striking out but leaving the Gators with a 4-0 lead heading into the second half of the game.

Looking to close out the contest by tacking on some more runs, Florida found themselves with Schutte at the plate with runners on first and third in the top of the sixth. On the first pitch of her at bat, Schutte (1-2, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB) rocketed the ball out of the park, hitting a three-run homer and propelling her team ahead 7-0. Her performance on Saturday completed a fantastic weekend for the power hitter. Schutte concluded the Super Regionals going 3-4 with three homers, seven RBI, five runs scored and three walks.

The Ducks threatened to score in the bottom of the sixth, but Moultrie nabbed a fly ball in center and tossed it back to first to get the inning-ending double play. Rogers got Oregon’s batters out in order in the seventh to end the game and clinch the Gators’ WCWS berth.

Florida will face either No. 5 Missouri or No. 12 Washington in the first round of the WCWS. UF lost to UW in the final series of the 2009 WCWS.

Tags: Brittany Schutte, Ellie Langley, Ensley Gammel, Kelsey Bruder, Megan Bush, Michelle Moultrie, Oregon Ducks, Pressly Softball Stadium, softball, Tiffany DeFelice