1 » No. 5/5 Florida Gators softball (43-7) was stunned Friday, losing 9-1 to the No. 17/11 LSU Tigers (43-13) in the semifinals of the 2010 Southeastern Conference Tournament. Junior Stephanie Brombacher (29-6) started the game but was pulled after 2.1 innings when she allowed four runs and walked three batters. Freshman Ensley Gammel did not play any better in relief, being lit up for four runs in 1.1 innings. Cody Trahan (13-4) won the game for the Tigers, only allowing a solo home run to Florida junior shortstop Megan Bush. Sophomore outfielder Michelle Moultrie led the Gators’ lineup with two singles in three plate appearances. Knocked out of the SEC Tournament, Florida will now prepare for the 2010 NCAA Tournament, which begins on Thursday, May 20. The Gators will likely host at least the regional round.

2 » No. 3 women’s tennis (25-2), also holding down the No. 3-seed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, swatted the South Carolina State Huskies (12-6) 4-0 in first round action at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, FL. Florida freshmen No. 8 Allie Will and No. 9 Lauren Embree each won their singles matches with the No. 5 doubles team of Will and senior Marrit Boonstra also taking their doubles match. Second-round action continues Saturday.

Tags: Allie Will, Cody Trahan, Ensley Gammel, Lauren Embree, Linder Stadium, LSU Tigers, Marrit Boonstra, Megan Bush, Michelle Moultrie, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, Ring Tennis Complex, SEC, softball, South Carolina State Huskies, Stephanie Brombacher, tennis

1 » No. 5/5 Florida Gators softball (43-7, 20-7 SEC) defeated the Auburn Tigers (31-5, 11-18 SEC) 9-1 in the first round of the 2010 Southeastern Conference Tournament on Thursday. Junior Stephanie Brombacher (29-5) took home the win, allowing two hits in five innings while striking out six. Junior shortstop Megan Bush and freshman Kelsey Horton each hit home runs in the game, and the Gators put together an eight-run fifth inning to put the game away. No. 2-seed Florida advanced with the win and will face No. 3-seed LSU on Friday at 3 p.m. in tournament semifinal action.

2 » Speaking with podcaster Matt Minkus, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider said that had former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow been available in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, his team likely would have had a high level of interest in selecting him. “Yeah, we definitely would have considered Tim,” Schneider said Wednesday. “I think he’s the type of player that – the quarterback position begin the most important position on the field – he’s the type of player that just has a natural way about him with his leadership skills and his charisma. I think that we definitely would have considered him. People have made a big deal about his release, and he really has improved that over the last month of two. He was making a lot of progress, so sure, he definitely would have been a guy we would have considered.”

3 » Former Florida cornerback Jacques Rickerson, who was kicked off the team in November 2008 after an arrest for domestic battery, was arrested yet again Thursday afternoon and charged with cyberstalking and domestic battery by strangulation., according to The Gainesville Sun. Rickerson, a former four-star recruit, is currently being held in Alachua County jail on $45,000 bond.

4 » Taking a (really) early look ahead at the 2011 NFL Draft, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper went ahead and ranked his top five players available by position. Only two Gators made the list – senior center Mike Pouncey and junior safety Will Hill. Pouncey is ranked as the No. 3 center available even though he has yet to play the position for Florida; Hill is listed as the No. 2 safety and is expected to have an “official coming-out party” next year.

Extra Bit » OGGOA sponsor Palm Beach Autographs will be holding a signing on Saturday, May 15 with two more former Gators. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin and Chicago Bears safety Major Wright will be on hand signing autographs, taking pictures and talking to fans throughout the event. For more information, click their banner on the right or visit http://www.palmbeachautographs.com

Tags: arrest, Auburn Tigers, Chicago Bears, Draft, Jacques Rickerson, John Schneider, Kelsey Horton, Major Wright, Megan Bush, Mike Pouncey, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Percy Harvin, Seattle Seahawks, SEC, SEC Tournament, softball, Stephanie Brombacher, Tim Tebow, Will Hill

1 » No. 7/9 Florida Gators baseball split the remaining two games of its away series against the Kentucky Wildcats, winning 6-3 Saturday night before falling 6-5 on Sunday. The Gators (25-10, 10-5 SEC) clinched their first series win in Lexington, KY, against the Wildcats (22-14, 5-10 SEC) at Cliff Hagan Stadium since 2004. Saturday, sophomore first baseman Preston Tucker (1-4) led the way with three RBI, while freshman designated hitter Austin Maddox (3-5) collected two runs. Freshman Hudson Randall got the start, but sophomore reliever Greg Larson (2-1) earned the win on 3.2 no-hit innings. Tucker went 2-5 Sunday, but Florida and sophomore Anthony DeSclafani (2-2) fell to Kentucky in the series finale.

2 » No. 3/4 softball also took a series win against UK over the weekend, winning two out of three games from Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, FL. Junior first baseman Megan Bush went 3-6 during the doubleheader on Saturday with a grand slam, while sophomore outfielder Michelle Moultrie contributed a 5-6 performance with two runs and a double. Junior Stephanie Brombacher and freshman Ensley Gammel (10-1) pitched, earning a win and loss, respectively. Gammel would also earn her fourth save in the first game. The Gators (34-5, 14-3 SEC) clinched the series Sunday against the Wildcats (27-18, 11-11 SEC) with senior OF Francesca Enea (2-3) grabbing two RBI and her 58th career home run. She is now within two of the all-time SEC record of 60. Brombacher (23-4) tossed a complete game for her second win of the weekend.

Four more BITS on track & field, tennis, golf and lacrosse…after the break!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Baseball, softball, track, tennis, golf, lax

Tags: ALC, Anthony DeSclafani, Ashley Bruns, Austin Maddox, baseball, Calvin Smith, Chris Rainey, Cliff Hagan Stadium, Dizney Stadium, Ensley Gammel, field, Francesca Enea, Greg Larson, Hudson Randall, Jeff Demps, Kentucky Wildcats, lacrosse, Mariam Kevkhishvili, Megan Bush, Michelle Moultrie, Percy Beard Track, Pressly Stadium, Preston Tucker, SEC, SEC Championship, SEC Tournament, softball, South Carolina Gamecocks, Stephanie Brombacher, tennis, Tom Jones Memorial Classic, track, Vanderbilt Commodores

1 » No. 6/7 Florida Gators baseball (11-3) was unsuccessful at completing a sweep of the Charleston Southern Buccaneers (6-10) over the weekend, falling 6-3 on Sunday at McKethan Stadium. CSU starter Tyler Thornburg (3-1) tossed a complete game with a career-high 11 strikeouts to put a halt to Florida’s five-game winning streak. Redshirt sophomore starter Tommy Toledo (2-1) left the game in the top of the fourth inning after a line drive from Buccaneers’ first baseman Derek Smith hit him square in the face. Toledo broke numerous facial bones for which he is undergoing surgery.

2 » After splitting a doubleheader, No. 4/11 Florida softball (18-3, 2-1 SEC) picked up the rubber match with a 5-3 win over the Ole Miss Rebels (16-10, 3-2 SEC) on Sunday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Junior Stephanie Brombacher (14-3) picked up the win with five strikeouts over five innings, and junior first baseman Megan Bush led the Gators going 2-2 with a run and three RBI. Freshman Ensley Gammel earned her first career save, and junior second baseman Aja Pachulba went 2-4 with two RBI.

3 » No. 7 men’s tennis (12-2, 4-0 SEC) and No. 5 women’s tennis (14-2, 4-0 SEC) were both victorious Sunday against the Alabama Crimson Tide (7-8, 1-3 SEC) and (6-7, 0-4 SEC), defeating them respectively 6-1 at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex and 4-0 on the road at the University of Alabama Tennis Stadium. The No. 16-ranked men’s doubles pair of redshirt senior Antoine Benneteau and Alexandre Lacroix continued their great season with an 8-3 win, and No. 6 Lacroix won his singles match 6-5, 5-6, 3-3 (ret.). On the women’s side, the No. 6 duo of senior Marrit Boonstra and freshman Allie Will won 9-7, while No. 11 Will (6-0, 6-1) and No. 15-ranked freshman Lauren Embree (6-2, 6-2) cruised to singles victories.

4 » Gators soccer announced Monday that 11 players have committed to the program for the 2010 fall season. For a full list of the commitments, you can visit GatorZone.

Tags: Aja Pachulba, Alabama Crimson Tide, Alexandre Lacroix, Allie Will, Antoine Benneteau, baseball, Charleston Southern Buccaneers, Ensley Gammel, Lauren Embree, Linder Stadium, Marrit Boonstra, McKethan Stadium, Megan Bush, Ole Miss Rebels, Pressly Stadium, Ring Tennis Complex, soccer, softball, Stephanie Brombacher, tennis, Tommy Toledo, Tyler Thornburg, University of Alabama Tennis Stadium

1 » Competing in the DeMarini Tournament over the weekend, the No. 3/10 Florida Gators began with a solid 12-3 win over Pacific on Friday. Falling to No. 10/12 Stanford 2-0 later that afternoon, the Gators needed to rebound through the final two games of the tournament in order to come out on top. Florida did just that, earning a 12-0 victory over the Cal State Fullerton Titans (3-16) in five innings on Saturday. Senior outfielder Francesca Enea led the Gators with a 2-3 performance for two home runs (including a grand slam) and five RBI. Sophomore OF Michelle Moultrie also contributed, going 3-3 from the plate with three runs. Junior starter Stephanie Brombacher (11-2) earned the win in four innings of work.

Sunday was the final day of the tournament, and the Gators still had some work to do. Florida began the day with a dominating 14-3 win over the UC Davis Aggies (7-11) while totaling a season-high 16 hits (third-most in school history). Enea went 3-4 and extended her hit streak to 11 games while jacking another grand slam. Her 51 career home runs tie for second on the SEC’s all-time list. Brombacher (12-2) got another win on three innings of work. Later that day, the Gators (16-2) closed out the event with a 13-1 victory over the Loyola Marymount Lions (3-7). Junior shortstop Megan Bush went 3-3 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs as freshman starter Ensley Gammel (3-0) earned the complete game win.

Read about tennis’ dominating victories, golf and track & field after the jump!
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Softball, tennis dominate; golf, track

Tags: Alexandre Lacroix, Allie Will, Antoine Benneteau, Auburn Invitational, Auburn Tigers, Cal State Fullerton Titans, DeMarini Tournament, Ensley Gammel, field, Francesca Enea, golf, Lauren Embree, Linder Stadium, Loyola Marymount Lions, LSU Tigers, Marrit Boonstra, Megan Bush, Michelle Moultrie, Ring Tennis Complex, Roland Thornqvist, softball, Stephanie Brombacher, tennis, track, UC Davis Aggies

No. 3/9 Florida Gators softball (9-1) took home the 2010 Lipton Invitational title Saturday, winning five straight games in the tournament by an average of over five runs.

Check out all five game recaps and much more after the jump!
Continue Reading » Florida softball sweeps, wins Lipton Invitational

Tags: Aja Paculba, Brittany Schutte, Campbell Camels, East Carolina Pirates, Ensley Gammel, Erin Schuppert, Francesca Enea, Kansas Jayhawks, Katie Murphree, Kelsey Bruder, Kelsey Horton, Lipton Invitational, Marshall Thundering Heard, Megan Bush, Michelle Moultrie, softball, Stephanie Brombacher, Tiffany DeFelice

1 » No. 3/9 Florida Gators softball (5-1) shutout the Campbell Camels (1-4-1) 7-0 Friday night on the back of a school-record six home runs. Leading their team to victory, junior first baseman Megan Bush had lead-off home runs in back-to-back plate appearances, and junior starter Stephanie Brombacher (4-1) blanked Campbell over five innings while compiling a season-high 11 strikeouts. Six of Florida’s seven runs came on solo homers from five different Gators including Bush (4th, 6th), sophomore outfielder Michelle Moultrie (4th), junior catcher Tiffany DeFelice (6th), freshman C Kelsey Horton (6th) and junior outfielder Kelsey Bruder (7th).

Florida softball (6-1) continued its dominance Friday with a 12-4 win over the Kansas Jayhawks (2-5) in the Gators’ second game of the night. Junior second baseman Aja Paculba went 4-4 with a career-high five RBI. In all, seven UF players accounted for 14 hits and freshman pitcher Erin Schuppert (1-0) earned her first career win in four innings of relief with seven strikeouts while allowing only two runs. Freshman Ensley Gammel started for the Gators.

2 » Florida’s newest sport, women’s lacrosse, is set to debut Saturday against the Jacksonville Dolphins (0-2) at 6 p.m. in the brand new Donald R. Dizney Stadium for the first regular season game in school history. Head coach Amanda O’Leary has done a terrific job preparing the Gators, including recruiting the No. 1–ranked signing class in the nation according to Inside Lacrosse Magazine. The team, which fell 17-8 in its first exhibition match against the U.S. National Development team before rallying to a 7-7 tie at Rutgers and a 10-8 win over Princeton, is made up of two seniors, one junior, two sophomores and 24 freshmen. Admission is free for all home games, so be sure to go out and support this up-and-coming team in its first season!
- Athletic director Jeremy Foley is proud of the school’s newest sport.
- The Florida lacrosse team was years in the making.
- Everything you need to know about how lacrosse is played.

Gators swimming & diving and gymnastics also impressed on Friday…
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Softball sets record, lacrosse debuts

Tags: Aja Paculba, Amanda O’Leary, Campbell Camels, Conor Dwyer, diving, Dizney Stadium, Ensley Gammel, Erin Schuppert, Gemma Spofforth, Georgia Gym Dogs, gymnastics, Jacksonville Dolphins, Kansas Jayhawks, Kelsey Bruder, Kelsey Horton, lacrosse, Megan Bush, Michelle Moultrie, NCAA Championship, O'Connell Center, SEC Championship, Shaune Fraser, softball, Stephanie Brombacher, swimming, Teresa Crippen, Tiffany DeFelice