A dominating performance from sophomore starting pitcher Alex Panteliodis coupled with an onslaught of runs in the third and fourth innings propelled No. 4 Florida Gators baseball (46-15) to a 7-2 victory over the No. 11 Miami Hurricanes (43-19) in the opening game of the 2010 NCAA Gainesville Super Regional on Friday night at McKethan Stadium.

A complete game effort from Panteliodis (11-2), including a career-high 12 strikeouts and a streak where he retired the final 14 batters he faced, allowed Florida’s bullpen to rest and remain available for game two of the best-of-three series on Saturday at 7 p.m.

In addition to forcing 12 batters to whiff, Panteliodis scattered three hits over nine innings and only allowed one walk during the affair.

Stepping up at the plate for the Gators were freshmen third baseman Austin Maddox (1-5, run) and catcher Mike Zunino (1-4), who tied for the team lead with two RBI apiece. Outfielders sophomore Tyler Thompson (1-3, solo home run) and senior Justin Pigott (2-4) each scored two runs, and sophomore Preston Tucker (0-2) walked thrice.

Miami committed two errors Friday night, both of which led to unearned runs not attributed to Hurricanes starter David Gutierrez (5-3), who was pulled from the game after allowing seven hits and one earned run in four innings. Catcher Yasmani Grandal scored the team’s only runs on a two-RBI homer in the fourth inning.

UF out-hit UM 9-3 and left more runners on base, too (9-1).

Game two of the Gainesville Super Regional will feature freshman Hudson Randall (8-3, 2.97 ERA) taking the mound for the Gators against junior Chris Hernandez (10-3, 2.77 ERA) for the Canes. If Florida wins, they will move on to the 2010 NCAA College World Series; should they lose, game three will be played Sunday at 7 p.m.

Photo Credit: University of Florida

Tags: Alex Panteliodis, Austin Maddox, baseball, Chris Hernandez, College World Series, David Gutierrez, Hudson Randall, Justin Pigott, McKethan Stadium, Mike Zunino, NCAA, Preston Tucker, Super Regional, Tyler Thompson, Yasmani Grandal

In their most dominant performance of the season, No. 4 Florida Gators baseball (45-15) throttled the Florida Atlantic Owls (37-24) 15-0 to win the 2010 NCAA Gainesville Regional on Sunday night at McKethan Stadium and advance to Super Regional competition.

Fueled by sophomore outfielder Tyler Thompson – who posted a three home run, six RBI performance in which he went 4-for-5 – the Gators smacked six homers over the outfield wall (a school postseason record) while simultaneously shutting out the Owls behind seven strong innings by freshman starter Brian Johnson (6-4).

Johnson also went 3-for-5 from the plate with a homer. Junior first baseman Preston Tucker (4-6, four RBI) and freshman catcher Mike Zunino (2-4) provided the other two dingers of the evening. In all, Florida tallied 19 hits and five walks, stranding 10 on base.

Relievers redshirt sophomore Tommy Toledo and junior Kevin Chapman tossed the final two innings of the contest to complete the shutout.

Johnson was honored with the Gainesville Regional’s Most Outstanding Player award after the game for his .625 (5-8) performance at the plate for the series and dominant outing from the mound on Sunday. UF as a whole placed seven players in eight spots on the All-Tournament Team, including Johnson, Thompson, Tucker, Zunino, senior outfielder Matt den Dekker and freshman pitcher Hudson Randall.

The win advances the Gators to Super Regional action for the second-straight year and fourth in the last seven. Gainesville, FL, will once again host the event, which will consist of a three-game series against the winner of the Coral Gables Regional (to be decided Monday night between Miami and Texas A&M).

Florida is 20-1 in night games at home this season and won its 13th consecutive game on Sunday. The Gators outscored their three opponents 32-5 over the weekend.

Photo Credit: Phil Sandlin/Associated Press

Tags: All-Tournament, baseball, Brian Johnson, Coral Gables Regional, Florida Atlantic Owls, Gainesville Regional, Hudson Randall, Kevin Chapman, Matt den Dekker, McKethan Stadium, Mike Zunino, Most Outstanding Player, NCAA, Preston Tucker, Tommy Toledo, Tyler Thompson

Opening a three-game series that will ultimately decide the 2010 Southeastern Conference regular season champion, the No. 4/5 Florida Gators (39-12, 21-7 SEC) delivered the first blow by squeaking out a 3-2 win over the No. 6/7 South Carolina Gamecocks (42-12, 20-8 SEC) Thursday night on the road at Carolina Stadium.

Junior closer Kevin Chapman helped the Gators maintain a 3-2 lead, tossing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts without giving up a single hit for his ninth save of the season. Sophomore starter Alex Panteliodis was pulled after giving up a run in 3.1 innings, only to have Jeff Barfield go on to give up another in his 2.2 innings of relief. Barfield (4-0) would end up the winning pitcher with the Gamecocks’ Blake Cooper (10-1) earning his first loss of the season after allowing three runs in 6.2 innings.

At a scoreless tie heading into the top of the third inning, the Gators opened up the game when sophomore outfielder Tyler Thompson (1-3) hit a lead-off home run to right field. With two outs in the inning, a rally was put together that would eventually score sophomore OF Daniel Pigott (3-5), who got on base with a double.

Florida added to their lead in the fourth. Senior OF Matt den Dekker (1-4) singled to start off the inning and would eventually score on a ground out RBI by junior second baseman Josh Adams (0-4). UF would hold on from there, though they did allow South Carolina to add a run in both the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings.

The action continues Friday evening at 7 p.m. as Gators freshman Hudson Randall (6-3, 2.96 ERA) goes up against Gamecocks junior Sam Dyson (5-4, 3.79 ERA). Should Florida win, they would clinch their first SEC title since 2005.

Tags: Alex Panteliodis, baseball, Blake Cooper, Carolina Stadium, Daniel Pigott, Jeff Barfield, Josh Adams, Kevin Chapman, Matt den Dekker, SEC, South Carolina Gamecocks, Tyler Thompson

No. 4/6 Florida Gators baseball (31-11, 15-6 SEC) swept three home games against the defending National Champion No. 24/15 LSU Tigers (32-13, 11-10 SEC) at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville, FL, over the weekend. Area weather prevented the games from running smoothly, but the Gators did not let that deter them from three somewhat dominating victories.

The series opener on Friday night was suspended in the bottom of the fifth inning (rain) as Florida held a 7-0 lead; it would end with LSU piling on some runs but the Gators coming out on top 8-5 on Saturday. Sophomore Alex Panteliodis (7-2) got the start Friday, tossing five shutout innings with two strikeouts. Junior closer Kevin Chapman (S8) finished the job late Saturday, striking out two in 2.2 scoreless innings for the save.

Sophomore outfielder Tyler Thompson (3-3) and junior second baseman Josh Adams (1-3) each tallied three RBI, Adams’ coming off a three-run homer in the second inning.

In the middle of the opening game, Florida completed its first official win of the series with a 7-3 victory early Saturday afternoon. Freshman starter Hudson Randall (5-3) threw a career-high seven strikeouts in eight innings of work, though his first pitch of the game marked the 11th home run of the season for Tigers’ OF Mikie Mahtook (2-4). Senior OF Jonathan Pigott (1-2) led the way with two RBI for UF.

Sunday’s finale was all about power for the Gators. Senior OF Matt den Dekker (5-5) and freshmen third baseman Austin Maddox (1-3) and starting pitcher Brian Johnson (2-4) all hit moon shots, with Johnson recording his first career grand slam while picking up his fourth win of the season (4-2) in 6.1 innings. Both den Dekker and Johnson totaled four RBI on the day with Maddox picking up three of his own.

Though Florida remains one game back of No. 3 South Carolina (34-9, 16-5 SEC) in the Southeastern Conference standings, it has won five consecutive games against top-10 opponents and is now a sterling 23-3 at home in 2010. The Gators have won six of seven SEC series this season, winning five straight for the first time since 2005.

Tags: Alex Panteliodis, Austin Maddox, baseball, Brian Johnson, Hudson Randall, Jonathan Pigott, Josh Adams, Kevin Chapman, LSU Tigers, Matt den Dekker, McKethan Stadium, Mikie Mahtook, National Championship, SEC, Tyler Thompson

No. 7 Florida Gators baseball headed to Tallahassee, FL, looking to even up its season series against the No. 6 Florida State Seminoles on Tuesday.

Unfortunately for the Gators (23-9), even an exploding power generator could not prevent them from dropping their third game this season to the Seminoles (26-7) as they lost 3-2 at Dick Howser Stadium. FSU freshman right-handed starter Scott Sitz (3-0) tossed a career-high six innings to defeat sophomore Greg Larson (1-1), who gave up three earned runs in only two innings of work.

Senior shortstop Stephen Cardullo (2-4) led the Seminoles with two doubles and two RBI as the Gators’ relievers held FSU scoreless after the second inning.

Junior second baseman Josh Adams (0-4) and freshman catcher Mike Zunino (1-4) each recorded an RBI for Florida, and sophomore outfielder Tyler Thompson (two walks) was one of only two Gators to reach base twice.

Florida State is now 119-96-1 all-time against Florida, which returns to SEC action on the road Friday against the Kentucky Wildcats for a three-game series.

Tags: baseball, Dick Howser Stadium, Florida State Seminoles, Greg Larson, Josh Adams, Mike Zunino, Scott Sitz, Stephen Cardullo, Tyler Thompson

1 » Between critics, supporters and analysts, former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow always has plenty of people talking about him. You can add former USC Trojans safety Taylor Mays to that list. Mays – who has grown close with Tebow after appearances at college football awards shows, 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl and 2010 NFL Scouting Combine – got defensive when asked about his new friend’s ability to transition to the NFL. “I don’t understand it. He did everything right,” Mays said. “It’s not like everybody thought he was going to be the first quarterback taken, so I don’t understand why they’re killing him like that. You’re looking at one of the most established players in college football, ever. Ever! All these people they’re talking about don’t have half the credentials he does.”

2 » While Mays was defensive, New England sports writer Tom Curran went on the offensive against Tebow Wednesday. Curran opines that Tebow’s very public meeting with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is out of character for the team and was perhaps done in order to boost Tebow’s 2010 NFL Draft stock and, in some way, help out his friend and Gators head coach Urban Meyer. Side note: Tebow spent two days in Boston; he was not just there for a dinner. Curran also questions what Tebow is as a person. “I mean, how do we know the kid’s a virgin? He talks about it. And just as it’s his right to talk about it, it’s the right of observers to wonder what the motivations for doing so are,” Curran wrote. “Is he a football player? A spokesman? A vessel of the Lord? A well-crafted public relations creation? All of the above?”

Four more BITS on Erin Andrews’ ESPN contract and future as well as results from baseball, softball and lacrosse…after the jump!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Tebow, Andrews, baseball, softball, lax

Tags: baseball, Bill Belichick, Brittany Schutte, Central Florida Knights, combine, Dancing with the Stars, Dizney Stadium, Draft, Ensley Gammel, Erin Andrews, Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, Hudson Randal, Jeff Barfield, Kitty Cullen, lacrosse, New England Patriots, NFL, Oregon Ducks, Senior Bowl, softball, Taylor Mays, The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, Tim Tebow, Tyler Thompson, UCF Softball Complex, Urban Meyer, USC Trojans

No. 2/5 Florida Gators baseball opened their Southeastern Conference schedule this weekend, sweeping the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a three game series at McKethan Stadium. Taking down the Bulldogs (11-9, 0-3 SEC) by consecutive scores of 7-2, 5-4 and 4-1, the Gators (16-3, 3-0 SEC) will take on Florida Gulf Coast in the final game of their 11-game homestand before spending about a week on the road.

In the series’ first game, sophomore starter Alex Panteliodis (5-0) tossed a career-high 7.1 innings, only allowing four hits and two runs while registering three strikeouts. Florida put together a five-run sixth inning to take a commanding lead, with freshman designated hitter Austin Maddox (2-4) smacking a two-run double and hitting a solo home run. Sophomore first baseman Preston Tucker (2-4) continued his hot streak by scoring two runs and homering for this third-straight game.

The following night, the Gators powered their way to victory with a four-run seventh inning rally that included sophomore outfielder Tyler Thompson (2-3) stealing home plate and Tucker (2-4, three RBI) hitting a two-run double. Sophomore Nick Maronde (2-0) entered in the seventh and picked up a win in 1.2 innings of work even though junior closer Kevin Chapman (S4) allowed two earned runs (he still recorded the save).

Having already clinched the series, Florida was looking to improve their record on Sunday, and a three-run dinger by Maddox in the eighth inning provided them with the series sweep. Chapman came in to relieve a tired Gators bullpen that suffered through 94 minutes of a rain delay; he threw 2.1 scoreless innings and totaled four strikeouts to pick up his first win of the season.

The weekend’s sweep was the team’s first against Mississippi State since 2002. Florida has matched its season-high five-game winning streak and received an elevation to No. 2 in the nation on Monday.

Tags: Alex Panteliodis, Austin Maddox, baseball, Kevin Chapman, McKethan Stadium, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Nick Maronde, Preston Tucker, SEC, Tyler Thompson

No. 6/7 Florida Gators baseball (9-2) has completed a two-game sweep of the Illinois State Redbirds (4-7), defeating them 8-2 and 8-0 on Tuesday and Wednesday night at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville, FL.

Read more about Florida baseball’s sweep of Illinois State after the break!

On Tuesday, freshman starter Hudson Randall (2-0) tossed five innings of one-run ball along with five strikeouts as the Gators carried a 8-1 lead into the top of the eighth inning. Freshman first baseman Austin Maddox went 1-4 with a three-run home run in the sixth and two runs, while sophomore outfielder Tyler Thompson supported him with a 2-4 performance with two RBI.

Freshman OF Kamm Washington was 3-4 with an RBI and three stolen bases; Florida totalled a season-high nine swiped bags on the evening.

The Gators continued their domination of the Redbirds Wednesday, with Maddox remaining on his power surge. He drove in a career-high six runs on a 4-5 performance with his first career grand slam in the sixth inning.

Sophomore pitcher Anthony DeSclafani (1-1) registered the win after giving up only one hit in 5.1 innings with a season-high six strikeouts. The game marked Florida’s first shutout since Feb. 24, 2009 against Eastern Michigan (12-0).

The Gators remain home for eight more games and will begin a three-game series with Charleston Southern on Fri., March 12.

Photo Credit: University of Florida

Tags: Anthony DeSclafani, Austin Maddox, baseball, Hudson Randall, Illinois State Redbirds, Kamm Washington, McKethan Stadium, Tyler Thompson