Mia Williams starts a double play by tagging out Ashton Maloney of Texas (UAA Photo) Teagan Kavan wasn’t overpowering Thursday afternoon in the opening game of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. Far from it. The Texas righty only struck out one Florida hitter so making contact was the least of the Gators’ problems.   The Gators (48-18) spent the day pounding the ball into the ground or popping up to the infield. The ball left the infield only five times against Kavan’s steady diet of drop balls, which induced 13 ground outs, one of which was turned into an inning-ending double play. Of Florida’s two hits, only a fourth inning single by Korbe Otis reached the outfield and that one was off the mitt of first baseman Joley Mitchell.   Texas (52-11) didn’t exactly wear out Florida pitching, but three of the Longhorns’ seven hits left the yard and that was the difference in the game. With their 3-0 win over the Gators, Texas gets a day off before facing Oklahoma in the second round. Florida will face Tennessee tomorrow in an elimination game.   “ We were on the losing side, but thought both teams played well,” Florida coach Tim Walton said. “We weren't able to string anything together consistently, but overall thought we played well. Ready to play, and they just did a little bit better job than we did."   All three Texas homers came off Keagan Rothrock – a second inning homer to left field by Mitchell and back-to-back homers by Mitchell and Katie Stewart in the sixth. Mitchell’s second homer was perhaps an inch beyond the reach of Florida center fielder Kendra Falby. The Rawlings Gold Glove winner for the second straight year timed her leap perfectly but the ball was just too far for her to bring back into the Devon Field.   Kavan held Florida hitless for 3-2/3 innings. It wasn’t until Otis hit a scorcher down the first base line that ticked off Mitchell’s mitt and dribbled into right field that the Gators had their first base hit.   The Gators wouldn’t get another hit until the sixth when Taylor Shumaker legged out a one-out infield tapper back to Kavan. Any threat of a rally was erased when Reagan Walsh bounced into a second unassisted to first double play.   The Gators were shut out for only the third time this year and their two hits represents their worst game at the plate. Despite the poor production, Otis says there is nothing wrong with the Florida offense.   "There's nothing that's broken,” Otis said. “There's nothing broken to fix. Our offense is really powerful. Today obviously we just didn't get the right ... we obviously just didn't put the right swings on the right pitches, and sometimes that's how softball goes. So there's not a huge adjustment to make. We're just going out and playing Gator softball and staying us."     Other than the three home runs, Rothrock pitched well enough to win the game. She went five full innings before being yanked for Ava Brown after giving up the two homers to lead off the Texas sixth. Rothrock gave up five hits, walked two and struck out four.   Rothrock gave up a leadoff homer to Mitchell in the top of the second and hit the next batter but got out of the inning without further damage on a foul out and strikeout, throw out double play with Jocelyn Erickson nailing Stewart trying to steal with a perfect throw to Mia Williams.   In the fourth, Rothrock got out of a first and third with two out jam by inducing Victoria Hunter to ground out to Williams. Texas threatened in the sixth inning on a throwing error by Rylee Holtorff and a two-out single by Mia Scott, but Rothrock got out of the inning when she caught Reese Atwood looking at a third strike.   Rothrock said she believes the Gators will play well Friday against Tennessee.   "Nobody wants to be a loser on the elimination bracket side of it,” Rothrock said. “But I also think we're a team that when our back is against the wall, for whatever reason, we play a little bit more free, which seems really backwards, but at the same time I think the experience last year does help us. But with the new people, just learning how to continue to play Gator softball and just to continue to focus on us and make sure that we're doing the things that we need to be able to do."   The loss sends the Gators to the loser’s bracket where they will face Tennessee (45-16) at 7 p.m. Friday evening. Tennessee held a 3-1 lead on Oklahoma going into the bottom of the seventh, but the Sooners got a 2-out, 3-run homer to walk it off. Oklahoma (51-7) and Texas play a winner’s bracket game Saturday at 3 p.m.   For the Gators to get out of their bracket and to the best of three championship series, they will have to go 4-0 over the next few days.   "Obviously, it's a huge letdown to lose the first game of the College World Series, and the way they go about their business just tells me everything I need to know about the people that I coach," Walton said. "They take it serious. They compete. They work hard, and they enjoy what they do. So to me, no matter what we do tomorrow, today was a learning opportunity. ”

Alex Condon blocks the shot of Texas A&M's Wade Taylor (UAA Photo) Alex Condon’s decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft for one more year with the Florida Gators comes with a warning that every team in college basketball should heed.   “My jumper has improved immensely with how much work I've put into that,” Condon told ESPN Tuesday about the benefits of his workouts at the NBA Combine and for teams that were considering drafting him. “My overall offensive package will be on display more at Florida next season.”   We saw what happened with Walter Clayton Jr. after he dabbled his toes in the NBA waters. Clayton already was playing at an All-SEC level. He came back from the NBA workouts focused on applying what he learned and the improvement in his game was evident from the moment the Gators opened the 2024-25 season. Clayton went on to become a consensus All-American, won Most Outstanding Player honors at the SEC Tournament, NCAA West Regional and Final Four while leading Florida to its first national championship since 2007.   Condon played a significant role in Florida’s march to the national championship, averaging 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He showed 3-point range on his jumper but was inconsistent there and at the foul line. He had games in which he was a dominant offensive force and others in which he all but disappeared.   He was a consistent force as a defender and rebounder although it was evident that another year in the weight room would benefit him enormously in both phases of his game.   Had Condon remained in the NBA Draft he would have certainly been selected, possibly in the first round, but more likely in the second. When he weighed the NBA against Florida, however, a return to Gainesville for a chance to win another national championship and the improvement in his game that could elevate him to a lottery pick in the 2026 draft won the day.   The decision to return was filled with positives.   "It's a really good situation waiting for me there," Condon told ESPN. "A great coach with Todd Golden. Teammates I won a national championship with. I have great chemistry with those boys. We have a good transfer class coming in. I expect guys to make a leap. My Big Man coach, Carlin Hartman, is returning, so I will keep developing my game with him."   Loyalty also played a part in Condon’s decision. He was not highly recruited. Golden discovered him at an NBA Global event in Las Vegas. Golden was there to scout Nigerian Rueben Chinyelu, who would sign with Washington State. While scouting Chinyelu, Golden became enamored with Condon and was able to land the talented but still raw Australian.   “I didn't come to Florida with too many expectations,” Condon said. “The coaching staff bet on me, and I wanted to reward them by playing as hard as I could. Coach Golden gave me the opportunity to play as a freshman, which helped my transition to this year, where I played with more confidence and became an important part of the team."   Ironically, after one season at Washington State, Chinyelu transferred to Florida. Like Condon, Chinyelu tested the NBA Draft waters by attending the G-League Combine. He performed well, got good information about what he needs to do to improve his game and draft stock, then made the decision to come back to Florida.   Even before Condon made the decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft, the Gators of 2025-26 figured to be a top five team. With Condon back in the fold, the Gators are likely to start next season as the No. 1 team in the country. Florida will certainly be the odds-on favorite to win the Southeastern Conference title.   Condon’s return gives Golden and the Gators unprecedented size, experience and depth in the frontcourt. There isn’t a team in the Southeastern Conference or the entire country capable of matching the Florida foursome of Condon (6-11, 232), Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 260), Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215) and Micah Handlogten (7-1, 255). As if that’s not enough, the Gators have redshirt freshmen Viktor Mikic (6-11, 250) and Olivier Rioux (7-9, 315) in the developmental stage. Golden indicated a week ago that he is likely to add one more player to Florida’s already loaded roster. Most likely, Golden will be looking to add another big guy who is an international player. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that when Golden was asked to speak last week when the Gators visited the White House that he pulled out his passport while reaching for his notes.   Haugh’s development in the second half of last season, particularly his play during Florida’s run through the SEC and NCAA tournaments, makes it a necessity to get him in the starting lineup. He’s a good enough shooter to play on the wing and, as he proved against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight game, he can knock down threes when the pressure is on.   A front line of Condon, Chinyelu and/or Handlogten with Haugh on the wing would be formidable. Condon and Chinyelu started every game last season with Haugh the top sixth man in the SEC and a productive starter when Condon missed a number of games with a high ankle sprain. Handlogten, who burned his redshirt to give the Gators the depth they needed to win it all, started every game in 2023-24 before suffering a fractured leg in the SEC Tournament championship game against Auburn. All four played critical roles in Florida’s 3-game run to the SEC Tournament title and the six games of the NCAA Tournament.   Now, add to that front line the experience and explosiveness of transfers Xaivian Lee (6-4, 180) from Princeton, Boogie Fland (6-2, 175) from Arkansas and AJ Brown (6-4, 200) from Ohio University. Lee averaged 16.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game at Princeton. Fland averaged 13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists at Arkansas. Brown averaged 13.2 points and 3.2 rebounds for Ohio. Those three combined to averaged 43.3 points per game, so the Gators have almost replaced the firepower lost when Clayton, Will Richard and Alijah Martin exhausted their eligibility. Behind Lee, Fland and Brown are sophomores Urban Klavzar and Isaiah Brown and incoming freshmen Alex Lloyd (6-4, 175) and CJ Ingram (6-6, 200). Klavzar is a brilliant shooter while Isaiah Brown is like a clone of older brother AJ. Lloyd and Ingram were both 4-star recruits ranked among the top 30 high school players in the country.   There isn’t a deeper team in the country and certainly not one with more experience. Todd Golden assembled the best and most flexible roster in the country a year ago when the Gators went 36-4 and won their last 12 games. With the return of Condon to go with the transfers and freshmen, Golden has once again proven he is a master at building a roster. Despite the loss of Clayton, Will Richard and Alijah Martin, the Gators have not rebuilt, but rather they have reloaded.   Winning consecutive NCAA basketball championships is one of the more difficult tasks in sports. Since UCLA won an unprecedented seven straight championships from 1967-73, only three teams have repeated – Duke 1991-92, Florida 2006-07, and UConn 2023-24.   Can the Gators do it again? They have the size, the depth and the talent to do it. Condon said Tuesday that he’s ready to start the offseason work that it will take to bring another NCAA title back to Gainesville.   “It's a hard thing to do, winning back-to-back," Condon told ESPN. "We're not taking it lightly. We need to get together as a team. Get back to Gainesville, share in some hardship through hard work in the summer, and get used to playing with each other. Part of the reason we were so good last season was we got used to playing with each other for two years. We need to continue that. When guys have your back, that's what makes a great team."

Condon Coming Back to Florida The rising junior averaged 10.6 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds for the national champions The sky’s the limit with Condon returning. (Photo UAA) GAINESVILLE- Rising junior forward/center Alex Condon will withdraw from the NBA Draft process and return to Florida, he announced via his social media accounts< https://x.com/AlexCondonn/status/1927402682647531867 > on Tuesday. Condon was one of the NBA's invitees at the NBA Combine in Chicago. (Franz Beard will have more on this later, as will Loren Meadows on his Lowdown podcast tonight.) In his sophomore season, Condon posted seven double-doubles and earned coaches third-team All-Southeastern Conference honors. Condon posted 17 points and 10 rebounds in the Gators' win at No. 1 Auburn on Feb. 8. He closed the regular season with a pair of massive performances, posting 27 points and 10 rebounds in the win at No. 7 Alabama and tallying 17 points and 15 rebounds vs. Ole Miss. Condon etched himself into Gator history with his dive on the loose ball at the end of the national championship game, capping a 12-point, seven-rebound, four-steal performance to help Florida claim the title. All four primary frontcourt players from that championship team will be back with the Gators in 2025-26, while the Gators' backcourt returns Urban Klavžar and Isaiah Brown and welcomes newcomers AJ Brown, Boogie Fland, CJ Ingram, Xaivian Lee and Alex Lloyd. 2025-26 Men's Basketball Season Tickets Following a 15-1 home record, nine sellout crowds, and the highest attendance since the 2016-2017 season, the defending National Champions are set for another exciting year in the O'Dome. Season ticket packages< https://floridagators.com/sports/2022/12/15/mens-basketball-season-tickets > for the 2025-2026 campaign are on sale now and selling quickly. Be sure to secure your seats while supplies last!

Starting pitchers such as Liam Peterson give the Gators a good shot to advance in the field of 64 (UAA) Now that the regular season and Southeastern Conference Tournament are a thing of the past, Florida (38-20) graduates to a phase of the season that actually favors Kevin O’Sullivan and the Gators. Florida’s pitching staff works well in the 4-team, double elimination format of the NCAA Tournament where the Gators were assigned Monday to the Conway, South Carolina regional hosted by No. 13 national seed Coastal Carolina (48-11), champions of the Sun Belt Conference and winners of 18 consecutive games.   The No. 2 seed in the Conway Regional, the Gators will open play in the regional Friday against East Carolina (33-25), which beat Tulane to win the American Athletic Conference championship. Coastal Carolina will face Fairfield (39-17) of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.   The key to the 4-team regional format is to stay out of the loser’s bracket. It’s possible to win and advance to the Super Regional with three wins and that bodes well for the Gators. Kevin O’Sullivan can rely on three outstanding starting pitchers – Liam Peterson (8-3, 4.10 ERA, 95 strikeouts in 68 innings); Aidan King (6-2, 2.76 ERA, 72 strikeouts in 65-1/3 innings) and Pierce Coppola (3-0, 1.86 ERA, 38 strikeouts in 19-1/3 innings). If O’Sullivan can get quality starts of five or more innings, he won’t have to go deep into the bullpen. Luke McNeillie (5-2, 4.65 ERA, 71 strikeouts in 50-1/3 innings), who has given up only three hits and no earned runs in his last 8-1/3 innings, is the primary set up guy with Jake Clemente (2-1, 3.37 ERA, 7 saves, 74 strikeouts in 50-2/3 innings) as the closer.   King made the All-SEC freshman team while Clemente made second team All-SEC.   If shortstop Colby Shelton is cleared to return from a wrist injury that has kept him sidelined for a month, it will help offset the loss of first team All-SEC catcher Luke Heyman, who fractured his forearm when hit by a pitch in the first game of the Alabama series that ended the regular season. Shelton was hitting .377 with 19 doubles, seven homers and 35 RBI when he was injured.   The return of Shelton will enable O’Sullivan to realign a defense that has been consistently shuffled due to the injury to Shelton and Justin Nadeau. Nadeau returned to the lineup in the SEC Tournament so he should be back at second base. Bobby Boser, who has been filling in at shortstop, would be able to move back to third base, where he made the All-SEC defensive team, and All-SEC freshman Brendan Lawson would be back permanently at first base instead of shuffling around the infield.   First game opponent East Carolina went 13-14 in AAC regular season play, but the Pirates caught fire in the conference tournament, winning four straight games including an 8-2 decision over Tulane in the championship game. The Pirates don’t hit with much consistency (.275 team batting average) or much power (69 home runs) and they don’t steal many bases (67 in 58 games). The pitching staff has a 5.04 team ERA. The Pirates rank fourth in the AAC in hitting, pitching and fielding.   It's likely the Gators will face sophomore lefty Ethan Norby (7-5, 3.81 ERA, 109 strikeouts in 82-1/3 innings) on Friday. Norby, who was a freshman All-America selection in 2024, pitched 7-1/3 shutout innings against Coastal Carolina back on March 7, allowing three hits while striking out 19. He picked up two wins in relief to seal the AAC Tournament, going 1-2/3 innings against South Florida in the semifinals and 2-2/3 innings against Tulane in the championship game.   The two guys in the middle of the infield are ECU’s top offensive threats. Second baseman Braden Burress (.392, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 16 stolen bases) leads off and shortstop Dixon Williams (.296, 13 HR, 48 RBI, 22 stolen bases) hits third.   This is the 35th time East Carolina has made an NCAA regional. The Pirates are the current record holder for most NCAA appearances without ever making it to the College World Series.   The other teams in the Conway Regional:   Coastal Carolina (48-11): The Chanticleers defeated the then No. 1 ranked Gators at the College World Series in 2016. Coastal went on to beat Arizona in the championship round to claim the school’s only national title in any sport. Coastal went 26-4 in Sun Belt Conference play. In their only game against an SEC team, Coastal lost 9-2 to Alabama back on February 21. Coastal won the Sun Belt with a 4-0 record, taking out Southern Mississippi, 7-5, in the championship game.   The Chanticleers hit .286 as a team and their 3.24 team ERA ranks second in the country. Ace of the pitching staff is righty Jacob Morrison (11-0, 1.90 ERA, 84 strikeouts in 85-1/3 innings). The other two starters are both righthanders, Cameron Flukey (6-1, 3.16 ERA, 93 strikeouts in 79-2/3 innings) and Riley Eikhoff (6-2, 3.19 ERA, 58 strikeouts in 73-1/3 innings). The closers are Ryan Lynch (2-1, 0.61 ERA, 7 saves, 34 strikeouts in 29-2/3 innings) and lefty Dominick Carbone (5-0, 2.36 ERA, 5 saves, 44 strikeouts in 34-1/3 innings).   At the plate, catcher Caden Bodine (.333, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 47.7 percent on base percentage) is the leadoff man. Left fielder Sebastian Alexander (.301, 9 HR, 47 RBI) is the speed man (53 runs scored, 22-26 on stolen bases) and second baseman Blake Barthol (.282, 12 HR, 49 RBI) is the power guy.   In the Sun Belt Conference, Coastal ranked second in hitting, fifth in home runs (55), first in pitching and first in fielding.   Fairfield (38-17): The Stags finished second to Rider in the MAAC regular season but went 3-0 including two wins over Rider to win the conference championship. The 39 wins are the most in school history. Fairfield ranks second in the MAAC in hitting (.295) and home runs (67). Fairfield led the MAAC in pitching (4.86 ERA) and fielding.   Offensively, Fairfield is led by third baseman Dean Ferrara (.381, 8 HR, 57 RBI, 21-23 stolen bases), right fielder Matthew Bucciero (.351, 14 HR, 66 RBI, 21-25 stolen bases) and shortstop Luke Nomura (.331, 14 HR, 52 RBI, 16-19 stolen bases). It was a grand slam by Ferrara that got the Stags to the MAAC championship game and a solo homer in the 10th by Nolan Colby that beat Rider in the championship game.   Fairfield’s 3-man weekend rotation is lefty Baker Bowen (8-1, 3.20 ERA, 64 strikeouts in 76 innings), and righthanders Ben Alekson (9-1, 3.24 ERA, 78 strikeouts in 89 innings) and Kyle Lesler (5-1, 3.97 ERA, 51 strikeouts in 56-2/3 innings).   Regional pairings (SEC teams in bold face) 1. NASHVILLE: 1. Vanderbilt (42-16); 2. Louisville (35-21); 3. East Tennessee State (X); 4. Wright State (38-19)   2. AUSTIN: 1. Texas (42-12); 2. UT-San Antonio (44-13); 3. Kansas State (31-24); 4. Houston Christian (32-23)   3. FAYETTEVILLE: 1. Arkansas (43-13); 2. Kansas (43-15); 3. Creighton (41-14); 4. North Dakota State (19-32)   4. AUBURN: 1. Auburn (38-18); 2. North Carolina State (33-19); 3. Stetson (40-20); 4. Central Connecticut (31-15)   5. CHAPEL HILL: 1. North Carolina (42-12); 2. Oklahoma (35-20); 3. Nebraska (32-27); 4. Holy Cross (31-25)   6. BATON ROUGE: 1. LSU (43-14); 2. Dallas Baptist (40-16); 3. Rhode Island (38-20); 4. Little Rock (24-32)   7. ATHENS: 1. Georgia (42-15); 2. Duke (37-19); 3. Oklahoma State (28-23); 4. Binghamton (29-24)   8. CORVALLIS: 1. Oregon State (41-12-1); 2. TCU (39-18); 3. Southern California (35-21); 4. Saint Mary’s (35-24)   9. TALLAHASSEE: 1. Florida State (38-14); 2. Northeastern (48-9); 3. Mississippi State (34-21); 4. Bethune-Cookman (37-21)   10. OXFORD: 1. Ole Miss (40-19); 2. Georgia Tech (40-17); 3. Western Kentucky (x); 4. Murray State (38-13)   11. CLEMSON: 1. Clemson (44-16); 2. West Virginia (41-14); 3. Kentucky (29-24); 4. South Carolina-Upstate (36-23)   12. EUGENE: 1. Oregon (42-14); 2. Arizona (38-18); 3. Cal Poly (41-17); 4. Utah Valley (28-27)   13. CONWAY: 1. Coastal Carolina (48-11); 2. FLORIDA (38-20); 3. East Carolina (33-25); 4. Fairfield (39-17)   14. 11. KNOXVILLE: 1. Tennessee (43-16); 2. Wake Forest (36-20); 3. Cincinnati (32-24); 4. Miami, OH (35-21)   15. LOS ANGELES: 1. UCLA (42-16); 2. UC-Irvine (41-15); 3. Arizona State (35-21); 4. Fresno State (31-27)   16. HATTIESBURG: 1. Southern Miss (44-14); 2. Alabama (41-16); 3. Miami (31-24); 4. Columbia (29-17)

Rylee Holtorff connects for 2-run homer in the fifth (UAA Photo) As many times as Tim Walton has taken the Florida Gators to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series you would think it gets easier. Not so.   “It’s hard,” Walton said Sunday evening after the 3rd-seeded Gators (48-15) punched their ticket to OKC by taking out the Georgia Bulldogs (35-23), 5-2, in game three of their Super Regional. This is the 13th time in school history that the Gators have made it to the Women’s College World Series, all of them during Walton’s tenure. “It looks easy sometimes, but it’s true. It’s hard.”   It was looking hard in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Gators were clinging to a 1-0 lead and there were two out when Rylee Holtorff stepped to the plate with Mia Williams on first. A grad transfer from Washington who dazzles in the field at shortstop, had a bagel to show for her eight super regional at-bats. Georgia had been feeding her a steady diet of rise balls including one in the third that struck her out with the bases loaded.   It only figured Georgia lefty Randi Roelling would stay with what was working. What she didn’t count on was Holtorff would make an adjustment that she used earlier in the season. Stepping up in the batter’s box, Holtorff got on top of a rise ball and sent it into the left field bullpen to give the Gators a 3-0 lead.   “If you go back and watch film on Rylee hitting that ball, she’s only done that technique a couple of times this year,” Walton said. “So she’s had that in her back pocket and she used it. It’s just a little slap technique where she steps up. Couldn’t be more proud of that because how many more times can you strike out on a rise ball and she just stepped into the pitch and boom, got above it and went after it.”   Kendra Falby followed Holtorff to the plate and instead of taking a rip, laid down a bunt on a 1-1 pitch. Georgia didn’t have a prayer of getting her out at first. That brought Taylor Shumaker to the plate. Georgia pitchers walked Shumaker four times Friday afternoon but got her out on three weak swings in Saturday’s 2-1 loss. Shumaker broke out of her mini-slump in the first when she singled home Falby, who had walked and stolen second. Shumaker walked in the fourth on five pitches.   In the bottom of the fifth, Shumaker worked a full count after a 1-2 start, got a pitch she liked and sent a no doubter over the right field fence, her 22nd home run of the season, tying Brittany Schutte for Florida’s single season record. The three RBI for the game brought her season total to 86, tying Jocelyn Erickson for the single-season record.   Walton had pretty good idea that Shumaker was going to have a bust out game.   “I wake up this morning to a text message that she’s hitting already,” Walton said. “She’s like, ‘Hey, I’m going to hit’ and so I was like, just put the work in … she’s a worker not a talker. So the more we can get work and more swings and just watching ball flight the better she gets.”   The 5-run cushion was more than enough for Keagan Rothrock, who bounced back from a Saturday start in which she was yanked from the circle one batter into the second inning. She gave up two home runs on Saturday when she didn’t have great stuff.   Sunday was different story. Rothrock had great location and consistently pounded the strike zone with pitches that topped 70 miles per hour on the radar gun. Rothrock gave up only two hits through the first six innings. She gave up a 2-run homer and a single in the seventh, but got a grounder to Holtorff at shortstop to finish the game.   Improving to 16-6 on the season, Rothrock gave up only one earned run, walked one and struck out five. She got 10 hitters to ground out and finished off the fifth by inducing Marisa Miller to hit into a Williams-to-Holtorff-to Reagan Walsh double play.   Getting Rothrock into a good groove prior to OKC was a very big deal for Walton over the weekend. A year ago, Rothrock got hot at the regional and super regional tournaments and it carried over to the Women’s College World Series. Rothrock heads to Oklahoma City throwing harder than she’s thrown all year. Walton reeled off the names of pitchers who have played a major role in getting the Gators to the WCWS including Lauren Haeger (70-71 miles per hour).   “Kelly [Barnhill] got it up there pretty good as well,” Walton said. “… Hannah [Rogers] got to 70 a couple of times, but for the most part she was 66 to 68. Keagan and Kelly Barnhill are probably the two hardest throwers.”   Game notes: The Gators will open the Women’s College World Series Thursday at noon against 6th-seeded Texas (51-11). Game two will feature 2nd-seeded Oklahoma and 7th-seeded Tennessee. In the night doubleheader, 16th-seeded Oregon will face 9th-seeded UCLA and 12th-seeded Texas Tech will face unseeded Ole Miss … The Southeastern Conference, which set a record for 13 teams making the tournament, will have five of the eight teams in Oklahoma City … The Gators are 7-1 in game three of Super Regionals … In three Super Regional games, the Gators stranded 36 runners on base, nine on Friday, 13 on Saturday and 14 Sunday … The Gators pounded out 14 hits. Every Florida starter reached base at least once.

Korbe Otis blasts a second inning double (UAA Photo) “Softball is a game of inches,” Korbe Otis said Saturday afternoon, describing the fly ball she hit to dead center field with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning against Georgia. “It didn’t go out today. Maybe it goes out tomorrow.”   An inch – maybe less – higher or lower on her bat and a fly ball probably leaves the confines of Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium instead of being caught two feet from the fence by Georgia’s Dallis Goodnight. A grand slam and the Florida Gators would have been packing their bags for Oklahoma City. Instead it was a sacrifice fly that scored Florida’s only run of the game.   Almost but not quite. That was the story of the game for the 3rd-ranked Gators (47-15), who dropped game two of their NCAA Super Regional with Georgia (35-22), 3-1, setting up a win or clean out the locker because the season is over game Sunday afternoon (4 p.m., ESPN).   Florida got good enough pitching to win the game if only the offense had cooperated. A day after one of her best outings of the season, starter Keagan Rothrock didn’t have her good stuff going. She gave up a one-out first inning home run to Goodnight, a first inning single by Jaydyn Goodwin and a second inning leadoff homer to Emily Diggs.   Florida coach Tim Walton didn’t need further convincing. The home run convinced him that it was time to replace his sophomore ace.   “I wasn’t going to go any further with her,” Walton said. Had the Gators scored in the first and second when they had threats, Rothrock might have had some leeway, but Walton wasn’t going to let the game get away so he went down to the bullpen personally to bring in sophomore lefty Olivia Miller.   Miller put the fire out before it could spread any further. She shut down the Bulldogs on a single, a walk and a hit batter in two innings. Walton went to the bullpen again, bringing in righthander Kara Hammack, who went the final three innings. Hammack gave up a single and a hit batter. She only struck out one but got seven Bulldogs out on ground balls.   That’s it. That’s all the Georgia offense could produce. It wouldn’t have taken much for Florida to push across a couple of runs to win the ball game, but this was not a typical game for the Gators, who have been one of the nation’s best offensive teams all season long. With the kind of pitching the Gators got from the second inning onward, this is a game Florida should have won.   “We’ve always talked to our pitchers, keep it under four [runs] and we’ll have a chance to win,” Florida coach Tim Walton said. “We had a chance to win today, to be clear. We just didn’t execute a great swing plan when we got to this point. We’re chasing balls out of the zone. We’re not a chase team. We had more swing and misses today probably than we’ve had. I don’t know if we’ve had more swing and misses all year.”   The swing and miss issue began in the first when the Gators loaded the bases with one out on Georgia lefty Lilli Backes. It wasn’t the only time the Gators put the pressure to Backes, but with the exception of the sacrifice fly by Otis the Gators were inept with runners in scoring position.   Backes gave up seven hits and walked five batters while striking out eight to improve to 16-10 on the season. It’s not that she was overpowering. Far from it, but it seemed that every time the Gators got runners on base, Backes went to the rise ball and got the Gators swinging at chin-high pitches.   The first inning was the indicator of things to come. Kendra Falby beat out a bunt to lead off and one out later, Backes issued 5-pitch walks to both Jocelyn Erickson and Reagan Walsh. The Gators bailed Backes and Georgia out of a huge inning when Mia Williams and Ava Brown swung and missed at pitches that were located somewhere between their chins and eyes.   In the second, Otis led off with a double in the gap to left center and advanced to third two outs later on an infield single by Falby. Backes jammed Shumaker who tapped to first for an easy third out. Two innings, two threats snuffed out.   Back-to-back singles by Otis and Kenleigh Cahalan in the fourth put two on with nobody out in the fourth, but Backes needed only eight pitches to dispose of Rylee Holtorff, Falby and Shumaker for yet another fruitless Gator threat.   With one out in the fifth, Walsh got to second on a throwing error by Digby. Pinch-runner Kylie Shaw moved to third on a Williams single to left, which was followed by a walk to Brown. Bases loaded, one out. Otis missed a homer by two feet but it was deep enough to score Shaw to cut Georgia’s lead to 2-1 and for Williams to advance to third. Backes got Cahalan to weakly ground out to first. Another threat ended with minimal damage.   In the sixth, Falby reached second on a one-out throwing error by Mua Williams, but Backes induced Shumaker and Erickson to loft lazy fly balls for outs two and three.   Florida mounted one last threat in the seventh, this one enough to send Backes to the bench with Randi Roelling coming in to get the last two outs to save the game. Walsh led off by drilling a single off the shoulder of Backes and went to third when Backes threw the ball away at first. Williams worked a sixth pitch walk but Backes struck out Brown. That brought in Roelling from the bullpen. Otis hit a deep fly ball to left field that advanced pinch-runner Brooke Barnard and Williams, but Cahalan popped up to second base to end the game.     Throughout the season, the Gators have done a good job of putting bad days at the plate behind them and rebounding with a solid effort next time out. Walton let his team know what they need to do for a bounce back game Sunday.   “I told every single one of our hitters including yesterday and today: just go back and watch your pitches,” Walton said. ”You don’t have to evaluate what the swing looked like. You don’t have to evaluate the mechanics. Just go look: did you make a good choice?   “Did you swing at the pitch right? Did the umpire call a pitch a strike or a ball that you thought was a strike or a ball? Just go in and make sure that we’re not guessing at what the outcome was … I think it’s just really important to make sure that there isn’t some woulda, coulda shoulda. Just go back and watch your swings. See what the pitches look like and then from there, you’ll make better decisions.”

One down and one to go for a trip to the world series.

Todd Golden is living large these days (Photo by Chris Spears) Todd Golden is living large these days. The hot streak that carried the Gators to 12 straight wins culminating with the NCAA championship back on April 8 when Florida beat Houston, 65-63, shows no signs of cooling off. In the 45 days since he cut down the nets in San Antonio, Golden has thrown out the first pitch at Wrigley Field, signed a 6-year contract extension worth more than $40 million, replaced the most dynamic backcourt in all of college basketball with one that potentially could carry the Gators back to the Final Four, and hobnobbed with the President of the United States in the Oval Office.   Life is certainly very good for Florida’s 39-year-old basketball coach and it will get much, much better in the next few days if Alex Condon decides to withdraw from the NBA Draft and return for at least one more year as a Gator. Because Golden has successfully dipped into the portal to bring in three dynamic transfers, the Gators should be able to replace the firepower lost with Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard graduating and moving on to the NBA. Should Condon come back, Florida’s 4-man rotation of big guys will return intact and nobody will have more talent or returning experience in the paint.   The Gators will be very good even if Condon elects to go pro, but if he returns the Gators might be the odds on favorites to repeat as NCAA champs. Thursday, Golden said he is “cautiously optimistic” that Condon will choose to rejoin Rueben Chinyelu, Tommy Haugh and Micah Handlogten on the UF front line.   “ I will never speak for Alex, but based on some of the conversations we've had as a staff about what he feels like he would need to stay in the draft, we are cautiously optimistic,” Golden said. “I'm not saying he can't get [a guarantee] but you just never know and it's just early. The NBA Draft, I think, is June 26th or 25th or something like that. So there's a lot of time between when these guys have to decide and when the NBA Draft is and a lot can change. So, that's why I say that, but it would be a blow, for sure. We have some contingency plans, but we want Alex back."   While Condon is considered an intriguing prospect because he’s a mobile 6-11 with decent shooting range and outstanding defensive anticipation, there is no doubt that he needs to put on some muscle and could benefit from another year of college basketball. ESPN and a couple other mock drafts seem to believe Condon will be an outstanding fit for the San Antonio Spurs, who have the No. 38 selection overall (second round). Second round contracts don’t have the guaranteed money of first rounders and that could impact Condon’s decision.     "We've had good conversations with Alex," Golden said. "We've been really respectful of his process, and he's been great in terms of communicating with us, in terms of where everything's at. I'm cautiously optimistic, but we're going to, again, be very mindful of his process. He's getting great workouts of teams. He's looked good in different combine events. I think we'll find out, my hope is on the 27th - the day before the deadline - and I'm hoping for good news for the Gators, but I love Condo regardless, and he obviously was really impactful in his winning national championship. So we're grateful for him.”   If Condon returns, Golden can proceed forward with his plan to play Tommy Haugh on the perimeter, thus creating a big Florida lineup that will be a matchup nightmare for other teams. At 6-9, Haugh can score and defend on the inside, but as he proved in Florida’s run to the NCAA title, he has the outside shot that can stretch a defense. In Florida’s comeback win over Texas Tech in the Elite Eight game, Haugh nailed a pair of critical 3-pointers in the final five minutes when the Gators overcame a 10-point deficit to win, 84-79.   During Florida’s 12-game winning streak to close out the season, Haugh averaged 11.75 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He was 13-36 (36.1 percent) from the 3-point line during that stretch.   With Haugh playing on the perimeter, Golden said it “would allow us not only to keep him on the floor but also to get Micah, Rueben, and Condo out there more if we're fortunate enough to have [Alex] back. He's a huge leader, too, and we need him to be a leader for this team. He does that through example, but we want him to be more vocal that way this year, too."   Last week Chinyelu withdrew from the draft process. There was never much doubt that he would stay in the draft. He was testing the waters and trying to get a handle on the things he needs to do to improve his draft stock for next year. This is similar to what Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard did a year ago when they went through the pre-draft workouts only to return to Florida.   During his pre-draft workouts, Chinyelu was a very physical presence.   “ We were recruiting one guy that was in a workout with him at Portland, and they said he [Chinyelu] was just a monster, just the most physical beast out there,” Golden said. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, we saw that for 40 games last year’, but I think it was a great experience for him, you know, and he's going to be as hungry as ever to continue to get better. ”   Obviously, the best news of the week was the commitment of Arkansas transfer Boogie Fland. A former 5-star recruit who averaged 13.2 points per game, Fland combined with Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee and Ohio University transfer AJ Brown should enable Golden to overcome the 46 points per game lost that Clayton, Martin and Richard provided.   Fland and Lee are natural point guards. Golden believes their skills can mesh to make Florida’s offense explosive.   “ I see it working really, really well,” Golden said. “I'm excited about it, to have two guys that can play so well with the ball in their hands. They make plays for themselves but also for others really, really well. They both have great assist rates. They both take care of the ball really well. When you have two point guards that are out there making plays, I think it makes your offense really dynamic, so we’re excited. I think you can have both those guys start the offense. They're both going to have the ball in their hands a ton, being able to play out of the ball screen, being able to push in transition, weapons that teams are going to have to account for.”   In addition to scoring in double figures, Martin and Richard were elite defenders who could lock down an opponent. Richard defended perimeter guys and often handled guys 3-4 inches taller. Martin was an extremely physical defender. So, replacing their defense will be every bit as important as replacing their scoring.   When Golden wanted an evaluation of Fland’s defensive skills, he went to Clayton, who was matched up with Fland when the Gators played Arkansas.   “I think he's outstanding defender,” Golden said. “When I was talking to Walt about him, one of the things that Walt said was he thought Boogie was one of the better defenders he went up against last year, and that says a lot as he was a freshman last year. Once Boogie kind of felt like college was something that he was kind of looking more towards doing than staying in the draft, he became a guy that we focused on, and thought he'd be a great fit with Xaivian and the rest of the pieces in our program, so it fit really well. The best part was he thought the same about us, and when we kind of had that agreement, it being a good match, it was kind of downhill from there in a good way. We're excited to get him here a couple weeks.”   Golden indicated that the Gators are likely to add one more player to the roster during the summer months. Because minutes on the court will be difficult to come by next season, Golden will be looking to add someone who needs a year or two of development.   “We have one more [scholarship] open,” Golden said. “We're not going to rush. I think we have a great group right now, and my hope is with this last spot, we'll be able to find more of a developmental type player, a guy that'll come in and be happy to learn behind some guys. So we're not going to rush, but if that turns out to be a European player, I'd be very happy with that as well.”

“Wow, so you all play for the Florida Gators? And you all want to go back and win it again next year?” Oops.

Judd Utermark slides into second base with a second inning stolen base (UAA Photo) A bad inning at the office might have cost the Florida Gators a chance to host an NCAA regional. Two fourth inning errors helped Ole Miss push across two unearned runs as the Rebels advanced to the third round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament with a 3-1 win at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium Wednesday night.   The loss eliminated Florida (38-20) from the tournament while Ole Miss (38-18) moves on to a Friday afternoon game with 2nd-seeded Arkansas (43-12). The Gators will have to wait until Monday to find out their NCAA destination. Both D1Baseball and Baseball America project the Gators will be a No. 2 seed, most likely in Atlanta or Chapel Hill.   There was nothing wrong with Florida’s pitching but the Gators managed only four hits and their two fourth inning errors proved costly. Starter Liam Peterson and relievers Luke McNeillie and Jake Clemente held Ole Miss to seven hits while walking only one and striking out 11.   Peterson’s only tough inning was the fourth. After a leadoff single was erased by a double play, Peterson gave up back-to-back doubles by Judd Utermark and Ian Humphrey for a 1-0 Ole Miss lead. An error by third baseman Landon Stripling put runners on first and third. Campbell Smithwick then singled to right field, scoring Humphrey. Ashton Wilson’s errant throw back to the infield scored Ryan Moerman with the Rebels’ third and final run of the game.   The Gators struggled at the plate against lefty starter Hunter Elliott (9-3). Elliott gave up an unearned run in the fifth when Ashton Wilson doubled to left and scored on a throwing error by shortstop Brayden Randle on a routine grounder by Landon Stripling. With Stripling at second and nobody out, Justin Nadeau popped up a bunt and Elliott worked his way out of trouble by getting Bobby Boser to fly out to right field and striking out Brendan Lawson.   Florida had a threat in the top of the first but the Gators ran their way out of that inning. Boser walked to lead off the game, and one out later moved to third on a throwing error by Luke Hill on potential double play grounder by Ty Evans. After Brody Donay popped up, Elliott had Evans picked off first. When Boser strayed too far off third, Will Furniss threw to third to nail Boser for the third out.   The Gators had runners on first and third in the fourth but couldn’t push the run across. With one out, Evans singled to left and advanced to second when Hayden Federico bobbled the ball. Evans went to third when Donay tapped weakly to second base, but Elliott hit Blake Cyr for runners first and third. After Cyr stole second, Hayden Yost struck out to erase the threat.          In 5-1/3 innings, Elliott allowed only two hits while walking one, hitting two batters and striking out eight. Mason Morris went the next 2-2/3 innings, allowing two hits while striking out two. Connor Spencer picked up his fifth save with a 1-2-3 ninth.   Peterson went (8-3) picked up the loss, going four innings while allowing five hits, one walk and striking out six. McNeillie gave up one hit and struck out four while pitching the fifth and sixth innings. Jake Clemente went the seventh and eighth, giving up a single and striking out one.   The Gators came into the game with the No. 14 RPI in the nation, which is higher than Ole Miss, Southern Miss and TCU, the three teams thought to be vying for a regional host along with the Gators. Ole Miss (19 RPI) got a win and is still playing in the SEC Tournament. Southern Miss (42-13, No. 21 RPI) beat Texas State 9-1 in the Sun Belt Tournament Wednesday while TCU (37-17, No. 17 RPI) doesn’t play until today in the Big 12 Tournament.

Alex Condon (21) dunks on UConn (Photo by Chris Spears) Watching Todd Golden at work to restock his Florida roster is like a college basketball version of “The Property Brothers.” The house that Golden has built doesn't need gutting, just a makeover on the perimeter and some sprucing up with the big guys on the interior. The perimeter makeover was completed Tuesday when Boogie Fland announced he’s transferring to Florida from Arkansas. All that waits now is for Alex Condon to withdraw from the NBA Draft to give the Gators the best and most experienced foursome of big guys in the country.   Fland alone has the effect of elevating expectations for the Gators next season. The Athletic has UF ranked No. 2 in its earliest top 25 and CBS No. 6 while ESPN has the Gators at 18. If and when Condon elects to return to Florida for his junior season, the Gators could jump Houston for No. 1 at The Athletic. At the very worst they should be top four or five in every other poll.     A former 5-star recruit out of Archbishop Stepanic High School in The Bronx, Fland was ranked the No. 17 overall recruit in the 2024 class. He chose Kentucky but when John Calipari left UK for the Arkansas job, Fland followed. In a season that he missed more than a third of the games due to a thumb injury that required surgery, Fland averaged 13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 5.1 rebounds as a freshman. He put his name in the transfer portal and declared for the NBA Draft after Arkansas lost to Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 but withdrew from the draft a week ago.   More scorer than shooter, Fland can play both the point and on the wing effectively. He is outstanding in transition and in up tempo offenses, which makes him a solid fit for Todd Golden’s schemes.   With the addition of Fland, Golden has replaced nearly all the firepower lost from Florida’s national championship team. Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard combined to average 46 points per game. Fland, Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee (16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists) and Ohio transfer AJ Brown (13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists) combined for 43.3.   Fland and Lee are point guards, but both are comfortable playing off the ball. Lee comes from the Princeton offense which involves all five players handling the ball in just about every offensive set. When he came back from the thumb injury at Arkansas, Fland spent more time on the wing while DJ Wagner played the point. Brown is a wing who can defend players three to four inches taller.   Firepower isn’t the only thing Fland, Lee and Brown are replacing. Clayton, Martin and Richard were four-year starters although all three began their collegiate careers someplace other than Florida. Fland will be a sophomore, Brown a redshirt junior and Lee a senior.   There is depth and young talent behind Fland, Lee and Brown. The Gators return shooter Urban Klavzar and Isaiah Brown, AJ Brown’s younger brother, plus Golden landed 4-star recruits CJ Ingram and Alex Lloyd.     With the perimeter issues resolved, next on the agenda is the return of Condon. Condon has until May 28 to withdraw from the draft. He says he will stay in but only with guarantees such as being selected in the first round where all the contracts come with guaranteed money. Second round contracts are rarely guaranteed and involve a much lower price tag.   As Condon told Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated, “I have a good thing waiting for me at Florida. It has to be a good situation for me to stay [in the draft] but feedback I’m getting from teams right now is positive and I’m ready to stay in if I need to.”   Scouts see plenty of upside for Condon. He’s mobile, handles the ball well enough to start the break on the dribble after a rebound, has 3-point range and can defend inside or out on the perimeter. Those are the kind of skills that equate to longevity in the league. Even with that skill set, NBA scouts know that Condon would be far better served with another year at Florida. Last season he averaged 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He missed a few games with a high ankle sprain that he tweaked in a Sweet 16 win over Maryland. The ankle injury probably had something to do with some inconsistency in the run to the national championship.   Although scouts see the upside, there isn’t enough buzz for Condon to crack the first round of anyone’s mock draft. Most have him going somewhere in the 35-38 range in the second round. Sporting News and ESPN both have him going No. 38 to the San Antonio Spurs. The Athletic’s latest mock draft doesn’t have Condon going in either the first or second round.   So assume Condon will be returning to Florida. The Gators will have their entire 4-man rotation of bigs back – Condon (6-11, 232), Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 260), Micah Handlogten (7-1, 255) and Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215). Chinyelu and Handlogten can both defend on the perimeter as well as protect the rim but neither one is an offensive threat outside six or seven feet from the basket. Condon and Haugh can stretch a defense with their outside shooting, defend on the perimeter and protect the rim and both can put the ball on the deck to start the fast break.   Florida’s size and mobility in the paint had plenty to do with the Gators running the table at the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Condon returning means the Gators can once again be the mismatch problem for which few teams have an answer.   Condon’s return will also free Golden to go with a big front line of Condon and either Chinyelu or Handlogten working the paint with Haugh playing the part of a hybrid small forward, capable of playing inside or outside. Haugh is quick enough to play on the perimeter plus he’s too tall and too skilled in the paint for the 6-4 to 6-6 guys who make up the No. 3 guy on most front lines.   Golden will have all summer to work out the various combinations that can make the Gators the most difficult team to match up with and defend next season. As he proved last season, Golden is a master at creating mismatches. He will have them on the perimeter whether it’s with Haugh playing outside or with Lee, Fland and AJ Brown making up his 3-man rotation on the perimeter.   New NCAA rules have expanded scholarship limits to 15. Currently, Golden has two more at his disposal. He could use them to bring in a couple more players, perhaps another big with experience, or he could save them for the recruiting class of 2026. Lee will graduate. Handlogten will also graduate but could appeal and win another year of eligibility. Condon, Haugh, Chinyelu and Fland could all leave for the NBA, so having two extra scholarships will give Golden options for his next roster rebuild. He could use some for experienced players from the portal as well as bringing in more young talent.   Here is what the roster for next season will look like with Condon’s return:   Big guys (6): Micah Handlogten (7-1, 255, SR); Alex Condon (6-11, 232, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 260, JR); Viktor Mikic (6-11, 250, RFR); Olivier Rioux (7-9, 305, RFR)   Perimeter guys (7): Xaivian Lee (6-4, 180, SR/TR); AJ Brown (6-4, 200, RJR/TR); Urban Klavzar (6-1, 190, SO); Isaiah Brown (6-4, 200, SO); Boogie Fland (6-2, 175, SO/TR); Alex Lloyd (6-4, 180, FR); CJ Ingram (6-6, 190, FR)