Sports | Baseball - The Independent Florida Alligator

Junior Tyler Dyson pitched 3.1 innings, walked four and struck out four in the Gators 8-2 win over Long Beach State to open the season.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida falls to Miami, stretching losing streak to three

By Kyle Wood | Feb. 22, 2019

The bad habits continued, and the outcome remained the same.

Sophomore Austin Langworthy moved from the leadoff spot to No. 7 in the Gators' lineup Tuesday against North Florida. He finished 1-for-3 with a single and a run scored.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida limps into home series with undefeated Hurricanes

By Evan Lepak | Feb. 21, 2019

A promising beginning to the season for No. 5 Florida baseball has quickly evaporated as the Gators (3-2) dropped both of their mid-week games to inferior in-state programs.

Florida designated hitter Nelson Maldonado had one of UF's two hits in its 6-1 loss to USF on Tuesday in Tampa.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators’ first home loss comes to in-state rival

By Kyle Wood | Feb. 20, 2019

North Florida’s Chris Berry launched a ball off the scoreboard in the top of the ninth.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators' first loss comes on the road to the Bulls

By Kyle Wood | Feb. 19, 2019

Florida never led.

Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan went with redshirt freshman Hunter Ruth, who returned from Tommy John surgery, in relief of Sunday starter Jack Leftwich.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

UF secures opening-series sweep behind strong outing from Leftwich

By Evan Lepak | Feb. 17, 2019

A warm February afternoon in Gainesville featured some chilly bats.

UF second baseman Blake Reese is one of three seniors on the baseball team. “We have to kinda write our own script,” he said. “We can’t ride the coattails of all these guys that have been here before.”

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida takes advantage of timely hitting to throw out Dirtbags

By Evan Lepak | Feb. 16, 2019

With two on and two out, second baseman Blake Reese popped a 3-2 pitch into shallow right field that narrowly fell in among the outstretched arms of three Long Beach State players.

Tyler Dyson allowed three runs on four hits through 2.0-plus innings in Florida's 3-2 loss to Kentucky on Saturday. He didn't record a strikeout in his shortest outing of the season.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators’ miscues evident in opening night victory

By Kyle Wood | Feb. 15, 2019

Coach Kevin O’Sullivan preached throughout spring practice about the growing pains his young team would face.

Sophomore Jordan Butler is growing comfortable with his role in the Gators pitching staff. "Whatever they need me to do, start midweeks, close it out, come in mid-game ... it doesn’t matter to me, just that we win the game,” he said.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida’s four sophomores anchor the pitching staff

By Kyle Wood | Feb. 15, 2019

The future of Florida’s pitching staff is here.

Florida pitcher Tyler Dyson pitched five innings against South Carolina on Sunday. He allowed two runs on two hits and struck out five Gamecock batters.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

UF welcomes Long Beach State in season-opening series

By Evan Lepak | Feb. 14, 2019

Baseball is officially back.

Coach Kevin O'Sullivan successfully dialed-up a gimmick steal play in the Gators' win over the USA 18-U team.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators may be worse off than you think

By Evan Lepak | Feb. 7, 2019

Florida’s baseball team enters the 2019 campaign with high expectations, as it should.

Second baseman Blake Reese powered a grand slam to right field in UF's 9-3 home win over the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida begins spring practices ahead of season opener against Long Beach State

By Kyle Wood | Jan. 27, 2019

Coach Kevin O’Sullivan fielded questions Friday afternoon at McKethan Stadium about the high expectations for his team and the underclassmen he is counting on to meet those expectations.

UF starting pitcher Brady Singer pitched 5.0 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits in Florida's elimination game loss to Arkansas on Friday.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Former UF baseball player gets in the holiday spirit with gift to parents

By Kyle Wood | Dec. 27, 2018

Follow Kyle Wood on Twitter @Kkylewood and contact him at kwood@alligator.org.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators defeat USA 18-U team in final exhibition game of fall ball

By Jake Dreilinger | Nov. 19, 2018

It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. If the opportunity presents itself, Gators baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan will run his special play.

Junior right fielder Austin Langworthy hammered a grand slam in Sunday’s games against USF.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators split exhibition matchup in Lakeland against USF

By Jake Dreilinger | Oct. 29, 2018

Austin Langworthy’s eyes never left the ball. They stayed glued to the pitch as it traveled from the mound, off his aluminum bat and as it sailed over the right-center field wall.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Three bold predictions for the 2018-19 Gators season

By Nothing But Nettuno | Oct. 24, 2018

Another season of college hoops is upon us, so you know what that means: complaining about December non-conference losses on Twitter, Bracketology updates ad nauseum from Joe Lunardi and the cloud of a federal fraud trial that implicates most major programs in the country in some way.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

It’s not unreasonable to think UF will become a basketball giant

By Chris O'Brien and O’B-Wan Kenobi | Sep. 26, 2018

This men's basketball team has the potential to be the best Florida Gators basketball team outside of the 2006-07 back-to-back title-winning teams. Seriously. It actually is realistic.

Junior Keith Stone scored 8.8 point per game in 2017-18 and grabbed 4.3 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-8 forward said he looks to improve defensively in the upcoming season.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

What we learned from UF Media Day

By Tyler Nettuno | Sep. 26, 2018

The Gators men’s basketball team began last season ranked No. 8 in the preseason AP Top 25. It had a solid run, finishing 21-13, but after a second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament at the hands of Texas Tech, Florida may not grace the top 25 in this year’s preseason poll.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher was snubbed from the 2018 MLB All-Star Game even though he leads the AL in ERA at 2.09.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Blake Snell’s All-Star snub is because of where he plays

By Mark My Words | July 9, 2018

Blake Snell has been one of the most dominant starting pitchers in all baseball through the 2018 season. During his third season in Tampa Bay, he’s unexpectedly led the Rays to a record on the plus-side of .500 (46-44) and put himself in serious contention for the American League Cy Young Award.

Mary Wise coached the UF volleyball team to the NCAA championship match last season. She was named AVCA National Coach of the Year for 2017 and claimed her 23rd SEC Championship with the program.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

alligatorSports Awards: Who is UF's Coach of the Year?

By alligatorSports Staff Report | July 4, 2018

There were 12 University of Florida athletics teams that finished in the top five nationally in their respective sports during the 2017-18 season. This statistic, a program record, begged the question, who is the best coach among this crop of talented teams? Sports writers Alanis Thames, Andrew Huang, Chris O’Brien and Mark Stine nominated their picks in this alligatorSports Awards installment.

Third baseman Jonathan India was taken fifth overall by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2018 MLB Draft. He led the SEC in on-base percentage (.497), slugging percentage (.717) and home runs. India was selected as the conference's Player of the Year.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

UF navigated through 2018 on individual brilliance

By Chris O'Brien | July 3, 2018

Despite ending with a 5-2 loss to Arkansas at the College World Series on June 22, the Florida Gators’ 2018 season shouldn’t be overshadowed by the team’s failure to repeat as national champions.