Sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

Alex Faedo pitches during Florida's 2-1 win against Florida Atlantic in the Gainesville Regional of the NCAA Tournament on May 31, 2015, at McKethan Stadium.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida advances to Super Regionals

By IAN COHEN | May 31, 2015

For the first time in three years, Florida advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals.

Nicole DeWitt bats during UF's 2-1 win against UNF on April 1, 2015, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Freshman’s walk-off hit catapults Gators to championship series of WCWS

By Luis Torres | May 31, 2015

Freshman Nicole DeWitt didn’t get her chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh inning.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida downs USF with home runs from Bader, Reed

By IAN COHEN | May 31, 2015

The first inning started off shaky for A.J. Puk.

Buddy Reed makes a diving grab in the outfield during Florida's 19-0 win over Florida A&M on May 29, 2015, during the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida baseball obliterates Florida A&M in first round of Gainesville Regional

By IAN COHEN | May 29, 2015

The bat fell lazily out of JJ Schwarz’s hands as he looked over to left field.

UF's Lauren Haeger pitches during Florida's 5-0 win against Florida State on April 22, 2015, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Florida softball defeats LSU, one win away from WCWS championship series

By Luis Torres | May 29, 2015

Lauren Haeger was probably waiting for another chance to face the LSU Tigers.

UF's Lauren Haeger pitches during Florida softball's 1-0 win against Florida Atlantic during the NCAA Regional finals on May 17, 2015, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Florida softball beats Tennessee 7-2 in opening game of WCWS

By Patrick Pinak | May 28, 2015

Lauren Haeger had never homered in the Women’s College World Series — until today.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Florida Gators women's athletics program vying for Capital One Cup

By Luis Torres | May 28, 2015

The Capital One Cup has become one of the most sought after awards in collegiate athletics the past couple of years.

Florida softball players celebrate on the field of Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium following their 1-0 win over Kentucky on Sunday to advance to their seventh Women’s College World Series in eight years.

SPORTS | FEATURES

The Road Less Traveled: UF softball hoping to repeat as national champions

By Luis Torres | May 28, 2015

As Tim Walton stood at the lectern at the Women’s Club on Jan. 26 for the first time this year to address the media, he said the 2015 Florida softball team had one goal, and it wasn’t to repeat as champions.

UF's Lauren Haeger pitches during Florida's 7-1 win against Kansas on Feb. 21 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Aced It: Former Arizona pitcher talks UF softball, WCWS

By Patrick Pinak | May 28, 2015

It might be easy to assume that Florida softball, the No. 1 overall seed and defending national champions, should win another title the following year.

Federal agents carry out boxes of evidence taken from the headquarters of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF,) Wednesday, May 27, 2015, in Miami Beach, Fla. Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings into FIFA's awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, only hours after seven soccer officials were arrested Wednesday pending extradition to the U.S. in a separate probe of "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted" corruption.

SPORTS | COLUMNS

InstaGraham: FIFA corruption investigation alleges decades of crimes

By GRAHAM HALL | May 28, 2015

The longstanding rumors of corruption throughout FIFA appear to be true — but the president of soccer’s global governing body, Sepp Blatter, looks to have come out of Wednesday’s indictments unscathed.

Buddy Reed swings at a pitch during Florida's 9-4 win against Tennessee on March 15 at McKethan Stadium.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gator baseball eager to reverse recent NCAA Regional misfortune

By IAN COHEN | May 28, 2015

His first attempt was clocked at 3.9 seconds, his second was around the same, and his third was a bit slower.

Lauren Haeger pitches during Florida's 14-10 loss to LSU on Mar. 14 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Lauren Haeger named 2015 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

By Patrick Pinak | May 26, 2015

Lauren Haeger has been named the 2015 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. She was presented the award in Oklahoma City at a banquet on Tuesday night.

UF's JJ Schwarz rounds third base during Florida's 12-5 win against South Carolina on April 11, 2015 at McKethan Stadium.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida named No. 4 national seed in NCAA Tournament

By IAN COHEN | May 25, 2015

The Southeastern Conference title game was over, but the players still stood on the field in Hoover, Alabama, clad in white SEC champion T-shirts.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Florida softball headed back to Women’s College World Series

By Luis Torres | May 25, 2015

The Florida softball team is headed back to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series.

J.D. Tomlinson swings during Day 1 of the SunTrust Gator Invitational on Feb. 14 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

UF men’s golf bouncing back, ready for NCAA Championship

By Ryan Summers | May 25, 2015

The UF men’s golf team will play in the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship on Friday, and the team is eager to bounce back from adversity.

Najee Glass races in the 4x400-meter dash to close out the 2015 Florida Relays on April 4 at the Percy Beard Track.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TRACK

UF sends 36 athletes to NCAA East Preliminaries

By Kyle Brutman | May 25, 2015

With Florida’s men’s track and field claiming the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships on May 16, the Gators are hoping for similar success at the NCAA Outdoor East Preliminaries.

Brooke Austin hits an open-stance backhand during Florida women's tennis' 4-0 win against Elon on Jan. 24, 2015, at the Ring Tennis Complex.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Florida women’s tennis has postseason run end

By GRAHAM HALL | May 25, 2015

Florida’s postseason run came to an end on Sunday afternoon, as the three Gators representing the team at the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships at the Hurd Tennis Center of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, fell just short of reaching the finals.

UF's Peter Alonso (right) celebrates with teammate Harrison Bader after Bader's solo home run in the first inning of Florida's 14-3 win against the South Carolina Gamecocks on April 11 at McKethan Stadium.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Florida crowned SEC Tournament Champions with 7-3 win over Vanderbilt

By IAN COHEN | May 25, 2015

As Kirby Snead stood on the mound, and as two Vanderbilt base runners stood behind him, Florida’s dugout stood on edge.

UF players celebrate the final out of Sunday's 1-0 win against the Kentucky Wildcats during the 2015 NCAA Super Regionals at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Florida heads to WCWS with 1-0 win over Kentucky

By Patrick Pinak | May 24, 2015

Lauren Haeger chucked her glove into the air. She had just fired a 67-MPH rise ball to Kentucky’s Ansley Smith on an 0-2 count with two outs in the 7th inning with a 1-0 lead.

UF players celebrate with Lauren Haeger after she hits a solo home run during Florida's 7-0 win against Kentucky during the 2015 NCAA Super Regionals on May 23, 2015, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Florida softball one win away from WCWS after Haeger dominates Kentucky

By Luis Torres | May 23, 2015

Lauren Haeger was five outs away from softball immortality.