UF Softball Takes Series Opener, 5-0, at South Carolina

Fifth-ranked Florida held South Carolina to just three hits Friday en route to a 5-0 victory to take the first contest of the three-game series at Beckham Field. Freshman Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.) knocked a two-run long ball to center field for UF’s first two runs in the second inning and the Gators put up two runs in the fifth and a final in the seventh as senior Megan Bush (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) went 1-for-3 with her 69th and 70th RBI of 2011 to tie former Gator Francesca Enea’s UF single-season RBI record (70), set in 2009. The first baseman is additionally tied for the UF single-season home runs record (20), holds the UF and SEC career home runs record (64) and extended her Florida single season (8) and career (20) sac flies record in the fifth inning against the Gamecocks.

Senior Kelsey Bruder (Corona, Calif.) went 2-for-4 and junior Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) was a perfect 2-for-2, rallying for her 17th consecutive game with a hit, UF’s longest active streak, as Florida (41-8, 16-7 SEC) put up nine hits to top the Gamecocks (25-25, 6-17 SEC) in Columbia Friday evening.

Senior righty Stephanie Brombacher (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) went three up, three down through the first two frames, and gave up just one hit, working the first 5.0 innings to earn the victory. Brombacher (16-1) walked just three and fanned one before being relieved by freshman righty Hannah Rogers (Lake Wales, Fla.), who tossed 2.0 innings of scoreless relief, fanning two and walking just one to close out the evening.

Senior Tiffany DeFelice (Coral Springs, Fla.) connected for UF’s first hit of the game at the top of the second frame on a leadoff single up the middle and Coyle finished off the Gators’ early efforts with a two-run bomb to left center, taking UF up, 2-0, with her 11th long ball of the season.

South Carolina put its first hit on the board in the fourth on a Kaitlin Westfall double to right center, but a line out and pop up ended any potential scoring opportunity for the Gamecocks.

Moultrie smacked a double to the center-field fence to start off the top of the fifth for the Orange and Blue, and scored following a Bruder single and a USC fielding error, which allowed Bruder to advance to third as the Gators went up, 3-0. Bush then plated Bruder with her eighth sac fly of the season to give UF the 4-0 advantage after the top of the fifth.

The Gamecocks started a rally in the sixth following a leadoff walk by Samie Garcia and a Hannah Milks single through the right side, followed by a stolen base, but Rogers tossed a strikeout, then forced a foul out and ground out to get the Gators out of the inning.

Florida mustered a fifth and final run in the top of the seventh frame after a Bruder one-out double to left center, as Bush followed suit with a RBI single to drive in Bruder for the 5-0 final, despite a two-out, one-hit rally after a leadoff walk that placed runners on first and second for USC in the bottom of the final stanza. Garcia grounded a soft ball to Bush at first for the unassisted putout, leaving two on for the Gamecocks to conclude the game.

No. 4 Florida Downs Ole Miss, 9-3

Senior Josh Adams (Jacksonville, Fla.) and redshirt sophomore Vickash Ramjit (Miami, Fla.) each went 4-for-5 and No. 4 Florida (32-10/15-4 SEC) banged out 17 hits and scored in seven of its eight at bats to defeat Ole Miss (24-18/9-10 SEC), 9-3, in the series opener on Friday night at McKethan Stadium. Sophomore right-hander Hudson Randall (Atlanta, Ga.) (8-1) yielded six hits and three runs and matched his season high with six strikeouts over 7.1 innings for the win, while five Gators turned in multiple-hit outings.

The victory enabled Florida to keep pace with No. 2 Vanderbilt (36-5/15-4 SEC) and No. 3 South Carolina (33-8/15-4 SEC) on top of the league and Eastern Division standings. The Commodores handled Tennessee, 10-1, and the Gamecocks edged Auburn, 2-1.

“Our offensive approach was outstanding tonight,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “I think that we scored in every inning but one.  The only glitch in the whole deal was that we had the bases loaded with nobody out in the fifth and we didn’t push anybody across. It’s hard to be upset about that one inning. They (Ole Miss) applied pressure the whole night but we got a lot of runners on. Hudson (Randall) pitched great, they’re a good offensive team and we’re going to have our hands full tomorrow as well.” 

Sophomore Alex Yarbrough opened the scoring for the Rebels in the first inning with a one-out homer to right center off Randall. It was his fifth round-tripper of the season.

Although the Gators loaded the bases with one down in the bottom of the frame against junior Matt Crouse (6-3), they used a sacrifice fly by sophomore Austin Maddox (Jacksonville, Fla.) (2-for-4, two RBI) to even the game. Senior Bryson Smith (Watkinsville, Ga.) (2-for-4, two runs) led off with a base-hit up the middle and sophomore Nolan Fontana (Winter Garden, Fla.) followed with a walk before a one-out single by junior Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) (1-for-4, two runs) loaded the bases. Maddox flew out to foul territory in right field, scoring Smith, and Crouse had sophomore Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) (2-for-4, two RBI) pop up to keep the contest tied.

Smith delivered a two-out RBI single in the second that brought across Ramjit for a 2-1 Gator lead. After Crouse retired the first two hitters, Ramjit roped a double into left field for his first extra-base hit at UF. Smith sent the lefty’s next pitch into left field to drive in Ramjit.  

“I’m just here to help the team,” Ramjit said. “Everybody knows that I transferred here from Miami and these coaches have been nothing but great supporting me and driving me a lot. It felt great to contribute to this team. It means a lot to me, but it’s just day one.” 

Ole Miss countered with the tying run in the third on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Tanner Mathis (2-for-3). Freshman Austin Anderson (3-for-3) stroked a leadoff double to right field and was sacrificed to third by junior Blake Newalu. Mathis plated his teammate with a sac fly into right field.  

Florida re-claimed the lead at 3-2 in the home part of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Johnson. Tucker earned a free pass with one down and Maddox rifled a single into right center for runners on the corners. Johnson’s second sac fly of the campaign to straightaway center field brought across Tucker and Adams raised his hitting streak to a season-high eight games with a two-out single. Crouse set down junior Daniel Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.) on a comebacker to the mound to strand the runners.

Randall plunked senior Matt Smith to begin the fourth, had senior Matt Tracy hit into 1-6-3 double play and fanned junior Matt Snyder for the second time in the contest.

Sophomore Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) connected on a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth for a 5-2 advantage for the hosts.  Ramjit led off with his second double of the game and Smith was hit by a pitch for a pair of runners on base. Fontana advanced his teammates into scoring position with his sixth sacrifice bunt and Zunino ended a 0-for-11 drought against the Rebels in his career with a flare into left center.

Anderson pulled Ole Miss within 5-3 with a two-out solo homer in the fifth that cleared the right-field wall. Johnson answered in the bottom of the frame with a towering blast that hit the top of the scoreboard overlooking right field, ending the night for Crouse (4.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R). It was Johnson’s third dinger and first since April 17 at Georgia. Adams and Pigott greeted senior reliever Eric Callender with consecutive singles and Ramjit legged out a bunt to fill the bags with none out. However, Callender struck out Smith, had a fielder’s choice by Fontana erase Adams at the plate and coaxed a grounder from Zunino to hold the Rebels’ deficit at 6-3.

A leadoff double in UF’s seventh by Adams prompted another pitching change, as junior R.J. Hively took over for Callender (2.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R). After the righty struck out Pigott, Ramjit boosted the Gators’ margin to 7-3 with a base-knock through the right side for his fourth hit of the night.

After Anderson doubled to open the eighth, Randall got Newalu to ground out, keeping the runner on second base. Junior Nick Maronde (Lexington, Ky.) was summoned from the bullpen for Randall (7.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 6 K) and yielded an infield single to Mathis for runners on the corners. The southpaw struck out Yarbrough and was replaced by junior Greg Larson (Longwood, Fla.), who had a grounder by Smith force Mathis at second base to end the inning.

The Gators tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the stanza on RBI singles by Maddox and Adams to finalize the 9-3 margin. Zunino drew a leadoff walk but was forced at second on a grounder by Tucker, who moved into scoring position with his third stolen base of the season. Maddox sliced a single into center that scored Tucker and Johnson followed with a base-hit into right field, causing another call to the bullpen, Senior Trent Rothlin uncorked a wild pitch that moved Maddox to third and sophomore pinch runner Kamm Washington (Boynton Beach, Fla.) to second and Adams smashed his fourth hit of the night to score Maddox. Pigott drew a walk to load the bases with one down but Rothlin struck out Ramjit and had junior pinch hitter Jeff Moyer (Winter Springs, Fla.) ground out.

Larson worked one scoreless inning, scattering two hits, with freshman Daniel Gibson (Lutz, Fla.) recording the final out of the contest with a strikeout. Florida held a 17-9 advantage in hits, including three doubles and a homer, and neither team committed any errors. Johnson (6-1, 2.53) will meet Rebel junior righty David Goforth (3-5, 4.60) in tomorrow’s second game of the set at 7 p.m.

Former Gator Marcus Gilbert Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers 63rd Overall

Former Florida offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) has been selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 31st pick (63rd overall) in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He is the second Gator taken in this year’s draft and the second Gator offensive lineman selected, joining Mike Pouncey who was selected in the first round by the Miami Dolphins.

“It's good to see another Gator selected in the Draft,” said head coach Will Muschamp. “Marcus is a powerful and athletic player who is going to a great organization in the Pittsburgh Steelers."

Three Gator offensive linemen have been selected in the past two years and a total of 75 offensive linemen have been drafted out of Florida. He joins two former UF offensive linemen on the Steelers; Max Starks was drafted by Pittsburgh in 2004 and Maurkice Pouncey was a first-round selection by the Steelers last year.

Gilbert was a mainstay on the offensive line for Florida, appearing in 52 games and making 30 starts in his career. He was named a Third-Team All-SEC selection by Phil Steele in 2010 and was selected to play in the Under Armour Senior Bowl. Gilbert helped pave the way for one of the best Gator offense’s of all time in 2009, as UF ranked sixth in the country in total offense (457.9 yds/gm) and 10th in rushing offense (221.8 yds/gm).

Weekend Look Ahead: Baseball Hosts West-Leading Ole Miss, While Softball, Track And Lacrosse Hit The Road

Baseball takes on West-leading Ole Miss, while softball travels to South Carolina, the track and field teams heads to the prestigious Penn Relays and lacrosse travels to Cornell in the Weekend Look Ahead.

Baseball

Without a mid-week game for the only time this season due to semester exams, SEC tri-leader No. 4 Florida (31-10/14-4 SEC) welcomes Western Division tri-leader Ole Miss (24-17/9-9 SEC) to McKethan Stadium this weekend for another key conference series. Start times are at 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday, with the entire series to be carried on GatorVision Online.

With graduation taking place this weekend as well, please note the updated parking and ticket information for this weekend.

Friday’s opener will pit sophomore right-hander Hudson Randall (Atlanta, Ga.) (7-1, 1.53) against UM junior southpaw Matt Crouse (6-2, 2.81). Randall scattered four hits over 6.1 innings in last week’s 7-0, series-opening triumph over Alabama. Five of his seven victories this season have come in SEC play and the righty has 33 strikeouts and four walks in 64.2 innings this spring.

Sophomore lefty Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) (6-1, 2.53) will meet Rebel junior righty David Goforth (3-5, 4.60) in game two. The finale will feature freshman RHP Karsten Whitson (Chipley, Fla.) (5-0, 2.25) against Ole Miss junior left-hander Austin Wright (4-3, 4.36). Chosen as the SEC’s Co-Freshman of the Week following his career-high 6.2-inning stint (3 H, 1 R, 7 K, 0 BB) that completed the sweep of Alabama, Whitson leads the Gators with 52 strikeouts in 52 innings and is 2-0 with a 2.27 ERA in league activity.

Softball

After taking two of three in a crucial series with Alabama last weekend, Florida takes to the road for a three-game series at South Carolina starting Friday.

The Gators enter with a 40-8 record and a 15-7 mark in SEC play. They have won eight of their last nine games in conference play.

Track and Field

The Gators head to a pair of prestigious meets this weekend, as portions of the teams will head to both the 117^th Pen Relays Carnival and some athletes will head to the Drake Relays. 

The Gators got off to a solid start Thursday night  at Penn when Genevieve LaCaze posted the second fastest steeplechase time in school history. This weekend the track athletes and jumpers will compete in an elite field with most of the relay finals taking place on Saturday afternoon. 

The throwers will be on hand at Drake with most of UF’s athletes competing on Friday afternoon.

Lacrosse

After making history earlier this week ascending to the No. 2 ranking, the lacrosse team travels to Cornell on Sunday at noon. 

The Gators enter with a 14-1 mark and have won 14 straight matches since dropping an overtime decision at North Carolina to start the year. The Gators have been off since defeating Vanderbilt 8-7 in Nashville on April 17 and will head to the ALC Tournament next week as the event’s top seed.

Schedule analysis: Florida

We turn our attention today to Florida’s 2011 schedule as Will Muschamp takes over in Gainesville:

Nonconference opponents (2010 records)

Sept. 3: Florida Atlantic (4-8)
Sept. 10: UAB (4-8)
Nov. 19: Furman (5-6)
Nov. 26: Florida State (10-4)

SEC home games

Sept. 24: Tennessee
Oct. 1: Alabama
Nov. 5: Vanderbilt
Oct. 29: Georgia (in Jacksonville, Fla.)

SEC road games

Sept. 24: at Kentucky
Oct. 8: at LSU
Oct. 15: at Auburn
Nov. 12: at South Carolina

Gut-check time: The Florida-LSU series has been one of the most physical in the league, and that 2007 head-knocker might have set the standard. The Tigers will again be a load defensively this season and get the Gators in Baton Rouge on Oct. 8. It’s also the first of three straight games for Florida away from the Swamp.

Trap game: Tennessee last beat Florida when Ron Zook was coaching the Gators (2004), so it’s been a while. The two teams meet in their traditional third Saturday in September spot this season, and Florida will still be finding out a lot about its football team at that point. Tennessee is probably a year away from contending in the East, but has played Florida tough each of the past two years. It won’t be an easy SEC opener for the Gators.

Snoozer: Take your pick of those first two, which is an annual ritual with the Gators. They open the season with Florida Atlantic and UAB.

Telltale stretch: A pretty easy call here. Florida gets Alabama at home on Oct. 1 and then hits the road the next week to face LSU. The Crimson Tide and Tigers will both open the season ranked in the top 5 in the country. And after that harrowing two-game swing, Florida will remain on the road to face defending national champion Auburn.

Final analysis: The Gators catch a lot of grief nationally for never leaving the state of Florida to play anybody in their nonconference slate, but that’s probably not fair since they play Florida State every year, especially now that the Seminoles are on their way back under Jimbo Fisher. Taking on an archrival expected to start the season in the top 10 after grinding your way through the SEC would be a daunting task for anybody. The month of October will tell us a lot about where this program is headed under Muschamp. Over and above games against Alabama, Georgia and LSU, a trip to Auburn is included in that brutal stretch, and the Tigers have had the Gators’ number. Florida has lost three of its last four games to Auburn, and the only win came in overtime. Florida also has to travel to South Carolina on Nov. 12, which will be the Gators’ fourth game away from home in five outings. There’s some tough sledding ahead for Muschamp in his debut season.

News World National News State News Politics Business (World) Business (US) Technology Industry Science Medicine Sports Education Entertainment Opinion Latest Articles View Topics View Authors Features Latest Articles View Topics View Authors Community Join Our List Other Sections Affiliates Advertise Video Florida's Demps hoping for rewarding weekend at Penn Relays

One year from now, this could be quite a crazy weekend for Jeff Demps, who will either be waiting around for an NFL team to draft him, or running with his Florida teammates in the Penn Relays as another step on the road to the 2012 London Olympics.

Or maybe both?

"I'm not really sure," Demps said this week during a break in training for what he and the Gators hope will be a rewarding weekend at Franklin Field. "I'm not thinking about it that much. Sometimes it will go through my mind, but I have to stay away from thinking about it and focus on the present."

It would appear to be quite a pleasant dilemma for Demps, a 5-foot-8, 181-pound junior from Winter Garden, Fla., who is expected to run in three events at the 117th Franklin Field carnival Friday and Saturday.
He broke the 10-second mark for 100 meters last weekend for the second time in his career, running 9.96 in the Tom Jones Invitational in Gainesville, Fla. A few months earlier, he led the Gators in rushing with 551 yards, although a sprained left foot limited him and kept him out of two games.

Of course, a guy with his speed on a football field _ he averaged 32.5 yards on eight kickoff returns in 2010 and has four career rushes of more than 60 yards _ can be special to an NFL team.

Playing two sports at a high level can be taxing for anyone. Demps said that it was difficult to juggle the two when he was a freshman but that he finds the transition has gone more smoothly with experience.

"Our strength and conditioning people do a great job," he said. "They have me prepared for any sport. Coming from football, I'm usually in good shape. I had that sprained foot during football season last year and missed a lot of time, but when I came back to track, I was kind of fresh because I really hadn't taken a lot of hits."

Florida track and field coach Mike Holloway credited the Gators football staff, led by first-year head coach Will Muschamp, with allowing Demps to focus on track this spring.

"Jeff's a guy that shows up every day and does everything that we ask him to," Holloway said. "His transition this year has been wonderful because the football staff has been wonderful. It's allowed him to be a track guy right now. ... His race model overall for 100 meters is getting better and better each week."

Holloway certainly has talent to work with. Before he even enrolled at Florida, Demps shared the world 100-meter junior record of 10.01 and ran in the 2008 U.S. Olympic trials. He clocked his first sub-10 in last year's NCAA outdoor championships and matched that 9.96 time last weekend.

Both marks were wind-aided, but Demps said of last weekend: "The wind was over the limit, but not by that much. I think I can definitely" run a sub-10 with a legal wind.

Holloway joked that when Demps talked recently about breaking the 15-year-old NCAA record of 9.92, "I kept walking like I didn't hear him." He said the more immediate goals are the Southeastern Conference and NCAA championships.

"Whatever time we get on the way to that will be a blessing," Holloway said. "When Jeff and I talk about his season, we don't talk about specific times; we talk about getting better. He talks a lot about being SEC champion and NCAA champion and helping the team win team titles.

"But I think if you got Jeff to be totally honest with you, we'd both like to see him run 9.9 this year."

Demps, who won the NCAA indoor championship at 60 meters, continues the tradition of Penn Relays performers who also starred on the football field, joining a group topped by Olympic gold medalists Bob Hayes of Florida A&M and James Jett of West Virginia. Others included Qadry Ismail of Syracuse, Jamaal Charles of Texas, and Trindon Holliday of Louisiana State.

Demps is passing on the individual 100 meters at the carnival this year and is expected to run on the Gators' 4x100, 4x200, and sprint medley relay teams. Holloway said he will not run in the 4x200 trials but will join the team in Saturday's finals if Florida gets through Friday's heats.

The men's sprint relays should be dynamic, with Florida, Texas A&M, LSU, and Florida State. Mississippi State, which won two men's relays here last year, also will be heard from.

"I think it's going to be a fun meet and very competitive at the same time," Demps said. "We know the competition is going to be tough, but we're going to go out there and compete and have fun."

The distance relays also will have an impact with Brigham Young, making a rare trip to Philadelphia, loading up in Friday's distance medley and Saturday's 4x800 against competition that includes Villanova, Arkansas, Indiana, and Georgetown.

Gators Off To Strong Start at 117th Penn Relays

Junior distance runner Genevieve LaCaze (Queensland, Australia) clocked the second-fastest women’s steeplechase time in school history, charting a more than 14-second personal-best Thursday to highlight a day full of strong performances by the University of Florida track and field team at the 117th Penn Relays Carnival at historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa.

It was a day filled with personal-best times for the Gators, who resume competition at the three-day Penn Relays beginning at 9 a.m. ET Friday. Florida’s throwers also will compete in the Drake Relays tomorrow in Des Moines, Iowa, beginning at 11:45 a.m. ET.

“I think we had a very good day,” Florida head coach Mike Holloway said. “I am pleased with the overall effort and what everyone was able to accomplish today. Coming off finals week, sometimes athletes have the tendency to be flat, but we really challenged our athletes to come in here and give us great effort. I thought that’s what we were able to do today. We got off to a great start with the women’s hurdles and women’s relays, and then continued that tonight. Genevieve LaCaze had a 14-second PR and that’s just huge for her.

“We had a great overall day, but now our challenge is that we’ve got to wake up tomorrow and do the exact same thing,” Holloway continued. “We need to get up, put our spikes on and compete hard like we did today.”

LaCaze turned in a personal-best time of more than 14 seconds to place second overall in the women’s steeplechase. LaCaze clocked a time of 10:12.33 in the event’s championship section to smash her previous personal-best time of 10:26.92. She becomes just the second person in school history to run sub-10:20 in the women’s steeplechase.

Sophomore hurdler Ugonna Ndu (Newark, N.J.) finished second in the women’s 400-meter hurdles championship, matching her personal-best time of 58.79 in the process to open the day. That is the seventh-fastest women’s 400-meter hurdle time in UF school history. Fellow hurdler Amani Bryant (Tampa, Fla.) placed ninth overall in that event, close to her personal-best with a time of 1:00.17.

Sophomore distance runner Callie Cooper (St. Johns, Fla.) ran the seventh-fastest time in school history in the women’s 5,000-meter run championship, placing 11th overall in a personal-best time of 16:32.13, while Michael Anderson (Williston, Fla.) ran a season-best time of 9:12.39 to finish 12th overall in the men’s steeplechase.

The Florida women’s 4x100-meter relay team finished 10th overall in the preliminaries by clocking a time of 45.43. The quartet, consisting of Michelle Stegall (Fayetteville, Ga.), Darshay Davis (Miami, Fla.), Danielle Williams (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Ebony Eutsey (Miami, Fla.), advances to the college section finals, which will be contested at 1:05 p.m. ET Friday.

The women’s 4x400-meter relay team placed seventh overall in the preliminaries of its event with a time of 3:39.91. The quartet consisted of Eutsey, Williams, Ndu and Stegall.

Freshman distance runner Matt Mizereck (Tallahassee, Fla.) placed 12th overall in the championship section of the men’s 5,000-meter run with a personal-best time of 14:17.90, while fellow rookie Mark Parrish (Tampa, Fla.) claimed the college section of the event in a personal-best time of 14:25.95.

Senior pole vaulter Daisy Glasser (Atlantic Beach, Fla.) tied for seventh overall in her event with a leap of 3.80m/12-5.50.

Miami Dolphins Select Mike Pouncey with 15th Pick of 2011 NFL Draft

Former Florida offensive lineman Mike Pouncey (Lakeland, Fla.) has been selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. The Gators have now had a first-round selection in each of the past five drafts and have had 43 first-round draft picks in school history.

“I just think it was a perfect fit,” Pouncey said in his first interview with local Miami media on Thursday night. “I think they were just trying to hide it from other teams that they were interested in me. I mean, I was kind of shocked that they didn’t bring me in or work me out. But I was hoping on draft day that they picked me and I’m glad they did.”

Florida is the only team to have an offensive lineman selected in the first round of each of the past two drafts. Pouncey was the second of eight offensive linemen chosen in the first round of the 2011 draft. He is the sixth UF offensive lineman selected in the first round all-time. Mike's twin brother, Maurkice, was taken with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"I'm happy for Mike that he is getting the chance to realize a lifelong dream,” said Florida head coach Will Muschamp. “I didn't coach Mike, but I've had the opportunity to meet him and you can tell that he has a passion for the game. I wish him the best of luck."

Pouncey, who played in 54 games for UF and made 45 starts, was a Second-Team All-SEC selection in 2010 by the media. He is the 43rd Gator all-time to be selected in the first-round of the NFL Draft. He becomes the first player drafted by the Dolphins out of UF since the team selected linebacker Channing Crowder in the third round of the 2005 draft. The only other offensive lineman drafted by the Dolphins out of Florida was Larry Gagner in 1966, when the franchise was in the AFL.

Career Bio: Mike Pouncey GatorZone.com Bio

All-time UF Offensive Linemen Selected in the First Round

6th overall, 1985: OT Lomas Brown, Detroit Lions

14th overall, 2001: OT Kenyatta Walker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

15th overall, 2011: OG/C Mike Pouncey, Miami Dolphins

18th overall, 2010: C Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh Steelers

23rd overall, 1998: OT Mo Collins, Oakland Raiders

23rd overall, 1989: OT David Williams, Houston Oilers

2011 Gator Draftees

OL Mike Pouncey, Miami Dolphins – 1st Round, 15th Overall

Florida Draft Notes

·         The Gators have had 43 players selected in the first-round all time.

·         Florida is tied with USC for the most first-round draft picks since 2007 with 8.

·         UF is the only school to have an offensive lineman selected in the first round in both 2010 and 2011.

·         This is the fifth-straight year that UF has had a first-round selection, the longest active streak of any school.

·         Florida faced five of the first 12 players selected in the NFL Draft during the 2010 season.

·         The SEC had the number one overall pick for the third time in the last five years and had 10 top-five picks in the last five drafts.

·         The SEC had 10 draft picks in the first round, the most of any conference.

First-Round Draft Picks: 2007-11

Florida	8
USC	8
Alabama	7
LSU	7

Longest Active Streaks Being Represented in the First Round

Florida	5 years
Alabama	3 years
California	3 years
Missouri	3 years

Report: former Gators OL Maurice Hurt failed drug test at NFL combine

According to Pro Football Weekly, former Florida offensive lineman Maurice Hurt was one of three players who tested positive for marijuana at the NFL Scouting Combine.

FOXSports.com first reported that Georgia OLB/DE Justin Houston and Iowa DL Christian Ballard failed the drug test. Pro Football Weekly confirmed that report, and added Hurt’s name to the list.

For the former Gators guard, it could mean the difference between being drafted and signing with a free agent. Hurt was a projected late-round draft pick.

Hurt played in 41 games in his Florida career, starting 17. He played in all of UF’s regular season games last year, starting all but the FSU loss, but did not play in the Outback Bowl.

Allie Will Named SEC W-Tennis Player of Year, Six Gators Honored

University of Florida sophomore Allie Will (Boca Raton, Fla.) was voted the Southeastern Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Year and five other Gators were recognized by the league’s coaches in the yearly honors announced the SEC office on Tuesday.

Sophomore Lauren Embree (Marco Island, Fla.) and freshman Sofie Oyen (Leopoldsburg, Belgium) joined Will on the 12-player All-SEC First Team, while junior Joanna Mather (Duluth, Ga.), freshman Olivia Janowicz (Palm Bay, Fla.) and freshman Alex Cercone (Seminole, Fla.) were named to the All-SEC Second Team.

Will’s selection as the 2011 SEC Player of the Year is the eighth time the league’s top honor was bestowed upon a Gator, as she joins Embree, who was voted last season as the first-ever freshman named SEC Player of the Year, as well as Jill Craybas (1995, 1996), Alexis Gordon (2004), Jessica Lehnhoff (2002), Divya Merchant (1994) and Lisa Raymond (1993).

Will is coming off a stellar performance at last weekend’s SEC Tournament, where she was named the event’s Most Valuable Performer and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team, while helping the Gators (25-1) capture the championship. She has compiled a 29-3 singles record this year, including a 20-1 dual match mark (9-0 in SEC) playing the number one and two positions in the lineup.

Embree is undefeated in dual match singles and doubles play this year, posting a 20-0 record in both, with a 9-0 singles record in SEC action and a 10-0 spot in league doubles play. Embree missed the majority of the fall season, when she was rehabilitating her left wrist (ruptured tendon) that required two surgeries (in June 2010 and in late October 2010).

Oyen compiled a 9-0 SEC singles record during her rookie campaign, as well as a 7-2 doubles record. Oyen was recognized as the SEC Freshman of the Week on April 12 when she helped Florida secure the SEC regular-season championship with victories against Georgia and Tennessee.

Mather is 27-7 overall in singles and 13-2 in dual matches in addition to compiling a doubles record of 26-7, 19-2 in dual matches with a 7-0 record in clinching doubles-point matches. She was named the SEC Player of the Week on Feb. 23 after she helped the Gators reach the final of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.

Cercone was a three-time SEC Freshman of the Week honoree (March 8, 29 and April 5) and is tied with a team-best 32 singles wins. On the singles court, the rookie is 32-10 overall, with an 18-3 mark in team competition, 10-1 in SEC matches. In doubles, Cercone posted a 25-6 record, with a 19-1 dual match ledger, winning all seven she played during the SEC regular season.

Janowicz earned a spot on the SEC All-Tournament Team as the only Gator to finish and win all three matches, while winning a pair on the doubles court en route to helping Florida capture the league’s postseason title. She was honored as the SEC Freshman of the Week on Feb. 16 and holds a 32-7 overall singles record, with a 19-3 mark in dual matches (10-0 in SEC play), as well as an 18-7 doubles record, including a 13-4 spot in dual match competition.

Oyen, Cercone and Janowicz also were selected to the six-player All-SEC Freshman Team.

A four-way tie for the final spot on second team pushed the team to a total of 14 members.

UF lineman tested positive for marijuana

For the third straight year, a Florida football player has tested positive for marijuana at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Pro Football Weekly is reporting it has learned that Florida offensive lineman Maurice Hurt, a later-round NFL Draft prospect, has tested positive for the drug.

Muschamp kicks Jenkins off team

Florida senior cornerback Janoris Jenkins has been kicked off the Gator football team.

Florida coach Will Muschamp announced that Jenkins would no longer be with the team on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon.

"We appreciate Janoris' contributions to the University of Florida during his time here and wish him the best of luck," Muschamp said on his Twitter account.

"After meeting with Janoris Jenkins today, we both felt it was in his best interest to move ahead to the next stage of his career."

No. 2 Gator Lacrosse Makes IWLCA History in Latest Poll

The Florida Gators lacrosse team, despite having the past week off, has entered the top-two of the IWLCA poll for the first time in program history, the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) announced on Monday. Florida rose to the No. 2 spot, the highest rank for a second-year program in poll history. The Gators’ ascension to the No. 2 spot is one better than the No. 3 rank achieved by the North Carolina Tar Heels on April 7, 1997.

Tewaaraton nominee Kitty Cullen (Rockville, Md.) leads the nation in goals per game with 4.47 and has 73 points so far this season. She has 17 free position goals on the year and owns a .568 shooting percentage. Florida is ranked third in the nation in win percentage (.933), sixth in scoring defense (8.2), seventh in scoring margin (6.2) and ninth in scoring offense (14.4). Individually, sophomore goalkeeper Mikey Meagher (Liverpool, N.Y.) is fifth in the country in goals-against average with 7.77 and 19th in save percentage (.468). Additionally, Cullen ranks second in goals overall (67), third in points per game (4.87) and sixth in points overall (73). 2010 National Rookie of the Year Ashley Bruns (Ellicott City, Md.) is having a stellar sophomore campaign, ranking 18th in points overall (61) and 20th in points per game (4.07).

The Gators went undefeated at home (11-0) and in the ALC (5-0) en route to their first ALC regular season title. Florida travels to Ithaca, N.Y. to face Cornell on Sunday, May 1st for their regular season finale. The ALC Tournament follows soon after from May 5th-7th, where the Gators hold the No. 1 seed after clinching with their upset over then-No. 2 Northwestern.

The American Lacrosse Conference continued its history-making run as all six schools in the conference were ranked for a second consecutive week. The ALC has two of the six schools in the top-10, with Florida leading the way at No. 2 and Northwestern holding at No. 5. Penn State (No. 13) and Vanderbilt (No. 17) both remain the same from last week, while Ohio State rises to No. 19 and Johns Hopkins moves to No. 20.

The ACC has four of its five schools in the top-10, starting with top-ranked Maryland. North Carolina rises to No. 3 while Duke drops to No. 4. Boston College moves into the top-10 at No. 9 while Virginia falls out of the top-10, dropping to No. 11.

Both the Ivy Group and the Big East are represented by three schools. Loyola from the Big East moves to No. 7, with Georgetown remaining at No. 16 and Syracuse moving to no. 18. Penn, from the Ivy Group, leads that conference at No. 10, with Dartmouth (No. 14) and Princeton (No. 15) holding steady from last week.

Stanford from the MPSF rises to No. 6; Albany from the America East also moves up one notch to land at No. 8. James Madison from the CAA holds at No. 12.

On Wednesday, No. 11 Virginia travels to No. 12 James Madison in a rescheduled game; the two teams had met previously but the game was cancelled due to inclement weather. On Thursday, the top-ranked Terrapins travel down the road to face No. 16 Georgetown. On Friday, a key Big East matchup takes place as No. 7 Loyola welcomes No. 18 Syracuse while No. 10 Penn hosts No. 4 Duke on Friday night as well. On Saturday, the No. 11 Cavaliers welcome the No. 5 Wildcats and No. 13 Penn State travels to face No. 15 Princeton. A key ALC contest is underway on Saturday as well with the No. 18 Buckeyes hosting No. 20 Johns Hopkins. The first day of May, Sunday, brings a game in Hanover as No. 14 Dartmouth hosts the No. 1 Terrapins.

The next weekly poll will be released on May 2nd.

IWLCA Division I Week 9 Poll (25 Apr 2011)

	Record	Previous	Votes
1. Maryland (20)	17-0	1	400
2. FLORIDA	14-1	3	368
3. North Carolina	12-5	4	355
4. Duke	13-3	2	339
5. Northwestern	14-2	5	328
6. Stanford	14-2	7	290
7. Loyola	13-1	6	284
8. Albany	14-0	9	262
9. Boston College	11-6	11	209
10. Pennsylvania	10-4	8	208
11. Virginia	9-6	10	189
12. James Madison	12-3	12	164
13. Penn State	9-6	13	159
14. Dartmouth	9-3	14	145
15. Princeton	7-6	15	116
16. Georgetown	8-6	16	112
17. Vanderbilt	8-7	17	82
18. Syracuse	7-7	19	52
19. Ohio State	8-6	20	45
20. Johns Hopkins	9-6	18	43

Also receiving votes: Harvard, Notre Dame

Gator Softball Wins Second Consecutive Walk-Off Thriller; Takes Series from No. 3 Alabama, 3-2

Senior Kelsey Bruder (Corona, Calif.) hit an in-field base hit with the bags loaded for No. 8 Florida’s second walk-off win in as many days against No. 3 Alabama, taking the series with a 3-2, nine-inning victory against the Tide Sunday. Freshman Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.) crossed the plate for the winning run after sending a single through the right side and moved around the bases on two fielder’s choices. Both teams were scoreless and combined for just three hits total in a pitcher’s duel until the eighth inning, where both squads tallied two runs to force a ninth frame. Bama went three up, three down on two groundouts and a foul out to bring up the bottom of the inning, where Bruder helped give the Gators their second extra-innings victory of the season.

Freshman Hannah Rogers (Lake Wales, Fla.) dueled it out with Alabama’s Kelsi Dunne, earning her 25th win of the season in her first career nine-inning effort for the Gators (40-8, 15-7 SEC), giving up just three hits, two unearned runs and three walks while fanning 10 Alabama batters, two shy of her career high 12. Freshman Jackie Traina shouldered the loss for the Tide (42-7, 16-6 SEC) by giving up three hits and the game-winning run after entering with the score knotted at two and two down in the bottom of the eighth. Dunne tossed the first 7.2 innings for Alabama, giving up two hits, two runs and two walks while tallying 10 Ks. The Crimson Tide pitchers combined for three detrimental hit-by-pitches in the final two frames in Florida’s favor.

The UF defense wiggled itself out of a jam early on when Alabama had two runners on in the first. Lead-off hitter Kayla Braud reached on a throwing error, advancing to second. Rogers fanned the next two batters swinging, but then gave up a walk to Amanda Locke. The defense allowed Kaila Hunt to reach on a fielder’s choice as freshman Kasey Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.) eliminated Braud at a third for the final out.

The second inning saw three-up and three-down for both teams, followed by a third where neither team advanced past second. Keima Davis drew a walk and then stole second for the Tide in the top of the inning, but two subsequent Ks and a fly out retired the side. In the bottom of the inning, sophomore Kelsey Horton (Valrico, Fla.) tallied the first hit for the Gators as she singled to center. Fagan drew a walk to put two runners on, but outs by junior Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Bruder ended the inning.

Alabama’s first hit came in the fourth on a two-out single down the left-field line by Traina, however, Rogers caught the next batter looking to close out the inning.

The Tide threatened again in the fifth after pinch-hitter Jennifer Fenton was hit by a pitch. Fenton moved to second on a sac bunt and to third on a ground out, but Rogers forced a ground out to senior Aja Paculba (Wildomar, Calif.) at second by Jazlyn Lunceford to end the inning.

After hitless and scoreless sixth and seventh innings for both UF and UA, both teams kicked it into gear for extra-innings play. Both squads tallied two runs in the eighth to tie the game and force play into nine innings. Alabama scored by capitalizing on UF defensive miscue; Braud and Lunceford hit a pair of singles to reach base and a sac bunt by Whitney Larsen moved both runners into scoring position.  Locke was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Rogers forced a swinging K out of Cassie Reilly-Boccia to put two outs on the board. A fielding error by Paculba allowed Traina to reach base, scoring both Braud and Lunceford. A ground out to short stop ended Alabama’s scoring with two runners left on.

The Gators rallied back with two runs of their own, thanks in part to three batters being hit by a pitch. With one out on the board, Horton was hit by a pitch and then replaced with sophomore pinch-runner Ensley Gammel (Bakersfield, Calif.), who stole second. After a Fagan strikeout, Moultrie was hit by a pitch, putting two runners on, chasing Dunne from the circle in favor of Traina. A single to right field by Bruder sent Gammel hustling home, scoring the first run for the Gators. Senior Megan Bush (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) was intentionally walked, loading the bases and enabling Moultrie to score the second run when sophomore Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif.) was also hit by a pitch.

The Gator defense forced three-up,  three-down in the top of the ninth to hold the Tide to just their two runs before Bruder hit a walk-off single to send home the winning run. Senior Tiffany DeFelice (Coral Springs, Fla.) drew a walk to lead off for the Gators and a single through the right side by freshman Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.) sent DeFelice hustling to third. Gammel then laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached on a fielder’s choice, advancing the runners and loading the bases. After Fagan struck out swinging, Moultrie was able to reach on a fielder’s choice that eliminated DeFelice at home. With two outs and the bases loaded, Bruder singled to second base, sending Coyle home and tallying her second walk-off hit of the weekend.

No. 5 Florida Completes Sweep Of Alabama, 2-1

Florida junior Nick Maronde (Lexington, Ky.) induced a game-ending 4-6-3 double play from Alabama senior pinch hitter Brett Whitaker with a pair of runners aboard to preserve a 2-1 victory for the No. 5 Gators (31-10/14-4 SEC) and secure a sweep of the Crimson Tide (25-18/8-10 SEC) on Easter Sunday at McKethan Stadium.

Freshman Karsten Whitson (Chipley, Fla.) (5-0) registered seven strikeouts and permitted three hits over a career-high 6.2 innings to pick up his second win in league play and sophomore Nolan Fontana (Winter Garden, Fla.) was 3-for-4 and drove in both of UF’s runs as the hosts remained in first place in the overall and Eastern Division standings pending the results of today’s action. Entering the day, the Gators were deadlocked with No. 2 South Carolina (30-8/13-4 SEC) and No. 3 Vanderbilt (34-5/13-4 SEC).

With the Tide down to its final three outs, junior Anthony DeSclafani (Freehold, N.J.) had junior Jared Reaves ground out before yielding consecutive singles to freshman Austen Smith (2-for-4) and sophomore Brandt Hendricks. Maronde was summoned from the bullpen and had Whitaker tap into a game-ending double play to record his second save.

“Overall, it was a great weekend and I think for Karsten (Whitson) it’s the best he’s thrown all year,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “He was on-line, downhill and he didn’t have any walks. Our guys played great defense behind him and it was a great weekend. Most teams will be satisfied with two wins and then cash it in, I am really proud with the way they played today. They kept their focus and completed the job.”

“It felt good to win,” Maronde said. “It was a big win we needed and we were tied for first place with South Carolina and Vanderbilt going into today so it helped a lot. Every win helps in the SEC. Karsten threw a heck of a game. I just wanted to go in there and throw strikes and I was fortunate to get that double play.”

The Gators broke the ice in the third inning on an RBI double by Fontana but the Tide turned a key inning-ending double play to limit UF to one run. Junior Daniel Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.) led off with a single up the middle and was sacrificed to second by junior Tyler Thompson (Tequesta, Fla.). Senior Bryson Smith (Watkinsville, Ga.) was hit by a pitch from senior Jonathan Smart (2-1) and Fontana rifled a double to the base of the wall in right field to score Pigott with the initial run. With a couple of runners in scoring position, sophomore Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) popped up in foul territory. Austen Smith recorded the putout just beyond first base and then gunned down Bryson Smith at the plate to end the inning.   

Whitson held the Crimson Tide without a hit until senior David Kindred roped a one-out double into right field in the fifth. A grounder by sophomore Brett Booth advanced Kindred to third and Whitson answered with his fifth strikeout of the afternoon with a punch-out of sophomore Andrew Miller.  

UF increased its lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Fontana. Thompson doubled with one down to right field and Smith followed with a walk before Fontana sliced a base-hit through the right side that brought in Thompson. A fly out by Zunino (2-for-4) advanced Smith to third and Smart worked out of further trouble by having a grounder from junior Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) force Fontana at second base to close the frame.  

Senior Josh Adams (Jacksonville, Fla.) raised his hitting streak to seven games with a one-out single in the sixth, matching his season high, and Smart responded by having sophomore Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) line into an inning-ending double play.

Alabama narrowed the gap to 2-1 in the seventh on a bloop single by Booth. Reaves was hit by a pitch to start the stanza and Smith followed with a single into left field for runners on the corners. Whitson struck out both Hendricks and Kindred and Booth came through with a base-knock into right field to cut the deficit to a run. With two runners on base, sophomore Steven Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) replaced Whitson and struck out redshirt freshman pinch hitter Allen Dye.

“Karsten threw a couple quality change-ups, but his slider to lefties was outstanding today,” O’Sullivan said. “He really located his fastball a lot better today than he had in a couple of outings before. He’s been getting better and better each time out. I think today by far was his best outing and I’m glad that he came out and threw the ball well today.”

“It felt good to see the seventh inning,” Whitson said. “I was just keeping them all low today, getting early first pitch outs. My teammates make good plays behind me so I now know what it is to get out there and try to keep on doing it. Paco (Steven Rodriguez) came in and threw really well, just like he’s been doing for us which is really good and Disco (Anthony DeSclafani) came in and did his job and (Nick) Maronde got the big double play for us.”

Senior Josh Sanders bunted for a single to begin the eighth and was picked off by Rodriguez. The lefty had junior Taylor Dugas fly out to left field and DeSclafani came in for Rodriguez (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) and had senior Brock Bennett ground out.

The Gators loaded the bases with none out in the home part of the inning and could not add to their lead. Fontana and Zunino had back-to-back singles before Tucker legged out a bunt to fill the bags and force a pitching change. Junior Josh Rosecrans replaced Smart (7.0 IP, 10 H, 2 R) and had Maddox hit into a 4-2-3 double play and Adams ground out to keep the Tide down by a run entering the last inning.

Game Notes

·         Florida improved to 22-4 at McKethan Stadium this season.

·         The Gators registered their second-straight sweep of Alabama in Gainesville.

·         Karsten Whitson’s previous career-high outing was 5.1 innings against Mississippi State (4/10) and Boston College (2/27).

·         Nolan Fontana had another three-hit effort today and was 6-for-11 (.545) in the series.

·         Mike Zunino had his 15th multiple-hit game of the season.

·         Florida pitchers allowed three runs in 27 innings on the weekend for a 1.00 earned run average.

·         The Gator offense batted .347 (34-for-98) with 11 doubles and four homers, while the Crimson Tide hit .216 (21-for-97).

·         UF’s bullpen tossed nine scoreless innings over the three games, with nine strikeouts and three walks.