Third pick Beal bound for Washington

Former Florida guard Bradley Beal is heading to the nation's capital.

Beal was taken as the third overall pick in the NBA draft by the Washington Wizards, selected behind the Kentucky duo of Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

In Washington, the 6-foot-4 Beal will be teamed up with dynamic former Kentucky point guard John Wall in the backcourt.

“I just need to stay confident,” Beal told ESPN shortly after he was drafted. “My game will always be there to speak for itself.”

Beal is Florida's 11th first-round draft pick in school history. He is UF's first lottery pick since Al Horford (3rd overall, Atlanta Hawks), Corey Brewer (7th overall, Minnesota Timberwolves) and Joakim Noah (9th overall, Chicago Bulls) all were taken within the first 14 picks of the 2007 draft.

Beal matched Horford as the second-highest drafted Gator in school history behind Neal Walk (2nd overall, Phoenix Suns, 1969). He left Florida after just one season in which he averaged 14.8 points and 6.7 rebounds.


“It was really tough to give (college) up, but I knew I had to chase my dream,” Beal said.

Presidents approve college football playoff

WASHINGTON — Playoffs and tournaments long have determined champions of every college sport from baseball to bowling.
The exception was major college football.
That ended Tuesday. Come 2014, the BCS is dead.
A committee of university presidents approved a plan for a four-team playoff put forward by commissioners of the top football conferences.
The new system doesn’t go too far, Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger said.
“It goes just the right amount,” he said.
The move completes a six-month process for the commissioners, who have been working on a new way to determine a major college football champion after years of griping from fans. The latest configuration is certain to make even more money for the schools than the old system.
“There were differences of views,” Steger said. “I think it would be a serious mistake to assume it was a rubber stamp.”
Instead of simply matching the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 teams in a title game after the regular season, the way the Bowl Championship Series has done since 1998, the new format will create a pair of national semifinals.
College football fans have been clamoring for a playoff for years, and the BCS has been a constant target for criticism. Lawmakers have railed against it. A political action committee was formed, dedicated to its destruction. The Justice Department looked into whether it broke antitrust laws. Even President Obama said he wanted a playoff.
Now it’s a reality.
No. 1 will play No. 4, and No. 2 will play No. 3 on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The sites of those games will rotate among the four current BCS bowls — Rose, Orange, Fiesta and Sugar — and two more to be determined.
The winners will advance to the championship on the first Monday in January that is six or more days after the last semifinal. The first championship Monday is set for Jan. 12, 2015.
The site of the title game will move around the way the Super Bowl does, with cities bidding for the right to host.
The teams will be selected by a committee, similar to the way the NCAA basketball tournament field is set. The men’s tournament has 68 teams, and 37 at-large bids.
The football committee will have a much tougher task, trying to whittle the field down to four. Among the factors the committee will consider is won-loss record, strength of schedule, head-to-head results and whether a team is a conference champion. This season, 125 schools will play at the highest level of college football.
“I think it’s tremendous progress,” Washington State coach Mike Leach, a playoff proponent. “Five years ago there wasn’t even dialogue about a playoff. Instead of diving in the water, they dipped their toes in. I think it’s’ going to be ridiculously exciting and it’s going to generate a bunch of money. I wish they dived in.”
No one has put a hard number on it yet, but this new format figures to more than double the TV revenue of the current BCS and Rose Bowl contracts. Those pay out about $155 million annually.
The commissioners want to lock in this format for 12 years with a television partner. The current BCS deal with ESPN runs through the 2013 season. The new format will be presented to potential TV partners in the fall, starting with ESPN.
There are still some details to work out — such as who will be on the committee and what new bowls will be involved in the semifinal rotation — but all the decision-makers are on board.
Lower divisions of college football already have a playoff, but the highest level has always used bowls and polls to determine its champion. Those days are coming to an end.
“By making this change we felt we could enhance the regular season but at the same time provide the fans with the kind of postseason that will contribute to the regular season,” Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive said.

Lochte bests Phelps in Omaha

OMAHA, Neb. — Ryan Lochte still has Michael Phelps' number.

Phelps, though, has put himself in position to go for another gaudy number: eight gold medals at the London Olympics.

Lochte won his latest showdown with the winningest Olympian ever, beating Phelps for the first time in the 400-meter individual medley at the U.S. swimming trials Monday night.

In taking the first spot on the Olympic team, Lochte extended his dominance of Phelps that goes back to last year's world championships, where the 27-year-old Floridian won five gold medals and both head-to-head races against Phelps.

“The first race is always the hardest,” Lochte said. “I can take a deep breath now, relax and whatever happens, happens.”

Phelps started strong on the butterfly leg, his best stroke, but Lochte took command when they switched to the breaststroke. He built a lead of about a half-body length and held off Phelps in the freestyle finish, cruising to the wall with one arm extended to post a time of 4 minutes, 7.06 seconds.

He got a kiss from his dad, Steve, as he came off the deck and a huge cheer from the crowd of more than 11,000 — including a group behind the starting block that waved “Ryan” signs and giant cardboard cutouts of his face.

Phelps claimed the second Olympic spot in 4:07.89, setting himself up for another eight-event program in London — something he insisted he wouldn't do again after the Beijing Games.

“I was very pleased with that,” Phelps said. “I said if I went 4:07, I'd be happy.”

Tyler Clary, who took second at the 2011 worlds, won't even get a chance to swim the event in London. He faded to third in 4:09.92 and was so upset he didn't bother stopping by the mixed zone.

Phelps plans to retire after the Olympics and is clearly eager to end his career with another dazzling performance. He already has won 14 gold medals, more than any other athlete.

That he is even swimming the 400 IM shows Phelps has regained the focus and dedication that faded away after the 2008 Olympics. At those games, he won his second straight gold medal in the grueling race, then insisted he was done with it. Over the past few months, however, he quietly put the event back in his repertoire — and now he'll be swimming it again in London.

Going forward at the trials, Phelps will be heavily favored to claim a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in four other individual events: the 100 and 200 butterfly, 200 free and 200 individual medley. If he swims on all three American relays, as expected, that adds up to eight — the number of golds he captured in 2008 to eclipse Mark Spitz's iconic Olympic record.

“Now we kind of know where he is and we feel pretty good about it,” Phelps' coach Bob Bowman said. “This is the catalyst for everything else. When this goes well, everything else goes well.”

A Beijing repeat? Could be, though it will be much more difficult to win eight events in London.

Lochte is standing in the way this time.

“Obviously, that's some pretty good competition,” Bowman said. “He just kicked our (butt).”

Lochte is determined to repeat — even exceed — last year's brilliant performance in Shanghai, where he surpassed Phelps as the world's top swimmer. He keeps saying “this is my time,” and his first event in Omaha shows he's still the man to beat.

“I'm definitely ready to tear it up in London,” said Lochte, who is heading to his third Olympics.

This will be No. 4 for Phelps, who became the first American male swimmer to qualify for a fourth Olympic team. There's plenty of room for improvement before he gets to London, according to Bowman.

“His turns were horrendous,” the coach said. “That's 2 seconds there. His breaststroke leg has got to be better. There are any number of things he can work on.”

Plus, he'll have plenty of motivation to go faster because of the guy he's chasing. Phelps is surely getting tired of losing to Lochte, who now has the upper hand in the 400 IM after beating his rival in the 200 IM and 200 free at the 2011 worlds.

Before Monday, Phelps had whipped Lochte nine straight times in the longer medley race going back to 2002.

“We knew that (losing) was a distinct possibility in this event,” Bowman said. “I don't think we had any illusions. He knows that he's in the range. He knows he can get better.”

In other finals on the opening night of the trials, Peter Vanderkaay became a three-time Olympian by winning the 400 free, while 19-year-old Elizabeth Beisel earned her second straight trip to the Olympics in the 400 individual medley.

Vanderkaay won with a time of 3:47.67, while hard-charging Conor Dwyer settled for the second spot on the Olympic team in 3:47.83.

“I just tried to get my head down and get my hand on the touchpad,” Vanderkaay said. “Both Conor and I were able to do that and punched our tickets” for London.

Beisel won her event easily in 4:31.74, more than 2 seconds ahead of Caitlin Leverenz.

“This is definitely a big confidence boost,” the winner said. “Before the race, I was a mess. I was so nervous. I'm so glad it's over and went well. No complaints.”

Dana Vollmer, a 2004 Olympian who failed to qualify for the Olympic team four years ago, set an American record in the semifinals of the 100 butterfly. The defending world champion put up a blistering time of 56.42 to edge the mark she set a year ago (56.47).

Brendan Hansen also was impressive in the semifinals. The former world-record holder broke a minute in the 100 breaststroke, going into Tuesday night's final as the top qualifier. Eric Shanteau, who competed in Beijing after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, also advanced.

“I went out there and hit the first five strokes and I was like, ‘I'm gone, later,' and just took off,” said Hansen, who quit after Beijing but returned to the pool looking to make up for disappointments at the last two Olympics. “You have no idea how hard it is to break a minute.”

Lochte and Phelps got a bit of a shock during their race when flames leaped up from the side of the pool — part of the pyrotechnics that organizers put in place to jazz up the event. They were only supposed to go off beforehand, but someone set them off inadvertently while the swimmers were doing the breaststroke.

“I'm like, ‘What's going on?'” Lochte said with a smile.

But he never slowed down.

Three Gators Stamp Their Tickets to London on Opening Night of US Swim Trials

The Gators opened the Olympic Swim Trials in fleeting fashion as one current and two former Gators earned the opportunity to don the Red, White and Blue in London.

Gators and US Olympic Head Coach Gregg Troy coached four of the first six Olympians to earn spots on the 2012 US Olympic Swim Team in Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.), Conor Dwyer (Winnetka, Ill.), Elizabeth Beisel (North Kingstown, R.I.) and Peter Vanderkaay on the first night of competition of the 2012 Olympic Trials at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb., Monday evening.

These kids bring out the best in me,Ó said Troy when addressing the media. ÒItÕs nice to see them go out there and give it their all.Ó

The night began with a spectacular performance by Lochte in one of the most anticipated races of the week – the menÕs 400 IM – which pinned him against fellow competitor and USA Swimming phenom Michael Phelps. Lochte, the two-time reigning World Champion, out swam Phelps - who has not swum the race at a major meet since he claimed gold in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics.

Lochte stamped his passport to London with a personal-best 4:07.06 swim; Phelps followed at 4:07.89.

The first race is always the hardest,Ó remarked Lochte. ÒI always feel like I can win. That race is over now; I have so many more races left in this meet.Ó

After 300 meters and an incredible breaststroke, Lochte broke away. His swim is the fastest in the world this year, and an even better performance than his 2011 FINA World Championship-clinching race in Shanghai last summer. However, it wasnÕt the first feat for Lochte to bypass on the night. The win marked the first time that the Gator had dethroned Phelps in the race.

We have the two best swimmers in the world right now, and weÕll try and do our best in London,Ó explained Lochte on his 400 IM performance against Phelps. ÒDespite this, I still think that IÕm the hunter, thatÕs just my mindset going into each year. I feel like IÕm the hunter trying to catch him [Phelps] still.Ó

Gator swim caps continued to dive into the water when Vanderkaay, training under Troy, and Dwyer took to the pool for the 400 free. The duo finished one-two, respectively, to each earn a spot on the Olympic squad. The trip is the third of its kind for Vanderkaay, and the first ever for Dwyer.

Its tough to put this into words,Ó explained Dwyer after earning his spot on the Olympic squad. ÒItÕs just a dream come true.Ó

Dwyer touched second in 3:47.83 – shaving three seconds off of his previous best swim in the event.

I just put my head down, just like practice,Ó said Dwyer. ÒI just wanted to get home and get that hand on that wall.Ó

Beisel, who just completed her sophomore year at Florida, will make her second trip to the Olympics, earning her ticket to London with a first-place 4:31.74 effort in the womenÕs 400 IM – the lowest mark of her career – faster than her 2011 FINA World Championship performance and cruising past her own textile-best time (non-polyurethane suits) by .04, to record the 10^th-best time in history.

I was very surprised with the time. I think coming into this meet a lot of people have confidence issues, and I was one of them. Luckily, I have plenty of people to help calm me down,Ó said Beisel. ÒI wasnÕt expecting that time, so it was a good surprise. It felt so good to finally go fast tonight.Ó

The sophomore finished more than two seconds ahead of Caitlin Leverenz, who touched second, and will represent the US alongside Beisel in London.

As a 15-year old, about to enter her junior year of high school, Beisel finished fourth in the event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The 2012 Olympic Swim Trials will continue again tomorrow with preliminary heats in the menÕs and womenÕs 100 back, menÕs 200 free, womenÕs 100 breast and womenÕs 400 free; finals in the womenÕs 100 fly and 400 free, menÕs 100 breast and semifinals in the menÕs 200 free and 100 back.

UF freshmen begin to report

Jonathan Bullard's best friend and former/future teammate left for Gainesville without him Monday. But Bullard said he expects to catch up with Rhaheim Ledbetter sometime today.

Bullard, a five-star defensive end from Shelby, N.C., said Florida officials gave him the go-ahead Monday to travel to Gainesville to enroll in Summer B classes this week with the 16 other incoming true freshmen who started making their way to campus Monday, along with Maryland transfer Max Garcia.

“I just got off the phone with UF and they said I've been cleared (academically) to enroll,” Bullard said. “I'll be heading down there tomorrow. I'm excited.”

Bullard needed a strong senior year in the classroom to have a chance to qualify academically. He said he made the grades and now is just waiting for final clearance from the NCAA Clearing House. He said he does not anticipate any problems, especially after talking with UF officials Monday morning.

“I feel good about everything,” he said.

Summer B classes start next Monday, but Bullard and the other freshmen (along with Garcia) are arriving on campus a few days early to take physicals and go through orientation. Many, according to their Twitter accounts, arrived Monday. The rest are scheduled in today.

The 17 freshmen and Garcia will start working out Monday with the rest of the team, including six early enrollees who are part of their recruiting class.

The Gators will begin preseason practice in early August and open the season Sept. 1 against Bowling Green.

UF baseball players join pros

Florida pitcher Greg Larson and outfielder Daniel Pigott recently signed professional contracts.

Larson, selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 20th round with the 631st selection in June's Major League Baseball Draft, has been assigned to the Lowell Spinners of the New York-Penn League, the organization's Class A short-season affiliate.

In a team-high 35 appearances as a senior, including two starts, Larson was 6-0 with a team-low 1.33 earned run average. The righty totaled 38 strikeouts and permitted 12 walks in 54.1 innings of work and limited opponents to a .204 batting average. Larson finished with122 career appearances, second all-time at Florida behind Connor Falkenbach (124, 2002-05).

Named to the 2012 SEC Baseball Community Service Team for the second-straight year, Larson was a member of Florida's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and participated with Goodwill Gators by visiting children at Shands Hospital and in area schools. He also assisted with the “Miracle on Main Street” events, helping to provide Christmas gifts to more than 300 families and has worked as a counselor at several baseball camps, working with youngsters aged 5-18. Florida's male nominee for the SEC's H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship, Larson is active in Athletes in Action and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

As a junior, Larson was selected in the 29th round by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim with the 885th choice but elected to return to school. He ranked third on the Gators with 33 appearances last season and was 1-1 with a 2.09 ERA. The righty played a role in four of the team's school-record 11 shutouts, struck out 30 batters and permitted seven walks in 38.2 innings. Larson compiled a 0.66 ERA and was 1-0 in 11 SEC appearances totaling 13.2 innings. He and Steven Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) tied the school's postseason record for appearances in a series with four at the 2011 NCAA College World Series.

Over his four-year tenure, Larson compiled a record of 13-4 (.765) and registered a 2.91 ERA in 122 appearances and five starts. He registered 115 strikeouts and allowed 41 walks in 160.2 innings. Larson's 17 appearances in the NCAA Tournament are the most by a Gator pitcher.

Pigott, taken in the ninth round with the 292nd overall pick by the Cincinnati Reds, batted .318 with career highs in runs (49), RBI (41), walks (23) and homers (8) this season. He will be playing for Billings (Mont.) Mustangs in the Pioneer League.

UF's starting center fielder was third on the team in batting average and was 12-of-17 on stolen bases. He collected 13 doubles, totaled six sacrifice flies and six sacrifice hits and was second on the squad with 81 hits. In SEC play, Pigott hit .309 with 22 runs, 19 RBI and six round-trippers.

Pigott enjoyed a tremendous junior season, ranking second on the club in both batting average (.331) and doubles (21). He also scored 44 runs, totaled 40 RBI and was a team-best 15-for-19 on the basepaths. Pigott totaled 23 multiple-hit games and 10 multiple-RBI outings, batted .389 (21-for-54) with 16 runs and 10 RBI in Florida's 16 postseason games and was 14-for-42 (.333) in 11 NCAA contests.

Pigott delivered a .500 (5-for-10) performance in the Gainesville Super Regional, highlighted by a pair of homers in the decisive game three against Mississippi State. He went a perfect 3-for-3 in the finale, with a two-run homer in the second and a solo shot in the eighth. In addition, he was chosen to the Gainesville Regional All-Tourney Team with a .357 (5-for-14) average, four RBI and three runs. Pigott was tabbed the Most Valuable Player of the 2011 SEC Tourney after going 7-for-12 (.583) in four games with six runs and six stolen bases in six attempts in helping the Gators to their first crown in 20 years.

In 243 games played during his Gator career, fourth on the school's all-time list, Pigott hit .310 with 146 runs, 124 RBI, 58 walks, 50 doubles, 35 stolen bases (in 51 attempts), 17 homers and five triples. He added 26 sacrifice hits and 14 sacrifice flies and recorded a fielding percentage of .975.

London Bound! McQuay Races to Silver in 400

Junior Tony McQuay (Riviera Beach, Fla.) will represent the United States in London, as the three-time NCAA Champion took home silver medalist honors in the men’s 400 meters on Sunday at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

McQuay turned in a personal-record and Florida school-record time of 44.49 on Sunday to finish just behind LaShawn Merritt, who ran a world-leading 44.12 to capture the top spot. McQuay’s time is the third-fastest in the world this year, finishing in front of USC’s Bryshon Nellum, who ran 44.80 to capture the third spot for London.

Former Gator NCAA Champion and All-American Will Claye also turned in a runner-up performance in the men’s long jump, leaping an impressive 8.23m/27-0 (+2.3) to solidify his place on Team USA. It was Claye's sixth and final jump that earned him his spot representing the Red, White and Blue. Fellow Gator NCAA Champion and All-American Christian Taylor finished just outside medalist honors, placing fourth with his season-best jump of 8.12m/26-7.75.

Senior sprinter Jeff Demps (Winter Park, Fla.) came in second in his men’s 100 meters semifinal and fourth overall, racing to a 10.10 finish to automatically qualify for the final as the only collegian to advance. Demps finished seventh overall in 10.27 in the final.

The Gators have a light day tomorrow, as former Gator All-American Wes Stockbarger begins the qualifying rounds of the men’s discus throw at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Junior SEC Champion and NCAA runner-up Dwight Barbiasz (Milford, N.H.) will look to join Claye and McQuay in London as he competes in the finals of the men’s high jump at 8:50 p.m. ET, kicking off NBC’s primetime coverage on Monday evening. NBC Sports Network will go live from Eugene from 9-11 p.m. ET on Monday.

Every Gator Advances on Second Day of U.S. Olympic Trials

All seven former and current Gator track & field athletes advanced on the second day of the U.S. Olympic Trials. Friday was the first day of the 2012 trials held at historic Hayward Field.

Freshman Marquis Dendy (Middletown, Del.), NCAA All-American and 2012 SEC Indoor Champion in the men’s long jump, advanced to the finals of the men’s long jump on Friday. The Gator freshman finished seventh overall with his leap of 7.73m/25-4.50. Former Gator greats Will Claye and Christian Taylor competed on the runway next to Dendy, advancing to Sunday’s finals with their jumps of 7.98m/26-2.25 and 7.89m/25-10.75, respectively.

Junior and three-time NCAA Champion Tony McQuay (Riviera Beach, Fla.) cruised to a spot in the semifinals of the men’s 400 meters, racing to a 45.41 finish in his heat on Friday afternoon. In the next heat, former Gator All-American Calvin Smith became the second-fastest non-automatic qualifier to advance to Saturday’s semifinals in 45.94. McQuay and Smith will compete at 8 p.m. ET tomorrow to kick off NBC Sports’ live primetime coverage on Saturday.

Sophomore sprinter Ebony Eutsey (Miami, Fla.) advanced to the semifinals of the women’s 400 meters, finishing in 53.20. Eutsey nabbed the 16th and final qualifying spot on the afternoon and will compete at 8:15 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Friday’s competition began with the men’s decathlon, where NCAA All-American and five-time SEC Champion Gray Horn currently sits in fourth after the first five events. Horn finished with 4,084 points on the day, just shy of his first day personal best of 4,123 points (set at the 2011 NCAA Championships). He will continue competition in the men’s decathlon tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. ET with the men’s 110-meter hurdles.

Joining Eutsey, Horn, McQuay and Smith in tomorrow’s competition are current Gator All-Americans Dwight Barbiasz (Milford, N.H.), the 2012 SEC Champion in the men’s high jump, and Jeff Demps (Winter Garden, Fla.), a five-time NCAA Champion. Demps will race in the qualifying round of the men’s 100 meters on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. Barbiasz will compete in the qualifying round of the men’s high jump at 7:20 p.m. ET.

The NBC Sports Group presents unprecedented coverage of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials as American athletes compete for a chance to take part in the London Games.

A total of 12 hours of live track and field coverage will be a part of a record 67.5 hours of total Olympic Team Trials coverage by NBC in 2012. Covered in prime time between NBC and the NBC Sports Network, the 12 hours of live coverage will span the course of eight days.

UF's Mike Zunino Named Baseball America's 2012 College Player Of The Year

Florida junior catcher Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) was announced as Baseball America’s 2012 College Player of the Year on Friday. He becomes the first Gator to earn the prestigious accolade since the award began in 1981. In addition, Zunino was the only member of the publication’s 2011 All-America first team to repeat as a first-team selection this year. UF junior left-hander/designated hitter Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) was tabbed a second-team All-American in the utility spot.

Zunino’s postseason honors continue to increase, as the first-team ABCA/Rawlings, Baseball America, Louisville Slugger and NCBWA All-American became Florida’s first-ever Dick Howser Trophy recipient last week and is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Johnny Bench Award. He finished as the Gators’ “Triple Crown” winner, leading the team in batting average (.322), RBI (67) and homers (19), and paced the Orange and Blue in total bases (164), doubles (28), sacrifice flies (11) and slugging percentage (.669). He was also 9-for-10 on the basepaths. A two-time, first-team All-SEC recipient and two-time member of the league’s All-Defensive Team, Zunino registered a .994 fielding percentage, with three errors in 510 chances, and threw out 20 runners who attempted to steal on him.

Zunino was voted to the NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team for the third-consecutive season after belting homers in consecutive games against No. 24 Georgia Tech and he led the Gators with a .500 (4-for-8) clip in the pair of victories over NC State that punched Florida’s return ticket to Omaha. The first-round pick of the Seattle Mariners was 8-for-25 (.320) during the NCAA Tourney with team highs in slugging percentage (.720), RBI (12) and homers (3).

UF's Preston Tucker & Mike Zunino Named All-Americans By ABCA

Florida senior outfielder Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) and junior catcher Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) were named All-Americans on Wednesday by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings. Zunino was a first-team recipient, while Tucker earned a berth on the second team.

Named the first-team catcher on the squad, Zunino continues to reel in the accolades, as the first-team Louisville Slugger and NCBWA All-American became Florida’s first-ever Dick Howser Trophy recipient last week and is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Johnny Bench Award. He finished as the Gators’ “Triple Crown” winner, leading the team in batting average (.322), RBI (67) and homers (19), and paced the Orange and Blue in total bases (164), doubles (28), sacrifice flies (11) and slugging percentage (.669). He was also 9-for-10 on the basepaths. A two-time, first-team All-SEC recipient and two-time member of the league’s All-Defensive Team, Zunino registered a .994 fielding percentage, with three errors in 510 chances, and threw out 20 runners who attempted to steal on him.

Zunino was voted to the NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team for the third-consecutive season after belting homers in consecutive games against No. 24 Georgia Tech and he led the Gators with a .500 (4-for-8) clip in the pair of victories over NC State that punched Florida’s return ticket to Omaha. The first-round pick of the Seattle Mariners was 8-for-25 (.320) during the NCAA Tourney with team highs in slugging percentage (.720), RBI (12) and homers (3).

Tucker achieved All-America status for the second-consecutive season after hitting .321 with 57 runs, 50 RBI, 35 walks, 17 doubles and 16 round-trippers in his final collegiate campaign. The seventh-round selection of the Houston Astros departs Gainesville as the school’s all-time leader in games played (265), games started (259), total bases (596), at bats (1,035), hits (341), RBI (258) and doubles (70).

Tucker was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2012 after being a first-team choice last season and a second-team pick in 2010. He was the 2009 SEC Co-Freshman of the Year with LSU’s Matty Ott. Tucker powered UF’s offense this month with a .393 (11-for-28) performance in NCAA play and became the first Gator to achieve Regional All-Tournament status all four years of his career. He is the lone UF player to earn Most Outstanding Player recognition twice (2009 & 2011). In 30 career NCAA Tourney games, Tucker batted .368 (46-for-125) and holds school records in career at bats (125), hits (46), RBI (31), runs (29), homers (11) and doubles (10).

Vogel, McCumber Honored as All-Americans

A pair of Gator men’s golfers, juniors T.J. Vogel (Cooper City, Fla.) and Tyler McCumber (Ponte Vedra, Fla.), have been named to the Division I PING All-American Teams, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) announced this week. With the honors for Vogel and McCumber, the Gators have now had at least one player earn All-America honors for the 14th-consecutive season. Additionally, UF has had an All-American in 23 of its 25 seasons under head coach Buddy Alexander.

Vogel, a second-team selection, had an impressive season for the Orange and Blue recording a pair of victories and finishing in the top-10 on nine separate occasions. Additionally, Vogel led the Gators in stroke average (71.3), rounds counted (93 percent), birdies (132) and scoring differential (2.05).

McCumber, who garnered honorable mention honors, is coming off an impressive tie for second at the NCAA Championships. For the season, McCumber recorded seven top-10 finishes and tallied a solid 72.8 stroke average.

The Gators put together an impressive 2011-12 season which included three tournament victories and seven top-3 finishes. The Gators will return a strong lineup in 2012-13 with their entire roster expected to return with the exception of seniors Michael Furci (Sayville, N.Y.) and Zach Lee (Ponte Vedra, Fla.).

UF's Jonathon Crawford Named To 2012 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team

University of Florida sophomore right-hander Jonathon Crawford (Okeechobee, Fla.) has been selected to play for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, the organization announced Wednesday.

Crawford will be part of the 22-man Team USA squad that will report this week to its training complex in Cary, N.C. The team’s season begins Monday, June 25, and lasts a month, with trips to Cuba and The Netherlands highlighting the 2012 schedule.

After pitching just 3.2 innings as a freshman, Crawford made 19 appearances and 14 starts during his sophomore campaign as the Gators reached the NCAA College World Series for the third-straight year. The righty had a 6-2 mark with a 3.13 earned run average and tied for second on the squad with 73 strikeouts in 77.2 innings.

In the opening round of the NCAA Gainesville Regional on June 1, Crawford became the first Gator hurler to register a complete-game no-hitter since John Burke accomplished the feat in a 2-0 shutout of Furman on May 23, 1991, that was the club’s opener in the NCAA East Regional held at McKethan Stadium. Florida’s last combined no-hitter had occurred on March 19, 1993, when the duo of Doug Brennan (7.0) and Chris Nelson (2.0) defeated Pace, 16-0.

Crawford, whose previous career-high stint was six innings against LSU on April 6, went the distance on 98 pitches (70 of them strikes) and faced the minimum of 27 batters en route to the 4-0 shutout of the Wildcats. He became just the seventh pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the NCAA Championship and was the first since Burke.

Crawford defeated Auburn in UF’s SEC Tournament opener in Hoover, Ala., establishing a career high with nine strikeouts over 5.2 innings, and claimed the series opener at Tennessee on April 13. He fired six scoreless frames to help the Gators even the series with seventh-ranked LSU and also collected victories over Vanderbilt (5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 6 K) and No. 19 UCF (5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K).

Crawford becomes the fourth Gator during head coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s tenure to represent Team USA, joining Matt den Dekker (2008), Nolan Fontana (2010 & 2011) and Brian Johnson (2010 & 2011).

UF athletics places second in Directors' Cup

Although final results are not official until after the College World Series concludes, the University of Florida has clinched second place in the prestigious Directors' Cup. It is UF's second No. 2 national finish in the Cup standings in the past three years.

The Gators also are in a strong position to win the men's Capital One Cup for the second consecutive year. If Arkansas fails to win the College World Series, UF clinches a first-place finish in the second year of the Capital One Cup.

It all adds up to yet another banner year for one of the nation's elite overall athletic programs.

“This was quite a season for the Gator program,” UF athletic director Jeremy Foley said. “Certainly, Florida fans can celebrate the NCAA titles by women's tennis and both the men's indoor and outdoor track & field programs.

“Placing second in the Directors' Cup shows that many Gator teams performed well in this season's national championship competition. Our student-athletes and coaches strive for success and we take great pride in watching them compete at the highest level.”

Stanford has clinched its 18th consecutive Directors' Cup, compiling a total of 1,448.25 points. The Gators finished second with 1,314.00 points. UCLA holds the third spot, while Florida State is in fifth place (with the CWS still to go).

The Directors' Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 20 sports — 10 women's and 10 men's.

Florida is the only program to finish among the nation's top 10 in each of the last 29 national all-sports standings. The Gator program also was second in 2009-10 and tied for second in 1997-98.

In 2011-12, the Gators won three national championships (men's indoor and outdoor track and field and women's tennis) and four conference titles, three in the SEC.

Florida's 12 top-10 national team finishes in 2011-12 matches the third-highest in school history. At least 10 Gator teams have turned in top-10 finishes in each of the last 11 seasons. The program's record of 14 top-10 finishes came in 2009-10.

Along with three national titles this academic year, the Gators finished second in gymnastics, tied for third in lacrosse and tied for fifth in men's basketball and volleyball.

Florida also is in a position to win the men's Capital One Cup, depending on what happens in Omaha this weekend (and in the final national baseball poll). The Gators automatically clinch the Cup if Arkansas does not win the baseball title. Even if the Razorbacks do, UF could still take the Cup if the baseball team finishes in the top seven or eight in the final poll.

 
UF is in ninth-place in the women's standings. Stanford has clinched the women's Capital One Cup.

Florida's Tony McQuay Named Bowerman Semifinalist

University of Florida junior Tony McQuay (Riviera Beach, Fla.) has been named a semifinalist for collegiate track and field’s biggest award – The Bowerman. He is among 10 male semifinalists for the award, the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced this week.

With the collegiate season complete, the semifinalists will be evaluated by the 10-person Bowerman Advisory Board and three finalists will be named from the semifinalist group on Friday, June 29.

McQuay helped lead the Gators to their first NCAA Outdoor team title with a national crown in the 400 meters and as anchor of the 4x400-meter relay team that took victory. In the 400, McQuay claimed top honors with the season’s collegiate best time of 44.58 seconds, just ahead of Oregon’s Mike Berry. In the 4x400-meter relay, McQuay literally clinched the team title for the Gators.

Taking the baton in second place, Florida, down two points heading into the meet’s final event, needed to win the relay to secure at least a share of the team crown. McQuay, with a 44.01 split, fired past Southern California’s Bryshon Nellum to take the tape. Because LSU finished third in the relay, the Gators managed a four-point swing, enough to place Florida on top of the point standings.

He was the winner of the 400 meters at the SEC Championships, as part of an outdoor undefeated season in the event, in 45.48 and also led Florida to the SEC crown in the 4x400-meter relay. The 4x400 squad also won the Drake Relays title.

McQuay is the first since 2008 to sweep NCAA indoor and outdoor 400-meter crowns. He won the national indoor title in the season’s best by a collegian, 45.77.

McQuay extends the leads for Florida (5) and the SEC (9) on the all-time semifinalist men’s appearance list. Former Gator NCAA Champions Christian Taylor and Will Claye were semifinalists a year ago, with Taylor being named a finalist prior to his IAAF World Championship in the men’s triple jump.

Kent State Holds Off Florida, 5-4, To Stay Alive At NCAA College World Series

OMAHA, Neb. -- The Gators lost their starting pitcher after one inning, and then they fell behind by four runs to Kent State in the College World Series elimination game on Monday afternoon.
And with their season on the line, the Gators had the bases loaded with only one out in the top of the ninth inning. That's when their comeback attempt fizzled in a 5-4 loss to the Golden Flashes, ending the Gators' bid to win the program's first national title.
Florida's third consecutive trip to the CWS came to a crashing halt when Justin Shafer's fly ball landed in Kent State right fielder T.J. Sutton's glove for the final out.
The underdog Golden Flashes had survived an inning that started with 11 consecutive balls to Florida batters. However, the Gators failed to score the tying run, making their stay in Omaha a short one after advancing all the way to the championship series a year ago.
The game started ominously for Florida when starting pitcher Hudson Randall had to leave after the first inning due to heat-related symptoms.
Kent State led 4-0 after two innings. The Gators clawed back and trimmed the lead to 5-4 in the seventh when they loaded the bases. However, only one run scored on Brian Johnson's double-play grounder to second.
Florida's season ended in the ninth when Shafer lifted a fly ball against Golden Flashes reliever Josh Pierce, who was aided by a check-swing third strike on Casey Turgeon the previous batter after the plate umpire originally called a ball. However, he was overruled by the third-base ump for the second out.
"The game was not decided by the umpires,'' Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan said.
Instead, a dejected O'Sullivan said the Gators simply didn't play well enough early, setting the stage for the dramatic comeback to fall short.
"I didn't expect anything different,'' O'Sullivan said. "We were not going to lay down."
Florida finishes the season 47-20.

IWLCA Selects Meagher as C. Markland Kelly Goalie of the Year

Junior goalkeeper Mikey Meagher (Liverpool, N.Y.) completed her sweep of National Goalie of the Year honors this weekend, earning the honor of C. Markland Kelly Goalie of the Year by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches’ Association. Meagher, who was also named Goalie of the Year by by WomensLax.com and SynapseSports.com, is the first Gator to win a major postseason award from the IWLCA.

Mikey Meagher, a consensus First Team All-American, finished the season leading the nation in both save percentage (.537) and goals-against average (7.04), becoming just the third player to do so since the NCAA began tracking statistics in 1996. The junior keeper consistently had more saves than goals allowed, and finished the year one of just three netminders with a season save percentage above .500, sitting .025 above the second-best keeper in the nation. Meagher made 145 saves and allowed just 125 goals in 1066:31 minutes of play, earning a 16-3 record in 21 appearances.

An IWLCA First Team All-South Region selection and a member of the All-ALC Second Team, Meagher was named the Most Valuable Player of the ALC Tournament after making 16 saves and allowing just 11 goals in her two tournament starts. She then earned a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament team after making 15 saves in the NCAA Semifinals, including stopping 10 shots while allowing just three scores in the first half.

The IWLCA also gave out Division I honors for Attacker, Midfielder and Defender of the Year. NCAA Semifinalist Maryland had two honorees, as Tewaaraton Award winner Katie Schwarzmann was named Midfielder of the Year and Iliana Sanza took home Defender of the Year. NCAA Runner-Up Syracuse’s Michelle Tumolo was named Attacker of the Year.

Win or go home for Gators

OMAHA, Neb. — It wasn't supposed to be like this.

This was the year. They had battled through the grind of a season and an under-seeded regional and super regional, through rain delays and stifling heat to get here as the No. 1 seed.

They were healthy and focused and came to Omaha with a swagger.

But on Saturday night in the bowels of TD Ameritrade Park there were hushed tones and fallen faces for the Florida Gators.

“It's going to be tough,” said senior Preston Tucker. “But it's been done before. If anyone can do it, we can.”

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

They came to Omaha with their baggy throwback uniforms with confidence and charisma. They were in a perfect situation because there was a team on the other side of the bracket that was even a bigger longshot and was receiving the most attention. They would slide in here under the radar, even if they had won 25 of their last 27 games.

They had talked with their chests out about “belonging” in the bracket with the mighty SEC teams.
But on Saturday evening in the bowels of TD Ameritrade Park, they had the look of a team that had been through a hurricane.

“It's going to be tough, very difficult,” said Kent State's Jimmy Rider. “But that's the reason we play. You want to go up against the best.”

That's the thing about the College World Series. Eight teams come here with dreams of a dogpile, and two days into it there are four of them wondering if they are about to play the last game of the season.
Florida and Kent State will meet in an elimination game Monday at 5:10 p.m. For one of them, a special season is about to end with a thud.

“The quality of a championship team is being able to bounce back from failure,” said UF freshman Josh Tobias. “We're a championship team. We'll bounce back.”

But it's such a long bounce to get back in position to still win this thing.

Florida needs to win Monday to stay alive and that is all UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan is worried about.
“When you get into the losers' bracket,” he said, “you can't look too far ahead.”

There is no question that Florida has the pitching depth to still make a run in this tournament. Hudson Randall will go Monday for the Gators, and O'Sullivan still has starters Jonathon Crawford and Karsten Whitson available. Plus, with the days off, it's easier to bring pitchers back.

But no matter what happens, Florida knows that the road to the championship series will have to go through South Carolina again.

Both Florida and Kent State coaches were disappointed with the way their teams played on Saturday. The Gators had committed only two errors in five NCAA games this year and committed three against South Carolina. Kent State had only four hits against Arkansas and its only run came on a Rider home run.

And as tough as it's going to be for Florida to climb back into this thing, think how Kent State's Scott Stricklin feels. You're in the CWS, you lose your opener and, hey, here's your elimination game — the top seed in the tournament.

“Look at Florida up and down that lineup and that pitching staff, it's just unbelievably talented,” he said. “And I know it's tough. It's a daunting task in front of us.

“We'll be ready to play. We told our kids, enjoy it. Get it out of your mind. Get ready to play (tonight) again in Omaha, Nebraska, which our kids are thrilled to be here. But that's the thing. We've got to make sure that we're not just happy to be here. We want to compete and get some wins and make a run at it. It's still possible.”

Gators Fall to South Carolina, 7-3; Face Kent State on Monday in Elimination Game

OMAHA, Neb. -- One bad inning cost the Gators dearly on Saturday night in a 6-3 loss to South Carolina in the College World Series.

In a rematch of last year's CWS Championship Series, Florida led 2-0 on Preston Tucker's two-run double in the third inning when the Gamecocks stepped to the plate against Gators starter Brian Johnson in the fifth inning.

Johnson had flirted with trouble in the first four innings but was able to escape unscathed each time. The Gamecocks finally made him pay with five runs in the fifth.

Five consecutive Gamecocks reached to lead off the fifth and the runs started to cross the plate on designated hitter Erik Payne's three-run triple off Johnson, who stayed in the game following a visit to the mound by head coach Kevin O'Sullivan.

Johnson stayed in to face one more batter after Payne's triple and allowed an RBI double to LB Dantzler to make it 4-2. South Carolina capped the five-run outburst with Dantzler scoring on an RBI single by Chase Vergason.

Meanwhile, the Gators scratched a run off Gamecocks starter Michael Roth on Mike Zunino's sacrifice fly in the fifth, but that was as close as the Gators could get.

The Gamecocks added two insurance runs in the ninth.

The loss sends Florida to the loser's bracket where the Gators will face Kent State on Monday afternoon at 5. South Carolina advanced to face Arkansas on Monday night in the winner's bracket.

The two-time defending national champion Gamecocks won their 22nd consecutive NCAA Tournament game and 12th in a row in the CWS, the last three over the Gators.

UF's Brian Johnson Named Finalist For John Olerud Award

Florida junior left-hander/designated hitter Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) was announced as one of the three finalists for The College Baseball Hall of Fame’s John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award on Friday. He joins Gonzaga sophomore Marco Gonzales and Stanford junior Stephen Piscotty in contention for the prestigious honor. Johnson is seeking to become the first Gator to take home the prize.

A first-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA)., Johnson was a second-team All-American by Louisville Slugger. Chosen first-team All-SEC for the past two seasons, he is 8-4 with a 3.56 earned run average on the mound and has 68 strikeouts in 86 innings, to go along with a .314 clip, 41 RBI, 24 runs, 13 doubles and six homers. The southpaw tossed his first career complete game to oust fourth-ranked South Carolina from the SEC Tourney on May 25 and matched his career high with four hits in the semifinal round the following day against Vanderbilt. In his most recent outing on the mound, Johnson limited the high-powered Georgia Tech offense to one run on three hits over five innings on June 3 as the Gators cruised to a 15-3 victory over the Jackets to punch their fourth-straight ticket to Super Regionals. Johnson batted .429 (3-for-7) in the sweep of No. 11 NC State last weekend and tied the second encounter with the Wolfpack with a solo homer in the eighth inning of Florida’s eventual 9-8 triumph in 10 innings. He will draw the start in Florida’s NCAA College World Series opener versus the Gamecocks on Saturday at 9 p.m., live on ESPN.   

Gonzales, a sophomore from Ft. Collins, Colo., batted .325 with two home runs, 29 RBI and an OPS of .802. However, it was on the mound where he shone brightest, going 8-2 with a 1.55 ERA in 12 starts. He struck out 92 batters and walked only 23 in 92.2 innings and opponents batted .201 against him.

Piscotty, a junior from Pleasanton, Calif., ended the season batting .329, with five home runs and a team-leading 56 RBI and an OPS of .882. His season was shortened on the mound but he finished with a 6-2 record and a 3.05 ERA over 12 games and four starts. He was selected 36th overall by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft.

The winner of the John Olerud Award will be named on June 30 in Lubbock, Texas, as part of College Baseball’s Night of Champions. The event also features the announcement of the winners of the National Pitcher of the Year and Brooks Wallace Award. The Johnny Bench Award, the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award and Dick Howser Trophy are also presented, as well as the 2012 National College Baseball Hall of Fame inductions.

Florida Baseball's Mike Zunino Selected As 26th Dick Howser Trophy Recipient

Florida junior catcher Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) is the 26th recipient of the Dick Howser Trophy, presented by Easton Foundations, as College Baseball's Player of the Year. The presentation was made on Friday morning as part of a news conference at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha with several other 2012 national honors being named.

Zunino became the first University of Florida player to win the Dick Howser Trophy in a group represented by 20 different schools and 13 conferences since its inception in 1987 with Miami (Fla.) standout Mike Fiore.

Zunino will also be honored during the College Baseball Foundation's Night of Champions, along with 2012 College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees and other Division I honorees June 30 in Lubbock, Texas.

The consensus All-American and 2012 honoree from Cape Coral, Fla., via Mariner High School, led the Gators to a school-record-tying runner-up finish to South Carolina in the 2011 NCAA College World Series and paced UF into a rematch with the two-time defending champion Gamecocks on Saturday in Omaha (live at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN).

Zunino helped the Gators to a two-game sweep of NC State in the NCAA Gainesville Super Regional last weekend with 4-for-8 hitting, a .500 average, three RBI, two runs scored and his SEC-leading 19th homer of the 2012 season.

He arrived in Omaha as both a 2011 and '12 All-American, as well as the 2011 SEC Player of the Year and the league's first-team catcher both years, with top-10 totals nationally in almost every individual statistical category.

Zunino has started 64 games for head coach Kevin O'Sullivan's Gators, has a team-leading 28 doubles, 19 homers, 64 RBI, and 10 sacrifice flies, posted a .678 slugging percentage, has 162 total bases, fielded at a torrid .994 clip (three errors in 493 total chances), and led Florida into the 2012 CWS with a 47-18 overall record.

On June 4, he became the highest draft choice in school history as the No. 3 selection in the first round to the Seattle Mariners. That also capped a third-consecutive season on the All-Tournament Team of the NCAA Gainesville Regional and back-to-back Super Regional crowns over Mississippi State and the Wolfpack. Zunino was the first UF standout to be drafted in the first round since Matt LaPorta in 2007.

"Mike Zunino epitomizes the true qualities of Dick Howser - ability, leadership, character, and courage," said Howser Trophy chair David Feaster of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. "He has taken Florida to new heights in the past two years as well as being a tremendous team leader and go-to student-athlete in all areas."

After passing on a 30th-round Draft selection by the Oakland A's when he was a senior at Mariner H.S. in 2009, Zunino has excelled with the bat and catcher's mitt while maturing into one of the top players in UF's illustrious baseball history.

As a sophomore, he became the second Gator in history to be chosen as SEC Player of the Year, along with LaPorta in 2005 and '07. It also marked the first of his two-consecutive times being a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award as National Division I Catcher of the Year. He also was a semifinalist for both the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award.

In 2010 as a freshman, Zunino was both a Freshman All-America and SEC All-Freshman squad member. He was both Florida's starting catcher and designated hitter and earned the first of his three All-Tournament accolades in the NCAA Gainesville Regional by batting .364 with a 4-for-11 showing.

His selection and NCBWA voting in 2012 was some of the closest in years, as Zunino edged two other standout finalists in senior first baseman Goose Kallunki of Utah Valley State and junior outfielder Raph Rhymes of LSU.

The Dick Howser Trophy, given in memory of the former Florida State University All-America shortstop and Major League player and manager who died of brain cancer in 1987, is regarded by many as college baseball's most prestigious award. Criteria for consideration for the trophy include performance on the field, leadership, moral character, and courage, qualities which were exemplified by Dick Howser's life.

A Florida native, Howser was twice an All-American shortstop at Florida State (1957-58), then head coach of the Seminoles in 1979 after a career as a Major League player and coach. After one year in the college ranks, he returned to the majors to manage the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals and won the World Series with the Royals in 1985. The baseball stadium on the Florida State campus is named for Howser.

NCBWA membership includes writers, broadcasters and publicists. Designed to promote and publicize college baseball, it is the sport's only college media-related organization, founded in 1962.

The College Baseball Foundation was established in 2004 and has inducted 71 greats into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock. The group promotes the highest ideals and recognition of greatness on college baseball diamonds in the 150-plus years since the first intercollegiate contest in 1859 between Amherst and Williams.

The Howser Trophy was created in 1987, shortly after Howser's death. Previous winners of the Howser Trophy are Mike Fiore, Miami, 1987; Robin Ventura, Oklahoma State, 1988; Scott Bryant, Texas, 1989; Alex Fernandez, Miami-Dade Community College South, 1990; Frank Rodriguez, Howard College (Texas), 1991; Brooks Kieschnick, Texas, 1992 and 1993; Jason Varitek, Georgia Tech, 1994; Todd Helton, Tennessee, 1995; Kris Benson, Clemson, 1996; J. D. Drew, Florida State, 1997; Eddy Furniss, LSU, 1998; Jason Jennings, Baylor, 1999; Mark Teixeira, Georgia Tech, 2000; Mark Prior, P, USC, 2001, Khalil Greene, SS, Clemson, 2002; Rickey Weeks, 2B, Southern U., 2003; Jered Weaver, P, Long Beach State, 2004; Alex Gordon, 3B, Nebraska, 2005; Brad Lincoln, P/DH, Houston, 2006; David Price, P, Vanderbilt, 2007; Buster Posey, C, Florida State, 2008; Stephen Strasburg, P, San Diego State, 2009; Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice, 2010; and Taylor Jungmann, P, Texas, 2011.

Johnson gets nod for Gators' opener

OMAHA — Ray Tanner's starter was no surprise. Kevin O'Sullivan's was a little bit of one, even if it makes sense.

Opening schedule

At TD Ameritrade Park
Omaha, Neb.

Today

Stony Brook vs. UCLA, 5 p.m., ESPN2
Arizona vs. Florida St., 9 p.m., ESPN2

Saturday

Kent St. vs. Arkansas, 5 p.m., ESPN
South Carolina vs. Florida, 9 p.m., ESPN, 103.7 FM

South Carolina will start left-handed pitcher Michael Roth (7-1, 2.50 ERA), who beat Florida to win last year's national championship for the Gamecocks, in Saturday's College World Series game.

Florida will start Brian Johnson, who has beaten the Gamecocks twice this year, instead of ace Hudson Randall.

“I was wondering it they were going to throw Smoltz, Maddux or Glavine,” Tanner said, referring to the Atlanta pitchers during their glory days.

Although Randall was referred to as “our guy” last week by O'Sullivan, Johnson has pitched 15 innings against South Carolina this year and allowed only four runs. That includes a complete game against Tanner's team in the SEC Tournament.

“He needs to pitch,” O'Sullivan said. “We don't want to give him any more time off. He was going to pitch one of the first two games anyway.”

Florida would have thrown Johnson (8-4, 3.56) in the third game in the super regional against North Carolina State if he was needed, but the Gators won it in two. He last pitched in the regional against Georgia Tech.

Johnson, who has more at-bats than innings pitched in his CWS career, came into last year's CWS dealing with issues involving a concussion he suffered at the SEC Tournament.

O'Sullivan said Johnson cleared the concussion tests, but there were better options as starters because Johnson hadn't pitched in three weeks. He ended up pitching in relief in the final game of the season, a loss to the Gamecocks that earned them a second straight national title.

“I'm very excited for the opportunity,” Johnson said after taking batting practice Thursday. “I'm just going to go out and try to embrace it. I pitched a little more than an inning last year and threw as a freshman at Rosenblatt (Stadium) so I don't think it will feel too different.”

Johnson pitched 3⅓ innings as a freshman against FSU when Florida went two-and-out in the CWS.

Despite his strong performances against South Carolina, Johnson knows this is a different stage.

“I threw strikes against them and anyone who throws strikes has a chance to be successful,” he said. “But what's in the past is in the past. I don't think the past matters now. I have to put it behind me.”

Johnson said O'Sullivan told him earlier in the week he would be getting the ball first in Omaha.

“He sat me and Huddy (Randall) down and told us,” Johnson said. “He's the captain. It's his ship. I'm honored.”

And the junior MLB first-round draft pick thinks the rest will do him some good. He missed a start earlier in the year with a hamstring and has pitched well since.

 
“I threw Tuesday to hitters and felt fresh,” he said. “My arm felt really, really good. Like anybody, you get some rest your arm is going to feel good.”

Top-seeded Gators back in Omaha after trying season played amid sky-high expectations

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators have been waiting a year for this.

Players and coaches never said it publicly, rarely even mentioned it privately. But returning to the College World Series was the one common goal everyone in the program shared, and not solely because it’s the pinnacle of college baseball.

It had more to do with how close the Gators got to winning it all last season. Florida lost to South Carolina in the championship series and spent months thinking about what could have been. Not making things any easier, the Gators played all season amid sky-high expectations that came with returning nearly every starter.

Nonetheless, the Gators are back in Omaha, Neb., with their sights set on winning it all.

“That was the thing that was hard for our team to deal with,” coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “It was one of those things that was the big elephant in the room. Nobody wanted to talk about it. It was kind of just there. It’s hard to get to Omaha, No. 1, but to add it that you’re supposed to get there and there’s so many things that can happen in this game that can keep you from getting to your ultimate destination, it has not been an easy road.”

The Gators (47-18) secured their third consecutive trip to Omaha by sweeping North Carolina State in a super regional. Their reward? Florida opens Saturday against the two-time defending champion Gamecocks, who have won 21 consecutive games in the NCAA tournament.

South Carolina’s streak includes 11 in a row in Omaha.

“I was excited,” Florida reliever Greg Larson said. “Another chance to play them. They’ve had a great run. Just kind of thinking back to last year, we were going to run into them I felt like sooner or later, so why not first game in Omaha?”

Florida won three of four games against South Carolina this season, including the last three meetings. But recent success will mean little, if anything, when the teams take the field Saturday.

“Last time’s last time,” designated hitter/left-handed pitcher Brian Johnson said. “Doesn’t matter what you did last time. Doesn’t matter if you scored 10 or you didn’t score any.”

Florida has a good team, and everyone knows it.

Catcher Mike Zunino is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the nation’s best amateur player, and anchors a deep and versatile lineup that features five players selected in the first nine rounds of last week’s Major League Baseball draft. Florida also had four pitchers drafted, including ace Hudson Randall and the team’s top three relievers: Larson, lefty Steven Rodriguez and closer Austin Maddox.

All that talent was evident when the Gators started the season 20-1.

Nonetheless, Florida endured ups and downs, injury and adversity, and a late-season hitting slump in which the Gators lost eight of 17 games down the stretch.

O’Sullivan expected to deal with those kinds of things. The biggest challenge was trying to keep players focused and hungry during it all.

“It is challenging,” O’Sullivan said. “It’s one thing to be the underdog and not have expectations, but it’s another when there are expectations. It’s just not the external people. You in turn start putting pressure on yourself and you feel the pressure of trying to get your team back to where they should be, supposedly.

“And then you get the draft as well. I mean, that’s the other part of it, and it’s right there at the end of the season. There’s been a lot.”

Now, though, the most meaningful games are here. And how the Gators respond could make everything that happened in the last year an afterthought forever.

“I think we’re in a spot right now where everything’s kind of behind us and we’re just taking it one game at a time,” Larson said.

Trio Of Gator Baseball Players Named All-Americans By NCBWA

Junior left-hander/designated hitter Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.), junior right-hander Austin Maddox (Jacksonville, Fla.) and junior catcher Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) were named All-Americans on Wednesday by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). Johnson and Zunino were first-team recipients, while Maddox earned a berth on the third team. It marks the first time in school history that three Gators have been recognized by the organization in the same season.

A first-team choice in the utility spot, Johnson was previously named as a second-team All-American by Louisville Slugger and is a contender for the 2012 John Olerud Award presented to the nation’s top two-way standout. Chosen first-team All-SEC for the past two seasons, he is 8-4 with a 3.56 earned run average on the mound and has 68 strikeouts in 86 innings, to go along with a .314 clip, 41 RBI, 24 runs, 13 doubles and six homers. The southpaw tossed his first career complete game to oust fourth-ranked South Carolina from the SEC Tourney on May 25 and matched his career high with four hits in the semifinal round the following day against Vanderbilt. In his most recent outing on the mound, Johnson limited the high-powered Georgia Tech offense to one run on three hits over five innings on June 3 as the Gators cruised to a 15-3 victory over the Jackets to punch their fourth-straight ticket to Super Regionals. Johnson batted .429 (3-for-7) in the sweep of No. 11 NC State last weekend and tied the second encounter with the Wolfpack with a solo homer in the eighth inning of Florida’s eventual 9-8 triumph in 10 innings.   

Named the first-team catcher on the NCBWA’s All-American squad, Zunino continues to reel in the accolades, as the first-team Louisville Slugger All-American is also a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, the Golden Spikes Award and the Johnny Bench Award. He leads the Gators in total bases (162), RBI (64), doubles (28), homers (19), sacrifice flies (10) and slugging percentage (.678) and is 9-for-10 on the basepaths. A two-time first-team All-SEC recipient and two-time member of the league’s All-Defensive Team who is hitting .322 overall, Zunino has registered a .994 fielding percentage, with three errors in 493 chances, and has thrown out almost a third of the runners who have attempted to steal on him.

Zunino was voted to the NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team for the third-consecutive season after belting homers in consecutive games against No. 24 Georgia Tech and he led the Orange and Blue with a .500 (4-for-8) clip in the pair of victories over NC State that punched Florida’s return ticket to Omaha. The first-round pick of the Seattle Mariners is 6-for-19 (.316) during the NCAA Tourney with team highs in RBI (9) and homers (3) as the Gators boast a 5-0 record.

Maddox achieved All-America status for the second time in his career after being voted onto to the third team as a freshman in 2010. The Gators’ closer has collected 12 saves, one shy of matching the school’s single-season record, and is 3-3 with a 2.50 ERA. In 31 appearances covering 54 innings, the right-hander has registered 57 strikeouts and issued 11 walks, while limiting opponents to a .210 batting average.

Gators Arrive in Omaha Understanding Road Ahead

OMAHA, Neb. -- The Gators baseball team timed its arrival here for the College World Series perfectly on Wednesday afternoon.

As the team bus rolled past TD Ameritrade Stadium toward the Gators' hotel a couple of blocks away, workers were busy hanging a huge "Florida Gators" banner on the stadium along Cuming Street.

A few minutes later the Gators received a red-carpet greeting at their hotel. The carpet was lined with more Gators.

These were the Memorial Gators from the Omaha Little League, part of the welcoming party that greeted Florida in its third consecutive trip to Omaha.

"We are glad to be back and we're ready to go,'' Florida catcher Mike Zunino said. "This is a special place and we've worked hard to get back here over the last year."

The No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Gators earned a trip back to Omaha with a 9-8 win in extra innings over N.C. State on Sunday in the NCAA Gainesville Regional.

The Gators (47-18) face SEC rival South Carolina (45-17) on Saturday night (9 p.m. ET, ESPN) in a rematch of last year's CWS Championship Series.

The Gamecocks won both games to win their second consecutive national title.

The Gators spent Wednesday traveling to Omaha and will participate in a press conference Thursday morning, followed by practice and an autograph session at TD Ameritrade Park.

The Gators will then have a team barbecue before attending the CWS Opening Ceremonies, one of the year's highlights from the city of Omaha.

"You can just tell the whole city embraces the College World Series,'' Gators senior pitcher Greg Larson said. "The environment is awesome. It's just a great atmosphere."

While the players are looking forward to the pageantry of Thursday's events, they also have some unfinished business in the quest of the program's first national title.

"We want to get it done,'' Larson said.

Junior pitcher/designated hitter Brian Johnson has never experienced a season that didn't end with a trip to Omaha.

Johnson said he feels good about the way this year's team is playing as it unpacked here for what the Gators hope is a two-week stay.

"We're playing as a team,'' Johnson said. "We're picking each other up. When somebody doesn't have a great at-bat the next person does. I think we're really putting it together."

As for all the hoopla off the field, Johnson isn't too concerned about any distractions popping up for the younger players like freshmen starters Josh Tobias, Justin Shafer and Casey Turgeon.

"All the older guys are trying to coach the young guys up on what to expect,'' he said.