When Janoris Jenkins told the Sentinel a month ago that he would choose between North Alabama and Valdosta State, he said he was looking for “just a school that will let me rebuild my image off the field, keep me out of trouble.”
Shortly thereafter, he chose North Alabama and by all accounts is working to do that.
Jenkins left Florida in April after his second marijuana-related arrest this year. He decided to forgo the NFL supplemental draft to finish his senior year somewhere else.
After making several phone calls, North Alabama coach Terry Bowden felt comfortable having Jenkins join the team. Bowden said he spoke to Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley, coach Will Muschamp and former secondary coach Chuck Heater.
“Try to get a feel for, gosh, is this a problem?” Bowden said last week. “I don’t want to say everybody condoned what happened. No one said that. … (They) all thought, made a mistake, really deserves a second chance.”
Bowden said Jenkins has been on campus for a couple weeks and has been doing well in workouts.
“I think his talent speaks for himself,” he said. “Him and his family all wanted to show that wasn’t the type of person he was and he could do the right things and really follow rules and want to go back to school.”
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Former Gator Wambach lifts U.S. to 3-1 win over France
A goal, a promise and soon, she hopes, a World Cup title.
The U.S. women had fans on edge once again until Wambach broke a tense tie with her header off a corner kick in the 79th minute Wednesday. Alex Morgan scored three minutes later to seal a 3-1 semifinal victory over France, and the Americans let loose with a party that carried all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.
Next up, a trip to the World Cup final Sunday in Frankfurt that will be the first for Americans since 1999, when they last won it all. They'll play Japan, which upset Sweden 3-1 to move one step away from realizing its own dream.
"We've achieved part of our goal. We're in the final," Wambach said. "We want to complete it. We want to be world champs."
So do their fans, new and old.
The Americans captivated the crowd back home with their epic, come-from-behind win over Brazil on Sunday, and a little thing called a workday wasn't going to deter them. Some fans skipped work — bars opened early for the noon EDT kickoff — while others sneaked peeks at the game in the office. At the Phoenix airport, dozens of fans crowded around TVs to watch the game.
When the final whistle blew, Hollywood celebrities, pro athletes and ordinary folks who didn't know a free kick from a corner kick just a few days ago flooded Twitter with congratulations. "My heroes. Wambach. Boxx. Rapinoe. Solo. That TEAM! Our team!" actor Tom Hanks tweeted. Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers said, "Awesome job US Women, finish it off Sunday now."
Wambach and company were glad to share the moment.
"These wins, we can't do it alone. We know a whole nation is cheering us on," Wambach said. "We believe in ourselves and we're in the final. I couldn't be happier."
A little relieved, too.
France was the surprise of the tournament, making the semifinals with a creativity and flair that was breathtaking to behold. And for much of the game, the U.S. couldn't contain Les Bleues.
"We didn't play well today," U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said. "However, we find a way to win and that's a credit to the players' hearts. That's what makes it so wonderful to be coach of this team."
With the U.S. struggling to create opportunities in the middle, Sundhage replaced Carli Lloyd with sparkplug Megan Rapinoe early in the second half, moved Lauren Cheney inside and pulled Wambach back to the midfield.
The difference was noticeable immediately. The Americans were able to push forward and began threatening French goalkeeper Berangere Sapowicz.
Finally, in the 79th, the Americans won a corner kick.
"I told (Cheney) at halftime, 'Put the ball to the back post, and we're going to get a goal,'" Wambach said.
Cheney delivered the ball perfectly to the far post and, just as Wambach had predicted, she soared over the scrum and pushed the ball past Sapowicz.
"I knew Abby was going to beat her," Cheney said, referring to the French defender who practically mugged Wambach to try and contain her.
Asked how, Cheney said, "Because she's Abby Wambach."
Wambach let out a scream and did a sliding sprint into the corner, where she was mobbed by her teammates. It was her third goal of the tournament and 12th of her career, tying fellow American Michelle Akers for third on the all-time World Cup scoring list.
Morgan then put the game out of reach, outracing four defenders and then stutter-stepping in front of the goal, throwing Sapowicz off and leaving the American with a wide-open shot.
"The priority is not to accept another goal," France coach Bruno Bini said through a translator. "When that happens, you've had it. We conceded another goal and that was it for us."
Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy and Co. got the rock-star treatment during the '99 World Cup, and every team since then has lived in their shadow. Part of the problem is no team's been able to duplicate that group's success. But nobody's been able to captivate the U.S. public like that golden group, either.
Until now.
"Nothing to take away from them because what they did was special. What they did gave us the opportunities all of us have here," Wambach said. "This generation is cool because we want to make a name for ourselves. We want the next generation to be ours."
Despite the loss, the World Cup was a resounding success for the French. In just their second World Cup appearance, they reached the semifinals and qualified for next summer's London Olympics.
"Do you know any coach who will tell you it's fantastic to lose?" Bini asked. "But we must give credit where credit is due."
The U.S. was staked to an early lead by Cheney's goal in the ninth minute. But with the silky smooth Louisa Necib calling the shots, France dominated for most of the game, finishing with a whopping 25-11 advantage in shots. The French missed two great chances in the first half, with goalkeeper Hope Solo having to tip a Gaetane Thiney shot away in the 30th and Sonia Bompastor rattling the crossbar two minutes later.
Finally, in the 55th, France got its equalizer. Bompastor floated in a cross from about 30 yards and, with the dangerous Gaetane Thiney right in front of her, Solo had little opportunity to move. The ball flew right past her.
But part of the blame goes to Becky Sauerbrunn, who was starting in place of the suspended Rachel Buehler and fell behind Thiney.
"I think (Thiney) got a step ahead of her," Solo said. "But I definitely expect our defenders, when the ball goes in the box, to get it out of there."
But just as they did Sunday against Brazil, the Americans got stronger and stronger as the game went on before Wambach — who scored a critical goal in the waning moments against the Brazilians — came through.
"In the end, we're in the finals," Wambach said, "and that's all that matters."
The U.S. women had fans on edge once again until Wambach broke a tense tie with her header off a corner kick in the 79th minute Wednesday. Alex Morgan scored three minutes later to seal a 3-1 semifinal victory over France, and the Americans let loose with a party that carried all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.
Next up, a trip to the World Cup final Sunday in Frankfurt that will be the first for Americans since 1999, when they last won it all. They'll play Japan, which upset Sweden 3-1 to move one step away from realizing its own dream.
"We've achieved part of our goal. We're in the final," Wambach said. "We want to complete it. We want to be world champs."
So do their fans, new and old.
The Americans captivated the crowd back home with their epic, come-from-behind win over Brazil on Sunday, and a little thing called a workday wasn't going to deter them. Some fans skipped work — bars opened early for the noon EDT kickoff — while others sneaked peeks at the game in the office. At the Phoenix airport, dozens of fans crowded around TVs to watch the game.
When the final whistle blew, Hollywood celebrities, pro athletes and ordinary folks who didn't know a free kick from a corner kick just a few days ago flooded Twitter with congratulations. "My heroes. Wambach. Boxx. Rapinoe. Solo. That TEAM! Our team!" actor Tom Hanks tweeted. Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers said, "Awesome job US Women, finish it off Sunday now."
Wambach and company were glad to share the moment.
"These wins, we can't do it alone. We know a whole nation is cheering us on," Wambach said. "We believe in ourselves and we're in the final. I couldn't be happier."
A little relieved, too.
France was the surprise of the tournament, making the semifinals with a creativity and flair that was breathtaking to behold. And for much of the game, the U.S. couldn't contain Les Bleues.
"We didn't play well today," U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said. "However, we find a way to win and that's a credit to the players' hearts. That's what makes it so wonderful to be coach of this team."
With the U.S. struggling to create opportunities in the middle, Sundhage replaced Carli Lloyd with sparkplug Megan Rapinoe early in the second half, moved Lauren Cheney inside and pulled Wambach back to the midfield.
The difference was noticeable immediately. The Americans were able to push forward and began threatening French goalkeeper Berangere Sapowicz.
Finally, in the 79th, the Americans won a corner kick.
"I told (Cheney) at halftime, 'Put the ball to the back post, and we're going to get a goal,'" Wambach said.
Cheney delivered the ball perfectly to the far post and, just as Wambach had predicted, she soared over the scrum and pushed the ball past Sapowicz.
"I knew Abby was going to beat her," Cheney said, referring to the French defender who practically mugged Wambach to try and contain her.
Asked how, Cheney said, "Because she's Abby Wambach."
Wambach let out a scream and did a sliding sprint into the corner, where she was mobbed by her teammates. It was her third goal of the tournament and 12th of her career, tying fellow American Michelle Akers for third on the all-time World Cup scoring list.
Morgan then put the game out of reach, outracing four defenders and then stutter-stepping in front of the goal, throwing Sapowicz off and leaving the American with a wide-open shot.
"The priority is not to accept another goal," France coach Bruno Bini said through a translator. "When that happens, you've had it. We conceded another goal and that was it for us."
Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy and Co. got the rock-star treatment during the '99 World Cup, and every team since then has lived in their shadow. Part of the problem is no team's been able to duplicate that group's success. But nobody's been able to captivate the U.S. public like that golden group, either.
Until now.
"Nothing to take away from them because what they did was special. What they did gave us the opportunities all of us have here," Wambach said. "This generation is cool because we want to make a name for ourselves. We want the next generation to be ours."
Despite the loss, the World Cup was a resounding success for the French. In just their second World Cup appearance, they reached the semifinals and qualified for next summer's London Olympics.
"Do you know any coach who will tell you it's fantastic to lose?" Bini asked. "But we must give credit where credit is due."
The U.S. was staked to an early lead by Cheney's goal in the ninth minute. But with the silky smooth Louisa Necib calling the shots, France dominated for most of the game, finishing with a whopping 25-11 advantage in shots. The French missed two great chances in the first half, with goalkeeper Hope Solo having to tip a Gaetane Thiney shot away in the 30th and Sonia Bompastor rattling the crossbar two minutes later.
Finally, in the 55th, France got its equalizer. Bompastor floated in a cross from about 30 yards and, with the dangerous Gaetane Thiney right in front of her, Solo had little opportunity to move. The ball flew right past her.
But part of the blame goes to Becky Sauerbrunn, who was starting in place of the suspended Rachel Buehler and fell behind Thiney.
"I think (Thiney) got a step ahead of her," Solo said. "But I definitely expect our defenders, when the ball goes in the box, to get it out of there."
But just as they did Sunday against Brazil, the Americans got stronger and stronger as the game went on before Wambach — who scored a critical goal in the waning moments against the Brazilians — came through.
"In the end, we're in the finals," Wambach said, "and that's all that matters."
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Rivals.com ranks two Gators recruiting classes among 10 best in past decade
During his final season at Florida, Urban Meyer often spoke about the talent in the Gators’ 2006 and 2007 recruiting classes. Considering those two classes went on to produce 10 guys chosen in the first three rounds of the past two NFL drafts, it’s difficult to argue with the former coach.
Now, Rivals.com has ranked both in its top 10 recruiting classes in the past decade.
About the 2007 class, with ranked 10th, this is what Rivals had to say:
10. Florida 2007
Coach: Urban Meyer
Class rank: 1st
Five-star signees: 4 (DT Torrey Davis, DE Carlos Dunlap, QB Cameron Newton, G James Wilson)
Buzz: Florida’s 2007 class might appear better on paper than it has been on the field. Some key signees failed to make an impression in Gainesville because of off-field issues, among them DTs John Brown and Torrey Davis and QB Cameron Newton. But there were numerous players who made an impact in Gainesville and helped the Gators win the 2008 national title, among them SS Ahmad Black, DE Carlos Dunlap, CB Joe Haden, P Chas Henry, TE Aaron Hernandez, FS Major Wright and the Pouncey twins, Maurkice and Mike Pouncey. A few players from the class, including QB John Brantley, RB Chris Rainey, G James Wilson, DT Jaye Howard and WR Deonte Thompson, remain on campus and are expected to play key roles this fall.
Not surprisingly, the 2006 class was on the other end of that list. It included future first-rounders Percy Harving and Tim Tebow and won two national championships with the school.
Here’s what Rivals had to say:
1. Florida 2006
Coach: Urban Meyer
Class rank: 2nd
Five-star signees: 4 (WR Percy Harvin, G/T Carl Johnson, LB Brandon Spikes, QB Tim Tebow)
Buzz: Florida’s 2006 class was led by QB Tim Tebow and WR Percy Harvin, but what makes this group stand out above the rest was the number of prospects who panned out: 16 members of the class were starters at one time. Beyond Tebow and Harvin, there were guys such as LBs Brandon Spikes, Dustin Doe and A.J. Jones, DE Jermaine Cunningham, T/G Marcus Gilbert, DTs Lawrence Marsh and Terron Sanders and WR Riley Cooper. The group helped Florida win two national championships, and Tebow won the 2007 Heisman as a sophomore and was a finalist as a junior and senior.
Be sure to check out the entire list. The SEC had more than any other conference with four, while the Big 12 had three (with two from Texas), the Big Ten had two (Ohio State twice) and the Pac 10 had one.
![]()
Now, Rivals.com has ranked both in its top 10 recruiting classes in the past decade.
About the 2007 class, with ranked 10th, this is what Rivals had to say:
10. Florida 2007
Coach: Urban Meyer
Class rank: 1st
Five-star signees: 4 (DT Torrey Davis, DE Carlos Dunlap, QB Cameron Newton, G James Wilson)
Buzz: Florida’s 2007 class might appear better on paper than it has been on the field. Some key signees failed to make an impression in Gainesville because of off-field issues, among them DTs John Brown and Torrey Davis and QB Cameron Newton. But there were numerous players who made an impact in Gainesville and helped the Gators win the 2008 national title, among them SS Ahmad Black, DE Carlos Dunlap, CB Joe Haden, P Chas Henry, TE Aaron Hernandez, FS Major Wright and the Pouncey twins, Maurkice and Mike Pouncey. A few players from the class, including QB John Brantley, RB Chris Rainey, G James Wilson, DT Jaye Howard and WR Deonte Thompson, remain on campus and are expected to play key roles this fall.
Not surprisingly, the 2006 class was on the other end of that list. It included future first-rounders Percy Harving and Tim Tebow and won two national championships with the school.
Here’s what Rivals had to say:
1. Florida 2006
Coach: Urban Meyer
Class rank: 2nd
Five-star signees: 4 (WR Percy Harvin, G/T Carl Johnson, LB Brandon Spikes, QB Tim Tebow)
Buzz: Florida’s 2006 class was led by QB Tim Tebow and WR Percy Harvin, but what makes this group stand out above the rest was the number of prospects who panned out: 16 members of the class were starters at one time. Beyond Tebow and Harvin, there were guys such as LBs Brandon Spikes, Dustin Doe and A.J. Jones, DE Jermaine Cunningham, T/G Marcus Gilbert, DTs Lawrence Marsh and Terron Sanders and WR Riley Cooper. The group helped Florida win two national championships, and Tebow won the 2007 Heisman as a sophomore and was a finalist as a junior and senior.
Be sure to check out the entire list. The SEC had more than any other conference with four, while the Big 12 had three (with two from Texas), the Big Ten had two (Ohio State twice) and the Pac 10 had one.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Pay for play: Florida
Florida's athletic department isn't hurting for money (One caveat
here: These numbers came from the U.S. Department of Education and are
for the 2009-10 seasons. If schools receive Title IV funding, federal
statute requires them to report the financials for their athletic
department and this has what should be included in each category, such
as broadcast revenues, concessions and advertising. The U.S.
Department of Education also has the most complete school data because
it is the only entity that has both public and private institutional
information).
PAY FOR PLAY
Sport Revenue Expense
Football (111) $68,715,750 $24,457,557
Men's basketball (14) $10,184,136 $7,908,661
Other sports -- Men's (178) $1,375,526 $6,687,001
Other sports -- Women's (248) $2,802,512 $15,632,181
What a full scholarship entails: In-state: $15,290
Out of state: $41,012
Cost of attendance: In-state: $19,820
Out of state: $45,542
Total: $28,392,524
Student fees: $52.38
Amount athletics receives from student fees: $2,507,391
In fact, Florida is doing so well that according to the 2011-12
budget, the University Athletic Association is expected to return $6
million to the university for the second straight year. The UAA has
actually helped the university as it faced major financial cuts. Since
1990, more than $60 million has been given back from the UAA to the
university.
Obviously, the breadwinner of Florida’s athletic family is the
football program. It ranked second only behind Georgia ($52,529,885)
for football profit ($44,258,193) in the SEC. That profit covered all
of the school’s other sports and then some. According to the 2011-12
budget, revenue increased by a little more than $2.2 million from the
2010-11 budget, primarily because of a $2.3-million increase in
football game revenue due to an increase in season- and single-game
ticket prices.
The SEC revenue from bowl games, television contracts and
championships is projected to be $17 million in 2011-12, as well for
Florida.
So while Florida’s athletic department is cruising along -- despite
the tough financial times in the real world -- it’s hard to say if
Florida could get away with paying its student-athletes. There are
more than 500 athletes at Florida, and if the school was going to
start compensating athletes, it would have to cover every single one
-- both revenue and non-revenue sports athletes.
Florida’s revenues have increased, but so have expenses. The 2011-12
budget increased by $3.2 million from last year’s, including $1.5
million from men’s and women’s scholarships because of tuition and
fees administered by the university, as well as increases in room and
board costs.
However, it is important to note that athletes’ scholarship money
appears to be more than $4,000 less than the school’s cost of
attendance, these numbers are estimates from the university rather
than exact figures. Cost of living and everyday expenses are certainly
different for every athlete.
But for Florida to start adding to athletes’ wallets, the UAA would
have to ask for more from its boosters (the UAA projects that it will
receive $36 million from Gator Boosters this year) and get more from
its endowment, which currently funds athletic scholarships. The UAA
might also have to go into debt to cover the new expenses or cut
facility spending money.
There could also be a scenario where students outside of athletics
might have to help fund the UAA through increased student fees.
With some money movement, Florida could eventually support paying its
athletes, but Florida is just one of few exceptions. There would have
to be sacrifices, and if Florida would have this much work to do,
smaller schools with smaller budgets and much less revenue would have
little to no chance of even thinking of paying athletes.
here: These numbers came from the U.S. Department of Education and are
for the 2009-10 seasons. If schools receive Title IV funding, federal
statute requires them to report the financials for their athletic
department and this has what should be included in each category, such
as broadcast revenues, concessions and advertising. The U.S.
Department of Education also has the most complete school data because
it is the only entity that has both public and private institutional
information).
PAY FOR PLAY
Sport Revenue Expense
Football (111) $68,715,750 $24,457,557
Men's basketball (14) $10,184,136 $7,908,661
Other sports -- Men's (178) $1,375,526 $6,687,001
Other sports -- Women's (248) $2,802,512 $15,632,181
What a full scholarship entails: In-state: $15,290
Out of state: $41,012
Cost of attendance: In-state: $19,820
Out of state: $45,542
Total: $28,392,524
Student fees: $52.38
Amount athletics receives from student fees: $2,507,391
In fact, Florida is doing so well that according to the 2011-12
budget, the University Athletic Association is expected to return $6
million to the university for the second straight year. The UAA has
actually helped the university as it faced major financial cuts. Since
1990, more than $60 million has been given back from the UAA to the
university.
Obviously, the breadwinner of Florida’s athletic family is the
football program. It ranked second only behind Georgia ($52,529,885)
for football profit ($44,258,193) in the SEC. That profit covered all
of the school’s other sports and then some. According to the 2011-12
budget, revenue increased by a little more than $2.2 million from the
2010-11 budget, primarily because of a $2.3-million increase in
football game revenue due to an increase in season- and single-game
ticket prices.
The SEC revenue from bowl games, television contracts and
championships is projected to be $17 million in 2011-12, as well for
Florida.
So while Florida’s athletic department is cruising along -- despite
the tough financial times in the real world -- it’s hard to say if
Florida could get away with paying its student-athletes. There are
more than 500 athletes at Florida, and if the school was going to
start compensating athletes, it would have to cover every single one
-- both revenue and non-revenue sports athletes.
Florida’s revenues have increased, but so have expenses. The 2011-12
budget increased by $3.2 million from last year’s, including $1.5
million from men’s and women’s scholarships because of tuition and
fees administered by the university, as well as increases in room and
board costs.
However, it is important to note that athletes’ scholarship money
appears to be more than $4,000 less than the school’s cost of
attendance, these numbers are estimates from the university rather
than exact figures. Cost of living and everyday expenses are certainly
different for every athlete.
But for Florida to start adding to athletes’ wallets, the UAA would
have to ask for more from its boosters (the UAA projects that it will
receive $36 million from Gator Boosters this year) and get more from
its endowment, which currently funds athletic scholarships. The UAA
might also have to go into debt to cover the new expenses or cut
facility spending money.
There could also be a scenario where students outside of athletics
might have to help fund the UAA through increased student fees.
With some money movement, Florida could eventually support paying its
athletes, but Florida is just one of few exceptions. There would have
to be sacrifices, and if Florida would have this much work to do,
smaller schools with smaller budgets and much less revenue would have
little to no chance of even thinking of paying athletes.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Sunday July 10, 2011U.S. Moves to World Cup Semifinal With Dramatic PK Decision Over Brazil; Past Gator Abby Wambach Provides Tying Goal
With the match in its final ticks of stoppage time, former Gator All-American Abby Wambach headed in the U.S.’s second goal to push Sunday’s FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinal match with Brazil to penalty kicks.
Wambach scored the latest goal in Women’s World Cup history when she headed home a cross from Megan Rapinoe to tie the match at 2-2 in the second minute of stoppage time in the second and final 15-minute overtime period. The USA then showed tremendous composure to convert all five of its penalty kicks in the shootout with U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo saving Brazil’s third attempt by Daiane to give the U.S. the margin of victory.
Ali Krieger, who has played the last four years in Germany for FFC Frankfurt, nailed the fifth and decisive penalty after Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd, Wambach and Rapinoe had all scored. Boxx initially had her shot saved, but replays showed that Brazilian goalkeeper Andreia had moved off her line early, and the kick was correctly ordered to be retaken by Australian referee Jacqui Melksham. Boxx calmly converted her second attempt to get the USA started in the shootout.
The USA will now travel to Mönchengladbach where it will face France in the semifinal on July 13 with a kickoff at 11:30 a.m. ET live on ESPN, ESPN3.com and Galavision.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Three Gator Baseball Players Sign Professional Contracts
Senior second baseman Josh Adams (Jacksonville, Fla.), senior right-hander Matt Campbell (Tampa, Fla.) and junior left-hander Nick Maronde (Lexington, Ky.) from the 2011 Gator baseball team each signed professional contracts this week.
Chosen by the Florida Marlins in the 13th round with the 403rd selection in June’s Major League Baseball Draft, Adams has been assigned to the Jamestown (N.Y.) Jammers of the New York-Penn League, the organization’s Class A short-season affiliate.
In his final campaign, Adams became just the fourth UF baseball player in school history to achieve All-SEC status in three different seasons, as he previously garnered first-team accolades in 2008 and 2009 before becoming a second-team recipient this year. He is now a member of an elite group that includes Mike Stanley (82-84-85), Marc Valdes (91-92-93) and Brad Wilkerson (96-97-98) after batting .351 with 21 RBI, 15 runs and eight extra-base hits (five doubles, three homers) in league action.
Adams closed a stellar career in style by earning second-team All-South recognition for the second time in his career after making the squad as a freshman in 2008. During his senior season, he hit .323 with 43 RBI, 34 runs, 11 doubles and six homers and finished his tenure in Gainesville as the school’s all-time leader in games played (253) and games started (252).
Boasting a career average of .305, Adams departs with his name found throughout the school’s career charts, as he is first in both double plays turned (152) and sacrifice bunts (27), tied for first in at bats with Mark Ellis (1996-99) (941), second in hits (287), third in assists (644), fifth in runs batted in (188) and total bases (437), tied for fifth in doubles (51) and is ninth in walks (122).
Taken in the 24th round with the 751st overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies, Campbell made 15 appearances for the Orange and Blue this season and was 0-0 with a 5.28 earned run average. He will be playing for Phillies’ squad in the Rookie Gulf Coast League. The righty collected 13 strikeouts in 15.1 innings and picked up his first career save against UNF on May 11. Campbell was drafted in 2010 by the Cincinnati Reds in the 43rd round.
The highest Gator draft pick this year, Maronde was chosen in the third round by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim with the 104th choice and has been assigned to the Orem (Utah) Owlz of the Pioneer League, the Angels’ rookie affiliate.
Florida’s leader with 36 appearances, the southpaw was 0-1 and registered a 2.09 ERA in ’11. Over 43 innings, Maronde totaled 55 strikeouts, issued nine walks, collected a pair of saves and was part of five shutouts. In addition, he limited opponents to a team-low .178 average, including a .086 performance with runners on base. The lefty threw two perfect innings in the Gators’ 8-4 victory over Texas in the opening round of the NCAA College World Series and appeared in six of UF’s 11 NCAA Tournament games.
Maronde had previously been picked in the 43rd round of the 2008 MLB Draft by Oakland. Over 79 career appearances at Florida, including 12 starts, the lefty was 5-2 with a 3.99 ERA and four saves and had 151 strikeouts in 130.2 innings.
UF's Kevin O'Sullivan Named College Coach of the Year By Baseball America
University of Florida head baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan earned 2011 College Coach of the Year honors from Baseball America on Thursday. O’Sullivan just completed his fourth year and guided the Gators to a runner-up finish at the NCAA College World Series with a school-record 53 victories and an overall mark of 53-19. He is the first baseball coach from UF to collect the publication’s yearly accolade.
Under O’Sullivan’s tutelage, Florida earned a trip to Omaha in consecutive seasons for the first time and made the CWS for the seventh time in school history (1988, 1991, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2010, 2011). Although UF fell in the CWS Championship Finals to South Carolina, it notched a second-place showing for the second time in school history (2005).
The Gators secured the All-SEC final round by downing Texas (8-4) and then knocking off league rival Vanderbilt twice (3-1, 6-4). Florida had been the second national seed in the NCAA Tournament, its third-straight year within the Top-8 seeds. The Gators swept the NCAA Gainesville Regional with victories over Manhattan (17-3) and Miami (Fla.) (5-4, 11-4) and then defeated Mississippi State twice (11-1, 3-4, 8-6) in a classic Gainesville Super Regional to advance to the College World Series. O’Sullivan joined Joe Arnold (1988, 1991) and Andy Lopez (1996, 1998) as Gator head coaches who have made multiple trips to Omaha.
This season marked the 10th time that McKethan Stadium has hosted NCAA Regional action and the third-straight year for the first time in school history. The Gators have now gone on to the College World Series from Gainesville on six occasions: 1991, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2010 and 2011. Florida is 35-10 (.778) on its own turf during NCAA play and claimed five of the six outings on its own turf this season. O’Sullivan is 13-3 (.813) in NCAA play at home, 9-0 (1.000) in Regionals and 4-3 (.571) in Super Regionals.
Florida reached the 40-win plateau for the 20th time in school history and the third-straight year under O’Sullivan and the school-record 53 wins marked the third time that the program exceeded 50 wins (also in 1991 & 1996).
On May 29, the Gators blanked Vanderbilt, 5-0, to capture the 2011 SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. It was the first time in 20 years that Florida won the league’s tourney and was its sixth title (1981, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1991, 2011). The triumph also represented the first time since 1988 that the Orange and Blue had won the SEC and SEC Tourney in the same season.
With a 22-8 performance in the SEC that matched South Carolina and Vanderbilt, Florida has now captured an SEC-best 21 division championships and its 12 league championships are third behind LSU (14) and Alabama (13). UF became the East winner for the third year in a row, matching its feat from 1996-98. Florida has also won SEC crowns in 1952, 1956, 1962, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1996, 1998, 2005 and 2010. The Gators claimed eight of their 10 SEC series and the team’s 22 victories in league play matched the school record set last season.
According to statistics guru Warren Nolan, Florida’s strength of schedule was second in the country, trailing only fellow SEC Eastern Division member Georgia and the NCAA had the Gators second in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) behind North Carolina.
The Gator pitching staff twirled 11 shutouts in 72 games, exceeding the three donuts in 64 games last year and breaking the previous school record for shutouts (10 in 1970).
Sophomore catcher Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) was named the SEC Player of the Year, joining Matt LaPorta (2005, 2007) as Gators who have earned the league’s top accolade and right-hander Karsten Whitson (Chipley, Fla.) was tabbed as the National Freshman Pitcher of the Year by Perfect Game.
Junior outfielder Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) and Zunino were named All-Americans and were joined on the All-South Region squad by senior second baseman Josh Adams (Jacksonville, Fla.) and sophomore right-hander Hudson Randall (Atlanta, Ga.), while Whitson was honored as a Freshman All-American by four different organizations.
Florida boasted six All-SEC selections, as sophomore LHP/1B Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.), Tucker and Zunino made the first team and Adams, sophomore shortstop Nolan Fontana (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Randall were second-team picks. Third baseman Zack Powers (Seffner, Fla.) and Whitson represented UF on the league’s All-Freshman Team. Junior outfielder Daniel Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.) was the Most Valuable Player of the SEC Tournament, with Fontana, Randall and senior outfielder Bryson Smith (Watkinsville, Ga.) earning All-Tourney recognition.
During the postseason, Tucker was voted as the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Gainesville Regional and was joined on the All-Tourney squad by Fontana, junior left-hander Alex Panteliodis (Tampa, Fla.), Pigott, junior outfielder Tyler Thompson (Tequesta, Fla.) and Zunino. Sophomore third baseman Cody Dent (Boynton Beach, Fla.) and Smith were members of the 2011 NCAA College World Series All-Tourney Team.
A school-record 11 players were chosen in the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft, giving O’Sullivan 30 draftees during his tenure after three in 2008, 10 in 2009 and six in 2010. Before his arrival, the Gators’ previous high number of picks was eight in both 1999 and 2002.
UF's Karsten Whitson Named Perfect Game National Freshman Pitcher of the Year
Gator right-hander Karsten Whitson (Chipley, Fla.) was chosen as the National Freshman Pitcher of the Year by Perfect Game and was named to the organization’s Freshman All-American team on Thursday. He previously earned Freshman All-American recognition from Baseball America, Louisville Slugger and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). North Carolina third baseman Colin Moran was honored as Perfect Game’s National Freshman Player of the Year.
Chosen to the SEC’s All-Freshman Team, Whitson held a permanent spot in the Gators’ weekend rotation and finished 8-1 with a 2.40 earned run average. He tied sophomore Hudson Randall (Atlanta, Ga.) for the top spot with 19 starts, led the club with 92 strikeouts in 97.1 innings and limited opponents to a .235 batting average.
In his NCAA Tourney debut on June 3, Whitson did not permit any runs or walks as Florida overpowered Manhattan, 17-3. He also made a pair of starts during the Orange and Blue’s runner-up performance at the 2011 NCAA College World Series. The righty earned a no-decision in Florida’s 3-1 victory over Vanderbilt in which he yielded four hits and one run over 4.2 innings, with five strikeouts and a walk. Whitson drew the starting assignment in game two of the CWS Championship Finals and was on the short end to South Carolina despite allowing one earned run on four hits over 4.2 innings.
Whitson collected SEC Freshman of the Week honors on April 25 after a seven-strikeout performance in a career-high 6.2 innings versus Alabama and was 4-0 with a 2.56 ERA in conference games. In 10 SEC starts, the righty posted victories over Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss and Kentucky.
2011 Perfect Game Freshman All-Americans
Pos. AVG OBP SLG AB R H HR RBI SB
C Jared Bales, Southern Miss .281 .408 .405 121 23 34 2 20 0
1B Dominic Ficociello, Arkansas .335 .364 .464 224 29 75 4 50 5
2B JaCoby Jones, LSU .338 .395 .467 195 36 66 4 32 12
SS Luke Tendler, North Carolina A&T .380 .404 .606 213 33 81 6 53 7
3B Colin Moran, North Carolina .335 .442 .540 248 46 83 9 71 2
OF Tony Kemp, Vanderbilt .329 .434 .417 252 58 83 0 34 17
OF Daniel Aldrich, College of Charleston .347 .399 .739 222 43 77 22 73 1
OF Kyle Wren, Georgia Tech .340 .412 .445 265 57 90 1 32 16
DH Erich Weiss, Texas .348 .483 .518 224 46 78 4 45 11
UT Marco Gonzales, Gonzaga .291 .403 .382 110 20 32 0 14 1
W L ERA G SV IP H BB SO BAA
SP Kent Emanuel, North Carolina 9 1 2.33 20 0 104 96 23 89 .246
SP Austin Kubitza, Rice 6 5 2.34 15 0 100 95 24 102 .251
SP Adam Plutko, UCLA 7 4 2.01 16 0 108 73 24 92 .193
SP Karsten Whitson, FLORIDA 8 1 2.40 19 0 97 84 28 92 .235
RP Corey Knebel, Texas 3 2 1.13 38 19 56 28 12 61 .151
RP Kyle Porter, California 6 0 1.89 25 2 57 49 12 57 .229
UT Marco Gonzales, Gonzaga 11 2 2.57 15 0 105 83 21 90 .221
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Young, USA Basketball Advance to Second Round at FIBA U19 World Championships
Patric Young (Jacksonville, Fla.) and USA Basketball have advanced through the preliminary round of the FIBA U19 World Championships in Latvia after sweeping three games in the group stage on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The USA is the only team that swept its preliminary games and will face Canada, Lithuania and Croatia in the second round of competition.
The Americans’ opening game on Thursday resulted in a 115-60 victory over Egypt, with Young posting five points and eight rebounds. Young went a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor in Friday’s closely-fought 80-78 victory over Serbia, and the Gator finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. With its place in the second round already clinched, the USA completed its opening-round sweep with an 82-66 win over China, as Young scored four points and grabbed another eight rebounds.
The top three finishing teams from each preliminary round pool advanced to the second round in Riga, Latvia, and form two groups of six teams. Each team will play games against the three teams has not already faced in preliminary play. The USA will compete in Group F, which also includes Croatia, Lithuania, Serbia, Canada and Egypt. The top four teams in each group move on to the quarterfinals, which marks the beginning of the knockout stage. Group E consists of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Latvia, Poland and Russia, all of whom went 2-1 in preliminaries.
USA Second Round Schedule
All games at 7:30 a.m. Eastern
Monday, July 4 – USA vs. Canada
Tuesday, July 5 – USA vs. Lithuania
Wednesday, July 6 – USA vs. Croatia
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
O-Dome gets a new look
Anyone who has stopped by the O'Connell Center the past few months has noticed the forklifts and sounds of workers tearing out seats.
That's because the O-Dome just completed a $900,000 renovation project that will give the inside of the arena a new look heading into the 2011-12 season.
The biggest change to the multi-purpose facility will be noticeable in the lower bowl. Seats in the four lower bowl sections have been replaced. Aisles between the seats are wider and handrails have been installed to help fans get up and down aisles.
With the changes in the lower bowl, the O-Dome will lose about 200 seats from its capacity of about 12,000. The 30-year-old multi-purpose facility serves as the home for Florida men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, swimming and diving and indoor track. It also hosts concerts and special events.
"After 30 years, there was continual maintenance issues," O'Connell Center director Lynda Reinhart said. "The handrails have been a huge issue for many, many years. So those were the real driving forces to get something newer, a little more sturdy address some of the safety issues that we were concerned about."
In addition, bleachers that used to come all the way down to the player benches and underneath the baskets have now been raised. There are metal gates in the front row that separate the fans from the court of play.
The new seats are a darker shade of blue, but will remain bleacher-style seats. Reinhart said that installing chair-back seats in the lower bowl was considered, but it would have resulted in the loss of close to 1,000 seats.
"We just didn't want to do that to our season-ticket holders and our students," Reinhart said.
The project began May 14 and concluded June 24. In addition to the lower bowl changes, the men's basketball practice courts inside the arena were re-surfaced. Gate signs were re-numbered and work was done on the pool deck.
The $900,000 is coming out of the O-Dome's reserve funds. The University of Florida Athletic Association was not needed to kick in funds for the project.
"This has been on the planning phase for 10 years, so we've been putting aside money knowing that this has been coming up," Reinhart said.
Reinhart said the changes should enhance the fan experience at concerts or athletic events.
"It will be a lot easier for fans to get to and from their seats," Reinhart said. "A little bit more leg room. It definitely will look better. I think the color-scheme is going to be great."
That's because the O-Dome just completed a $900,000 renovation project that will give the inside of the arena a new look heading into the 2011-12 season.
The biggest change to the multi-purpose facility will be noticeable in the lower bowl. Seats in the four lower bowl sections have been replaced. Aisles between the seats are wider and handrails have been installed to help fans get up and down aisles.
With the changes in the lower bowl, the O-Dome will lose about 200 seats from its capacity of about 12,000. The 30-year-old multi-purpose facility serves as the home for Florida men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, swimming and diving and indoor track. It also hosts concerts and special events.
"After 30 years, there was continual maintenance issues," O'Connell Center director Lynda Reinhart said. "The handrails have been a huge issue for many, many years. So those were the real driving forces to get something newer, a little more sturdy address some of the safety issues that we were concerned about."
In addition, bleachers that used to come all the way down to the player benches and underneath the baskets have now been raised. There are metal gates in the front row that separate the fans from the court of play.
The new seats are a darker shade of blue, but will remain bleacher-style seats. Reinhart said that installing chair-back seats in the lower bowl was considered, but it would have resulted in the loss of close to 1,000 seats.
"We just didn't want to do that to our season-ticket holders and our students," Reinhart said.
The project began May 14 and concluded June 24. In addition to the lower bowl changes, the men's basketball practice courts inside the arena were re-surfaced. Gate signs were re-numbered and work was done on the pool deck.
The $900,000 is coming out of the O-Dome's reserve funds. The University of Florida Athletic Association was not needed to kick in funds for the project.
"This has been on the planning phase for 10 years, so we've been putting aside money knowing that this has been coming up," Reinhart said.
Reinhart said the changes should enhance the fan experience at concerts or athletic events.
"It will be a lot easier for fans to get to and from their seats," Reinhart said. "A little bit more leg room. It definitely will look better. I think the color-scheme is going to be great."
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