Latest news with #Gators
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Golden Gators: Florida softball's Falby, Erickson Gold Glovers again, Shumaker earns top honor
OKLAHOMA CITY — Taylor Shumaker has made history all season for Florida softball. In her maiden voyage with the Gators, she set not only freshman records, but also overall program records. Tuesday night, on the sport's biggest stage, she added one more, and it was more prestigious one of all. Advertisement Shumaker was named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Freshman of the Year on Tuesday in Oklahoma City – two days before the Gators kick off the WCWS vs. Texas. Shumaker became the second freshman to claim the award for the Gators – joining Amanda Lorenz. Lorenz, a UF legend, grew up in Moorpark in Southern California, not far from Shumaker's hometown of Fullerton. The two played in many of the same AAU circuits. She currently sits at 23 home runs and 86 RBIs. Both of those tie program records. For home runs, she ties with Brittany Schutte in 2011, and RBIs with Jocelyn Erickson last season. During Florida's pre-WCWS press conference Wednesday, Shumaker touched on what the experience of OKC has been like. Advertisement 'It's all really surreal. It's crazy to think I'm here after watching it for so many years,' Shumaker said. 'It's an unreal venue, so many amazing softball fans. We're growing the game we have been playing since we were five, six years old.' Shumaker wasn't the only Gator to leave Wednesday with hardware. Kendra Falby and Erickson made history by going back-to-back with Gold Gloves, becoming just the second and third player to do so. Falby was a no brainer. She awed players, coaches and fans alike with a new home run-stealing catch almost every week. This season, though, came with the new honor of All-American as she was named a second teamer – the first of her career. The speedster said she credits her teammates more than anyone for her success. Advertisement 'The numbers that I've been able to put up when it comes to runs wouldn't be any help without Jocelyn and Taylor Shumaker and like the list goes on,' Falby said. 'It's really thanks to my teammates and pushing me every single day.' Erickson credited outfielders like Falby for pushing her. Falby, along with fellow outfielders Shumaker and Korbe Otis, have mentioned how competitive the outfielders are in practice. Erickson said that mantra rubs off on the rest of the team. 'Our team feeds off of each other. When the outfield makes insane plays, like when Kendra robs a home run, it just makes me want to be so much better,' Erickson said. 'Having teammates around you that want to push you to be your best is honestly surreal.' In total, Shumaker was named as a first team All-American by the NFCA, and Falby and Mia Williams were named second team. Advertisement Florida begins its WCWS journey vs. Texas at 12 p.m. ET from Devon Park in Oklahoma City. Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@ Follow him on X @Noah_ram1. Read his coverage of the Gators' national championship basketball season in 'CHOMP-IONS!' — a hardcover coffee-table collector's book from The Sun. Details at This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida softball's Kendra Falby, Jocelyn Erickson, Taylor Shumaker win awards
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Florida softball vs. Texas live scoring updates: Gators begin in WCWS vs. Longhorns
OKLAHOMA CITY — For the 13th time in the last 18 seasons, Florida softball has moved its operations north for the summer. In this case, 1,200 miles northwest to the 'Big Friendly' and Oklahoma City. This current iteration of Gators are no strangers to OKC. UF advanced to the WCWS last season, and its first semifinals since 2017. Now, Florida returns and holds high expectations. After all, it ended the regular season less than a month ago by taking two of three from Oklahoma in Gainesville. Advertisement The Gators have the nation's best young hitter in Taylor Shumaker, All-Americans in Kendra Falby and Mia Williams, and a pitcher in Keagan Rothrock who shined here last season. 'Told my team as we began our journey that this is the greatest show on dirt and the greatest opportunity for student-athletes in our sport to play,' coach Tim Walton said. Florida's opponent is no stranger to success. Texas bested Florida in OKC last season and advanced to the championship series. The 'Horns began this season strong, including taking two of three from UF in Gainesville in March (Rothrock didn't play in that series). However, UT was swept by Oklahoma in April ad has struggled at times to gain momentum back. All in all, it'll be an intriguing all-SEC showdown in OKC Thursday. Advertisement Here's live updates: Florida softball vs. Texas in 2025 NCAA Women's College World Series: Live updates This section will be updated as the game begins. Florida softball vs. Texas in 2025 NCAA Women's College World Series: Starting lineups This section will be updated as the game begins. Florida softball vs. Texas in 2025 NCAA Women's College World Series: Start time First pitch from Devon Park in Oklahoma City is set to for 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT. Florida softball vs. Texas in 2025 NCAA Women's College World Series: TV/Streaming TV channel: ESPN Streaming: Watch ESPN, FUBO (free trial) Advertisement You can listen to it here. Live stats are available on Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@ Follow him on X @Noah_ram1. Read his coverage of the Gators' national championship basketball season in 'CHOMP-IONS!' — a hardcover coffee-table collector's book from The Sun. Details at This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida softball vs Texas score updates for Women's College World Series
USA Today
16 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida basketball an overwhelming winner after NBA draft deadline passes
Florida basketball an overwhelming winner after NBA draft deadline passes The Gator Nation exhaled a collective sigh of relief when rising junior forward Alex Condon's decision to withdraw his name from the 2025 NBA draft was announced, signaling his return to Florida to defend its national title. Not only did fans of the Orange and Blue cheer the native of Australia's decision to go back to school, but also the sports media as a whole. After the NBA draft withdrawal deadline passed, USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg, CBS Sports' Cameron Salerno and Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney all anointed Todd Golden's gang as "winners" heading into the summer months. Take a look below at what the trio offered on the Florida Gators and why they were winners in the eyes of each respective writer. USA TODAY Sports: Gators a post-draft decision winner "Condon had an uneven NCAA tournament but came up huge in the championship game against Houston, illustrating his potential along with the need to hone his game before taking the next step into the NBA. Junior center Rueben Chinyelu also backed out of the draft, while forward Thomas Haugh decided not to enter the process and will see an increase in minutes with three key seniors, led by Walter Clayton Jr., gone from last year's team," Myerberg notes. "The Gators also added one of the biggest transfers of the spring in former Arkansas guard Boogie Fland — another player (who) considered turning pro before staying in school." CBS Sports: Florida primed to make another title run "The reigning national champion saw its starting frontcourt of Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu withdraw from the draft to return to school. Their return solidifies Florida's frontcourt depth as the best in the country. That group gave opposing teams nightmares during the NCAA Tournament," states Salerno. "Add in transfers Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee, and you have a team capable of making another title run next year." Sports Illustrated: Legitimate chance at repeat "It had already been a strong offseason for Florida after Thomas Haugh elected to return for his junior season and star portal guards Xaivian Lee (Princeton) and Boogie Fland (Arkansas) committed to the Gators. That said, a huge part of Florida's national title run in 2024–25 was its frontcourt, and Todd Golden will officially bring back the top four bigs from that squad with potential first-rounder Alex Condon returning to school," Sweeney begins. "Condon will be the Gators' leading returning scorer and rebounder as he continues his upward trajectory from former Australian Rules Football star into serious NBA prospect. His toughness, versatility and feel for the game make him one of the most effective bigs in the SEC, and as he continues to get more comfortable on the perimeter, he could enter the All-American conversation," he continues. "Condon's return gives the Gators a legitimate chance to repeat as national champions and positions them as a likely top-five team in the preseason." Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
South China Morning Post
21 hours ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Meet Marco Rubio's son Anthony Rubio: a running back for the University of Florida Gators, he made headlines with his first collegiate touchdown during the Gasparilla Bowl
Long before former Florida senator Marco Rubio lost his presidential campaign and joined Donald Trump's cabinet as secretary of state, the now controversial figure played college football and dreamed of the NFL. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks onstage in May 2023 as his family, including son Anthony Rubio, look on. Photo: @anthony_rub1o/Instagram While a career in American football didn't pan out for Rubio, his elder son and third child Anthony may come closer to making his father's dreams come true as a running back with the University of Florida Gators. Advertisement Read on to find out more about Marco Rubio's son Anthony. He has three siblings Marco and Jeanette Rubio have two daughters, Amanda and Daniella, and two sons, Anthony and Dominick. Photo: @jeanettedrubio/Instagram Anthony Rubio was born in Miami, Florida, to Marco and Jeanette Rubio . The couple met when Jeanette was 17 years old and Rubio was a 19-year-old university student. After eight years of dating, they married in 1998 in Coral Gables, Florida. Aside from Anthony, Rubio and Jeanette also share daughters Amanda and Daniella, and son Dominick. Anthony attended Belen Jesuit, an all-boys private Catholic preparatory school in Miami. Following in his father's footsteps
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
The Athletic predicts Florida baseball's Conway Regional outcome
The Athletic predicts Florida baseball's Conway Regional outcome Florida baseball opens up its endeavor to earn the 2025 College World Series title on Friday as the second seed in the Conway Regional following a season that saw some significant ups and downs en route to a postseason bid. The Gators opened up the spring with 11 straight wins before back-to-back losses to the Miami Hurricanes and UCF Knights, respectively, in non-conference play. Kevin O'Sullivan's team would win the next five games, but everything changed once the Southeastern Conference schedule began. The first dozen games of the SEC slate left the Orange and Blue black and blue, struggling to a 1-11 start against fellow conference foes. However, following a home sweep at the hands of the Vanderbilt Commodores, Florida took the rubber match in the season series against the Florida State Seminoles to start an epic run to end the season. It is worth noting that the team's late-season surge began immediately after the men's basketball team earned its third-ever national championship. Alas, that final push ended short after the Gators lost to the Ole Miss Rebels in the second round of the SEC Tournament, eliminating any chance of hosting a regional. The good news is that O'Sullivan's squad is favored to emerge from the opening bracket — at least The Athletic's Mitch Light feels this way in his college baseball NCAA regional predictions. Take a look below at his breakdown of Florida's regional bracket. Conway Regional Coastal Carolina (13) Florida East Carolina Fairfield "Coastal Carolina is second nationally in ERA (3.29) and third in WHIP (1.19) and OPS against (.648). The Chanticleers are hosting a Regional for the fifth time in program history," Light begins. "For the first time in Kevin O'Sullivan's 18 seasons at Florida, the Gators are not hosting a Regional for the second consecutive season. Florida was a No. 3 seed in the Stillwater Regional last year and advanced to the College World Series," he continues. "East Carolina went 13-14 in the American Athletic Conference, only the fourth time this century the Pirates have had a losing record in league play. But Cliff Godwin's club is back in a Regional, for the seventh consecutive season, after winning the AAC tournament title," Light notes. "Fairfield is 108-23 in the MAAC over the last five years with two Regional appearances. The Stags went 2-2 as a No. 3 seed in the Austin Regional in 2021." Prediction: Florida Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
