Here we are.
As of now, it has passed the point of randomness, no longer filed under good fortune.
It’s bordering on ridiculous.
Florida’s athletic programs have been exceedingly good this year.
They have not been just above average, fighting for positions in their respective regions and looking to capture top spots in the Southeastern Conference. They have been simply dominant.
Every Division I Spring sport Florida has to offer, except for men’s basketball, was nationally ranked at some point this spring. Eleven of the 13 teams were ranked in the top 10 in the country.
With that in mind, here’s your end-of-the-semester breakdown of how each active team is fairing near the season’s finish line.
Baseball
The No. 3 Florida baseball team is 30-5, and although it just dropped a weekend series against then-No. 5 Mississippi State, losing at home for the first time since 2015, the Gators bested FSU 8-2 on Tuesday and still reign supreme in the SEC.
Twenty one games separate coach Kevin O’Sullivan and his soon-to-be professional pitching staff (see: MLB first rounders A.J. Puk, Logan Shore) from the conference tournament. After, UF will have a chance at earning a trip back to the College World Series.
Softball
Then there’s softball, the No. 1 program in the country led by Tim Walton, which will try to become just the second team in history to achieve three-straight national titles come June.
Florida is led by its pitching staff, a three-player rotation that includes two of the nation’s top three leaders in ERA in sophomore Aleshia Ocasio (0.45) and junior Delanie Gourley (0.78).
The postseason doesn’t begin until May 11 with the SEC Tournament, but expect the Gators to mow through their opposition when it does.
Gymnastics
If there’s a Florida team that can rival the success of the softball program, there’s no question it’s the No. 2-ranked gymnastics squad.
Former coach Rhonda Faehn left UF before the start of the season to become the senior vice president of the USA women’s team and was replaced by former Auburn assistant coach Jenny Rowland.
The dropoff has been minimal.
The Gators are 10-2 and will compete in the NCAA Championship Semifinals on Friday, looking for their fourth-straight national championship.
And with four seniors graduating after this season, this might be the Gators’ last and best chance at a national title for some time.
Leading the team is senior Bridget Sloan, the country’s No. 1-ranked all-around competitor who has earned three perfect 10s this season.
The 26-time All American will try to send her team off with one final victory.
Women's Tennis
Coach Roland Thornqvist is at it again, and aside from being far and away the most quotable coach UF has to offer, he’s led the women’s tennis team to a No. 4 national ranking and a 11-0 record in the SEC.
From Court 1 to Court 6, each player is a threat to sweep their opponent.
But if you were searching for a player to keep your eye on, don’t overlook sophomore Josie Kuhlman, the 2015 All American who has a 7-1 record in SEC singles play and has clinched three UF victories since March 5.
And in case you weren’t aware, opposing teams who visit Gainesville are usually doomed before they step off their team bus.
At the Ring Tennis Complex, the Gators haven’t dropped a dual match in 11 years.
That’s 157-straight victories.
That’s the longest active home winning streak in Division I sports.
Florida has two more road matches before they open up the SEC Tournament on April 20.
Men's Tennis
The men’s tennis team isn’t too far behind the women.
Ranked No. 13, coach Bryan Shelton and the Gators have won seven of their last nine dual matches.
And despite dropping a pair of 5-2 decisions on April 6 to then-No. 13 Virginia and last Friday to then-No. 7 Georgia, UF bounced back with a decisive 6-1 road victory over South Carolina on Sunday.
Co-captain and senior Diego Hidalgo had been Florida’s leader on the No. 1 court, going 9-2 in SEC singles play and 6-3 in conference doubles play this season.
Will this be the year Florida finally earns its first national title?
Not likely.
But, with a second-place standing in the SEC at 8-2, they can vie for an SEC Championship, which they haven’t won since 2011.
Lacrosse
The No. 2 lacrosse team is 13-1, has won its last four games and sits in second place in the Big East.
UF is led by redshirt senior Nicole Graziano, who has 31 goals and 30 draw controls.
With three more games left in their regular season, the Gators are poised to make a run at their second-straight Big East Championship and possibly more.
Golf
Finally, we arrive at Florida golf — two teams that deserve a ton of recognition.
Coach Emily Glaser and the No. 8 women’s team have five first-place finishes out of a possible six tournaments this spring, and will compete at the SEC Championships starting Friday.
Junior Karolina Vlckova is the unquestioned standout, compiling six top-10 finishes this season.
On the men’s side, coach J.C. Deacon has rejuvenated a UF team that last won a conference title in 2011 and a national title in 2001.
The Gators are ranked No. 6, and are led by a trio of freshmen that has been impressive all season long.
First-year players Jorge Garcia and Gordon Neale have given Deacon reasons to be optimistic for the future.
Then there’s freshman Sam Horsfield, who has seven top-five finishes this season and three tournament victories.
They’ll begin play at the SEC Championship on Friday.
Ian Cohen is the sports editor. Contact him at icohen@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @icohenb.
Bridget Sloan performs on beam during Florida's 198.050-193.725 win over North Carolina on March 11, 2016, in the O'Connell Center.
