Sports | Baseball - The Independent Florida Alligator

Juniors Brady Singer (pictured) and Jackson Kowar lead the UF pitching staff with respective records of 10-1 and 9-2. They will both be taking the mound this weekend in Starkville, Mississippi, during Florida's final regular-season series.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators gear up for final regular-season series with Bulldogs

By Chris O'Brien | May 16, 2018

Camaraderie. Togetherness. Team.

Senior JJ Schwarz was honored on Sunday after an excellent (and ongoing) campaign at UF.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Seniors, moms, baseball – all common sights for the Florida Gators on Sunday

By Chris O'Brien | May 14, 2018

No tears dropped, but a soft, bittersweet smile found its way onto senior JJ Schwarz’s face. Giving a small wave, it finally hit him that his last season in a Florida baseball jersey would soon come to an end.

Coach Kevin O'Sullivan successfully dialed-up a gimmick steal play in the Gators' win over the USA 18-U team.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators unable to complete sweep of UGA, fall 4-1

By Jake Dreilinger | May 13, 2018

All Jack Leftwich could do was watch as Georgia left fielder Keegan McGovern’s 3-run homer sailed over the scoreboard in right field.

Second baseman Blake Reese powered a grand slam to right field in UF's 9-3 home win over the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators clinch SEC Championship in Saturday win over Bulldogs

By Jake Dreilinger | May 12, 2018

As the ball left Blake Reese’s bat in the bottom of the sixth inning, there were only two people moving on the play.

Right fielder Wil Dalton registered the game-winning RBI in UF's 7-6 win over Georgia on Friday night.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Dalton, Gators come from behind to beat Bulldogs on Friday night

By Jake Dreilinger | May 11, 2018

Wil Dalton knew the ball was deep enough to win the game as soon as it left the bat.

Shortstop Deacon Liput was perfect from the plate Tuesday night against USF, going 3-of-3 with three RBIs and scoring two runs.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators come back from early deficit, beat USF

By Morgan McMullen | May 8, 2018

Down 8-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday night, the Gators needed a jolt of energy.

Freshman starter Jack Leftwich threw 6.1 innings and allowed only two earned runs in his outing against Texeas Tech at the College World Series Thursday.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators drop series finale against Texas A&M

By Morgan McMullen | May 6, 2018

The Gators tied the game at three apiece in the top of the third inning during Sunday’s series finale against Texas A&M. Florida recorded a run in much the same way it had scored many of its previous 17 runs against the Aggies: manufacturing chances off of smart base running and timely hitting.

Junior pitcher Jackson Kowar started on Friday against the Razorbacks, throwing six innings and allowing four earned runs during his fourth loss of the season.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Kowar’s ‘dynamite’ pitching overwhelms Aggies

By Morgan McMullen | May 5, 2018

After a leadoff walk to third baseman Jonathan India started the sixth inning in College Station, Texas, UF right fielder Wil Dalton stepped into the batter’s box.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators drop Game 2 against Tigers in offensive slugfest

By Morgan McMullen | Apr. 27, 2018

If Thursday night’s game between the Auburn and Florida baseball teams was a carefully choreographed ballet, Friday night’s matchup was a chaotic mosh pit.

Third baseman Jonathan India slugged a two-run home run in Florida 3-1 victory over Auburn on Thursday.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators outlast Auburn in pitcher’s duel

By Morgan McMullen | Apr. 26, 2018

Gators third baseman Jonathan India hadn’t been himself recently.Well, relatively speaking. Since having his 24-game hitting streak interrupted in UF’s series against Kentucky, he’d gone 3-of-11 from the plate with a pair of RBIs and one home run.

Junior college transfer Wil Dalton launched his team-leading 16th home run of the season in Florida's 6-4 loss on Tuesday.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Broom handles Gators, cleans up early mess for Mercer

By Morgan McMullen | Apr. 24, 2018

At least a few of the 3,133 Gators fans at McKethan Stadium Tuesday night probably didn’t see it coming. After Florida (34-9, 14-4 SEC) won its series against No. 14 Kentucky with relative ease over the weekend, they probably believed the Gators were due for a nice, easy midweek win against Mercer.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators to play penultimate midweek game tonight

By Morgan McMullen | Apr. 24, 2018

Strip away the names. Take out the conferences. Now make a snap judgement. Which of these two teams would have a better shot at beating No. 1-ranked Florida (34-8, 14-4 SEC)?

The grounds crew at McKethan Stadium pulls a tarp over the field during a rain delay on April 4, 2017.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Behind the scenes at McKethan: The logistics of UF baseball games

By Ethan Bauer | Apr. 22, 2018

McKethan Stadium is quiet now.

Tyler Dyson allowed three runs on four hits through 2.0-plus innings in Florida's 3-2 loss to Kentucky on Saturday. He didn't record a strikeout in his shortest outing of the season.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Dyson roughed up with little support in Florida’s series-closing loss to Kentucky

By Ethan Bauer | Apr. 21, 2018

Wil Dalton tapped his right cleat with the barrel of his bat after watching strike three blow past him.

UF third baseman Jonathan India's solo home run jump-started the Gators' offense on a 3-2 win against Jacksonville at the Gainesville Regional. His solo home run was one of three for Florida on the night.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

India’s streak ends in Florida’s win over Kentucky

By Ethan Bauer | Apr. 19, 2018

Wil Dalton busted the game open in the third inning. His three-run homer gave the No. 1 Gators an insurmountable six-run lead the No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats couldn’t touch. But his at-bat wasn’t the night’s most memorable.

Catcher JJ Schwarz is 8-for-19 from the plate with a pair of home runs over the last five games.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Over/Under: Examining the Gators’ over- and underachievers April 10-17

By Morgan McMullen | Apr. 18, 2018

The No. 1 Gators (32-7, 12-3 SEC) dropped a midweek matchup to Jacksonville on Tuesday to snap a nine-game home winning streak. With Florida’s next series starting tonight against Kentucky rather than the normal Friday start due to television scheduling, coach Kevin O’Sullivan had to work around using certain bullpen players, including closer Michael Byrne and freshmen Tommy Mace and Jordan Butler.

Coach Kevin O'Sullivan and the Gators dropped their first home game since March 23 in an 8-4 loss against Jacksonville Tuesday night. “We’ve gotta clean up some mistakes,” O'Sullivan said.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators falter against Jacksonville in midweek matchup

By Justin Ahlum | Apr. 17, 2018

No. 1 Florida (32-7, 12-3 SEC) fell to Jacksonville 8-4, ending UF’s nine-game home winning streak and snapping a four-game winning streak overall.

Michael Byrne earned his 10th save of the season Saturday against Missouri.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

UF’s top performers halfway through SEC play

By Ethan Bauer | Apr. 15, 2018

It’s so hard to choose.

Florida's baseball team outscored Missouri 17-4 on Saturday in a doubleheader that saw UF notch a pair of victories. Pitcher Jackson Kowar (left) started Game 1 and tossed seven innings, giving up two runs and six hits while striking out nine.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators sweep Missouri in Saturday doubleheader

By Morgan McMullen | Apr. 15, 2018

With Missouri and Florida slated for a doubleheader on Saturday night at McKethan Stadium to beat expected rainstorms on Sunday, the Gators (32-6, 12-3 SEC) had an opportunity to earn their second sweep in three SEC series.

Right fielder Wil Dalton drove in the winning runs in Florida's 3-1 victory over Missouri on Friday.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

Gators use pitching, late-game heroics to down Missouri

By Morgan McMullen | Apr. 13, 2018

Missouri pitcher Andy Toelken, who had thrown ball one to Gators third baseman Jonathan India on the first pitch of his final at-bat, didn’t have the confidence of his coaching staff. So with a man on second and first base open in the bottom of the eighth inning, catcher Brett Bond stood up behind the plate, raised his right hand out to the side and signaled Toelken to intentionally walk India with the next three pitches.