Eddie McLendon works a camera for GatorVision. The UF’s in-house broadcast operation is responsible for putting every pitch, swing and out on the SEC Network. McLendon has been at GatorVision since it started in 2014.
Across two days of competition in Lexington, the Florida women’s track and field team earned 16 bids to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, set to be held inside Hayward Field at the University of Oregon from June 10-13. The Gators will send 17 women’s entries in total, as sophomore Pauline Bikembo had already qualified in the heptathlon.
There were plenty of nice moments for the Florida men’s track and field team in Lexington, as the University of Kentucky played host to the NCAA East Regional. Across two days of competition, the Gators secured 11 bids – 10 individual and one relay – to the NCAA Championships, hosted in Eugene, Oregon, from June 10-13.
Lawson’s blast capped off a dramatic comeback as Florida (40-19, 18-12 SEC) survived Rider (33-19, 22-8 MAC), 8-7, Friday in the opening game of the Gainesville Regional.
The Gainesville Regional begins Friday as Florida returns home to face Rider University in its first game of the weekend. Florida secured a top-eight national seed and hosting rights for the fourth time in the last six seasons.
UF powered its way to dominant wins over No. 12 seed Vanderbilt and No. 4 seed Alabama behind explosive hitting performances from multiple players, but a late-game collapse against No. 1 seed Georgia ended the Gators’ run one game short of the SEC Championship game.
To say the least, the 2026 campaign has been a whirlwind of a time for Florida softball. Despite the raw power and long-term dominance the Gators flashed throughout the season, they fell short of their 14th Women’s College World Series. After three hard-fought games in the NCAA Super Regionals, UF saw its season end at the hands of the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
With guard Xaivian Lee graduating and multiple Gators expected to test the waters of the NBA Draft, questions arose about whether Florida could rebuild a championship-caliber roster. Nonetheless, four out of five starters will make their return for the 2026-27 season, providing the Gators with a promising, experienced core and a high level of continuity.
Thanks to a rough Round 4, UF couldn’t continue its upward climb and missed out on match play, accumulating an 1168 (+16). It finished in 11th and five strokes behind eighth-place Pepperdine.
No. 11 Texas Tech (57-7) run-ruled No. 6 Florida (52-13), 16-7, Sunday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The Red Raiders advanced to Oklahoma City for the second straight season, while the Gators suffered just their fourth Super Regional loss at home in program history.
Despite having a six-run lead as early as the third inning, Florida (39-19, 18-12 SEC) fell to Georgia (45-12, 23-7 SEC), 8-7, in the SEC Tournament semifinals.
No. 6 Florida (52-11) dominated No. 11 Texas Tech (56-7), 10-2, Saturday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The victory marks the fourth-straight Super Regional in which UF has advanced to a decisive Game 3.
In a rollercoaster contest, No. 6 Florida (51-11) fell to No. 11 Texas Tech (56-6) 10-8 on Friday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The victory marked the Red Raiders’ first-ever win over the Gators after previously going 0-4 in the all-time series.
The duo of Lawson and Surowiec went 6-for-9 with two home runs, three doubles and four RBIs as Florida (39-18, 18-12 SEC) run-ruled Alabama (37-19, 18-12 SEC), 13-3, in Hoover, Alabama, to advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals.
UF’s matchup is also one of the most anticipated in the country — a true old-school versus new-school showdown. While Florida is accustomed to the spotlight of Super Regionals, the Texas Tech Red Raiders have recently emerged onto the national stage.
Solutions by The State News
