Florida Softball - National Champion 14 15

[Deleted]

I like that Chris Harry didn't sugar coat it. It was a pitchers dual and they got the best of it. UF had better figure out how to hit the Michigan lefty Haylie Wagner or the Gators will be coming home without the championship:


By Chris Harry
GatorZone.com Senior Writer


OKLAHOMA CITY -- Lauren Haeger had another terrific game for Florida. She had two hits and fired a complete-game four-hitter Tuesday night against Michigan in Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series.

She also lost 1-0.

The Wolverines sandwiched a pair of first-inning singles around a fielder’s choice to net a run and then watched the Gators flail helplessly away at left-hander Haylie Wagner for the second straight night in an offensive display that was rather uncharacteristic (if not a tad alarming) for Florida.

Not that the opponent was exactly overpowering at the plate.

“I’m sure Michigan wants more hits, but four was enough,” UF coach Tim Walton said. “It’s about finding a way to score with runners in scoring position.”

The Wolverines managed to do just that in the game’s first 10 minutes and that was it for the night; for both teams. The Gators managed six hits, all singles. Only three got out of the infield. One off solid contact.

The result means top-seeded and reigning national champion Florida (59-7) and third-seeded Michigan (60-7) will play Wednesday night in a winner-take-all Game 3 at Hall of Fame Stadium. First pitch is 8:06 p.m.

The place should be a pressure-packed madhouse. It’ll be up to the Gators to figure out a way to solve Wagner, who piggy-backed seven shutout innings Tuesday (just six hits allowed, five strikeouts and no walks) on top of the 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief she fired Monday night in Florida’s eventual 3-2 win.

That’s 10 1/3 innings of a lot of nothing for the Gators at the plate.

So take a wild guess who will be in the circle for the Wolverines Wednesday.

“If we hadn’t gone three and a third innings yesterday with the same result, I might say the score dictated [the offensive struggles],” said Walton, who saw Wagner challenge his hitters with lots of inside pitches that were on their hands, coupled with nice change-of-pace stuff. “The swings looked pretty similar [Monday] with a 3-0 lead as opposed to today being down 0-1. I think it’s her.”

Oh yeah, it's her.

Even Haeger’s two hits were infield groundouts the Michigan defense managed to knock down.

“Defense starts on the mound,” UM coach Carol Hutchins said. “Haylie Wagner was just one-pitch focused, one-pitch focused, and I couldn’t be prouder of her.”

Meanwhile, UF leadoff hitter Kelsey Stewart went 0-for-3. So did Nicole DeWitt. Kirsti Merritt’s lone hit was a bunt single. Those are three of the team's best hit-for-average, run-producing players. Bailey Castro also went 0-for-3, twice stranding runners at second. The senior who rates second on the team with 17 homers is now 1-for-21 in the NCAA Tournament and 0-for-8 in the WCWS.

Truth be told, there really aren’t a lot of options behind Castro, whose on-base percentage, thanks to walks and hit-by-pitches, is pretty good. That’s why Walton did not pinch-hit for her in the seventh inning. He was just looking for a base-runner; just get the game-tying run to first base.

She popped out lightly to the pitcher.

“Yeah, it’s hard,” Walton said. “I was just hoping she could find a way on base.”

After watching Wagner dismantle the Gators the last game and a half, Walton could say that about nearly all of his batters; except Haeger, that is. She’s now 12-for-27 for the tournament (.444) and 7-for-12 in the WCWS (.583).

She's also lost for the second time in 33 pitching decisions.

Haeger pitching “I just think today was a pitcher’s duel,” said Haeger (left). “I mean, credit to [Wagner], she did a really good job on both sides. Honestly, we had runners in scoring position. They did too. They just got the hit when they needed it.”

Got it quickley. Leadoff batter Sierra Lawrence singled to start the Michigan first, then was safe at second when UF shortstop Kathlyn Medina tried to get a force play off the bat of Sierra Romero. After Haeger got Kelly Christner to foul out, clean-up batter Kelsey Susalla singled home the only run of the game.

Who’d have thought the Gators wouldn’t score over the next six innings?

Flash: UF had not been shutout all season. Simmer on that between now and Wednesday night.

No doubt, Florida’s players will.

[Deleted]

What I'd do to beat Michigan's lefty, Haylie Wagner:

1. Since she was more effective pitching inside to both our lefties and righties to set up her outside pitch which was unhittable with the batters so far off the plate, I'd move the batters closer to the plate requiring her to make her pitches perfectly or hit the batters. The batters have no obligation to move away from an inside pitch so long as they are in the hitters box. The weak hits were on the inside pitches and the strikeouts were on pathetic swings trying to hit the ball on the outside corner.

2. I'd give the green light to swing from pitch one regardless of the Wagner's pitch count. Wagner pitched strikes to Gators who were taking on 8 of the first 11 batters, but she was trying to throw strikes on the 3 she missed. It's more important for UF to be aggressive at the plate and to get Wagner out of her comfort zone than running up her pitch count. Wagner has already pitched 10 1/2 inning on Monday and Tuesday so it won't take much to get her off her game. I saw a pitcher high on emotion and adrenalin last night when she was interviewed. That will only take her so far when she tires and is forced out of her comfort zone by the UF hitters.

3. If Wagner does get into a groove, call a time out or two for strategic pauses to break her timing. Wagner can't be allowed to mow UF batters down like the last two nights.

Forcing a change to Michigan's righty Megan Betsa is a win for UF, but I can already hear ESPN complaining if UF decides to crowd the plate and a few batters get hit with all of the high and tight pitching Wagner is doing. The umpire last night was giving wide strike zones for both inside and outside corner pitches giving an advantage to the pitchers. UF has to make Wagner use more of the plate, the middle of the plate to the outside, than she was using last night. If ESPN doesn't like UF taking away the inside high and tight, that's just too bad. The game at the plate has to be a battle of wills that UF must win.

My suggestion for defense is get the outfielders sun shades to wear in the early innings with their visors. Kirsti Merritt misjudged the line drive that allowed Michigan to score their only run last night because she was trying to make a play with the setting sun directly in her eyes. That's normally a routine catch for her.

I've got this all figured out for Tim Walton. It's a shame someone on his staff doesn't read this site so this great advice can be forwarded along.

[Deleted]

I missed this coming out of the SEC spring meetings in Destin last week. UF is in the planning stages for upgrades and expansion of the softball stadium and facilities:


By Robbie Andreu
Staff writer

Published: Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 5:42 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, May 28, 2015 at 10:04 a.m.


DESTIN — Florida's softball stadium is going to be getting a significant upgrade, UF athletic director Jeremy Foley revealed Wednesday at the SEC spring meetings.


“I don't know if you've been to their facility lately, it's too small,” Foley said. “We've got people hanging from trees, press box too small, we've got national coverage all over the place, dugouts are too small. It's time to do something with that one.

“That's on the drawing board. It's a balancing act for all of us, but by the same token, you have a facility that's too small. You have a facility that's 20-plus years old.

“They're the No. 1 seed in the nation, trying to win back-to-back national championships because of Tim Walton, the recruiting base and the education. It's all part of the formula.”

UF is studying increasing capacity and expanding the dugouts and press box. The school is expected to find out later this summer about a timetable for construction and the estimated cost.

The Gators are No. 1 in the country and are in Oklahoma City playing in the Women's College World Series for the seventh time in eight years.

[Deleted]

Three seniors to play their last game for UF - I have to disagree with Pat Dooley, all are replaceable. UF has proven time and again that it reloads when top players leave. It'll be interesting to see the position movements and who joins the team. With only three starting seniors leaving, UF isn't leaving the national scene anytime soon:


By Pat Dooley
Staff writer

Published: Wednesday, June 3, 2015


OKLAHOMA CITY -- Notes as we head into the last college softball game of the season:

* Tonight will be the last game for Florida’s seniors. For Lauren Haeger and Bailey Castro, two seniors who hug during introductions, the postseason has been on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Haeger has been the story of this Women’s College World Series. She has done it at the plate and in the circle. Her 1.21 ERA in Oklahoma City and three homers are a big reason why Florida is here tonight, playing for the national title. Haeger is hitting .414 for the postseason and .538 at the WCWS. Castro, on the other hand, is hitting .048 for the postseason.

Castro seems to be swinging under everything, hitting a bunch of weak pop ups when she doesn’t strike out. You hate to see a senior who has led the team in on-base percentage all season struggle so mightily.

We’ll see what Tim Walton decides to do in the lineup tonight. He said he thought about pinch-hitting for Castro in the seventh, but stuck with her because of he on-base percentage (.536).

* Tonight will also be the last time we get to see Kathlyn Medina play shortstop and that is a shame. She has been amazing all season and especially in the postseason. While Haeger will be impossible to replace, it is also going to be difficult to replace Medina in the field.

The buzz around the Gator camp is that Kelsey Stewart might move to short. There is also the possibility freshman Aleshia Ocasio, who was recruited more as an every day player than a pitcher, could play there next season.

[Deleted]

Florida 4; Michigan 1 - Michigan eliminated 3-2, 0-1, and 4-1:


TEAMS-----1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
3Michigan--0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 5 1
1Florida----3 1 0 0 0 0 X 4 5 0


www.gatorzone.com/softball/tour/ncaa/2015/celebration/promo/banner-champions.jpg

Florida Gators - 2015 National Champion

[Deleted]

Wednesday June 3, 2015

BACK-TO-BACK: Florida Defeats Michigan to Earn Second-Straight National Championship



OKLAHOMA CITY – The Gators are national champions, once again.



The University of Florida softball team (60-7) is just the third program in NCAA Softball history to win back-to-back national titles, as the Gators downed Michigan (60-8) in Game 1 and Game 3 of the Women’s College World Series Championship Series by scores of 3-2 and 4-1, respectively. The WCWS was played at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.



In the 34-year history of the WCWS, 12 different teams have claimed the national title. Florida joins UCLA (2003, 2004 / 1988, 1989, 1990 / 1984, 1985) and Arizona (2006, 2007 / 1996, 1997 / 1993, 1994) as the only three programs to claim NCAA titles in consecutive years.



With tonight’s win, Florida improved to 4-1 this season against the Wolverines. Coming into the WCWS Championships Series, Michigan had won 28-straight games, but then they ran into the wrecking machine that is Florida softball.

In addition, the 60 wins that the Gators posted this season is the third-highest mark in school history. The Gators posted win totals of 70 and 63 in 2008 and 2009, respectively.



The back-to-back NCAA titles makes Florida the first school to in the Southeastern Conference with two championships, as Alabama won the conferences first crown in 2012.

Since the WCWS Championships Series moved to a best-of-three format, the team who has won Game 2 of the series has become the National Champions.

Until this year.

Game 3 Recap:


Behind a solid performance from senior Lauren Haeger in the circle, and clutch hits from the Gators offense, the University of Florida softball team won Game 3 of the Women’s College World Series Championship Series over Michigan, 4-1, on Wednesday in front of a sell-out crowd at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.


Still frustrated from being shutout for the first time all season yesterday, the Gators wasted no time getting on the board tonight.

In the top of the first inning, junior Kelsey Stewart and freshman Nicole DeWitt led off and each reached base by way of a hit-by-pitch and fielder’s choice. Then, the 2015 National Player of the Year delivered an RBI single into center field to give UF a 1-0 lead.

That RBI was her 71st of the season, which marked a new-career high for a single season.

Two batters later, DeWitt and Haeger were each in scoring position when junior Taylor Schwarz, who had just 12 RBI all season and was 1-for-11 in the NCAA Tournament, delivered a MEGA-clutch two-out, two-run single to give UF a solid 3-0 advantage.

One inning later, sophomore Justine McLean led off with an infield single. She then advanced to second on an error and third on a sacrifice bunt. After the sac, Stewart knocked her in with her first RBI of the WCWS, as she smacked a doubled into left-center field.

Michigan scored its lone run of the game in the top of the fifth inning on three singles.



Following a pair of one-out singles by Tera Blanco and Abby Ramirez, Sierra Romero delivered a two-out RBI single to center field to plate Blanco.



In the circle, Haeger (32-2) tossed six scoreless innings, while giving up five hits and striking out five Wolverines. Her counterpart, UM’s Haylie Wagner, who dominated UF in Game 2 of the WCWS Championship Series, started and surrendered four runs on four hits in just 2.0 innings pitched.


STARS OF THE GAME
•Lauren Haeger: The senior earned her 73rd-career win in the circle and she notched an RBI single for the Gators in the first inning.
•Taylor Schwarz: The junior smacked a two-out, two-run double to left field in the bottom of the first inning.
•Kelsey Stewart: The SEC Player of the Year mashed an RBI double into left-center field in the bottom of the second inning. It was her first RBI of the WCWS.



NOTABLES

· This is the University of Florida’s 35th National Title (33 NCAA and 2 AIAW).

· Florida has now won two NCAA titles this season – softball and women’s gymnastics.

· Florida has won at least two NCAA titles each of the last six seasons for a total of 13 in that span.

· In the 34-year history of the WCWS, 12 different teams have claimed the national title. Florida joins UCLA (2003, 2004 / 1988, 1989, 1990 / 1984, 1985) and Arizona (2006, 2007 / 1996, 1997 / 1993, 1994) as the only three programs to claim NCAA titles in consecutive years.

· Florida ranked No. 1 on the 2015 ESPN/USA Today preseason poll. The last preseason No. 1 team to win the NCAA title is Arizona in 2007.

· In the 11 years of the Regional–Super Regional–WCWS format, Florida is the fifth No. 1 seed to win the title (Florida – 2015; Oklahoma – 2013; Arizona State – 2011; Arizona – 2007; Michigan – 2005).

· The best two out of three championship series is now in its 12th year at the NCAA WCWS. The 1982-2004 title teams were determined by a championship game.

· 2015 is the second consecutive year both teams in the NCAA WCWS Championship Series or Game are both located east of the Mississippi River. The first time was in 2014 when Florida faced Alabama in the WCWS Championship series.

· This is the eighth time in the 34-year history of the WCWS that the championship final does not contain a team from the Pacific Time Zone. The first 24 years of the event had at least one team in the final from a west coast state.

· The 2015 WCWS attracted a record-breaking 78,078 fans to ASA Hall of Stadium over the duration of the event.

· The Florida-Michigan meeting marks the fifth consecutive year a Southeastern Conference team appears in the WCWS Championship Series.

· Florida is now 22-12 all-time at the WCWS.

· The Gators are now 69-33 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

· During Tim Walton’s tenure as head coach, UF is 64-21 in NCAA play and 22-12 at the WCWS.

· The Gators finished the season by going 28-3 since April 1; the stretch includes 19 victories over ranked teams and 11 nonconference wins.

· With her victory in the circle, Lauren Haeger finished her career with 73 wins and 71 home runs; she is the only player in Division I history to post 60+ in each category, and now has 70.

· Haeger and Babe Ruth are the only players in Division I softball, baseball or Major League Baseball history to reach the 70-70 plateau.

· Haeger finished the 2015 WCWS with a team-leading seven RBI.

· Taylor Schwarz recorded her first extra-base hit of the NCAA Tournament with a two-out, two-run double in the first inning.

· Kelsey Stewart notched her first RBI of the WCWS in the top of the second inning.



UP NEXT
The Gators will return home to Gainesville on Thursday. Information regarding a National Championship celebration at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium will be announced later.

[Deleted]

By Pat Dooley
Staff writer



Published: Wednesday, June 3, 2015 at 10:38 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, June 3, 2015 at 10:38 p.m.


OKLAHOMA CITY — The Florida softball team did it again. So did Lauren Haeger.



The senior limited to Michigan to one run for the second night in a row. But this time, Florida provided the early offense to beat the Wolverines 4-1 and win Florida’s second national title in a row.

Haeger retired Kelly Christner on a soft grounder to first to end the game, then threw her glove in the air as the Gators dogpiled in the circle.

In the stands, UF fans began chanting “Back to back! Back to back!”

The Gators finished off their season with a 60-7 record, only losing consecutive games once this season.

After being shut out for the first time this season on Tuesday night, Florida wasted little time getting to Michigan left-hander Haylie Wagner — who had thrown 20 scoreless innings in the WCWS.

Kelsey Stewart was hit by a pitch and Nicole DeWitt followed with a bunt. Michigan catcher Lauren Sweet tried to get Stewart at second, but the throw was late. Haeger followed with a soft single to center to make it 1-0. It was Haeger’s 11th RBI of the postseason and her 71st of the season, a new high for the senior.

Two outs later, with runners on second and third, Taylor Schwarz delivered a clutch single to left-center to score two runs. The throw home appeared to beat Haeger, but Sweet couldn’t handle it. Schwarz, whose brother JJ was named college baseball’s freshman of the year, entered the game with only 12 RBIs this season.

In the second, Stewart drilled a double to left-center to score Justine McLean and knock Wagner out of the game.

Haeger loaded the bases in the top of the third inning before striking out Christner to end the inning. She held the Wolverines (60-8) hitless until the fifth inning when Michigan put together three sharp singles to score a run. Christner, once again representing the tying run, flew out to center to end the inning.

[lz2112]

Jun 3, 2015 22:14:54 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

Wednesday June 3, 2015

BACK-TO-BACK: Florida Defeats Michigan to Earn Second-Straight National Championship



OKLAHOMA CITY – The Gators are national champions, once again.



The University of Florida softball team (60-7) is just the third program in NCAA Softball history to win back-to-back national titles, as the Gators downed Michigan (60-8) in Game 1 and Game 3 of the Women’s College World Series Championship Series by scores of 3-2 and 4-1, respectively. The WCWS was played at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.



In the 34-year history of the WCWS, 12 different teams have claimed the national title. Florida joins UCLA (2003, 2004 / 1988, 1989, 1990 / 1984, 1985) and Arizona (2006, 2007 / 1996, 1997 / 1993, 1994) as the only three programs to claim NCAA titles in consecutive years.



With tonight’s win, Florida improved to 4-1 this season against the Wolverines. Coming into the WCWS Championships Series, Michigan had won 28-straight games, but then they ran into the wrecking machine that is Florida softball.

In addition, the 60 wins that the Gators posted this season is the third-highest mark in school history. The Gators posted win totals of 70 and 63 in 2008 and 2009, respectively.



The back-to-back NCAA titles makes Florida the first school to in the Southeastern Conference with two championships, as Alabama won the conferences first crown in 2012.

Since the WCWS Championships Series moved to a best-of-three format, the team who has won Game 2 of the series has become the National Champions.

Until this year.

Game 3 Recap:


Behind a solid performance from senior Lauren Haeger in the circle, and clutch hits from the Gators offense, the University of Florida softball team won Game 3 of the Women’s College World Series Championship Series over Michigan, 4-1, on Wednesday in front of a sell-out crowd at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.


Still frustrated from being shutout for the first time all season yesterday, the Gators wasted no time getting on the board tonight.

In the top of the first inning, junior Kelsey Stewart and freshman Nicole DeWitt led off and each reached base by way of a hit-by-pitch and fielder’s choice. Then, the 2015 National Player of the Year delivered an RBI single into center field to give UF a 1-0 lead.

That RBI was her 71st of the season, which marked a new-career high for a single season.

Two batters later, DeWitt and Haeger were each in scoring position when junior Taylor Schwarz, who had just 12 RBI all season and was 1-for-11 in the NCAA Tournament, delivered a MEGA-clutch two-out, two-run single to give UF a solid 3-0 advantage.

One inning later, sophomore Justine McLean led off with an infield single. She then advanced to second on an error and third on a sacrifice bunt. After the sac, Stewart knocked her in with her first RBI of the WCWS, as she smacked a doubled into left-center field.

Michigan scored its lone run of the game in the top of the fifth inning on three singles.



Following a pair of one-out singles by Tera Blanco and Abby Ramirez, Sierra Romero delivered a two-out RBI single to center field to plate Blanco.



In the circle, Haeger (32-2) tossed six scoreless innings, while giving up five hits and striking out five Wolverines. Her counterpart, UM’s Haylie Wagner, who dominated UF in Game 2 of the WCWS Championship Series, started and surrendered four runs on four hits in just 2.0 innings pitched.


STARS OF THE GAME
•Lauren Haeger: The senior earned her 73rd-career win in the circle and she notched an RBI single for the Gators in the first inning.
•Taylor Schwarz: The junior smacked a two-out, two-run double to left field in the bottom of the first inning.
•Kelsey Stewart: The SEC Player of the Year mashed an RBI double into left-center field in the bottom of the second inning. It was her first RBI of the WCWS.



NOTABLES

· This is the University of Florida’s 35th National Title (33 NCAA and 2 AIAW).

· Florida has now won two NCAA titles this season – softball and women’s gymnastics.

· Florida has won at least two NCAA titles each of the last six seasons for a total of 13 in that span.

· In the 34-year history of the WCWS, 12 different teams have claimed the national title. Florida joins UCLA (2003, 2004 / 1988, 1989, 1990 / 1984, 1985) and Arizona (2006, 2007 / 1996, 1997 / 1993, 1994) as the only three programs to claim NCAA titles in consecutive years.

· Florida ranked No. 1 on the 2015 ESPN/USA Today preseason poll. The last preseason No. 1 team to win the NCAA title is Arizona in 2007.

· In the 11 years of the Regional–Super Regional–WCWS format, Florida is the fifth No. 1 seed to win the title (Florida – 2015; Oklahoma – 2013; Arizona State – 2011; Arizona – 2007; Michigan – 2005).

· The best two out of three championship series is now in its 12th year at the NCAA WCWS. The 1982-2004 title teams were determined by a championship game.

· 2015 is the second consecutive year both teams in the NCAA WCWS Championship Series or Game are both located east of the Mississippi River. The first time was in 2014 when Florida faced Alabama in the WCWS Championship series.

· This is the eighth time in the 34-year history of the WCWS that the championship final does not contain a team from the Pacific Time Zone. The first 24 years of the event had at least one team in the final from a west coast state.

· The 2015 WCWS attracted a record-breaking 78,078 fans to ASA Hall of Stadium over the duration of the event.

· The Florida-Michigan meeting marks the fifth consecutive year a Southeastern Conference team appears in the WCWS Championship Series.

· Florida is now 22-12 all-time at the WCWS.

· The Gators are now 69-33 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

· During Tim Walton’s tenure as head coach, UF is 64-21 in NCAA play and 22-12 at the WCWS.

· The Gators finished the season by going 28-3 since April 1; the stretch includes 19 victories over ranked teams and 11 nonconference wins.

· With her victory in the circle, Lauren Haeger finished her career with 73 wins and 71 home runs; she is the only player in Division I history to post 60+ in each category, and now has 70.

· Haeger and Babe Ruth are the only players in Division I softball, baseball or Major League Baseball history to reach the 70-70 plateau.

· Haeger finished the 2015 WCWS with a team-leading seven RBI.

· Taylor Schwarz recorded her first extra-base hit of the NCAA Tournament with a two-out, two-run double in the first inning.

· Kelsey Stewart notched her first RBI of the WCWS in the top of the second inning.



UP NEXT
The Gators will return home to Gainesville on Thursday. Information regarding a National Championship celebration at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium will be announced later.

[Deleted]

This from Gator Country is funny:

pbs.twimg.com/media/CGoQNMvUYAA2I14.jpg

Michigan Just Got Pitch Slapped

[mscott59]

congrats to the uf women. back to back is a great accomplishment.

[Deleted]

Just wanted to post how my thoughts turned out last night:

Jun 3, 2015 10:31:58 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

What I'd do to beat Michigan's lefty, Haylie Wagner:

1. Since she was more effective pitching inside to both our lefties and righties to set up her outside pitch which was unhittable with the batters so far off the plate, I'd move the batters closer to the plate requiring her to make her pitches perfectly or hit the batters. The batters have no obligation to move away from an inside pitch so long as they are in the hitters box. The weak hits were on the inside pitches and the strikeouts were on pathetic swings trying to hit the ball on the outside corner.

CHECK: UF had 6 hit batters. Kelsey Stewart's postgame interview comment - "You respect our space and we'll respect yours."

2. I'd give the green light to swing from pitch one regardless of the Wagner's pitch count. Wagner pitched strikes to Gators who were taking on 8 of the first 11 batters, but she was trying to throw strikes on the 3 she missed. It's more important for UF to be aggressive at the plate and to get Wagner out of her comfort zone than running up her pitch count. Wagner has already pitched 10 1/2 inning on Monday and Tuesday so it won't take much to get her off her game. I saw a pitcher high on emotion and adrenalin last night when she was interviewed. That will only take her so far when she tires and is forced out of her comfort zone by the UF hitters.

Check: UF batters came out swinging scoring 3 runs in the first inning and 1 run in the second inning. Haylie Wagner didn't make it through the second inning before being replaced by Megan Betsa.

3. If Wagner does get into a groove, call a time out or two for strategic pauses to break her timing. Wagner can't be allowed to mow UF batters down like the last two nights.

Check, except Tim Walton had to do it against Megan Betsa who got on a roll herself.

Forcing a change to Michigan's righty Megan Betsa is a win for UF, but I can already hear ESPN complaining if UF decides to crowd the plate and a few batters get hit with all of the high and tight pitching Wagner is doing. The umpire last night was giving wide strike zones for both inside and outside corner pitches giving an advantage to the pitchers. UF has to make Wagner use more of the plate, the middle of the plate to the outside, than she was using last night. If ESPN doesn't like UF taking away the inside high and tight, that's just too bad. The game at the plate has to be a battle of wills that UF must win.

Check: UF did win the battle getting 6 batters hit by pitches on high and tight, see the Kelsey Stewart comment above, and ESPN did complain. Writer's in the post game interviews asked in a complaining tone too. However, the umpire's can't give a generous inside strikezone without the batters making the matching adjustments to stop it.

My suggestion for defense is get the outfielders sun shades to wear in the early innings with their visors. Kirsti Merritt misjudged the line drive that allowed Michigan to score their only run last night because she was trying to make a play with the setting sun directly in her eyes. That's normally a routine catch for her.

Check: The outfielders had sun glasses with them in the early innings when the sun was in their eyes. Michigan did too.

I've got this all figured out for Tim Walton. It's a shame someone on his staff doesn't read this site so this great advice can be forwarded along.

Tim Walton didn't need my advice, but I'm pleased to see he did so much of what I would have done to win game 3 and the national championship.

[Deleted]

Meet the new Gators who will be coming in to help UF with a 3peat attempt:

www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=29159

Florida signed seven incoming freshmen. Georgia pitcher Kelly Barnhill was ranked as the nation’s No. 1 prospect heading into her senior season
after throwing 22 no-hitters (including a perfect game when she struck out all 21 batters faced) her first three years of high school. California outfielder Amanda Lorenz checked in as the No. 2-ranked prospect in the country.

This site has the #1 and #2 players reversed:

emspeedtraining.com/top-10-senior-softball-players-in-the-nation/

Kelly Barnhill just won the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year award.

UF softball doesn't rebuild, it reloads.

[Deleted]

The Gainesville Sun coverage of the championship celebration at UF:

www.gatorsports.com/article/20150604/ARTICLES/150609822?tc=cr

[Deleted]

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A day after Florida softball fans celebrated the program’s historic second straight national championship, the University Athletic Association held its latest in a series of meetings to address the conception phase for major renovations to Pressly Stadium.

Led by Chip Howard, UF’s executive association athletic director for internal affairs, the meeting focused on potential amenities that would be folded into the project to accommodate the growth of the team’s fan base due to its phenomenal success under Coach Tim Walton. The committee first began its stadium renovation study four months ago.

Budget for the project is expected to be in excess of $2 million. With plans only in the conception phase, no timetable has been set to begin construction.

Among the areas expected to be addressed:

* Nearly doubling the current capacity of 1,200 by extending the bleachers into the current berm areas, plus the addition of more ADA seating.
* Shade structure for the stands.
* More concessions and larger restrooms.
* Larger dugouts.
* Expanded press box
* Team video area in clubhouse
* Renovated bullpen areas.

Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium opened in UF’s inaugural 1997 season, but in nearly two decades has outgrown the popularity of a program that has been to the Women’s College World Series seven of the last eight seasons.

The Gators defeated Michigan 4-1 in Wednesday night’s decisive Game 3 of the WCWS national title series to become just the third program in college softball history (joining UCLA and Arizona) to win consecutive NCAA crowns.

[Deleted]

UF assistant hired as HC at Oklahoma State:


The Associated Press


Published: Saturday, June 13, 2015 at 5:22 p.m.


STILLWATER, Okla. — An assistant for national softball champion Florida will be the new head softball coach at Oklahoma State.


OSU announced Saturday that Kenny Gajewski is the Cowgirls new softball coach.

Gajewski has spent the past three seasons as an assistant at Florida — helping the team win the past two Women’s College World Series.

He replaces Rich Wieligman after Wieligman was fired following the season in which OSU was 21-31 overall and 3-13 in the Big 12.


It'll be interesting to see who Tim Walton hires to replace Kenny Gajewski. Ex-UF softballer Megan Bush has been the Gators color announcer for softball on radio and TV. She might be interested in getting into coaching.