On to Omaha: The Florida baseball team is back in the College World Series
Welcome to another installment of Good Morning, Gators, SEC Country’s daily morning column covering Florida athletics with Florida beat writer Jordan McPherson. Here’s a look at what you might have missed on Monday.
On to Omaha
That’s right. The Florida Gators baseball team is heading back to the College World Series for a third straight year. After seemingly endless rain delays and a walk-off loss in the second of a best-of-three series to Wake Forest that was suspended on Sunday and finished Monday afternoon, the No. 3 national seed Gators defeated the Demon Deacons 3-0 in the decisive third game on Monday night to punch their ticket to Omaha, Neb. Freshman righty Tyler Dyson played a heavy hand in the win, tossing 5 scoreless innings of relief in the finale hours after tossing 2 perfect frames earlier in the day.
A full photo gallery from the Gainesville Super Regional finale can be found here.
First-round Faedo
In addition to pitching the final two innings on Monday night to earn his first collegiate save, Florida ace Alex Faedo was selected with the 18th overall pick of the MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers on Monday. It shouldn’t come as a surprise after his remarkable three-year career with the Gators. However, someone else noticed Faedo’s potential years ago: high school teammate and former Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez.
The Detroit News’ Lynn Henning went in-depth on the Tigers’ decision to draft Faedo.
Money talks
The board for Florida’s University Athletic Association approved a more than $128 million budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year, up more than $5.5 million from last year. According to Gator Country’s Nick De La Torre, $82.5 million of that budget will be used toward “football related expenses.”
On the recruiting trail
The Florida football team received a commitment from JUCO safety Deontai Williams on Monday, bolstering a position of need for the 2018 recruiting class. However, the Gators aren’t done adding safeties to the class just yet.
Gators in the NFL
- Center Maurkice Pouncey could be an integral part for one of the best offensive lines in Pittsburgh Steelers history.
- Linebackers Antonio Morrison and Jon Bostic are having strong preseason camps so far for the Indianapolis Colts.
- Despite being a seventh-round pick, rookie Joey Ivie could make the Dallas Cowboys’ roster if he has a strong training camp.
Awards and honors
- Florida Kelly Barnhill was named the 2017 Honda Award recipient for softball on Monday.
- The National Fastpitch Coaches Association named the Gators softball coaching staff its Southeast Region staff of the year.
Let’s keep talking
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