Florida Sports Wire

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Florida women’s basketball saw their impressive postseason run come to an end on Monday evening, falling to Bowling Green in front of a near-record crowd at the Stroh Center, 69-52. Leilani Correa paced the Gators (19-15) offensively with 20 points to go along with five rebounds and two steals, while KK Deans and Jordyn Merritt each added nine for the Orange & Blue. The Gators ended the day shooting 19-of-53 (35.8%) from the field and 7-of-21 (33.3%) from three-point range, led by three from Deans. Florida moved the ball well, assisting on 13 of their 19 made baskets. Deans dished-out seven on the evening to lead the charge and Alberte Rimdal tallied three of her own. Merritt continued to hold down the glass for Florida, ending with a team-best 10 rebounds. Correa and Deans both pulled-down five of their own, but the Falcons held a 47-35 edge on the boards. Defensively, the Gators forced Bowling Green (31-6) into 16 turnovers after the Falcons entered the gam

PORTLAND, Ore. – Orlando Pride (0-1-0, 0 points) suffered a 4-0 defeat to the Portland Thorns in its season-opening match of the 2023 NWSL season.  This was the fourth time both sides have gone up against one another to open the NWSL regular season, making it the most common season opening pairing in NWSL history to start the season.  The match saw the four players make their Pride debut for the Club to start the season. 2023 NWSL Draft picks Emily Madril and Messiah Bright earned the start in the match.  Brazilian Adriana also earned the start up top after joining the Club from Brazilian side Corinthians and had perhaps the best Pride opportunity with a 53rd-minute shot. Another 2023 NWSL Draft pick, Summer Yates, saw her first professional action in the match coming on as a substitute in the 53rd minute.   Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse made a Club-high 12 saves on the night. This beats the previous Pride record held by Ashlyn Harris who made 10 saves on April 29, 2017 against the N

GAINESVILLE  – University of Florida first baseman/left-handed pitcher Jac Caglianone has been named the SEC Co-Player of the Week on the heels of a 4-0 week and series sweep at No. 13 Ole Miss, as announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon. This is the second SEC Player of the Week accolade of the season for Caglianone, who picks up honors alongside Vanderbilt's Parker Noland and LSU's Dylan Crews. Caglianone previously hauled in the award on Feb. 27 following Florida's series sweep of Cincinnati. Powering the Gators to an undefeated week and the team's first sweep in Oxford since 1988, Caglianone went 11-for-18 at the plate to post a robust .611/.650/1.333 slash line. The Tampa, Fla. native totaled four home runs, one double, eight RBI, five runs scored and an SEC-leading 24 total bases. During Saturday's doubleheader against the Rebels, Caglianone blasted three home runs including one in each game. The two-way standout went deep again in Sunday's

CORAL GABLES – University of Miami sophomore Jasmyne Roberts was named to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Greenville 2 All-Region Team, Monday morning as announced by the NCAA. Roberts helped the Hurricanes to their first ever Elite Eight appearance, averaging 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in four NCAA Tournament games.  The Jacksonville, Fla., native led the Hurricanes in both categories, while also shooting 55.4 percent from the field and 84.6 precent at the charity stripe. The guard eclipsed the 20-point mark in back-to-back games, totaling 26 points against Villanova and 22 points against LSU. Roberts recorded a career outing in the Hurricanes’ Sweet Sixteen victory over Villanova, setting new career highs in scoring (26), made field goals (10), while tying her career highs in rebounding (nine) and steals (four). Her 10 made field goals against Villanova and LSU ranks tied second in Miami program history in NCAA Tournament single-game field goals made, only behind Vicki Plow

JACKSONVILLE  - Jacksonville University baseball's Kris Armstrong has received multiple honors after his big week helped the Dolphins to five wins on the diamond. Armstrong was named ASUN Player of the Week and Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week on Monday. The graduate third baseman had a monster week at the plate, finishing the five-game homestand with 15 hits, eight of them home runs and three doubles as well.  He drove in 24 runs total, and recorded three multi-homer games. The highlight of his week came in back-to-back three-home run performances on Saturday and Sunday vs. Central Arkansas. He also set the program record for RBI in a game on Saturday with eight. He is the third JU player to receive weekly recognition from the conference this season, following C/1B Hogan McIntosh and RHP Evan Chrest, and becomes the first Dolphin since RHP Mason Adams to receive National Player of the Week recognition from Collegiate Baseball on March 7, 2022.

MACON, Ga. - The eighth-ranked Florida lacrosse team defeated the Mercer Bears 15-6 on Wednesday afternoon behind a strong showing on both ends of the field. The Gators improve to 6-3 on the year, while the Bears fall to 5-2 overall. Florida had nine different goal scorers on Wednesday afternoon, with Kaitlyn Davies leading the way with her three-goal effort. Emma LoPinto, Maggi Hall, Emily Heller and Danielle Pavinelli each registered two scores on the day, while four Gators each recorded one goal: Madison Waters, Paisley Eagan, Ava Tighe, Tayler Warehime. Hall posted a team-high three assists in the victory, while LoPinto, M. Waters and Ashley Gonzalez each dished out one assist in the win. The Gators won 18-of-25 draw controls on the afternoon, with Liz Harrison tallying a career-high 12. Heller added two draw control victories in the game. Florida held Mercer to 6-of-27 (.222) shooting in the victory, posting 15 caused turnovers. Heller registered a team-high and career-high five c

ORLANDO – Orlando Guardians head coach Terrell Buckley has announced the hiring of Devin Bush Sr. to the team’s coaching staff as a defensive analyst, where he will have input at all three levels of the defense. “I’m very pleased and excited to add Devin to our coaching staff,” Buckley said. “Devin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our program. As a player, he has won Super Bowls and National Championships. As a coach, he has won a state championship at the high school level. He’s going to be invaluable to our defense at every position.” Bush played eight seasons in the National Football League, including a Super Bowl Championship with the St. Louis Rams following the 1999 season. Prior to his time in the NFL, he was a standout safety at Florida State from 1992-1994.  Bush was a first-round NFL Draft selection of the Atlanta Falcons in 1995. He played 116 career games in the NFL with 428 total tackles and seven interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. In add

 GAINESVILLE, Fla.- Gators head football coach Billy Napier named Russ Callaway Florida's new tight ends coach, it was announced Wednesday. Callaway, 35, enters his second season with the Gators after joining the staff in 2022 in an off-the-field roles. An experienced coach at the collegiate and NFL levels, Callaway arrived in Gainesville after spending the 2021 season with the New York Giants, serving as an offensive assistant, and the 2020 season as a senior offensive assistant and analyst at LSU. His resume also includes stints with at Alabama and Samford. He spent five seasons at Samford where he served as the Bulldogs' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2016-19, while also coaching the wide receivers from 2015-17. As a unit in 2018, Samford's offense led the FCS in passing yards per game (392.7). The offense also ranked fourth in the FCS in total offense (515.9 ypg.), and eighth in both red zone offense (.898) and in first downs (298). Meanwhile in 2017,

 NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. – The Owls are still dancing. Florida Atlantic University's men's basketball team has made the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. The east region's No. 9 seed FAU (33-3) will play the No. 4 seed Tennessee Volunteers (25-10) on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Tip off is set for around 9 p.m. EST. Thursday's winner will advance to the Elite Eight on Saturday for a chance to win the east region and qualify for the Final Four, to be held in Houston. After a dominant 28-3 regular season, followed by three more wins to achieve their first ever Conference USA championship, the Owls qualified for the NCAA tournament for just the second time in school history and first since 2002. This added to their season accolades that includes their most wins (33), highest AP national ranking (19) and an undefeated record at home (17-0) Over the first two rounds, FAU further proved they belong with the best in the nation,

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Following a sensational week, Miami infielder CJ Kayfus earned Player of the Week recognition from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game/Rawlings, as announced Monday. Kayfus batted .750 (12-for-16) with three home runs, eight RBI and a 2.137 OPS across the Hurricanes’ 4-0 stretch, highlighted by a sweep of then-No. 17 Virginia Tech. The junior also scored seven runs, walked four times and stole three bases, helping No. 17 Miami vault up the polls. Kayfus kicked off the week with two hits and a pair of walks, scoring the game-winning run in the ninth during the Hurricanes’ 7-3 midweek victory over crosstown foe FIU. The Wellington, Fla., native continued his hot tear, reaching safely four times for the second straight contest, as the Hurricanes walked off the Hokies, 4-3, Friday evening. The 6-foot, 192-pound first baseman finished with three knocks, two runs, two stolen bases, an RBI and a free pass. In the first game of Saturday’s d

  ATLANTA -  Jacksonville University baseball freshman pitcher Evan Chrest was named ASUN Pitcher of the Week on Monday, as announced by the league office. He earned a win on the road at Lipscomb on Friday, his first career conference start. The Tampa, Florida native went a career-long eight innings in the win over the Bisons, holding a potent offense to just two runs, only one of them earned, while scattering four hits. He struck out seven over the course of the outing, and consistently got big outs when he needed them, either via strikeouts or double-plays. He has now won his last three starts for JU and earned his first career conference weekly award. Chrest is the first Dolphin to win Pitcher of the Week from the conference since Mason Adams was recognized on March 7, 2022. It is the 50th time a JU pitcher has received the honor since joining the league back 1999.

 Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 4 of the 2023 MLS season. Almada scored two goals and added two assists in the club’s 5-1 victory at home versus the Portland Timbers on Saturday, March 18. The Argentine midfielder became the first player in MLS history to produce at least four goals and four assists in his club’s first four games of a season. Almada leads MLS in goals and is tied with the Philadelphia Union’s Dániel Gazdag for the most assists. Almada joined Yamil Asad (9/20/2017 vs. the LA Galaxy) as the only players in Five Stripes history with two goals and two assists in a single match. In the 25th minute, Almada helped open the scoring on the counterattack when he found a sprinting Caleb Wiley in space, and the 18-year-old did the rest, slotting his shot past the goalkeeper to make it 1-0 (Watch Here).  The Argentine doubled Atlanta’s lead in spectacular fashion in first ha

  NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. -  The University of Tampa women's lacrosse team drops three spots to No. 7 in the latest ILWomen/IWLCA Division II Poll. Last week the Spartans fell to Pace at home but would rebound three days later with a win over Mercy.   There is another new No. 1 in Division II this week, as undefeated West Chester bumped two spots into the top slot. Regis followed, jumping five spots from the No. 7 position a week ago after upsetting UIndy 14-12.   Pace, UIndy, and Le Moyne round out the Top 5, while Florida Southern dropped from the No. 2 position after falling to Bentley on Saturday.   The ILWomen/IWLCA Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media.  

  PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida   – The PGA TOUR and THE PLAYERS Championship today announced Comcast Business as a Proud Partner of THE PLAYERS Championship through 2030.   THE PLAYERS, featuring the strongest field in golf, is being contested at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, March 9-12 with 144 players competing for a record $25 million purse. “The PGA TOUR has enjoyed working alongside Comcast Business the last three years, and we are excited to now officially welcome them as a Proud Partner of our flagship event, THE PLAYERS Championship,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Their goal of helping business leaders achieve maximum business performance while keeping communities connected aligns perfectly with the mission of the PGA TOUR and the local charitable goals of THE PLAYERS Championship.”   This expanded partnership builds on the success of  Comcast Business’s multi-year sponsorship of the Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10,  which emphasizes player performance by re

  The XFL announced updates to its 2023 schedule in partnership with The Walt Disney Company and ESPN, the exclusive broadcast partner of the XFL. One of the updates to the schedule affects the Orlando Guardians. Orlando’s game with the D.C. Defenders at Camping World Stadium has been moved to Saturday, April 1. The game will kick off at 6 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN2. The following is a look at all the schedule updates announced today: (Week 5) Sunday, March 19:  Arlington Renegades vs. San Antonio Brahmas at the Alamodome is now scheduled for 9:00 pm ET/8:00 pm CT and will be broadcast on ESPN2 Saturday, April 1 : San Antonio Brahmas vs. Vegas Vipers at Cashman Field, is now scheduled for 3 pm ET/12 pm PT and will be broadcast on ESPN2. The game was previously scheduled for 6 p.m. ET/3 PM PT Saturday, April 1 : D.C. Defenders vs. Orlando Guardians at Camping World Stadium, is now scheduled for 6 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast on ESPN. The game was previously scheduled for Sunday, Ap

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - After defeating then-No. 7 Loyola on Saturday, two Gators earned American Athletic Conference accolades, as the league announced Monday afternoon. Becky Browndorf was tabbed as the AAC Defender of the Week and Emily Heller was named as AAC Midfielder of the Week - her second-straight conference honor. Browndorf - earning the first weekly honor of her career - finished the game against the Greyhounds with a team-high three groundballs and two caused turnovers. The senior defender had the task of marking Loyola's Jillian Wilson, holding her to just 1-of-2 shooting on the afternoon. Emily Heller paced Florida's offense in the victory, finishing with three goals on four shots. That was the senior midfielder's second-straight hat trick. The Babylon, N.Y. native also registered a team-high five draw controls and two groundballs in the Top-10 win. The Gators are back in action on Tuesday when the team hosts Colgate. Opening draw is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Dona

  CORAL GABLES, Fla. —   Following a career outing against then-No. 19 NC State, Miami right-hander Gage Ziehl was named ACC Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced Monday afternoon. Ziehl tossed a career-long eight innings, limiting one of the most potent offenses in the nation to only one unearned run. The sophomore starter held the Wolfpack, which entered the series eighth nationally with a .338 average, to just four hits.   “We all have a lot of confidence in Gage and that’s why he’s one of our guys,” Miami head coach Gino DiMare said after the game Saturday. “He’s a high-character guy, who is very mentally-tough with a lot of moxie. It was a big performance and we needed that.”   The Penfield, N.Y., native recorded eight-plus strikeouts for the third straight appearance, while only issuing one free pass.   Ziehl’s eight-inning masterpiece marked the longest start by a Hurricane this season, as the co-captain helped Miami clinch a series victory on the opening weekend of A

DAYTONA BEACH (Florida Sports Wire) – Celebrating International Women’s Day, officials with the LPGA and the Velocity Global Impact Award Committee announced that In Gee Chun has won the inaugural Velocity Global Impact Award thanks to a fan vote that ran on LPGA.com between Feb. 21-March 6.  The award recognizes Chun’s dedication to growing the sport of golf and inspiring the next generation of athletes through her efforts and actions as the proud founder and generous donor to the In Gee Chun Lancaster Country Club Educational Foundation, which provides scholarships for Lancaster Country Club (LCC) employees, their dependents and caddies to further their educational goals.  With the award, Chun and the In Gee Chun LCC Educational Foundation will each receive $100,000 compliments of Velocity Global. “Thank you Velocity Global and the LPGA for launching this meaningful award and for sharing each of our stories to inspire the next generation to have a positive impact on the world,” said

PONTE VEDRA BEACH (Florida Sports Wire) - On Wednesday at TPC Sawgrass, caddies for THE PLAYERS take part in an annual championship tradition where they aim to create their own Defining Moment by competing in a closest-to-the-pin contest at the iconic 17th hole Island Green.  From the first practice round in the morning through the final shots hit on Wednesday afternoon, each caddie gets one swing to make their own history at THE PLAYERS. Upon registration at the tournament, each player donates to the Caddie Competition.  The winning caddie receives the pot, and the PGA TOUR matches the total to donate to the Bruce Edwards Foundation. In addition to the pot, the winning caddie also receives a VIP parking spot for each competition day, an engraved money clip, and a custom drawing by sketch artist Casey Jones, who draws for Disney and Marvel Comics.  New in 2023, a plaque has been placed inside the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse, which will include each winning caddie’s name. Final Results: Ran

GAINESVILLE (Florida Sports Wire) – Fresh off a record-breaking season and her second world championship in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Season, Top Fuel star Brittany Force has no plans of letting up – or slowing down. The fastest female in sports, Force broke numerous track records and made the fastest run in Top Fuel history (338.94 mph) during the 2022 season en route to the world title. She hopes to kick off the 2023 campaign on a big note, too, including picking up her second career win at the legendary Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Force is also competing in the eight-car Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday, which is a specialty race with big money on the line, putting a premium on a great start in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster – especially as the reigning world champ. “There’s going to be pressure going into day one,” Force said. “We go right into the season and it’s going to be exciting. I’m excited to get i