Florida Sports Wire

  JACKSONVILLE ( Florida Sports Wire ) – Former Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp left-handed pitcher Dax Fulton became the fourth Jacksonville alumnus in as many days to make his major league debut when he did so on Wednesday for the Miami Marlins against the Balitmore Orioles at loanDepot park. Fulton filled a long-relief role for Miami, working 4.0 innings of relief. He yielded two runs on three hits with three strikeouts against a pair of walks in the Marlins’ 7-4 loss to the Orioles. Originally selected by Miami in the second round of the 2020 draft out of Mustang High School (Mustang, Okla.), Fulton reached Jacksonville for the first time during last season’s run to the Triple-A National Championship. He made four starts for the Jumbo Shrimp following a promotion from Double-A Pensacola, striking out 19 in 16.1 innings. He began the 2026 campaign with Jacksonville, making five starts out of seven appearances, and registering 24 strikeouts in 20.0 innings of work. The 2025 campaign w...

Special to Florida Sports Wire The Sporting JAX women’s team delivered a statement result on Wednesday night, defeating DC Power FC 1-0 on the road in the second-to-last match of their inaugural season, clinching a home playoff match in the process.  DeSmit Delivers Again  Sporting JAX found its breakthrough in the 33rd minute, continuing a season-long trend of timely attacking moments. Sophia Boman worked the ball into a dangerous area, setting up Baylee DeSmit, who made no mistake in front of goal.  DeSmit’s strike marked her 12th of the season, further cementing her role as one of the league’s most consistent offensive threats. The early lead gave Sporting JAX control, allowing them to dictate the pace and remain composed in a high-stakes environment against a DC side pushing to keep its playoff hopes alive.  Defensive Focus Pays Off   With everything on the line, Sporting JAX leaned into a disciplined defensive performance to protect the lead. Head Coach Sta...

  TALLAHASSEE  ( Florida SportsWire ) – Florida State and Georgia have mutually agreed to cancel the schools’ home-and-home series scheduled for 2027 and 2028. The Seminoles and Bulldogs are now in discussion to play a neutral-site matchup soon. “As we considered the effects of evolving scheduling mandates within both the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference, we have mutually agreed that it is in the best interest of both schools to cancel our home-and-home series scheduled for 2027 and 2028,” FSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford said. “We are now discussing playing a future neutral-site contest, and we are optimistic we will get that done. Importantly, this change will not reduce the total home games on our schedule moving forward.” Florida State opens its 2026 campaign on August 29 at Doak Campbell Stadium against New Mexico State.

By Jeff Moeller, Jacksonville Sports Day If there is one certainty you can count on from the Jaguars’ draft, it is general manager James Gladstone did it his way. He made his mark with his shocking trade up for Travis Hunter last year that gave the Jags a less profile draft this year.  Gladstone has come under criticism from draft experts for his overall selections. His overall performance didn’t register high marks.  The Jags and Rams’ drafts were ranked at the bottom by many draftniks. Ironically, Gladstone’s front office roots were with the Rams. Do you doubt the Rams’ brass by envisioning Ty Simpson as Matthew Stafford’s replacement?  When you look at the Jags’ recent draft, there were some headscratchers.  Overall, it was a mixed bag. There was a prevailing theory that they had to fill the void left by running back Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd. The Jags may have filled Lloyd’s spot, but they didn’t draft a running back.  Top pick Nate Boerkirch...

  By JEFF MOELLER, Jacksonville SportsDay JACKSONVILLE – Most Jaguars’ fans weren’t expecting a well-known draft pick at No. 56 unless the Jags picked up one of the quarterbacks still available. There also was the underlying feeling that general manager James Gladstone could pull off another draft blockbuster deal that he did last year with Travis Hunter. Without a pick in the top 50, this draft was about adding depth and finding a starter would be a longshot. Instead, the script continued with a rather quiet offseason for the team. Their biggest deal was Travon Walker’s extension and the re-signing of a number of veterans. Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen have worked to keep most of the current cast in place except for Travis Etienne, Devin LLoyd, and Andrew Wingard. Lack of cap space left them without the ability to shop as freely as they wanted. The Jags’ duo must have a plan in mind that we’ll have to watch unravel with the drafting of Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkicher...

SHREWSBURY, N.J. - The ECHL averaged, 5,018 fans per game during the 2025-26 regular season, marking the first time the League has surpassed the 5,000 mark per game since 1997-98, when the average was 5,013 per game. This is the fourth time in 38 seasons that the ECHL has exceeded 5,000 fans per game, with the all-time highest average of 5,312 occurring in 1994-95 and 5,273 in 1996-97. “Coming into the 2025-26 Season, our League goal was to surpass 5,000 fans per game,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. “The ECHL is honored to recognize this achievement and the growth of our 30 markets through the dedication of each front office team with the continued mindset to engage in our communities and provide hometown entertainment. This has led to more fans of our teams and the growth of hockey, to which we collectively say ‘Thank You’ to all of our supporters who make the ECHL atmosphere so exciting to be a part of.”  Among the highlights this season were two of the largest single game...

  North Division Semifinals (Best of Seven) #1 Wheeling Nailers (46-20-6) vs. #4 Reading Royals (36-26-10) Series Matchup Sheet Wheeling enters the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive season off of its first division title since 2003-04 while Reading is in the postseason for the fourth time in five years. The two teams are meeting in the playoffs for the fourth time, with the Nailers coming out on top in two of the three previous series, including the last meeting in 2016. The Nailers went 46-20-6 in the regular season, and were one of three teams to win at least 22 games both at home and on the road. Connor Lockhart (21g-34a) and Brent Johnson (12g-43a) shared the team lead with 55 points. Johnson, who was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team, led all ECHL defensemen in scoring this season. Taylor Gauthier was tied for the ECHL lead with a .929 save percentage and ranked third with a 2.09 goals-against average while going 21-9-5 in 36 appearances. The Royals posted a 36-26-1...

 LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Brian Navarreto lashed three hits and drove in two but the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp surrendered a pair of five-run leads in an 11-9 defeat to the Gwinnett Stripers from Gwinnett Field. The Jumbo Shrimp (11-12) led 9-4 when Aaron Schunk singled with one out in the sixth. Brett Wisely followed with a double before José Azocar’s RBI ground out pulled the Stripers (15-8) within 9-5. An inning later, Brewer Hicklen was hit by a pitch and Jim Jarvis walked with one out. After a foul out, Chadwick Tromp singled to load the bases. Schunk drove in two with a base hit and Wiseley doubled home another run to cut the Jacksonville lead to 9-8. In the eighth, Jumbo Shrimp reliever William Kempner (0-2) walked Luke Williams with one out. Hicklen then put Gwinnett in front for the first time all day with a two-run home run. Jarvis walked and Nacho Alvarez Jr. singled before the runners advanced on a wild pitch. After a pop out, Schunk lined an RBI single to make it 11-9. Sc...

TALLAHASSEE – Florida State University Athletics announced the 2026 FSU Athletics Hall of Fame inductees and the date of the induction banquet on Monday. The ceremony will take place on campus Friday, September 25, in the University Center Club. Florida State’s 2026 class features football stars Nick O’Leary and Bjoern Werner, baseball All-American Sean Gilmartin, former Director of Athletics Dave Hart, soccer ACC Defensive Player of the Year Kassey Kallman, three-time NCAA track national champion Maurice Mitchell, FSU’s first-ever beach volleyball hall of fame selection Jace Pardon and two-time Olympian and two-time All-American diver Katrina Young. In addition to the formal induction ceremony Friday night, the inductees will be recognized at the football game against Central Arkansas on Saturday. A limited number of tickets for the induction ceremony will be available for purchase at a later date through Seminole Boosters, Inc. Sean Gilmartin, Baseball (2009-11) One of the finest pi...

JACKSONVILLE – A pair of wild pitches allowed two runs to score which gave Edward Waters University the lead for good in a 7-4 win over Flagler College in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday evening at Henry L. Aaron Field at James P. Small Memorial Ballpark. Edward Waters won its fourth game in a row to improve to 26-19. Flagler dropped to 30-15. The Saints wrap up conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Augusta University. The first game of the series is on Friday at 6 p.m. A sacrifice fly and a squeeze bunt by Flagler in the fourth inning knotted the game at 3-all. Edward Waters loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fourth. After a pitching change and a strikeout, the Tigers took advantage of some wild pitches and scored two runs to take the lead for good. They added two more runs in the sixth for insurance. Cason Shurling (4-1), the third pitcher used by the Tigers, allowed two runs on three hits in four innings to get the win. Ty Mitzel set down al...

  JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Icemen, ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres and the AHL’s Rochester Americans announced today that forward Adam McMaster has been named the Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week for April 13-19. McMaster scored two goals and added four assists for six points in three games last week. The 25-year-old had a goal and an assist in a 5-4 shootout loss at Greenville on Friday, dished out a pair of assists in a 4-3 win over the Swamp Rabbits on Saturday and had a goal and an assist in a 7-5 victory against Orlando on Sunday. A native of Beamsville, Ontario, McMaster totaled 43 points (21g-22a) in 70 games with Jacksonville and Tulsa this season. He made his pro debut with the Oilers last season, recording three points (1g-2a) in eight games. Prior to turning pro, McMaster tallied 61 points (26g-35a) in 103 career games at Acadia University and 145 points (50g-105a) in 254 career games in the Ontario Hockey League with North Bay and Owen Sound. On behal...

By JEFF MOELLER, Jacksonville Sports News For Matt Fitzpatrick, it was another successful trip to his home away from home. Over the years, the 31-year-old Sheffield, England native and his family vacationed on Hilton Head Island, and they also attended the annual PGA event there that has dated back to 1966.  When he won the RBC Heritage in 2023 , Fitzpatrick became an instant fan favorite, as he defeated Jordan Spieth in a playoff. Fitzpatrick won on the third playoff hole after hitting his approach shot to within one foot to set up the winning birdie. Late Sunday afternoon, the Hilton Head Island magic was back again. As Yogi Berra once aptly put it, “It was deja vu all over again.”  It was another vintage day on Hilton Head, where residents there and from nearby communities are totally enraptured with the annual tournament. It arguably is the social event of the year with another batch of overflow crowds. Fitzpatrick beat Scottie Scheffler - another Island favorite - in a pl...

  By Mick Moninghoff ORLANDO – Pirates Quarterback Paxton DeLaurent threw five touchdown passes with four of them going to wideout Thomas Owens as Orlando defeated the Tulsa Oilers in overtime 61-55 at the Kia Center. The win was also the first for New Head Coach Rod Windsor in his first game at the helm. The Pirates remain undefeated at 3-0 while the Oilers (1-1) suffered their first loss of the season. Orlando trailed 35-33 at the half and did not take the lead until there were 27 seconds remaining in the game.  Trailing 52-48, DeLaurent led the Pirates on a five-play, 45-yard drive. On first and goal from the seven, he ran a quarterback counter into the end zone to give the home team a 55-48 lead as Axel Perez added the extra point. Kicker Bailey Hale of the Oilers booted a 48-yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime. Tulsa had the best possession in the extra session. A holding penalty on first down and a tackle for a loss by the Pirates Jacques Bris...

Special to Florida Sports Wire  JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp blanked the Charlotte Knights 3-0 behind Dax Fulton’s six shutout innings Tuesday afternoon at VyStar Ballpark in front of 5,438 fans.  The Jumbo Shrimp (8-8) picked up six hits in the ballgame and scored all three runs against Charlotte (7-9) off two swings in the sixth inning.  After two quick outs to begin the frame, Joe Mack provided a two-out single and Kemp Alderman (2) socked a two-run home run to the opposite field off Charlotte right-hander Chase Plywell (L, 0-1). One batter later, Nathan Martorella (2) launched his second home run of the season to right field to push the score to 3-0.  Jacksonville relievers Zack Brzykcy, Josh White and Josh Ekness (SV, 1) combined to shut down the Knights across the final three frames.  The series continues Wednesday with Jacksonville southpaw Patrick Monteverde (0-1, 5.79) starting on the mound opposite Charlotte right-hander Duncan Davitt ...

JACKSONVILLE – Sporting Club Jacksonville’s women’s team has officially clinched a spot in the 2026 Gainbridge Super League Playoffs, becoming the first expansion team in league history to secure a postseason berth in its inaugural season. Sporting JAX’s playoff position was confirmed following a decisive stretch of results across the league. The club earned a key victory over Brooklyn this past Saturday, while Dallas Trinity defeated Spokane (3-1) and Carolina Ascent secured a win over Tampa. With DC Power falling to FTL United in Monday night’s matchup, Sporting JAX officially locked in its place in the postseason. The milestone caps a dominant debut campaign for the First Coast’s first professional women’s soccer team. Sporting JAX has sat atop the Gainbridge Super League table continuously since Dec. 20, establishing itself as one of the league’s most consistent and formidable sides. With a playoff berth secured, Sporting JAX now turns its focus toward seeding and a championship pu...

ORLANDO – TEG Sport and The Football Association today announced that Inter&Co Stadium will host the England men's national team for an international friendly against Costa Rica on Wednesday, June 10 (4 p.m. ET), as part of the Three Lions’ preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026™. The match will mark a rare appearance for England on U.S. soil and provides fans an opportunity to see one of international football’s most storied national teams compete in Central Florida ahead of the world’s biggest sporting event. Fans can register to receive information about ticket availability here. “We are thrilled to bring the England men’s national team to Orlando as part of their World Cup preparations," said Jarrod Dillon, President of Business Operations for Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride and Inter&Co Stadium. “Inter&Co Stadium offers an electric atmosphere and world‑class facilities, making it the ideal stage for an international matchup of this caliber. This fixture refl...

  JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp left-hander Braxton Garrett has been named the International League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 7-13, Minor League Baseball announced Monday. Garrett is the first Jumbo Shrimp pitcher to earn a weekly honor in during the 2026 campaign. In his third start of the season, Garrett fired 6.0 no-hit innings with six strikeouts against just one walk. He needed only 66 pitches against the Norfolk Tides Sunday afternoon. Thus far in 2026, the southpaw has totaled 15.1 innings while allowing just one run (one earned run) on four hits with five walks against 17 strikeouts. He’s also held opponents to a mere .082 batting average against. Garrett’s 15.1 innings ranks seventh in the International and his 17 strikeouts are tied for 14th. A native of Foley, Alabama, the 28-year-old pitcher has spent his entire career in the Marlins organization. A first-round pick in the 2016 MLB draft, Garrett first pitched in Jacksonville in 2019 when the...

NEW YORK AND TORONTO – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) will reach a new attendance milestone this week by surpassing 1 million fans in a single regular season for the first time in the league’s three-year history.  The milestone will come just days after Saturday’s sold-out crowd of 17,850 for the league’s first-ever game at Boston’s TD Garden and the completion of the 16-game PWHL Takeover Tour™ this past week in Edmonton. Only 15 games remain in the 2025-26 regular season with five teams still in contention for the fourth and final berth in the PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs. 1 MILLION FANS WITHIN REACH PWHL attendance through 105 games of the 2025-26 regular season stands at 976,219, just 23,781 away from reaching the 1 million milestone. This season’s average attendance is 9,297 fans per game, nearly a 29% increase over the average attendance across all 102 games played in 2024-25, including playoffs. The crowd of 17,850 at TD Garden set a new attendance record for a B...

By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire  The Jags made it perfectly clear. They recently extended Travon Walker on a four-year, $110 million deal Walker's deal is for four-years and is worth $110 million total. It will make him $27.5 million annually, including $77 million in guarantees, $50 million of which was fully guaranteed at the signing.  A year earlier, they extended Josh Hines- Allen on a five-year, $141.25 million extension,  locking him in through the 2028 season. The deal includes $88 million in total guarantees and an average annual value of $28.25 million.  Through 2028 - the year their new stadium will open- the Jags’ defense will run through Walker and Hines-Allen. Walker was the subject of trade rumors, as he was inconsistent last season with 3.5 sacks. He had a combined 20. 5 the previous two seasons and appeared ready to make a huge impact.  Hines-Allen led the league in sacks with 17.5 in 2023 and consequently received his pay day. However, the ...

ORLANDO – UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir has announced the hiring of Gabe Lazo as the next head coach of its women’s basketball program, becoming the 14th head coach in program history. A Miami native, Lazo brings a dynamic background and a proven track record of success at multiple levels of women’s basketball. Widely regarded as one of the rising coaches in the game, he has built his reputation as an elite recruiter, defensive strategist, and developer of student-athletes. “Gabe represents what we were looking for in the next leader of our women’s basketball program,” Mohajir said. “He’s a proven competitor at every level of the game, with deep Florida roots, an elite ability to connect with people, and a track record of developing student-athletes on and off the court. He has consistently helped elevated every program he’s been part of as a head coach and assistant. “His vision for UCF, his love for the state, combined with his energy and ability to conn...

Special to Jacksonville Sports Day JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp snapped their four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys on Saturday night at VyStar Ballpark in front of 6,614 fans. Jacksonville (2-6) third baseman Jacob Berry (1) drove in all four runs in the win, capped off by a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead to 4-1. The lone Sugar Land (6-2) run arrived in the top of the first inning when Taylor Trammell (2) led off the game with a solo blast, giving the Space Cowboys an initial 1-0 advantage.  Berry tied the game at one on an RBI groundout in the home fourth after Nathan Martorella led off the inning with a single and Johnny Olmstead doubled. Bradley Blalock started for Jacksonville and tossed four innings while allowing two hits, one run and three walks and striking out one. Cade Gibson (W, 1-0) earned the win for the Jumbo Shrimp after throwing two scoreless relief innings.  Peter Lambert got ...

PHOTO COURTESY: PWHL NEW YORK — The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) made history once again Saturday night, setting a new U.S. arena attendance record for a women’s hockey game. A total of 18,006 fans sold-out the first-ever PWHL game at Madison Square Garden, presented by e.l.f. Cosmetics, as the New York Sirens hosted the Seattle Torrent. Among those in attendance for the record-breaking night of PWHL action were celebrated women’s sports icons, including boxer Amanda Serrano and soccer star Kelley O’Hara, who read the lineups for New York and Seattle respectively; Good Morning America host Robin Roberts; top WNBA prospect and recording artist  Flau'jae Johnson; New York Rangers captain JT Miller; and of course, PWHL advisory board members and sports legends, Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss, who performed the ceremonial puck drop. This historic debut at The World’s Most Famous Arena marked the league’s eighth time breaking the U.S. arena record for a women’s hockey gam...

  Photo by Nancy DeLander Beecher/Florida Sports Wire JACKSONVILLE (Special to Florida Sports Wire) – Cole Moberg’s second of the season fueled the comeback victory Thursday night over Jacksonville 3-2 in overtime. Anthony Romano opened the scoring late in the first period on the power play to give the Florida Everblades a 1–0 lead in an otherwise evenly played opening frame. Jacksonville generated early pressure but could not solve Cam Johnson, who kept the Icemen off the board. Florida nearly struck first on an early zone entry as Logan Lambdin set up Isaac Nurse with a cross-ice feed, but Topias Leinonen sprawled out to deny the chance. Both sides traded opportunities late in the period, including a shot from Jett Jones that rang the iron, while Logan Cockerill forced a turnover for Jacksonville but was turned aside by an outstretched Johnson. A late power play proved to be the difference, as Romano buried a long-range shot 20 seconds into the man advantage for his 22nd goal of...