Florida Sports Wire

JACKSONVILLE (Florida Sports Wire) The Sporting JAX women’s team fell to Carolina Ascent FC, 1-0, in the Gainbridge Super League Semifinals. “I think we could all feel some nerves in that first half, myself included,” said Sporting JAX forward Paige Kenton. “But I think the way we battled that whole second half to try to score an equalizer was amazing, and I think if we can take a little bit of that into next season and remember this feeling, there's gonna be great things for us.” Following an early concession, the Sporting JAX back line dug its heels in to keep things within reach. The Carolina attack continued pressing throughout the first 45 minutes, but nothing ultimately came of it. This spirit carried over into the second half, where the defense stood strong. This was highlighted by a series of great saves by goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks, who provided a valuable presence in net during the inaugural season. Giving up an early goal served as a potential setback, but Sporting JAX di...

JACKSONVILLE – Cody Morissette provided his second walk-off knock in as many days to cement a 6-5 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp win over the Norfolk Tides to close out Honey Dripper weekend in front of 9,201 fans at VyStar Ballpark. Jacksonville (29-22) took five of six games in the series over Norfolk (19-32) and were forced into late-game dramatics following a four-run Norfolk rally in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game at five.  The Tides loaded the bases with one out following a Willy Vasquez walk, Silas Ardoin single and Tommy Pham walk. Heston Kjerstad sent a sacrifice fly to score Vasquez and Johnathan Rodriguez followed with a two-run double, cutting the deficit to one. Creed Williams singled to score Rodriguez evening the score at five.  The Jumbo Shrimp wasted no time in the home ninth facing Norfolk reliever Cameron Foster (L, 0-3). Ethan O’Donnell walked with one out, Bennett Hostetler singled and pinch hitter Jacob Berry was intentionally walked, loading the...

ESTERO – The Florida Everblades capitalized when it mattered most, securing a 1–0 victory over the Wheeling Nailers at Hertz Arena in front of 6,764 fans to take another step in the Eastern Conference Finals. Zach Berzolla provided the difference-maker, scoring early in the second period for what stood as the game’s lone goal. The opening frame was physical from the start, with both teams finishing checks and establishing a competitive tone. Both sides traded power-play opportunities, as the Nailers received the first man advantage but were unable to convert, followed by a Florida power play that also came up empty. The Everblades controlled much of the pace early and held a 12–9 edge in shots on goal after the first period. Florida broke through quickly in the second as Berzolla found the back of the net off assists from Riese Zmolek and Jesse Lansdell. The Everblades continued to apply pressure throughout the middle frame and earned four additional power-play opportunities but were u...

By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire Ok, Jaguars’ fans, it’s safe to say that the 2026 football season is underway. Is it time to pick the wins and losses off the schedule? The pomp and circumstance of the overhyped schedule release show  usually serves as the unofficial kickoff. By the time the show aired, mostly everyone knew their team’s schedule due to the massive leaks. Yet, the more interesting part of the schedule release was each team’s own presentation dealing with a player or players doing something interesting with football. The Jags had Trevor Lawrence cutting his hair, but it was a well disguised prank as Lawrence wore a wig with his short-hair look. You can read into that as Lawrence and the Jags being pretty confident heading into the season. The Jags were relatively quiet in the draft, taking care of some needs in spite of some head-scratching picks. There is plenty of anticipation and speculation for the season ahead. It again will hinge on Lawrence to see if he ca...

ST. AUGUSTINE – Donna (Hicks) Cohen ’79, Sanford Dixson ’81, and Corey Mundy ‘15 were inducted as the 21st class of the Flagler College Athletics Hall of Fame Thursday night (May 14) at a banquet sponsored by Carrabba’s Italian Grill at the Virginia Room in the Ringhaver Student Center. The event is part of the College’s annual Alumni Weekend (May 14-17). Flagler’s Director of Golf, Santiago Cavanagh, will be inducted at a separate ceremony in December. The Flagler College Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 2004 to honor student-athletes and administrators who made a major contribution to the intercollegiate sports programs while at Flagler, as well as a significant impact in their community after graduating, and since then, 79 people and one team have been inducted, including this year’s class. Cohen was a starter on the basketball (1975-79) and slow-pitch softball (1976-80) teams at Flagler. She helped the Saints win a FAIAW State title in 1976, 1977, and 1979 in basketball an...

  JACKSONVILLE - North Florida Baseball secured itself as the Atlantic Sun Conference Graphite Champions with a come-from-behind win over West Georgia, 6-5, at Harmon Stadium on Thursday.  It marked the first time in program history North Florida clinched the ASUN Graphite Division title. North Florida's 20 wins in ASUN play this season are the most since its Division I inception in 2006. The Ospreys opened the scoring with a three-run bottom of the first inning. Junior infielder Mathew Farner drove in North Florida's first run of the game with a sacrifice fly.  Redshirt sophomore outfielder Carter White roped an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the first frame to give North Florida a 2-0 lead.  Redshirt junior utility player Jackson Toberman capped off UNF's three-run first inning with a hard hit ball to shortstop that plated a run, allowing the Ospreys to command a 3-0 lead. West Georgia responded with one run in the second inning and two in the third to ...

 MEMPHIS – Kemp Alderman blasted two home runs and Johnny Olmstead added a deep fly among his three hits and three RBIs to lead the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp to a series win on Sunday with a 7-3 victory over the Memphis Redbirds from AutoZone Park. Memphis (27-18) led 2-0 when Matthew Etzel singled with two outs in the third against Redbirds starter Bruce Zimmermann (4-2). Alderman then clobbered a two-run homer to knot the score at two. Olmstead put Jacksonville (24-21) ahead with a leadoff homer in the fifth. After a pair of outs, Alderman went deep again, sending a bomb over the center field wall to become the second Jumbo Shrimp to record a multi-homer game this season.  Olmstead jumpstarted another rally in the seventh. He singled before stealing second and moving to third on an error on the play. Two batters later, Etzel singled him in to widen the gap to 5-2. The Jumbo Shrimp put the game out of reach in the eighth. Andrew Pintar singled and Ethan O’Donnell walked with...

  FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of South Florida softball team’s championship season came to an end in the Fayetteville Regional final against No. 10 Arkansas. The Bulls (44-17) fell to the Razorbacks (45-11) 10-2. South Florida finished the season with 40-plus wins for the 19th time under Head Coach Ken Eriksen. The Bulls made their 19th NCAA regional appearance after winning their 10th conference championship under Eriksen. It is the second consecutive season the Bulls have won 44 games.  Alexa Galligani belted her sixth home run, ending her career on a seven-game hitting streak. Alex Wilkes, Kacey Wilkes,and Jocelyn Wilkes became the first trio of sisters to play together in an NCAA regional game.  Brinli Bain recorded a one-out double in the bottom of the first inning for the Razorbacks. The next batter hit a line drive up the middle, and Garcia-Soto snagged it and dove to beat the runner back to second, completing the double play and ending the inning. Wilkes ...

MEMPHIS – Matthew Etzel and Jesús Bastidas each homered on Friday, but the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp’s five-game winning streak came to an end with a 7-5 loss to the Memphis Redbirds at AutoZone Park. With the score tied at five, Ramon Mendoza and Joshua Báez bashed back-to-back home runs to start the eighth against Jumbo Shrimp (23-20) reliever Luis Palacios (1-1), giving the Redbirds (26-17) a 7-5 advantage. Ryan Fernandez then worked a perfect ninth to seal the win for Memphis. Jacksonville got on the board first with a two-out rally in the second. Etzel walked and then Bastidas was hit by a pitch. Ethan O’Donnell and Jared Serna followed with RBI singles for the game’s first runs. Memphis immediately tied in the bottom of the second. Jimmy Crooks led off with a single and Mendoza walked. A passed ball advanced both runners and a Bligh Madris sacrifice fly brought in Crooks. Mendoza then scored on a wild pitch to tie things at two. The Redbirds grabbed their first lead in the fourt...

  PHOTO by JAMES BRADY/FSW JACKSONVILLE (SportsTicker) --   The Opening Game of the UPSHOT League is in the books, as the Charlotte Crown rallied with a dominant second half performance in the paint to defeat the Jacksonville Waves 103-95 in a high-scoring affair in front of an announced crowd of 7,308 at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena Friday night.   Charlotte's Deja Kelly led the way with 31 points with 14 rebounds in the game.  Jackonville was led by Ariel "Air" Hearn's 25 points.   Jacksonville held a 12-point lead in the second quarter, but Charlotte won the offensive boards battle down the stretch 15-5, and finished with 52 points in the paint, which proved to be instrumental in their victory.   The two teams will meet again on Wednesday in Charlotte for the Crown's home opener.   The next Waves home game is set for May 23 against the Greensboro Groove.

Special to the Florida Sports Wire JACKSONVILLE – Tim Cobb has only played in the JAGA Senior Amateur Championship presented by Lennar three times since moving to St. Augustine in 2020 but has walked off with two wins and a T3, Scottie Scheffler-like stuff, in JAGA’s premier senior event.  The Tennessee native fired 75-70-73—218 (+2) in his three trips around Stillwater Golf and Country Club to win the 2026 edition of the Jacksonville Area Golf Association’s oldest tournament in convincing fashion, by eight shots.  Cobb, a former University of Memphis golfer, held a one-shot lead as third-round play began on May 5th. While he was steady throughout the final round, his closest pursuers were not. They included 2024 champion Richard Ames (80) of Eagle Landing Golf Club, who started one off Cobb’s lead, and defending champion Brent Dietz (77) of TPC Sawgrass, who was four back of the leader.  Ames and Dietz finished tied for third along with 2004 JAGA Jacksonville Amateur pre...

JACKSONVILLE  – Maximo Acosta and Kemp Alderman smashed two-run home runs on Sunday as the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp split their series with the Charlotte Knights with a 6-1 win at VyStar Ballpark. Jacksonville (20-19) took the initial lead in the top of the second and never looked back. With one out, Matthew Etzel singled and scored on a two-run blast by Acosta (1) off Charlotte (19-20) starter Shane Murphy (L, 1-1). The Jumbo Shrimp added to their lead in the bottom of the third. Andrew Pintar started the frame with a base hit and scored two batters later on a two-run blast from Alderman (6), increasing the advantage to 4-0. Mario Camilletti walked and Josh Breaux reached on an error to begin the fifth. Jacksonville then turned a 5-4-3 triple play – their first since May 27, 2023, which also came against Charlotte. The Knights tallied their first and only run in the top of the sixth. After three consecutive walks to begin the frame, Rikuu Nishida scored from third on a double pl...

JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp catcher Brian Navarreto was honored with the Miami Marlins’ inaugural Next Wave monthly awards for April, taking home the organization’s Fish of the Month.  The Marlins’ Fish of the Month award recognizes a player who fully embodies what it means to be a great teammate within the Marlins’ organization.  Navarreto has played in 12 games with the Jumbo Shrimp in 2026, going 10-for-40 (.250) at the plate with four doubles, one home run, five RBIs, one walk and four runs scored. A native of Levittown, Puerto Rico, Navarreto came to Florida to attend Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville. He was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the sixth round of the 2013 draft, and reached as high as Double-A Pensacola before being traded in July of 2019 to the New York Yankees.  Following the 2019 campaign, Navarreto signed a minor league contract with Miami. He made his major league debut on August 23, 2020, going 2-for-3 in a game at the Wa...

HOUSTON, TX – ( www.thefloridasportswire.com ) – Another day, another thriller in the UFL. Houston had a chance to steal it with a 63-yard field goal in the final minute, but could not convert. Orlando escaped with the victory and earned their first win in three weeks, while Houston dropped their second straight. Houston’s defense set the tone early by forcing a three-and-out, and the offense quickly created the game’s first scoring chance. With Hunter Dekkers back under center, he connected on two chunk plays right away. First, a 17-yard strike to Marcus Yarns, followed by 27 yards to Jalen Cropper. The Storm defense bent but did not break, forcing a long field goal attempt. John Hoyland missed from 60 yards on a four-point try, keeping the game scoreless. The Storm answered in a flash with ideal field position. On just their third play, Jack Plummer found Elijhah Badger in stride, and Badger dragged a defender into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. The Storm were desperate for a ...

ESTERO ( www.thefloridasportswire.com ) – The South Carolina Stingrays fell in Game 2 of the South Division Finals, 6-2, on Saturday night at Hertz Arena. The Stingrays head home to North Charleston for Game 3 on Wednesday trailing the best-of-seven series, 2-0.  Florida wasted no time in Game 2 finding the opener. Jesse Lansdell snapped a shot from the far circle that deflected off a stick and looped over South Carolina netminder Garin Bjorklund into the net, giving the Everblades a 1-0 lead 90 seconds in.  Anthony Romano, who had two goals in Game 1 for Florida, got his third of the series while on the power play with just over seven minutes gone. He found his second of the night while on a 5-on-3 power play with 4:55 left in the frame giving the Everblades a 3-0 lead.  After being held scoreless over the first four periods in the series, South Carolina was finally able to break through in the second eight minutes in. Mikey Adamson wristed a shot from the point through...

  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.