Tag: baseball

Pete Alonso wills Mets into NLDS with go-ahead homer

Pete Alonso hit one of the most dramatic home runs in MLB Postseason history Thursday to extend the New York Mets’ season.

Game on the line. Down two runs. Staring down the barrel of elimination.

It’s the moment you simulate in your backyard as a little kid. The one you might get in a high school game or at a travel ball tournament, but it’s never happened before the big leagues.

On Thursday, New York Mets slugger [autotag]Pete Alonso[/autotag] crushed the first go-ahead home run while trailing in the ninth inning or later of a winner-take-all postseason game.

The former Gator looked shocked rounding the bases after giving the Mets a 4-3 lead. So was everyone else in the stadium, including Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose — whose call might go down as legendary as the actual home run.

Alonso began the postseason in a 1-for-11 slump. With free agency looming, it looked like his Mets career was coming to an end in the most disappointing fashion.

Then, Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams hung a 3-1 changeup.

Alonso didn’t miss it. He sent a line drive screeching toward right field, with an exit velocity of 105 mph and a launch angle of 22 degrees. For those who are not well-versed in the world of batted-ball metrics, those two numbers mean he squared it up as much as possible.

Line drives don’t always clear the fence, though. Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick got to the wall at the same time as the ball, but it was just out of reach. Pandemonium ensued.

It’s one of the greatest moments in MLB postseason history, and it gave New York fans at least three more games with the man nicknamed “The Polar Bear.”

Alonso and the Mets face the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday at 4:08 p.m.

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Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sends message to Derek Jeter ahead of Royals vs. Yankees ALDS

Kansas City #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sends message to Derek Jeter ahead of #Royals vs. #Yankees ALDS | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is focused on his next opponent this Monday night against the New Orleans Saints. He closely monitors his other team, the Kansas City Royals, as they clinched a spot in the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees.

Mahomes spoke to reporters on Thursday, sharing his excitement for the team he serves as an owner for as they progress in this year’s MLB postseason.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s awesome. I mean, it’s great for the city. I’ve heard all the stories about how awesome the environment was the last time they were in the playoffs, and they’re getting to go up against a great, great baseball team in the Yankees, a historic baseball team.” said Mahomes. “So I’m just excited for these guys when they’re hungry. They’re playing great baseball right now, and to be at the K sold out crowd, hopefully, and get to see that October baseball there is going to be special.”

A reporter at the press conference mentioned Yankees great and baseball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, who knows Mahomes well, is rumored to be looking for tickets to watch games at Kauffman Stadium.

“Yeah, man, I’ll let him be there because when we hopefully win, I’ll get to talk trash.” Said Mahomes. “I know he’s a big Yankees fan. I think if the Yankees lost this series, he might have to move cities. So let’s see if we can do that for him.”

Chiefs Wire Senior Writer Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Jeter recently about Mahomes’ leadership from one captain to another. The series kicks off this Saturday at Yankee Stadium and will move to Kansas City next Wednesday.

Garrett Crochet records six strikeouts at Detroit

Former Tennessee baseball pitcher Garrett Crochet records six strikeouts at Detroit.

Detroit (86-74) defeated Chicago (39-121), 4-1, on Friday at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan.

Former Tennessee pitcher Garrett Crochet started for the White Sox. He pitched four innings and recorded six strikeouts. The former Vol allowed four hits and one walk.

Crochet totaled 62 pitches, including 41 strikes, against the Tigers.

After Friday’s win, Detroit clinched an American League wild card spot in the playoffs.

Crochet was selected by the White Sox in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft (No. 11 overall).

He played for the Vols from 2018-20, appearing in 36 games. Crochet (10-9) recorded 149 strikeouts during his career at Tennessee.

The former Vol went to Tennessee from Ocean Springs High School in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

Crochet was selected by Milwaukee in the 34th round of the 2017 MLB draft. He signed with the Vols over Texas and Tulane.

Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images

Chase Dollander earns 2024 first-team All-Star honors

Former Tennessee baseball pitcher Chase Dollander earns first-team All-Star honors.

Former Tennessee baseball pitcher Chase Dollander earned first-team Minor League Baseball All-Star honors by Baseball America.

Dollander appeared in nine games for Colorado Rockies’ Double-A affiliate Hartford Yard Goats in 2024. He was selected in the first-round (No. 9 overall) in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft.

The former Vol ranks as MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 overall prospect and the No. 2 prospect for the Rockies.

Dollander (6-2) recorded a 2.59 ERA and 169 strikeouts for the Yard Goats in 2024.

Dollander (17-6) played for Tennessee from 2022-23, recording a 3.64 ERA, 228 strikeouts, 43 walks, while earning 2022 Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year honors.

He transferred to the Vols from Georgia Southern ahead of the 2022 season.

Brandon Sproat named Mets minor league, Eastern League Pitcher of Year

A strong first year in the Minor Leagues have earned former Florida right-handed pitcher Brandon Sproat some hardware.

Former Florida Gators ace [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] was named the New York Mets Minor League Pitcher of the Year on Monday by Baseball America and the Double-A Eastern League Pitcher of the Year on Tuesday.

Sproat also earned an Eastern League All-Star nod after posting a 2.45 ERA and a 77 strikeout-to-15-walk ratio for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies over 62 1/3 innings.

A 2023 draftee, Sproat rested for the second half of the 2023 minor league season after throwing a career-high 106 1/3 innings for Florida en route to a College World Series run that ended on the last day of the season.

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In his first Minor League season, Sproat spent time in High-A, Double-A and Triple-A, throwing more than 116 innings total. His longest stop was in Double-A Binghamton, but the now 24-year-old should begin next season in Triple-A Syracuse with a shot to make his MLB debut in 2025.

His numbers weren’t great with Syracuse, but many minor leaguers struggle with fatigue in their first year. Even Paul Skenes is kept on a pitch limit as a major leaguer.

MLB Pipeline ranks Sproat No. 37 among all prospects, No. 7 among right-handed pitchers in the minors and No. 1 in the Mets’ farm system.

Brandon Sproat as a Florida Gator

Sproat signed with Florida as a member of the class of 2020 and appeared in four games out of the bullpen as a true freshman before the COVID-19 pandemic shut things down.

He showed promise as a redshirt freshman over 16 appearances and two midweek starts, but a 6.65 ERA and poor metrics (13.8 BB%, 16.5 K%) gave some pause as he moved into the weekend rotation.

Sproat began the 2022 campaign as Florida’s No. 2 behind Hunter Barco, but a season-ending injury to the ace moved him into that role a year early. The results were surprising. Sproat ended the 2022 season with a 9-4 record and 3.41 ERA over 89 2/3 innings.

The New York Mets drafted him with the 90th overall pick in the third round, but Sproat opted to return to Florida and boost his draft stock.

Sproat’s numbers dropped in 2023, but he raised his strikeout rate to a career-high 28.8% (excluding 2020). The Mets took him again in the second round with the 56th overall pick.

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Perfect Game ranks Florida baseball’s 2024 recruiting class in top 10

Florida only lost two of 15 signees to the MLB draft this summer, and Perfect Game says the Gators have on of the top-10 freshmen classes heading into 2025.

Perfect Game released its post-draft recruiting rankings for the class of 2024, and Florida checks in at No. 10 overall in the country.

Thirteen of 15 Florida commits from the class of 2024 made it to campus, with Kellon Lindsey signing with the Dodgers as a first-round pick and 16th-rounder Jayden Dubanewicz opting to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Lindsey’s departure was expected, but Dubanewicz was on campus before deciding to turn pro. Had both players made it to Gainesville, Florida would be ranked No. 6 on this list.

Bringing in the 10th-ranked recruiting class in the country might not seem like a win for Kevin O’Sullivan and his staff, considering the lofty standards set over the past few years, but a closer look reveals that UF has signed one of the most talent-rich classes in the country.

To determine the team recruiting rankings, Perfect Game assigns points to players based on their individual player rankings. Top-50 recruits are worth 15 points, Nos. 51-100 are worth 12 points, Nos. 101-150 are 10 points and the trend continues through the top 500 players. players ranked between Nos. 501-1,000 are worth two points, and “high follows” are worth one.

Add all those numbers up and divide by the amount of recruits, and you get the average points per player. Florida is one of one of seven teams with an average above 7.00. Only LSU’s superclass (12.00), Auburn (8.86) and Tennessee (8.30) have a higher average.

Which freshmen will make an early impact?

This is a pitcher-heavy class for Florida, so expect one of the many righties to take over a bullpen role this season. Right-handers Jackson Barberi (No. 49), Schuyler Sandford (No.72) and Joshua Whritenour (No. 85) are the three highest-ranked arms in the class, but Sandford is recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Florida returns just two lefties from 2024, which could lead to an early window for McCall Biemiller (No. 405).

There’s also Key West alum Felix Ong and Bishop Snyder’s former ace Aidan King to consider. Both are in the 350-450 range on Perfect Game’s player rankings, but they’ll likely get some innings.

As for position players, Brendan Lawson and Kolt Myers are both listed as shortstops, but it’s going to be difficult for either to see consistent playing time with Colby Shelton and Cade Kurland locking up the middle infield.

Still, Kevin O’Sullivan should find ways to get them some early-season at-bats considering they are the future of Florida’s infield.

Niko Janssens is another interesting case as well. He’s listed as a two-way player for Florida and was clocked at 95 mph from the left side almost a year ago. He’s the closest thing to Jac Caglianone Florida has in the 2024 class, and UF could certainly use a power lefty on the mound and at the plate. The path to playing time as a pitcher looks far more clear than it does at first, though.

Outfielder Jordi Guerrero and catcher Brock Clayton are the final two position players to consider. Both seem like good redshirt candidates at this point.

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Florida baseball sets fall ball schedule, 16-inning scrimmage with USF

Florida’s fall ball schedule is set with the addition of a 16-inning exhibition against USF and the announcement of the first practice.

Florida baseball returns on Monday, Oct. 7 when the players return to Condron Family Ballpark for the first practice of fall.

“All of Florida’s practices and intrasquad scrimmages will once again be open to the public for the duration of the fall,” according to the UAA.

An updated weekly schedule will be provided throughout the fall. Fans can follow @GatorsBB on X, formerly known as Twitter, or check the FloridaGators.com website.

In addition to the previously announced matchup with Jacksonville University on Nov. 1, Florida baseball will also play a 16-inning exhibition against the South Florida Bulls on Nov. 10 at Condron Family Ballpark.

The Jacksonville matchup will take place in Jacksonville during the weekend of the Florida-Georgia football matchup. Tickers are now officially on sale here. The USF exhibition is free.

Florida returns 17 players from last year’s club and welcomes 21 new players to the roster in 2025, including six incoming Division I transfers. Florida’s complete class of newcomers can be found below.

The UAA has provided a list of the new names to get familiar with.

2024-25 Florida Baseball Newcomers
Name Pos B/T Class Hometown / High School (Prev)
Jackson Barberi RHP R/R FR Snellville, Ga. / Brookwood
Billy Barlow RHP R/R RS JR North Myrtle Beach, S.C. / North Myrtle Beach (Clemson)
McCall Biemiller LHP B/L FR Tampa, Fla. / Tampa Jesuit
Bobby Boser INF/OF R/R SR Wesley Chapel, Fla. / Wiregrass Ranch (USF)
Cole Bullen C/INF B/L JR Belleview, Fla. / Villages Charter (College of Central Florida)
Brock Clayton C/OF L/R FR Gulf Breeze, Fla. / Pensacola Catholic
Blake Cyr OF/INF R/R JR Windermere, Fla. / Windermere (Miami)
Niko Janssens 1B/LHP L/L FR Spring Hill, Fla. / A3 Academy
Matthew Jenkins RHP R/R SO Live Oak, Fla. / Lafayette (Santa Fe CC)
Kyle Jones OF R/R SO Athens, Ga. / North Oconee (Stetson)
Aidan King RHP L/R FR Bryceville, Fla. / Bishop John J. Snyder
Mason Laurito LHP L/L SO Ocala, Fla. / Forest (Gulf Coast CC)
Brendan Lawson INF L/R FR Toronto, Ontario / P27 Academy
Carson Montsdeoca RHP R/R FR Bowling Green, Fla. / Fort Meade
Kolt Myers INF R/R FR St. Augustine, Fla. / St. John’s Country Day
Justin Nadeau INF L/R JR Jacksonville, Fla. / Bartram Trail (Jacksonville)
Felix Ong RHP R/R FR Key West, Fla. / Key West
Blaine Rowland RHP R/R FR Plant City, Fla. / Durant
Schuyler Sandford RHP R/R FR St. Augustine, Fla. / St. John’s Country Day
Landon Stripling INF L/R SO Lawrenceville, Ga. / Parkview (Texas Tech)
Joshua Whritenour RHP L/R FR New Port Richey, Fla. / A3 Academy

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Tennessee baseball records No. 1 recruiting class

Tennessee and Tony Vitello finish with No. 1 baseball recruiting class in 2024.

Tennessee baseball’s 2024 recruiting class ranks No. 1 overall, according to Perfect Game.

Tennessee recorded its seventh top 10 recruiting class since Perfect Game started rankings in 2011. The Vols also recorded a first No. 1 overall class under eighth-year head coach Tony Vitello.

Tennessee’s 2024 recruiting class has 24 commitments, including seven top 100 prospects.

The Vols won the College World Series for the first time in program history in 2024. Tennessee defeated Texas A&M, 2-1, in a three-game series.

Vitello guided the Vols to College World Series appearances in 2021, 2023 and 2024. Tennessee also won the Southeastern Conference Tournament and regular-season championships in 2022 and 2024.

PHOTOS: Tony Vitello through the years

https://twitter.com/Vol_Baseball/status/1836902126426960222

Florida baseball reveals 2025 schedule, fall matchup in Jax

Florida baseball is seeking a third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025. On Thursday, the Gators revealed the regular season schedule.

Florida baseball officially announced its 56-game schedule for 2025 on Thursday.

Before the 2025 season begins, the Gators will face the University of Jacksonville in an exhibition on the same weekend as the Florida-Georgia football game. Tickets for the Nov. 1 matchup go on sale Sept. 16.

Florida will play 36 home games next season. Sixteen of the Orange and Blue’s first 18 games will take place at Condron Family Ballpark. The Gators will face 14 different NCAA Tournament games from 2024, including 10 series against SEC teams that made the postseason last year.

Florida baseball schedule — February

As usual, Florida starts its season off with a warm-up against several non-conference opponents and several midweek games.

Air Force will visit Condron Ballpark to open up the season with a three-game set, starting Feb. 14, followed by a road game against Jacksonville and a home game against Florida A&M.

Over the weekend of Feb. 21, Florida will host Dayton. Then, the Gators head to DeLand to face the Stetson Hatters. A home game against North Florida follows, and then it’s time for the annual matchup against Miami, beginning Feb. 28.

Florida baseball schedule — March

A midweek road game against UCF on March 4 is next, followed by a home game against Florida Atlantic the day after. A three-game set with Harvard marks the final weekend series against non-conference opponents from March 7-9.

Game one of Florida’s annual season-long series with Florida State is in Tallahassee on March 11.

Conference play begins with a road series against last season’s SEC Champions, the Tennessee Volunteers, over the weekend of March 14.

A midweek contest against Jacksonville back at Condron allowed Florida to settle back in after the four-game road trip. Georgia visits Gainesville for a three-game series before another week-long road trip.

Closing out the month is the neutral site game against Florida State in Jacksonville on March 25 and a road series against Ole Miss (March 28-30).

Florida baseball schedule — April

April is the make-it-or-break-it month for college baseball. Florida plays home series against Vanderbilt (April 4-6), Missouri (April 11-13) and Arkansas (April 25-27), with only one road series on the schedule against Mississippi State (April 18-20).

The Gators move to one midweek game a week in April as well, all of which are at home. North Florida (April 1), Florida State (April 8), Stetson (April 15) and Georgia Southern (April 22).

Florida baseball schedule — May

The Gators play three weekend series in May to close out the regular season. The month begins with a road series against South Carolina (May 2-4), followed by a trip to Austin to face Texas (May 9-11) and the regular season ends at home against Alabama (May 15- 17).

The only midweek game of the month is against USF on May 6.

The SEC Tournament will take place between May 20 and May 25.

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Tennessee baseball walk-up song ‘The Stroke’ played at Neyland Stadium

Tennessee baseball walk-up song “The Stroke” played at Neyland Stadium during the Vols’ 69-3 win versus Chattanooga.

No. 15 Tennessee (1-0) kicked off its 2024 football season with a 69-3 win versus Chattanooga (0-1) on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee led the Mocs, 38-0, with 10 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the second quarter after a touchdown reception by wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. from quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Prior to Josh Turbyville’s kickoff touchback, returning possession to Chattanooga, “The Stroke” by Billy Squier was played at Neyland Stadium.

The 1981 song was a fan favorite at Tennessee baseball games during the Vols’ 2024 national championship season.

Tennessee third baseman Billy Amick’s walk-up song was “The Stroke” in 2024. While Amick approached the batter’s box, the song would play throughout Lindsey Nelson Stadium with fans and players clapping above their heads to the hit.

PHOTOS: Tennessee football defeats Chattanooga in Week 1

Below is “The Stroke” played at Neyland Stadium versus Chattanooga in Week 1, as well as photos from Tennessee’s 2024 baseball season.

https://twitter.com/danharralson/status/1829941576484679828

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire