Meghan Faraimo throws a complete game no-no in Athletes Unlimited. Only Cat has done that before. Jordan Roberts caught the game for her. It was a 1-0 game. Georgina was almost as good on the other side.
Here’s what I’ve heard from someone who’s about as close to CTW as you can be. CTW is super fired up about this team and upcoming season and believes it’s the best group of athletes he’s had in the 18 years he’s been here. If the team bats up to its potential they will be a run scoring machine. They can run and they can field. He’s cautiously optimistic that the freshman pitchers will get healthy and be up to the challenge of an SEC schedule. He’s also actively engaged in the portal looking for more arms for the pitching staff. Gives me hope this team may be an upside surprise.
Thank you for this report. It really helps to know that our coach acknowledges our concerns and that he’s has got this team headed in the right direction. Go Gators and Go CTW!
The "cautiously optimistic the pitchers will get healthy" is a red flag for me. What is their status? Can you add to that?
No I can’t add to that. It will be interesting to see who’s on the mound in fall ball. Hope to see you at KSP.
Any Coach that has won two nattys gets a measured portion of the ‘benefit of the doubt’. So we will ‘say’ that CTW ‘knows’ what he is doing. The next season or two will show whether he actually did or not, and whether our (the fan base) giving that ‘benefit of the doubt’ was justified or not. While it really doesn’t matter whether we ‘do’ or not, we’ve all come to see once the dust settled, that not all Coaches actually ‘deserve’ that benefit .
I wonder If he rexpected Riley back and was good with 3. Then I wonder If he was blindsided by Vawter, still Thinking he is good with 3. The game has change and i would be stressed entering a season with only 3 much less even just. 2 pitchers
From what I understand, Trlicek had made it clear that this season would be her last. She had a summer internship in Gainesville and then is heading back to Texas to get on with her life. He knew. I do think Coach Walton was pretty sure Vawter was coming to Gainesville, but then South Carolina got the big time women's basketball coach involved her her recruitment and that program diverted $75,000 of their NIL money to the softball program to buy Vawter. UF softball doesn't have that kind of NIL money available. We just don't have the resources to get in a bidding war with anybody at this point.
Sounds like then that either CTW has to identify donors in order to gain the funding OR identify prospective players that aren’t locked in to how much NIL there is in it for them.
Enhancing analysis of high school recruits coming in is the preferred path in my opinion. Grad transfers were needed this year to right the ship and make for a competitive transition. One and done pitchers, for high pay checks aren’t the long term answer. Find the next Jordy type pitchers that want to be Gators for four years. Support staff to help CTW identify the rising talent would be key. Hopefully we have two Jordy level pitchers starting this Fall. Go Gators!
I agree but the potential problem could be Oklahoma or other schools poaching Gator players after a standout year with the lure of big NIL bucks. Gator softball needs a substantial NIL fund to recruit and retain key players.
I deleted it. I don't think she's in a sling. I think it is a purse. Others have similar contraptions around their shoulder. I initially lost my mind about it but was saved by more rational minds....my engineer friend. It looked like her right arm in something....but then she shook hands with it.
Well, that would be a violation. You can't contact a player until after they formally enter the portal. But, then, this is Oklahoma we're talking about....so forget I said anything.
