I'm currently in a two day OSHA training session. So I thought it appropriate to quell my boredom by writing a blog on my phone.

The Florida Gator baseball and softball seasons wrapped up with what could be perceived as a less than favorable outcome. However, perception was not reality, as they had championship caliber squads out there on the field...

Baseball

On Sunday night, the Gator baseball team lost a heartbreaker in game two of their super regional held at McKethon Stadium to Southern Miss. Although they failed to reach the College World Series in Omaha, this team exceeded all expectations, garnering a #8 overall seed in the college baseball playoffs.

Standouts included freshman first baseman Preston Tucker. Tucker wound up leading the team in average (.364), RBIs (85), and home runs (15), not to mention a great fielding % (.992). His accolades include National Freshman Hitter of the Year, SEC Co-Freshman of the Year, Freshman All-American, MOP of the Gainesville Regional, All-SEC Tournament Team, SEC All-Freshman Team honors, and SEC Freshman of the Week (three times).

Along with Tucker, outfielder Avery Barnes had a tremendous senior season, batting .364, leading the team in hits (90) and runs (76). Sophomore second baseman Josh Adams hit .342, with 8 HRs, and 52 RBIs, and super duper senior third baseman Brandon MacArthur hit .338 with 41 RBIs.

The offense was great all season, scoring a total of 483 runs at a clip of 7.6 runs/game.

Unfortunately, the starting pitching wasn't as solid as hoped. The staff ERA was 4.27, with their best starter (Stephen Locke) posting a 4.32 ERA in 66.2 innings. Locke, a senior whose off-the-field troubles haunted him in the offseason, did post a 5-2 record during his team-high 12 starts. Patrick Keating, an all-SEC first team member in 2008, was a dud in 2009 going 4-4 with a 5.12 ERA.

We did see the rise of three freshman arms in Alex Panteliodis, Anthony DeSclafani and Nick Maronde, going 6-5, 6-3, and 3-1 respectively. Maronde led the team with 59 strikeouts. They should prove valuable for years to come.

The major bright spot from this staff were two relievers. Junior lefty reliever Tony Davis had a team best 2.25 ERA and went 5-0. He's also from Cooper City, FL which is near and dear to my heart... Junior closer Billy Bullock recorded 11 saves, along with a 3-3 record and a 2.64 ERA.

All in all, the Gator baseball team gained momentum of a good 2008 season, following a disappointing 2007 season by winning the East division of the SEC for the first time since 2005, going 42-22 in the process. Their performance garnered them the #8 overall seed in the NCAA baseball playoffs and allowed them to host a Super Regional.

Kevin O'Sullivan has done a great job in only two short seasons, and with the young and solid starting pitchers coming back, they should be poised to make another run at the SEC title and the CWS next year.

Softball

The Florida Gator women's softball team was dominant once again, posting a fabulous 54-3 regular season record, 23-1 regular season SEC record, an SEC conference regular season and tournament championship, and a trip all the way to the championship series finals at the WCWS.

Florida started the season as the #1 ranked team in the country, and after bouncing back from an early season loss, they regained their spot on top of the polls and held it until the final game of the season.

Their lineup was led by a sextet of great hitters. Senior catcher Kristina Hilberth led the team with a .386 avg. Sophomore outfielder Kelsey Bruder and sophomore second baseman Aja Paculba did most of the damage at the top of the lineup. Bruder hit .369 with 54 runs, 16 Hrs and 68 RBIs, and Paculba hit .368 and scored a team high 69 runs.

Junior outfielder Francesca Enea hit .339 and had team highs in both HRs (18), RBIs (71), and OPS (1.207). Sophomore shortstop (and resident hottie) Megan Bush hit .327 with 16 HRs.

The emotional leader of the team was senior first baseman Ali Gardiner. Although she couldn't post similar numbers from her All-American 2008 campaign, she still hit .295 with 9 HRs and 48 RBIs. Her walk-off grand slam in the WCWS semifinals will be a moment in gator softball history that no one will soon forget.

Also, Cooper City, FL (home sweet home) product Alicia Sisco led the team with a .407 batting average, although in limited at-bats.

As good as the lineup was, they pale in comparison to their dominant pitching staff, which was composed of only two pitchers, staff ace Stacey Nelson and Stephanie Brombacher.

Just by watching Nelson's interviews during the WCWS, you can tell that she is the Tim Tebow of this softball team. Her &we're gonna win at all costs& attitude seems infectious. She posted another mind-bogging season going 41-5, with 357 strikeouts and a ridiculously low 0.61 ERA. Altogether, she finished her career as the all-time leader in pretty much every statistical category for pitchers in Gators history, gathering 136 wins in the process. She's going to be missed greatly next season.

Fortunately for UF, they will be returning sophomore pitching sensation Stephanie Brombacher. Brombacher finished the season 22-0 with 190 strikeouts and a scant 0.84 ERA. Look for her to be the dominant force anchoring the pitching staff next season.

Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium was rocking this season, and they should have been! They got to witness five All-American first team members in Bruder, Paculba, Enea, Nelson, and Brombacher. The best part is, that four out of those five will be returning next year.

Although the season ended with a championship finals loss to Washington, the Gators should be proud of everything they accomplished in 2009, and should be motivated to win it all in 2010.