MILLER REPORT: Still Great to be a Florida Gator

Spring is here. The horrors of “that other guy” are fading in the rear view mirror. Gators seem to be acquitting themselves quite nicely at the NFL combine. Simply more evidence that the football team should have been more successful on the field than it was the last few years. The men’s basketball team never did turn that proverbial corner like we all expected. Such is life. The old adage that “you can’t win them all” certainly applies here. However, it’s still Great to be a Florida Gator.

The reigning champions Gator softball team is ranked #1 and undefeated. Lauren Haeger is one of the top players in the country, both on the mound and at the plate. Lauren has incredible power. This team has it all, speed, power, pitching and defense.  They are efficient, confident and fun to watch. I know that there are many Gator fans who only follow football or perhaps football and basketball, but you are short-changing yourself if you fail to follow this spectacular team. Right now it is difficult to watch these Gators if you are not close enough to attend games. For some reason, softball doesn’t start being televised until later in the season. This weekend’s matchup between top ranked Florida and #2 ranked Oregon should have been televised nationally. Such is life. Even with the rainout of Sunday the Gator girls are 21-0 on the season.

Kevin O’Sullivan’s baseball team is ranked second in the nation and playing great baseball with a 10-1 record. This is a team that should also make a run at the College World Series. Junior Harrison Bader is hitting over .400 and has already doubled last year’s home run total with four to go along with 15 RBI. Just like the softball team, this is a group that can hit, field and pitch. This year’s offense seems much more consistent than last year and that will be important later this season. In my often less than humble opinion, the most important thing for this team is to learn how to score without the long ball. Living off of power hitting is a recipe for disaster when you get to the College World Series. TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska is just too big to rely on homeruns and it has hurt the Gators in the past. The teams that thrive in Omaha are those that can scrape out runs playing ABC baseball, pitch and play great defense. That ballpark is designed for 2-1 games not 11-10 scores. O’Sullivan is a smart coach. I’m sure he’s figured that out.

Meanwhile, the women’s gymnastics team is ranked third in the country. This is another group that has a legitimate chance to compete for a national championship. These young ladies are dominating. This is turning into an emotional season for the Lady Gators with the side story of Rachel Spicer’s mother fighting breast cancer. As someone who helped a spouse battle that horrible disease I am acutely aware of the emotional highs and lows during the process. Rachel and the rest of team’s fantastic showing in the recent Link to Pink event with her mother attending her first meet since staring chemotherapy was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

In Track and Field, the men’s team is currently ranked #1 in the nation and just won the SEC Indoor Championship in Lexington. The women’s team is ranked #3. Aside from being two more areas where Gator athletics is excelling this is also important because these teams can attract athletes to the schools other sports when the athlete is a multi-sport competitor. The track team has been a factor in recruiting football players multiple times in the past and when it comes to recruiting you need every edge you can get.

So yes Gator Nation, Florida is coming off of two brutal seasons on the football field and is in the midst of probably the most disappointing season of Billy Donovan’s career in Gainesville. But, I promise you that if you are only paying attention to football and basketball you are robbing yourself of some good times. It takes a little more effort to find these other sports and follow them but it is well worth it. And it is more proof that Jeremy Foley is the best Athletic Director in the country. Enjoy it. Your rivals cannot. It is indeed still great to be a Florida Gator.

Mark Miller
Mark Miller's bravery knows no limits. He's a Gator living deep in the heart of Georgia. Mark's weekly columns appear in the Coosa Valley News in Rome, Georgia, where Gators are few and Bulldogs are many. His updates about football and life among the heathens will appear in Gator Country on a weekly basis.