Pat Dooley’s Back Nine: Florida Softball Remains In Title Chase

The Back Nine comes at you after a weekend that included too much watching, but nine holes of golf just to get off the recliner.

10. Let us start with something good that happened over the weekend and that would be Florida taking two of three against South Carolina in softball. Mackenzie Wooten picked up both wins for the Gators and you probably had to Google her name to find out who she is. Wooten, a grad student from Virginia, has barely pitched for the Gators this season or any season after transferring in from Virginia. But when the pitching struggled in a big conference series, she put away her physical therapy textbooks and won a couple of games for the Gators. Pretty cool story by Chris Harry on FloridaGators.com.

11. So, that keeps Florida in the race for the SEC title, two games back of Tennessee. Next up is a home game against Florida State and then a weekend trip to Athens, Ga. It’s a big week for the 37-10 Gators.

12. The gymnastics team did not have its best day Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas, but you have to pause and think about it. For this team to finish fourth in the nation is certainly nothing to feel bad about. “There were so many people who doubted the Gators would even be able to be in this position,” Florida coach Jenny Rowland said. “This team fought and continued to show up day after day, getting one percent better. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I’m just sad the season is over.”

13. And then we have baseball and the trials and tribulations of a team that could have a guy tie the all-time college record for home runs in consecutive games and when the streak ends the Gators finally win a game. What Jac Caglianone has done has been spectacular and if he doesn’t win some major awards (like the Golden Spikes) at the end of the season, it will simply be because Florida’s record isn’t that good.

14. Meanwhile, men’s basketball coach Todd Golden continues to build next year’s team. The Gators got Alijah Martin from Florida Atlantic and he’s just what they needed to replace Zyon Pullin, a physical guard who can score and get rebounds. His last three seasons at FAU showed his consistency with almost the exact scoring and rebounding totals each year (averaging 13.4 points and 5.6 rebounds). If Walter Clayton Jr. comes back, Florida might have a lethal backcourt.

15. I don’t watch the NBA during the regular season, but I get fired up for the playoffs. Every time I turn on a game the score is 73-48. I’ll stick to golf.

16. Which means I can talk about my buddy Billy Horschel, who is being inducted into the Bob Dooley Invitational Hall of Fame in less than three weeks. Billy Ho’s 63 in the final round of the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic probably did not get much attention Sunday because every golf fan was watching Scottie Scheffler put on another show at Hilton Head. By the time the rain delay came, Horschel was finishing up his round and led by three. With eight wins, Horschel is now more than halfway to making the Golf Hall of Fame. Which is slightly more prestigious than the Bob Dooley but just as hard to make.

17. Yes, we are almost there. It felt like the golf tournament was so far away. And now it feels like it is coming too fast. It’s pretty incredible the silent auction we are able to put together because people are so generous. I received a package from Washington coach Dan Quinn on Friday and a Tito’s golf bag on Saturday. Hopefully, we will raise a lot of moola for Stop Children’s Cancer.

18. I am also feeling pressure to have the perfect playlist ready to go, so I am trying out these songs:

• “Go” by The Black Keys.
• “Meet You After Midnight” by The Chesterfield Kings.
• And for a really old one, “Thank You” by Led Zeppelin.

WRUF.com sports columnist Pat Dooley can be heard on “The Tailgate” along with Jeff Cardozo from 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday on 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.