All Things Osprey: Men’s golf take down top programs at Hayt invitational

Riley Platt, Sports Editor
April 4, 2022

It was a busy week around campus for UNF athletics, but the top highlight came away from campus on the golf course.

The men’s golf team turned heads, taking down a number of notable teams in the Hayt, a collegiate tournament hosted at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra. It came down to the wire against the Charlotte 49ers, but the Ospreys came out on top thanks to some clutch play from phenom Nick Gabrelcik.

Across town, softball squared off for a midday matchup at Jacksonville University. The Dolphins weren’t the opponent, however, as the Ospreys faced the second-ranked team in the nation: the Florida State Seminoles.

The sunny weather didn’t translate to the field, as UNF lost to Florida State 12-3 on Wednesday.
The sunny weather didn’t translate to the field, as UNF lost to Florida State 12-3 on Wednesday. (Riley Platt)

Things didn’t go UNF’s way, though, with FSU jumping out to a quick 5-0 lead in the first inning. The Ospreys tacked on a few runs later, but it wasn’t enough as the Seminoles cruised to a 12-3 victory.

The Ospreys didn’t hang their heads, though, as collegiate softball squads have to get right back to work and turn things around on quick notice. UNF returned to action on Sunday, facing the Central Arkansas Bears. The current leaders of the ASUN West division weren’t gonna be an easy out, though.

UNF didn’t seem to care what the standings looked like, as they took it to the Bears in both games of the doubleheader. Star pitcher Morgan Clausen held things down in the first game, with a Hayley Bejarano walk-off RBI single in extra innings winning the match 1-0. Things weren’t as dry on offense in the second game, but the Ospreys prevailed 3-2 to earn the sweep.

The UNF Softball team
In low-scoring games like the ones UNF played this weekend, an all-around team effort is necessary to come out on top. (Justin Nedrow)

Softball illustrated how quickly momentum shifts during a season, but momentum can still be important even during an offseason. This was the case with the UNF volleyball squad, who took an opportunity to stay in form this weekend with some exhibition matches at UNF Arena. While the season is still far away, playing a talented team like South Florida can help immensely in off-season development.

UNF’s Zoe Cahill reaches above the net to counter a Georgia State spike on Friday.
UNF’s Zoe Cahill reaches above the net to counter a Georgia State spike on Friday. (Riley Platt)

Beach volleyball also contributed to the hustle and bustle on campus as they hosted the North Florida Invite. Some of the nation’s best teams — including Florida State and Pepperdine — made their way to the Cooper Beach Volleyball Complex for a weekend of competition.

Things didn’t go too well for the Ospreys, dropping all of their matches on Friday and Saturday. However, this is nothing to be ashamed of, as they faced some of the best teams in the nation back-to-back for two days.

While UNF may have not been directly involved in this weekend’s Final Four, a prominent Osprey was a part of the festivities. Men’s basketball head coach Matthew Driscoll joined Baylor head coach Scott Drew and Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd on the Field of 68 podcast. Driscoll has a history with Drew, previously serving as an assistant coach on his staff at Baylor.

Speaking of basketball, the men’s squad picked up a recruit for the 2022-23 season. Six-foot-four combo guard Jan Nze committed to UNF on Sunday, choosing the Ospreys over the likes of South Florida and Florida Atlantic. Adding another shooter to the still-developing roster surely can’t hurt.

There are plenty more things happening in the world of UNF athletics this upcoming week, so make sure to stay tuned with Spinnaker for all of your Ospreys updates!

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