Gator fans will have their first chance to preview the 2012-13 Florida softball squad as the Gators open the fall softball slate Friday, Oct. 12, with a 5 p.m. doubleheader against Gainesville foe Santa Fe College at UF’s Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
UF will then host the Daytona State College Falcons in a single game Sunday at 2 p.m. before taking to the field for the 2012 Swing for a Cure event to wrap up the first weekend of fall competition.
Florida faced both the Saints and Falcons in 2011 fall competition, taking both games from Santa Fe to open last year’s schedule in Gainesville with 11-0 and 7-0 victories. The Orange and Blue then took a mid-fall road trip down to Daytona to face the Falcons, directly followed by the 2011 NPF All-Stars. UF split the doubleheader, defeating Daytona State 15-0, while falling to the NPF All-Stars, 6-4. This year, the NPF Tour stops in Gainesville Monday, Oct. 22.
The Gators will host their annual Swing for a Cure charity event Sunday, Oct. 14, following the Gators’ 2 p.m. fall softball game against Daytona State College. This year, the Orange and Blue will host nearly 20 current and former Gator student-athletes from a variety of University of Florida sports teams for Swing for a Cure to bring awareness pair of charitable organizations, including UF & Shands-affiliated March of Dimes.
Several 2012 Florida Olympians will participate, as well as representatives from the men’s and women’s basketball teams, football, track/field, swimming and diving and lacrosse teams. All participating Gator athletes will be divided into two teams and each player will try their chance at hitting off two-time Gator All-American pitcher Hannah Rogers in the home-run derby-type event, with an infield hit for one point, outfield hit equal to two and a home run for the maximum three points.
Both charities will be on hand at Sunday’s event to promote awareness for each respective organization. Participating Florida athletes and Olympians will be available following the event for autographs on the Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium concourse and Gator fans wishing to donate to Friends of Jaclyn and March of Dimes can do so through pledge cards at each charity’s information table throughout the afternoon.
Last season, the Gators went 48-13 overall and 21-7 in the SEC for Florida’s fifth-straight 20-win league campaign in school history. The Gators received a NCAA Tournament bid for the 13th time in school history, the 10th consecutive season, after advancing to the SEC Tournament Championship Game. Florida head coach Tim Walton reached career milestone win No. 500, becoming the fastest active coach in the SEC to accomplish the feat. UF boasted two All-Americans in Rogers and departing senior Michelle Moultrie and two Academic All-Americans in Moultrie and senior catcher Kelsey Horton (Valrico, Fla.).
Courtesy of UF Communications