Special report on the Florida Gators softball team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 6 Florida opens the 2022 season Friday, Feb. 11, at 5:30 p.m. against Illinois State at the USF – Rawlings Invitational in Tampa. UF is also scheduled to take on No. 16 Michigan, Kansas City and tournament host USF this weekend.
Fans can follow the action at the USF – Rawlings Invitational by tuning into ESPN 98.1FM/850AM WRUF on the radio or online via The Varsity Network app<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__thevarsitynetwork.com_audioapplink&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=2Wj9Qj8x_WSob-ljVP7JaYHeT0vwknGLOUVCLjJeZBKWLI-3A8Lu3cbVVeqiHUqj&s=VChI1DBo-z6paiWAjRKAtnZI_F-fx9sNXv9IjIt0Owk&e= > on your mobile device. UF’s final game of the weekend against USF will be streamed via ESPN+.
The Gators enter the 2022 season returning a plethora of players from the 2021 SEC Regular Season Championship squad, including a trio of NFCA All-Americans in senior third baseman Charla Echols (Newnan, Ga.), fifth year second baseman Hannah Adams (Hoschton, Ga.) and senior right-handed pitcher Elizabeth Hightower (Monticello, Fla.).
Hightower’s All-American season extended the Gators streak of producing an All-American pitcher to 14 consecutive seasons, which is the longest active streak by any program in the country.
This weekend will also bring about the debuts of redshirt-junior Skylar Wallace (Woodstock, Ga./Alabama), who redshirted the 2021 season due to conference transfer rules, and the likes of graduate transfer, right-handed pitcher, Marissa Mesiemore (Bushnell, Fla./FGCU).
In addition, the Gators look to receive solid contributions from a talented freshmen class in catcher Cali Decker (Lake Mary, Fla.), right-handed pitcher Lexie Delbrey (Bainbridge, Ga.), outfielder Kendra Falby (Odessa, Fla.), catcher Sam Roe (Destin, Fla.) and shortstop Reagan Walsh (Redondo Beach, Calif.).
This weekend features three head coaches with 1,000-plus wins over their tenures. Melinda Fisher has been a mainstay at Illinois State and has won 1,141 games over 38 seasons, while USF’s Ken Eriksen eclipsed the 1,000-win mark last year and enters 2022 with 1,010 career wins over 24 seasons.
Carol Hutchins is on the verge of eclipsing the NCAA all-time career wins record that was set by Arizona’s legendary coach Mike Candrea (1,674). Hutchins has 1,672 career wins in 38 seasons and needs just three more to break Candrea’s record.
Florida head coach Tim Walton is nearing the 1,000-win mark himself as he has won 962 games in 19 seasons as a head coach and leads all active head coaches with a .796 win percentage. Currently there are only 10 active head coaches with 1,000 career wins.
Gators History vs. Rawlings Invitational Opponents
Illinois State
All-Time Record vs.
15-2
Streak
Won Last 15
Last Meeting
Feb. 7, 2020 – W, 4-1
USF – Rawlings Invitational (Tampa, Fla.)
Winning Pitcher
Lugo | 7.0 IP | 5 H | 1 R | 1 ER | 11 Ks
Losing Pitcher
Fox | 1.2 IP | 2 H | 4 R | 4 ER | 2 BB
UF Impact
Echols | 1-for-3 | 1 2B | 2 RBI | 1 BB
ISU Impact
Leonard | 2-for-3 | 1 2B | 1 R
Kansas City
All-Time Record vs.
First Meeting
No.16/13 Michigan
All-Time Record vs.
12-10
Streak
Lost Last Meeting
Last Meeting
Feb. 8, 2020 – L, 11-2 (6)
USF – Rawlings Invitational (Tampa, Fla.)
Winning Pitcher
Storako | 6.0 IP | 6 H | 2 R | 2 ER | 3 BB | 7 Ks
Losing Pitcher
Lugo | 1.0 IP | 5 H | 5 R | 5 ER | 1 BB
UF Impact Player
Echols | 2-for-2 | 1 HR | 1 RBI | 1 BB
UM Impact Player
Allan | 2-for-3 | 2 RBI | 1 HR | 1 SF | 2 R
USF
All-Time Record vs.
57-13
Streak
Won Last 23
Last Meeting
May 23, 2020 – W, 8-0
NCAA Regional Championship (Gainesville, Fla.)
Winning Pitcher
E. Hightower – 7.0 IP – 0 H – 0 R – 10 Ks
Fourth Complete Game No-Hitter in NCAA Tournament play for Gators and first overall for Hightower.
Losing Pitcher
G. Corrick – 6.0 IP – 8 H – 3 R – 3 ER – 9 Ks
UF Impact Player
S. Longley | 2-for-2 | 4 RBI | Grand Slam
USF Impact Player
S. Rivera | 1 BB
USF – Rawlings Invitational Schedule & Links
Friday, Feb. 11
vs. Illinois State at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 12
vs. Kansas City at 10:30 a.m.
vs. No. 16/13 Michigan at 1 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 13
at USF at 12 p.m.
Watch
Listen
ESPN 98.1FM/850AM WRUF<https://www.wruf.com/listen-live/> | The Varsity App<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__thevarsitynetwork.com_audioapplink&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=2Wj9Qj8x_WSob-ljVP7JaYHeT0vwknGLOUVCLjJeZBKWLI-3A8Lu3cbVVeqiHUqj&s=VChI1DBo-z6paiWAjRKAtnZI_F-fx9sNXv9IjIt0Owk&e= >