Special report on the Florida Gators softball team:
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Florida was announced as the 2019 Southeastern Conference preseason favorite Wednesday morning after votes from the 13 SEC head coaches were gathered and tallied by the league office.
The four-time defending SEC regular season champions and 2019 tournament champions received 10 first-place votes, while Georgia picked up two votes and Kentucky garnered one.
In 2018, the Gators recorded a 20-4 conference record on their way to capturing a league leading eighth regular season title and fourth overall tournament championship.
Florida begins its’ 2019 campaign at the USF Opening Weekend Invitational in Tampa against Illinois State (Feb. 8) at 4:45 p.m. with the first SEC series slated against Tennessee (March 8-10).
The Gators are also set to host conference opponents Arkansas (April 5-7), Alabama (April 19-20) and Mississippi State (May 3-5) in 2019.
The first home contest in the newly renovated Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium is an exhibition set for Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. against Team Japan.
Single game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through the Gator Ticket Office.
Over the phone: 1-800-34-GATOR or (352)-375-4683
In person: At the Gator Ticket Office, located on the West side of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The 2019 SEC Softball Tournament will take place May 8-11 at Davis Diamond in College Station, Texas.
The full 2019 schedule can be found HERE.
2019 SEC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll**
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
Place | School | Points |
1. | Florida (10) | 142 |
2. | Georgia (2) | 130 |
3. | Tennessee | 108 |
4. | South Carolina | 105 |
5. | Arkansas | 97 |
6. | LSU | 85 |
7. | Kentucky (1) | 81 |
8. | Alabama | 80 |
9. | Auburn | 69 |
10. | Mississippi State | 40 |
11. | Texas A&M | 32 |
12. | Ole Miss | 30 |
13. | Missouri | 15 |
**Points for the poll were awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 basis. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team