The No. 3 ranked Florida Gators softball team went 4-0 last week and knocked off North Florida on Wednesday night to start this week off on a high note.
The Gators take their 34-2 record into a huge weekend series against number 19 Georgia starting on Saturday.
This weekend the Gators will look to get revenge against Georgia after the Bulldogs eliminated Florida at home in the super regionals last year.
Entering this weekend the SEC has 11 teams ranked in the top 25 with South Carolina just outside of the top 25 this weekend.
How the teams have fared in conference play:
Florida comes in with 10-1 conference record after sweeping Arkansas on the road last weekend.
Georgia enters this weekend with a 2-7 conference record but they’re coming off of getting swept by Auburn last weekend.
In the batter’s box:
Junior Kayli Kvistad continues to pace the Gators at the plate and currently leads the nation with her 45 walks this year. Kvistad supports a .632 on-base percentage and is hitting a cool .429 on the plate. Despite all the walks, Kvistad still has30 RBI’s and four home runs.
Sophomore Amanda Lorenz has reached base in every game this year and in 54 straight games which have given her a .540 on-base percentage. Lorenz is hitting .396 and now leads the team with her seven home runs. Lorenz is doing all of that from the leadoff spot.
Freshman Jordan Roberts is absolutely on fire at the plate right now and has taken over the cleanup spot in the Gators batting order. Roberts has six home runs and 32 RBI’s while hitting .338 this season.
In the circle:
The Gators four-man pitching staff supports a 0.75 ERA on the year including the nation’s leader in that category.
Sophomore Kelly Barnhill leads the nation with 0.26 ERA and is 31-0 on the year with two saves. Barnhill has struck out 151 batters in her 80.2 innings pitched this year. Barnhill took over the Friday night start last week and picked up a win.
Senior Delanie Gourley had been the Gators ace this year but last weekend move into the two spot but still supports a 0.82 ERA and a 12-2 record.
Georgia scouting report
Georgia has been one of the best hitting teams in the country this year and enters this weekend with a .358 batting average and has hit 20 home runs on the year. The Bulldogs are a good doubles-hitting team and that’s something Florida will have to watch this weekend.
At the plate, Georgia is led by Sydni Emanuel who has a .476 batting average and 30 RBI’s on the year. Emanuel, however, doesn’t have any home runs but has only struck out six times in 126 plate appearances this year.
In the power department, Alyssa DiCarlo leads the team with her nine home runs and 44 RBI’s this season. DiCarlo is hitting .358 on the year and has also added seven doubles.
In the circle, Georgia usually uses a two-man rotation but Kylie Bass has been in 10 games as the third pitcher.
Brittany Gray is the Bulldogs leading hitter with a 17-6 record and a 1.72 ERA and six shutouts. Gray has struck out 107 batters in her 130 innings pitched while only walking 55 batters.
Player to watch:
For Florida: The Gators will look for freshman Jordan Roberts to protect Kayli Kvistad so that she sees some pitches this weekend. Roberts has been red hot lately and that has helped Kvistad see more pitches to hit. Roberts is second the team with her six home runs this year.
Here’s the schedule for this weekend’s game
- #3 Florida vs. #19 Georgia on Saturday at 4:00 P.M. on ESPN3
- #3 Florida vs. #19 Georgia on Sunday at 7:00 P.M on SEC Network
- #3 Florida vs. #19 Georgia on Monday at 7:00 P.M on SEC Network