(SB) Florida vs Cal State Fullerton 2/25/23 3:30 pm

Feb 25 (Sat) 3:30 PM
Florida vs Cal State Fullerton
Palm Springs, CA

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THE BROADCAST
THURSDAY
AUDIO: ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM WRUF & FLORIDAGATORS.COM & THE VARSITY NETWORK
VIDEO: FloSoftball ($$)

FRIDAY
AUDIO: ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM WRUF & FLORIDAGATORS.COM & THE VARSITY NETWORK
VIDEO: FloSoftball ($$)

SATURDAY
AUDIO: ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM WRUF & FLORIDAGATORS.COM & THE VARSITY NETWORK
VIDEO: FloSoftball ($$

 

The Warm Up​

FLORIDA (10-0)
RANKING (NFCA/USA SOFTBALL): 3/3
HEAD COACH: TIM WALTON
CAREER RECORD: 1,021-265 (.794) RECORD at UF: 898-201 (.817)

CAL STATE FULLERTON (6-4)
RANKING (NFCA/USA SOFTBALL): NR/NR
HEAD COACH: Kelly Ford
CAREER RECORD: 343-204-1 (.627) RECORD at CSF: 343-204-1 (.627)
CSF vs. UF RECORD: UF Leads 4-4 (.500)
LAST MEETING: March 1, 2018 | UF 10, CSF 0 (5 Innings)

UCLA (12-0)
RANKING (NFCA/USA SOFTBALL): NR/NR
HEAD COACH: Kelly Inouye-Perez
CAREER RECORD: 735-190-1 (.794) RECORD at UCLA: 735-190-1 (.794)
UCLA vs. UF RECORD: UCLA Leads 6-8 (.429)
LAST MEETING: June 5, 2022 | UF 0, UCLA 8 (6 Innings)

UC RIVERSIDE (4-7)
RANKING (NFCA/USA SOFTBALL): NR/NR
HEAD COACH: Nikki Palmer
CAREER RECORD: 186-270 (.408) RECORD at UCR: 141-144 (.495)
UF vs. UCR RECORD: First Meeting
LAST MEETING:

OREGON (8-2)
RANKING (NFCA/USA SOFTBALL): NR/NR
HEAD COACH: Meylssa Lombardi
CAREER RECORD: 125-70 (.641) RECORD at UO: 125-70 (.641)
Oregon vs. UF RECORD: Florida Leads 10-2 (.833)
LAST MEETING: Feb. 18, 2022 | UF 2, OREGON 1

 

THE SCOUTING REPORT​

FLORIDA
BATTING AVERAGE: (.560) Avery Goelz WINS: (5) Elizabeth Hightower
HITS: (14) A. Goelz/Falby SAVES: NA
RUNS: (17) Skylar Wallace ERA: (0.00) Elizabeth Hightower
RBI: (16) Charla Echols Ks: (23) Elizabeth Hightower

CAL STATE FULLERTON
BATTING AVERAGE: (.375) Megan Delgadillo WINS: (2) Rainey/Sutherlin/Miranda
HITS: (12) Megan Delgadillo SAVES: (1) Haley Rainey
RUNS: (8) Hannah Becerra ERA: (1.22) Haley Rainey
RBI: (6) Hannah Becerra STRIKEOUTS: (30) Myka Sutherlin

UCLA
BATTING AVERAGE: (.568) Maya Brady WINS: (7) Megan Faraimo
HITS: (21) Maya Brady SAVES: NA
RUNS: (19) Savannah Pola ERA: (0.65) Brooke Yanez
RBI: (15) Brady/Grant STRIKEOUTS: (69) Megan Faraimo

UC RIVERSIDE
BATTING AVERAGE: (.345) Marissa Burk WINS: (2) Maddie Heinlin
HITS: (11) Nadia Witt SAVES: (1) Emma Falen
RUNS: (10) Nadia Witt ERA: (2.63) Maddie Heinlin
RBI: (13) Haylee Kela STRIKEOUTS: (23) Maddie Heinlin

OREGON
BATTING AVERAGE: (.400) Alyssa Daniell WINS: (4) Stevie Hansen
HITS: (12) Allee Bunker SAVES: (1) Scott/Breedlove
RUNS: (10) Terra McGowan ERA: (2.30) Stevie Hansen
RBI: (12) Allee Bunker STRIKEOUTS: (37) Stevie Hanse

 

THE FIRST PITCH​

• The University of Florida softball team heads to California for the first time since the 2020 season to participate in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic where the team is scheduled to play No. 1 UCLA, Oregon, Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside. All games will be streamed on FloSoftball.

• This past weekend the Gators went 5-0 during the T-Mobile tournament and picked up three five-inning run-rule victories. Overall, the Orange & Blue has turned in eight five-inning run-rule victories over the first 10 games of the year and have outscored opponents 118-16.

• Florida’s offensive expolsion has landed the Gators several top spots in the national statistics. UF averages a nation’s best 11.8 runs per game and also leads the country in batting average (.435), on base percentage (.570), slugging percentage (.737) and walks (73).

• Skylar Wallace and Elizabeth Hightower were tabbed SEC Co-Player and Co-Pitcher of the Week after their standout performances from Feb. 14-19. Wallace batted .625 with 10 hits, 11 runs scored, 12 RBI and was 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts. Hightower earned four wins in four appearances, two starts, to improved to 5-0 on the season. The Monticello, Fla. native has not allowed an earned run all season through 20 1/3 innings.

• The +21 run differential against the Illinois State during opening weekend is tied for the second-largest margin of victory against an opponent in program history as the Gators defeated Ball State 21-0 on March 12, 2011. The largest margin of victory in program history was a 22-0 win over North Florida May 5, 2010.

• Sophomore Reagan Walsh and freshman Olivia Gigante both hit grand slams in the Gators win over Illinois State, which is the first time since Briana Little and Janell Wheaton hit grand slams in the same game against Mercer in 2015. It was the second career grand slam of Walsh’s career and the sophomore followed up with a second home run later in the game for her first multi-home run game of her career.

 

No. 3 Gators Head to California for Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
Herb Brooks
Florida is scheduled to take on No. 1 UCLA, No. 22/24 Oregon, Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside this week.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The third-ranked Florida softball program is set to travel to California for the first time since the 2020 season to take part in the 2023 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic held at Big League Dreams park in Cathedral City, Calif.

The Gators (10-0) are off to one of their hottest starts offensively in program history as the team has produced a record 118 runs through the first 10 games of the season. The 11.8 runs per game ranks the Orange & Blue as the nation's best scoring offense along with being the nation's leader in batting average (.435), on base percentage (.570), slugging percentage (.737) and walks (73).

Florida's offense has also allowed the program to record eight five-inning run-rule victories throughout the first 10 games, which is just one shy of the nine five-inning run-rule games the program turned in through all 68 games played last season.

The success both at the plate in the circle last week brought in a pair of Southeastern Conference weekly awards as Skylar Wallace was named SEC Co-Player of the Week and Elizabeth Hightower (5-0) was tabbed SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week. Wallace batted .625 with 10 hits, 11 runs scored, 12 RBI and was 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts. Hightower earned four wins in four appearances, two starts, to improve to 5-0 on the season. The Monticello, Fla. native has not allowed an earned run all season through 20 1/3 innings.

Florida Head Coach Tim Walton is also on the verge of another milestone at the helm of the Gators. In his 18th season with the program, Walton needs just two wins to reach 900 wins as the head coach of Florida. In his 18 seasons, Walton holds a record of 898-201 (.817) and a career record 1,021-265 (.794) over 21 seasons as a head coach.

Last year, Walton was the second fastest head coach to reach 1,000 career NCAA Division I victories, which was only behind Arizona legendary head coach Mike Candrea.

After the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, the Gators take to the road once more with a three-game series set to take place in Birmingham, Ala. against UAB from Friday, March 3, through Sunday, March 5.