STARKVILLE, Miss. — Finally, it can be revealed what those clouds are hanging over the Florida softball team this season.
Rain clouds.
For the fourth time this Southeastern Conference season, the Nos. 6/5 Gators had a game canceled because of rain. After battling through a day of rain and other ominous weather Saturday to win a pair of 5-inning games, 8-0 and 9-1, against Mississippi State, the Gators and Bulldogs had Sunday’s series finale canceled not only by the light rain that was falling Sunday afternoon but also the forecast for heavy thunderstorms and wind later in the day.
Previously, rain canceled Florida’s doubleheader at Georgia on March 10 and sent coach Tim Walton’s Gators home early on April 24 from their series at Tennessee. The Gators also had a three-game series at Waco, Texas, against Baylor March 20-21 canceled because of a late-March snowstorm.
Florida (37-7, 17-4 SEC East) returns to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium to play North Florida in a doubleheader Wednesday. First pitch in the opening game is at 4 p.m. The Gators then play host to South Carolina in a three-game series that will end the regular season—a doubleheader Saturday, May 8 beginning at 1 p.m. and a single game at noon Sunday, May 9. The SEC tournament is at Fayetteville, Ark., May 13-15.
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
Eastern Division Conference Overall
(Rank) Team W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
(T5) Florida 17-4 .810 37-7 .841
(T7) Georgia 18-8 .692 41-10 .804
(17) Tennessee 15-7 .682 39-11 .780
Kentucky 11-14.440 29-23 .558
South Carolina 1-24 .040 11-37 .229
Western Division Conference Overall
(Rank) Team W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
(4) Alabama 20-4 .833 42-9 .824
(16) Louisiana State 19-6 .760 41-11 .788
Arkansas 10-15 .400 28-25 .528
Auburn 8-17 .320 27-23 .540
Mississippi State 7-17 .292 26-25 .510
Mississippi 7-17 .292 26-26 .500
(Rank) in this week’s GatorCountry.com Top 25 poll
RESULTS
SUNDAY / May 2
Mississippi 10, Arkansas 6
Florida at Mississippi State, canceled, inclement weather
Tennessee at Alabama, canceled, inclement weather
FRIDAY / April 30
Louisiana State 5, Georgia (1st)
Georgia 3, Louisiana State 2 (2nd)
Michigan 5, Kentucky 4
SATURDAY / May 1
Florida 8, Mississippi State 0 (5) (1st)
Florida 9, Mississippi State 1 (5) (2nd)
Arkansas 5, Mississippi 0 (1st)
Arkansas 9, Mississippi 0 (2nd)
Alabama 4, Tennessee 2 (1st)
Alabama 7, Tennessee 6 (2nd)
Michigan 8, Kentucky 4
SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY / May 5
North Florida at Florida (2), 4 p.m.
SATURDAY / May 8
South Carolina at Florida (2), 1 p.m.
Louisiana State at Tennessee (2), 12 p.m.
Kentucky at Mississippi (2), 2 p.m.
Arkansas at Auburn (2), 2 p.m.
Alabama at Mississippi State (2), 2 p.m.
SUNDAY / May 9
South Carolina at Florida, 12 p.m.
Louisiana State at Tennessee, 2 p.m.
Kentucky at Mississippi, 2 p.m.
Arkansas at Auburn, 2 p.m.
Alabama at Mississippi State, 2 p.m.
Georgia at Texas, 1 p.m.
MONDAY / May 10
Georgia at Texas, 7 p.m.
THURSDAY-SATURDAY / May 13-15
SEC Tournament at Fayetteville, Ark.
THURSDAY-SATURDAY / May 13-15
NCAA Regionals (16 sites)
FRIDAY-SUNDAY / May 28-30
NCAA Super Regionals (8 sites)
THURSDAY-WEDNESDAY / June 3-9
Women’s College World Series, Oklahoma City, Okla.
RANKINGS
April 27, 2010
GATORCOUNTRY.Com TOP 25
The GatorCountry.com Top 25 college softball teams for April 27, a cumulative ranking using the ESPN.com/USA Softball Division I and USA/NFCA Division I polls. First-place votes are in parentheses:
Rk School W-L Pts
1. Washington (2) 37-5 50
2. Michigan 37-5 48
3. Arizona 38-7 46
4. Alabama 39-9 44
5. UCLA 33-9 41
5. Florida 35-7 41
7. Arizona State 37-10 36
7. Georgia 40-8 36
7. Georgia Tech 43-8 36
10. Oklahoma State 40-11 30
10. Oklahoma 36-10 30
12. Missouri 36-9 27
13. Texas 37-10 25
14. Stanford 30-12 24
15. California 34-13 23
16. Louisiana State 38-10 22
17. Tennessee 39-9 19
18. Illinois 33-5 15
19. Oregon 31-10 14
20. Ohio State 30-11 9
20. Hawaii 39-11 9
20. Texas A&M 36-13 9
23. Massachusetts 29-7-1 8
24. Florida State 39-14 6
25. Notre Dame 38-9 2
USA TODAY/NATIONAL FASTPITCH COACHES ASSOCIATION
1. Washington (37-5); 2. Michigan (37-5); 3. Arizona (38-7); 4. Alabama (39-9); 5. UCLA (33-9); 6. Florida (35-7); 7. Arizona State (37-10); 8. Georgia (40-8); 9. Georgia Tech (43-8); 10. Missouri (36-9); 11. Oklahoma State (41-10); 12. Oklahoma (36-10); 13. California (34-13); 14. Stanford (30-12); 15. Texas (37-10); 16. Tennessee (39-9); 17. Louisiana State (39-10); 18. Illinois (33-5); 19. Ohio State (30-11); 20. Oregon (31-10); 21. Massachusetts (29-7); 22. Texas A&M (36-13); 23. Hawaii (39-11); 24. Florida State (39-14); 25. Notre Dame (38-9).
ESPN.com/USA SOFTBALL DIVISION I
1. Washington (37-5); 2. Michigan (37-5); 3. Arizona (38-7); 4. Alabama (39-9); 5. Florida (35-7); 6. UCLA (33-9); 7. Georgia Tech (43-8); 8. Georgia (40-8); 9. Arizona State (37-10); 10. Oklahoma (36-10); 11. Oklahoma State (40-11); 12. Texas (37-10); 13. Louisiana State (38-10); 14. Stanford (30-12); 15. Missouri (36-9); 16. California (34-13); 17. Tennessee (39-9); 18. Oregon (31-10); 19. Illinois (33-5); 20. Hawaii (39-11); 21. Texas A&M (36-13); 22. Florida State (39-14); 23. Massachusetts (29-7-1); 24. Ohio State (30-11); 25. Notre Dame (38-9).