No. 10 Gators Softball Starts Series against No. 7 LSU

Florida (32-5, 7-2 SEC) stares down one of their biggest opponents yet this weekend: LSU (30-4, 8 – 4 SEC).

After winning a rubber match game against Mississippi State and run-ruling Stetson, the team is red hot for their game against No. 7 LSU.

They had pitching struggles against the Bulldogs. However, their offense continued to find success in the batter’s box. This series, Florida should look for consistency. They’ve had series where the pitching was elite. They’ve had others where their batting was electric. With consistency, the Gators would increase their rank nationally.

Looking at LSU

LSU is ranked No. 7 in NCAA softball for one reason: they keep winning. The Tigers beat both No. 6 Oklahoma State and No. 3 Texas. With 30 wins currently on the season, they have limited the amount of runs their opposition scores.

🔻4 | A leadoff triple from @Sierrad0303 at the bottom of the lineup. This freshman is special!@Sierrad0303 | 📺 SECN [https://t.co/ldLMbpcfAE] pic.twitter.com/hIYSpqGzLq

— LSU Softball (@LSUsoftball) March 12, 2024

Keagan Rothrock and Ava Brown will need to pitch better than they did against Mississippi State to keep the Gators competitive. Ali Newland, LSU’s senior utility player, current has a .364 BA. She’s also sent 7 homers over the fence. LSU is consistent with their lineup, as five of their nine batters have played all 34 games. LSU is not a home-run heavy team. None of their batters have reached double-digits. So, Florida should look to minimize hits and limit errors.

On the other side of the ball, Florida will most likely face a pitching dynamic of Kelley Lynch, Sydney Berzon and Raelin Chaffin. None of their pitchers have a sub-2 ERA, but Berzon is close with her 2.02. She is also a strikeout pitcher, earning 99 over her 21 games played. The Gators proved that their offense can be dynamic. They put up 27 runs against Mississippi State. And, if Jocelyn Erickson, Reagan Walsh, and Skylar Wallace can continue to hit, the Gators can find success.

Special players in every position 💥
#GoGators | @SoftbalAmerica pic.twitter.com/LKwvUzUbYY

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 4, 2024

First Game

The Gators take the field against LSU for the first game at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium at 6 p.m. It will also be available to stream on ESPN.

Top 10 Matchup On Deck!

📄 https://t.co/8EEotqt589#DealUsIn pic.twitter.com/6TnJW4RsBd

— LSU Softball (@LSUsoftball) April 5, 2024