Florida Softball Opens Two-Game Split Series with UNF

No. 4/5 Florida Gators softball looks to extend its perfect record against the Ospreys, opening a two-game split series on Tuesday.

Florida enters the matchup coming off a 5-1 victory over Georgia Tech on the final day of the Florida Classic at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Freshman Leah Stevens made her first career start in the win, allowing just one run across four innings.

“I was really excited,” Stevens said. “It meant a lot to me that Coach Walton trusted me to give me the start. I knew that going into this game, I needed to focus and do my job, and everyone is super supportive.” 

The Gators showed pitching depth over the weekend, with four pitchers recording at least one win. 

Florida’s offense remained strong with Cassidy McLellan, Kendall Grover and Madison Walker sending balls out of the park. Walker’s two-run home run was her first as a Gator. The team’s collective batting average is .392 and was .292 against the Yellow Jackets. 

“I’m really happy with us being patient, and we have a lineup that allows us to be patient,” coach Tim Walton said. “I think our players are becoming a little more settled.” 

UNF also enters the midweek with momentum. The Ospreys finished the UNF-JU Invitational on Sunday with a perfect 5-0 record to move to an overall record of 11-1. 

The Ospreys walked off Stony Brook in the eighth inning. Caiden Olivia delivered an RBI single to left field, scoring Marley Nagy as the winning run. The hit marked Olivia’s second RBI of the game.

However, Florida holds a perfect 18-0 record in the all-time series. The Gators have won 14 times at home, dating back to the program’s first meeting in February 2007. Despite recent competitive growth from the University of North Florida, the Gators have maintained control of the matchup through March 2025.

The Gators will look to maintain their early dominance and continue building confidence before conference play starts. According to USA Softball, Florida currently sits under three SEC teams, including No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 Oklahoma. 

The Ospreys come to Gainesville on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Then the Gators travel to Jacksonville on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. rematch at the UNF Softball Complex. 

Category: College Softball, Gators Softball, Softball