Gators Softball Prepares To Take On No. 2 Texas For 2 Saturday

After dropping the series opener against Texas A&M, the Florida Gators returned to form in the next two games, dismantling the Aggies.

Now, the No. 3 Gators (27-2) have their toughest matchup of the season as they face off against the No. 2 Texas Longhorns this weekend.

A Look At Texas

Texas has matched its best start in program history through 27 games, sitting at a 26-1 record — and just like the record suggests, the team has been dominant on both sides of the ball.

The Longhorns have one of the best hitters in the nation in the form of Mia Scott, who has stormed to a .500 batting average. She’s not a power hitter, having only one homer on the season; instead, she chips away at a team’s defense through relentless singles and doubles. The team’s home run leader is Reese Atwood, who has gone yard 10 times this year.

As a squad, Texas ranks second in the nation in batting average and third in total hits.

The Longhorns have also been strong in the circle. Starting pitcher Cambria Salmon is undefeated in her six starts this year and boasts a 1.39 ERA.

However, Texas’s most reliable pitcher actually comes in relief. Junior Citlaly Gutierrez leads the nation in ERA at 0.44, and has been dominant since moving to her new role in the bullpen.

Florida Players to Watch

Though the Gators haven’t been as explosive on offense as of late, that was to be expected. SEC pitchers are better, more challenging to hit, so it makes sense that the team’s production would slow down as it went into tournament play.

However, some players have still shined. Jocelyn Erickson has been lights-out for the past few weeks as she’s hit home runs in three straight to bring her total to nine.

Additionally, Florida’s pitching hasn’t faltered since entering SEC play. Kara Hammock had a bounce-back game against UCF, blanking the Knights in 6.2 innings pitched; it was the Gators’ 11th shutout of the season. Hammock’s performance has been up and down this season— getting her going would be massive for Florida.

Takeaways

Florida shouldn’t expect any blow-out games against the Longhorns.

The Gators’ route to victory entails doing what they’ve done all season: scoring early and never looking back. Texas has an elite bullpen, and Florida needs to put Gutierrez out of the equation as soon as possible.

Weather Change

The series opener is Saturday at 2 p.m. and will broadcast on SEC Network. Because of expected inclement weather Sunday, Saturday will now feature a doubleheader.  The second game is estimated to begin about 45 minutes after the end of the first game. It will air on SEC Network+.

The third game of the series is still set for Monday at 7 p.m. (SEC Network).

Tickets for Saturday’s originally-scheduled 2 p.m. game will remain unchanged. Tickets for Sunday’s originally-scheduled 1 p.m. game can now be used for Saturday’s second game of the doubleheader.