Florida Opens Home Slate with Weekend Contests Against NC State and Iowa
Friday, February 13, 2015 | Softball
Gainesville, Fla. – The No. 1-ranked Gator Softball team (6-0) returns to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium this weekend for its first regular-season home games since capturing the 2014 national championship. Florida will host NC State three times and Iowa twice. Saturday's game against the Wolfpack and Sunday's contest with the Hawkeyes will mark the first-ever softball games broadcast on the SEC Network.
GATOR BITES: Quick Hits About the Gators
· The Gators have outscored their first six opponents 62-7, including three shutouts.
· Every UF player saw action on the season's opening weekend, with 14 different players appearing in the starting lineup.
· Eighteen of the Gators' 20 players got into Wednesday's contest.
· Kirsti Merritt is off to a fast start in 2015, hitting three homers and driving in 11 runs over the first six games. The outfielder has racked up 17 total bases in 13 at-bats, good for a 1.308 slugging percentage.
· Lauren Haeger has shown why she is a three-time First Team All-Region selection; the senior has won three games and allowed just four hits over 11.0 shutout innings while striking out 19 batters.
· At the plate, the Peoria, Ariz., native slugged her first home run of the year on Saturday against Illinois State.
· Haeger has helped her own cause by scoring or driving in a run in two of her three wins.
· Florida's freshmen have excelled in their first action, either scoring or driving in a total of 34 runs
· A freshman has started UF's season opener each year dating back to 2010.
· Nicole DeWitt has started each game, hitting .308 with five RBI and ranking second on the team with eight runs scored.
· Aleshia Ocasio has performed well in the circle and at the plate, going 2-0 with a complete game and scoring the winning run in the victory over the Wolverines, and hitting a triple in her first career at-bat.
· Kayli Kvistad also has made an impact at the plate, getting four hits in eight at-bats, including a three-run home run in Saturday's win over Illinois State.
· The Lake City, Fla., native ranks second on the squad with eight RBI.
· Janell Wheaton has started four of the six games and seen action in the other two contests, rotating between first base, DP and catcher. The San Dimas, Calif., native recorded four RBI on Opening Day to set the tone in Florida's win over Hampton.
· UF Head Coach Tim Walton has 498 wins in his nine-plus seasons at Florida.
· Kelsey Stewart has set the Gator record for career triples, and has a chance this week to break the school standard for stolen bases.
· Briana Little has tied the UF mark for hit-by-pitches.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Friday's contest against NC State can be seen online via SECNetwork+. The first game on both Saturday and Sunday will be carried live on the SEC Network.
All 2015 Florida Softball games can be heard on Florida Sports Talk (1230-AM in Gainesville, 900-AM in Ocala). Adam Schick will call play-by-play on Friday, with Corey Brooks in that spot on Saturday and Sunday. Bush will join Brooks for the final two days of the weekend.
LIVE STATS
A live stats link for Wednesday can be found on the Gators' schedule page.
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