Gators, Wildcats Meet in Key Conference Matchup on Orange & Blue Weekend
Friday, April 10, 2015 | Softball
Florida vs. Kentucky Series Notes
Gainesville, Fla. – The third-ranked Gator Softball team (37-4, 8-4 Southeastern Conference) will host No. 13 Kentucky (27-11, 4-8) at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium during Florida's Orange & Blue Weekend. The Gators and Wildcats have split the last six meetings in the series dating back to 2012, with Kentucky taking two of three games in Gainesville that year and Florida doing the same in Lexington, Ky., in 2013.
QUICKLY: Florida Team Notes
· Florida is coming off a win at Florida State on Wednesday that represented the Gators' eighth consecutive road victory against the Seminoles.
· Last weekend, the Gators recorded a three-game sweep of South Carolina, during which UF outscored the Gamecocks 45-5.
· UF scored in double figures in each game against SC, marking the first time in school history that the Orange and Blue tallied 10 or more runs in all three games of a conference series.
· As of Sunday, April 5, the pitching trio of Delanie Gourley, Lauren Haeger and Aleshia Ocasio holds the highest per-game strikeout rate in the Southeastern Conference.
GATOR BITES: Florida Player Notes
· Kathlyn Medina is a Senior CLASS Award finalist. Fans can vote daily via multiple devices thru May 11 at SeniorCLASSAward.com.
· Kelsey Stewart (19) and Kirsti Merritt (14) both have more stolen bases than the Gator pitching staff has allowed (10).
· Stewart holds the highest batting average in UF history (min. 200 AB) and has set the Gator records for career triples and stolen bases. She also is closing in on the career hits mark.
· The Kansas native's six triples this season ranks fifth in the country as of Sunday.
· Haeger has established a new UF mark for RBI.
· The Arizona native is one home run shy of the school record.
· The senior was drafted by the Dallas Charge of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) last Wednesday.
· Merritt has set the UF marks for hit-by-pitches in a season and a career.
SETTING THE STAGE: Kentucky
· Florida leads the all-time series, 42-13; this includes 20-6 advantage in Gainesville.
· Since Tim Walton became Florida's head coach before the 2006 season, the Orange and Blue are 15-8 vs. the Blue and White.
· Florida's Kelsey Stewart (Wichita) and Kentucky's Brooklin Hinz (Olathe) both are Kansas natives.
· UF volunteer assistant coach Stacie Pestrak and UK associate head coach Kristine Himes both played for the Philadelphia Force during the 2006 NPF season.
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
Saturday, April 11 – 4 p.m.
Presented by Chick-Fil-A
· Chick-Fil-A Table (Third Base Concourse)
Giveaways: Mini Cows, coupons, sunglasses, fans
· Poster-Making Station (Third Base Concourse)
· Postgame Autographs
Weather permitting, the Gators will sign autographs for fans along the third base concourse following the game.
Sunday, April 12 – 3 p.m.
Presented by Florida Dairy Farmers
Giveaway: Florida Dairy Farmers towels
· Run the Bases, presented by Academy Sports
Weather permitting, young Gator fans can run the bases following the game.
Monday, April 13 – 7 p.m.
Presented by The Pulse 106.9
Giveaway: Florida Softball T-shirts (first 300 fans)
· Poster-Making Station (Third Base Concourse)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
The first two games of the UF-UK series will be streamed on SEC Network+ through WatchESPN via participating television providers only. Larry Vettel (play-by-play) and former Gator All-American Megan Bush (analysis) will have the call for those contests.
The SEC Network will televise Monday's series finale with Adam Amin (play-by-play) and former Texas A&M All-American Amanda Scarborough (analysis) as the announce team.
All 2015 Florida Softball games can be heard on Florida Sports Talk (1230-AM in Gainesville, 900-AM in Ocala). Adam Schick (play-by-play – Saturday and Sunday), Corey Brooks (play-by-play – Monday) and Bush (analysis – Monday) will call the UF-UK series.
LIVE STATS
Live stats links for the Florida-Kentucky games can be found on the Gators' schedule page.
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