Florida Gators

Game Notes
Interviews: Walton, Fuller, Ocasio & Wheaton
 
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 1-ranked Gator softball team (4-0) returns to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium on Wednesday for its first regular-season home game since capturing the 2015 national championship. Florida will host Jacksonville in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.
 
Both contests with be broadcast on SEC Network+ as Adam Schick will have the call with former Gator Kelsey Horton providing analysis. Florida posted a 15-2 record overall and a 12-0 mark at home last season when appearing on SEC Network+, which debuted a season ago.
 
Coaches' Corner
Head Coach Tim Walton:
"Overall I think we had a good weekend. I'm always very critical and a stickler for a lot of details, but I felt like 99 percent of the detail-oriented things we did were very good. In addition, I thought our play was outstanding. We've made some defensive changes [from last season] and I felt that our chemistry on the field was good. Even our offensive chemistry with who was batting in front or behind one another was really good. I'm also really pleased with the production out of our three first basemen. It made me feel good about how we're going to score runs when you lose someone like Lauren Haeger and the threat she presented in our lineup."
 
Quick Hits

• Florida earned four victories on the season's opening weekend at the USF Wilson-DeMarini Tournament in Tampa. The Gators outscored their first four opponents 38-1, including an 8-0 (5 innings) run-rule win on Saturday over then No. 2 Michigan.
• Following opening weekend, UF is still ranked first in the ESPN/USA Today preseason polls. Last season, Florida became the first team since Arizona in 2007 to be ranked No. 1 in the first and last polls of the year.
• Head Coach Tim Walton has used the same starting lineup in three of Florida's four games this season.
• Janell Wheaton is off to a fast start in 2016, hitting .500 with one home run and nine RBI. The long ball she hit against USF on Sunday was just the second of her career.
• Following the weekend, Wheaton's RBI total ranked her tied for third in the Southeastern Conference.
• Taylore Fuller is getting on base at a clip of .800. The senior has recorded five walks and been hit by three pitches. Overall, she's hitting .571 with four runs scored and four RBI.
• Rookie Amanda Lorenz is the third and final member of the Florida softball team to be hitting .500 or better after opening weekend. The Moorpark, Calif. native is 5 for 10 on the season with five RBI, one double and an SEC-leading nine runs scored.
• As a team, Florida ranks fourth in the league in hitting (.376), third in on-base percentage (.543) and fifth in runs scored (38), despite run-ruling all its opponents this past weekend.
• Despite being in the middle of the pack offensively, UF is the best defensive team in the conference. Florida ranks fourth in the league in hitting (.376), third in on-base percentage (.543) and fifth in runs scored (38), despite run-ruling all its opponents this past weekend.
• Florida shut out and run-ruled its first three opponents for the first time since 2012.
• UF became the first defending NCAA Champion to shut out its first three opponents since 1992, when Arizona shut out its first seven foes.
• The Gators are ranked at or near the top in every major pitching category and Florida is by far the best defensive team with its .989 fielding percentage and just one error allowed through its first four games
• Florida enters Wednesday's doubleheader with a streak of 18 innings without allowing an error.

 
Setting the Stage: Jacksonville

• Florida puts its perfect record against the Dolphins on the line on Wednesday evening, as the Gators are 14-0 all-time against Jacksonville, including an 11-0 mark under Tim Walton.
• UF has run-ruled JU five times, including three of its last five meetings. 
• The Orange and Blue are 21-1 against in-state opponents since the start of 2014.

UF vs. JU Promotions

• 2016 marks the beginning of the 20th Season of Gators Softball
• First 300 fans receive Gators Softball Back-To-Back National Championship Koozies
• 2016 Gators Softball & Back-To-Back National Championship posters will be available for pick-up
• Fans can take pictures with the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Championship trophies
• Kid's Korner with a poster making station, coloring pages and more
• For the 2016 season all autograph sessions will take place following Saturday home games. A complete schedule will be released at a later date.

 
Broadcast Information
In addition to the game being broadcast on SEC Network+, all 2016 Florida Softball games can be heard on Florida Sports Talk (WGGG-AM & WMOP-AM/FM). Joel Sebastianelli will have the call from Tampa, with former Gator Kathlyn Medina providing analysis.
 
Live Stats
Live stats links for the weekend can be found on the Gators' schedule page.
 
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