Florida Gators

Game Notes
Interviews: Walton, Merritt, Gourley
 
AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 1-ranked Gator Softball team (24-0) begins Southeastern Conference play this weekend when Florida travels to No. 3 Auburn. This weekend marks the second straight season that UF will open its conference schedule with a top-five team.
 
Florida, picked in the preseason to win the SEC, begins conference play looking to win its second-straight SEC regular season crown in 2016, a feat UF last achieved in 2008 and 2009. 
 
The SEC Network swings into its 50+ game-schedule this weekend, as the network will be exclusively airing Softball games from around the conference on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Florida posted a 15-5 record on national television a season ago.
 
Coaches' Corner
Head Coach Tim Walton:
"We talk more about the Florida Gators than we do our opponent. Even though this Saturday is our first SEC game at Auburn, it's really not about that. For our team it's more about doing what we continue to do and doing those things well. We're still trying to figure out what our identity is going to be. Whether our identity is developed on a game-by-game basis or if we need to have one solid thing that defines us. I don't know that we have something like that and I think every opponent is going to present a little bit of different challenge for us and us for them."
 
Quick Hits

• Florida's 24-0 record ties for the second-best start to a season in school history. UF began the 2011 season 24-0 and the 2015 season 28-0.
• The Gators have won their first 24 games by a combined margin of 161-13, including 14 shutouts and 13 mercy-rule victories. UF enters this weekend as one of two teams (UT Arlington, 18-0) in NCAA Division I softball who are undefeated. 
• Although UF's offense is averaging 7.13 runs per game, which ranks 18th in the country, it's Florida's pitching and defense that have carried the torch thus far in 2016. Florida has allowed just 13 runs and committed only nine errors through 24 games.
• The Gators currently sport the second-best fielding percentage (.984) and the top earned run average in the nation (0.58). For comparison through 24 games last season, Florida had committed 17 errors and had a fielding percentage of .971. UF went on to record its best fielding percentage (.981) and committed just 33 errors which were both school records.
• The Gators have allowed just one stolen base this season, which is the fewest in the SEC. 
• Offensively, UF sits second in the country in on-base percentage (.498), 18th in scoring (7.13) and 12th in batting average (.363).
• In addition to leading UF in all these categories, Amanda Lorenz ranks 54th in BA (.468), eighth in walks (24), 26th in runs (29) and 13th in OBP (.614) in the nation.
• Kirsti Merritt is hitting .424 (14 for 33) over the past two weeks with two home runs, one double, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored.
• Kelsey Stewart is the NCAA active leader in career hits (316) by almost 60 tallies. 
• UF hitters have struck out 58 times on the year; each of the Gators' three pitchers has 61+ strikeouts
• (Delanie Gourley - 74, Kelly Barnhill - 68, Aleshia Ocasio - 61).
• Ocasio has the third-best ERA in the nation (0.40) and Gourley is seventh in strikeouts per game (10.9).

 
Setting the Stage: Auburn

• Florida and Auburn last met at the Women's College World Series on May 31, 2015 when the Gators eliminated the Tigers on an extra-inning walk-off hit. 
• This is a matchup of the 2015 SEC regular season champs vs. the SEC tournament champs. Since softball's inception in the SEC in 1997, this type of series has occurred eight times. The reigning tournament champs have won that series four times, the regular season champs have earned three series victories and UA and UT split a doubleheader in 2008.
• UF holds a 36-18 edge on AU in the two schools' all-time series. This is Florida's first visit to Auburn, Ala. since 2013 where the Gators are 14-10 against the Tigers. Florida has not lost a series at Auburn since 2005.

 
Broadcast Information
The SEC Network swings into its 50+ game-schedule this spring exclusively airing Softball games this weekend (March 12-14). The network will feature eight games from four series for the start of conference play over Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The weekend's games are highlighted with a matchup of the 2015 NCAA National Champions, Florida, facing the 2015 SEC Tournament Champions, Auburn, in a three-game series.
 
Tiffany Greene (play-by-play), former Texas A&M All-American Amanda Scarborough (analysis) and Laura Rutledge (sideline) on the call.
 
In addition, all three games this weekend can be heard on Florida Sports Talk (WGGG-AM & WMOP-AM/FM. Live stats links for the weekend can be found on the Gators' schedule page.
 
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