Florida Gators

 
Game Notes
 
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 1-ranked Gator Softball team (47-4) travels to in-state rival and No. 5-ranked Florida State (42-5) on Wednesday for its final road game of the regular season. After the regularly scheduled seven-inning game, UF and FSU will resume the halted game from April 13 in Gainesville. The Gators and Seminoles are tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning with one out and runners on second and third.
 
The game at 5:00 p.m. will be broadcast on ESPN3, with the resumed game showing on NolesTV. Meanwhile, both contests can be heard on WGGG-AM & WMOP-AM/FM and live stats for both games will be available on Seminoles.com.
 
Wednesday marks Florida's eighth matchup this season with a top-5 ranked team.
 
Florida is unbeaten in 30 non-conference games this season and has won 121 of 123 non-league games dating to the start of 2013.
 
Coaches' Corner
Head Coach Tim Walton:
"It's been a tough road this season, but we feel good. With our student-athletes being out of school, we were able to take about a day and a half off to get ourselves rested. Our team is playing well. We've had three bad innings all year in 51 games. Overall, we're pitching well and playing good defense. We've started to hit a lot better up and down the lineup lately. We haven't had to depend on just one or two players, which is good to see. Personally, I'm excited. I can't wait for the opportunity to clinch an SEC Championship at home this weekend for the first time in a while. However, we will play a very tough Florida State team tomorrow night in Tallahassee."
 
Quick Hits

• UF is ranked No. 1 in both polls, No. 1 in the NCAA RPI and has the fourth-toughest schedule in the NCAA. In addition, Florida has the highest win percentage (.922) in the country.
• Florida has allowed just 59 runs and committed only 23 errors through 51 games. UF's 59 runs allowed through 51 games is the second fewest in school history through this point in any season. Florida's 2009 squad allowed 40 tallies through 51 contests.
• The Gators currently sport the second-best fielding percentage (.983) and best earned run average (0.97) in the nation. For comparison through 51 games last season, Florida's pitchers had a 1.64 ERA and its defense had committed 27 errors and had a fielding percentage of .979. UF went on to record a .981 fielding percentage and commit just 33 errors, which are both school records.
• UF's astounding 0.97 team ERA (312.2 IP) would go down as the third-best ERA for a single season in program history if the season ended today. In addition, Florida's miniscule .162 batting average against (290.2 IP) would be the second-best b/avg. for a single season in program history.
• Delanie Gourley (16-3, 172 K), Kelly Barnhill (14-0, 141 K) and Aleshia Ocasio (17-1, 116 K) are trying to become the first trio in UF history to win at least 15 games each and record 125+ strikeouts in a single season. UF is the only school in the nation with three different pitchers with at least 100 strikeouts in 2016.
• Ocasio (0.78) and Gourley (0.81) have the No. 3 and No. 4 ERAs in the country and Barnhill is 14th with a 1.41 earned run average.  Historically, UF is trying to join its own 2009 squad and South Carolina's 1997 team as the only SEC teams to ever finish a season with two pitchers in the top-five nationally in ERA. In addition, UF has a chance to join Florida State's 1993 team as the only teams to finish with three pitchers in the top 10.
• UF's pitching staff has allowed the fewest runs in the SEC (59) and recorded the most strikeouts (429).
• Florida's opponents have only attempted to steal nine bases against Aubree Munro and UF's catchers this season. That mark would shatter Florida's school record of 25 attempts by opponents that was set in 2015. In addition, UF's stolen-base-against percentage of 33% (3-9) this season would be the lowest in school history if the season ended today. Florida's 2003 team holds UF's top mark as they allowed just 51.7% (31-60) of runners to steal a base safely.
• Offensively, UF is sixth in the country in OBP (.445), 27th in scoring (6.27) and ranks 29th in BA (.321).
• Senior Kelsey Stewart is the NCAA active leader in games played (252), at-bats (274), hits (348), triples (29) and she's third in total bases (496) and fourth in runs scored (250).

 
Setting the Stage: Florida State

• Florida leads the all-time series, 21-14; this includes an 11-7 advantage in Tallahassee.
• Since Tim Walton became Florida's head coach before the 2006 season, the Orange and Blue are 15-3 vs. the Garnet and Gold. In addition, this matchup features 20 players from the Sunshine State (UF - 8, FSU - 12).

 
Broadcast Information
Florida travels to Florida State for a midweek series in Tallahassee, Fla. on Wednesday at JoAnne Graf Field. The game will be streamed on ESPN3 it can be heard on Florida Sports Talk (WGGG-AM & WMOP-AM/FM).
 
Live stats links for each contest can be found on the Gators' schedule page.
 
FOLLOW THE GATORS
In the Polls: NFCA | USA Softball
FloridaGators.com
Instagram
Twitter
Head Coach Tim Walton on Twitter
Facebook