GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No.6 Florida meets No.9 Kentucky in a top-10 showdown for SEC Opening Weekend this Friday through Sunday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The three-game series is set to be streamed via the SEC Network + Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m., with Kyle Crooks and Francesca Enea on the call.
This will be the Gators (15-1) and the Wildcats (19-0) third all-time meeting for SEC Opening Weekend, with Florida holding a 5-1 record over Kentucky. UF swept the series in 2018 and posted a 2-1 record in the 2004 series.
Florida enters the weekend after a dominant showing against Kennesaw State in a midweek matchup where UF won 10-2 in six innings.
Charla Echols went 2-for-3 at the plate and tied her career-highs with two home runs and five RBIs.
Cheyenne Lindsey (2-for-4) and
Avery Goelz (3-for-3) tabbed multi-hit games in the effort offensively.
Lindsey (.467), Echols (.435) and
Hannah Adams (.458) pace the Gators offense with the top three batting averages on the team, but are joined by
Jaimie Hoover (.351),
Avery Goelz (.317) and
Kendyl Lindaman (.310), who all boast averages above .300.
In the circle, the Gators largely rely on a staff rotation of
Elizabeth Hightower (0.68 ERA),
Katie Chronister (1.40) and
Natalie Lugo (1.58). Hightower was most recently named SEC Pitcher of the Week with her one-hit shutout of No.16 Florida State last week, and Chronister has also garnered the accolade once this season too.
Overall the Florida staff boasts a 1.13 ERA, which ranks inside the top 10 nationally, but will face one of the nation's most potent offenses with the Wildcats boasting a .397 batting average which ranks first in the SEC and fifth in the nation.
Leading the way for Kentucky at the plate is the trio of Kayla Kowalik (.542) and Lauren Johnson (.524). Pitching for the Wildcats has relied heavily on Autumn Humes (5-0) and Grace Baalman (4-0), who sport a 1.45 ERA and 1.84 ERA respectively.
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