GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 10
th-ranked Florida softball program heads to Starkeville, Miss. for another top 25 series against No. 17 Mississippi State this Thursday through Saturday. Thursday's matchup will air on SEC Network, while the final two games will stream on SEC Network+.
The Gators (29-4, 5-1 SEC) are set to face the ranked Bulldogs (24-7, 5-4 SEC), which is the fourth different ranked opponent this season. The Orange & Blue hold a 6-2 record against ranked opponents this season with a recent sweep of No. 23 Kentucky this past weekend in Gainesville, while the Bulldogs are 6-5 against ranked teams this season.
Florida's offense has caused opposing defensed and pitching staff fits as the program is currently on base to set several single season team records this season. UF currently ranks first in program history in batting average (.378), slugging percentage (.659) and on base percentage (.490). Individually,
Skylar Wallace, who was selected as this week's SEC Player of the Week, is chasing Kelsey Stewart's stolen base career-record of 113. Wallace, a Woodstock, Ga. native, currently has 105 through her three years and most recently stole a career-high three in the series finale against Kentucky.
In addition to Wallace earning an SEC weekly award, freshman
Mia Williams earned her first SEC Freshman of the Week accolade as she hit .713 (5-for7) in the midweek against FGCU and in the series against the Wildcats. She's currently riding a four-game hit-streak that included her first mult-hit performance against FGCU. The Windermere, Fla., native also had three extra-base hits with a double and a pair of home runs against Kentucky.
Nationally, the Gators offense ranks inside the top five in batting average (.370 – 3
rd), doubles (66 – 1
st), on base percentage (.490 – 2
nd), scoring (9 – 3
rd), slugging percentage (.659 – 3
rd), stolen bases (73-5
th), walks (156 – 2
nd).
In the circle, UF's freshmen pitchers have been consistent so far this year.
Keagan Rothrock (14-3) and
Ava Brown (12-1) rank 3
rd and 7
th nationally among freshmen in ERA. Rothrock ranks tied for first in total wins in the SEC and Brown ranks second.
Defensively,
Jocelyn Erickson behind the plate leads the SEC in runners caught stealing as she has erased 10 baserunners so far this year.
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