Florida softball hosts Georgia for last home series

The No. 2 Gators softball team (45-5, 14-4 Southeastern Conference) concludes its home slate of games for the regular season when they host No. 23 Georgia (34-16, 11-7 SEC) this weekend.

Florida is entering the series after sweeping Longwood. Junior Hannah Rogers tossed a no-hitter in the last game of the series, while accumulating eight strikeouts.

Gators coach Tim Walton says the pitching staff has been hot as of late.

Rogers has posted one of the best seasons in her career. She ranks fifth in the country with 25 wins and 13th in the nation with seven shutouts.

But Rogers isn’t the only pitcher that has pitched gems out of the circle. Sophomore Alyssa Bache is 8-0 on the season, while sophomore Lauren Haeger is 12-2.

Walton says the pitching staff is deep enough to keep arms fresh down the final stretch of the season.

The pitching staff was supposed to be great this season, but one of those players whose performance has shocked the team is freshman first baseman Taylor Schwarz.

Schwarz hit five home runs in her senior year at Palm Beach Gardens High School last year, but this year, she has hit seven homers.

The offensive production from Schwarz has sparked the Gators lineup, but Schwarz isn’t focused on her individual statistics.

She says she is focused on giving it her all this weekend when the team honors seniors Ensley Gammel and Kelsey Horton on Saturday for Senior Day.

Schwarz has been a breakout star for the Gators this season, and she says she is sad her freshman year is coming to an end.

Schwarz and the rest of the Gators look to extend their winning streak to six games when the first pitch is thrown tonight at 5 p.m.