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This weekend, the Gators softball team will compete in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs, California. There are 28 teams competing in the tournament, including UCLA, Oklahoma and Florida, who are ranked first, second and third in NCAA, respectively. The Gators will face UCLA, UC Riverside, Oregon and Cal State Fullerton.
We're headed back to the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic for the first time since 2020! #GoGatorshttps://t.co/nxnaMxwRE7
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) February 22, 2023
First Matchup
The Gators will kick off their weekend facing UCLA Thursday at 10:30 p.m. EST. This will be the 16th time these two teams meet, with UCLA leading the series 9-6. In their last five matchups, the Bruins have topped the Gators. Most recently, they beat them 8-0 in the NCAA tournament last year.
The Gators come into this game with a 10-0 record and are the hottest offensive team in the country. In just ten games, the Gators have had eight 5-inning run-rule victories and average a league-leading 11.8 runs per game. Last year, they had just nine in 68 games. The Gators also lead in batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage and walks.
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐โผ๏ธ #GoGators
๐ No. 1 UCLA
๐ Big League Dreams – Wrigley
๐ฐ๏ธ 7:30 PM (PT)/10:30 PM (ET)
๐ https://t.co/Rd41H7OYzy
๐ https://t.co/kYJg6RSEZS
๐ป ESPN 98.1FM/850AM WRUF
๐ป https://t.co/EKRBKuOqm5 pic.twitter.com/ZTnHi1aJQo— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) February 23, 2023
The Rest of the Weekend
For the first time in program history, the Gators will take on UC Riverside on Friday at 4 p.m. The Riverside Highlanders come into this meeting with a 4-7 record after falling in their last two matchups to Loyola Marymount and Oregon.
On Saturday, the Gators will face top-25 ranked Oregon at 1 p.m. The Gators are 11-1 against the Ducks with their lone defeat taking place in 2006 in a close 5-4 game. Since then, the Gators have won the last 10 matchups. They last faced one another in 2019 at the Judi Garman Classic where the Gators won 2-1.
To wrap up the weekend, the Gators will meet Cal State Fullerton on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The Titans head into this matchup with a 6-4 record and are coming off of a 7-0 victory over Liberty University last Sunday. The series between Florida and CSUF is currently tied at 4-4 as the Titans claimed victories in the first four meetings, and the Gators have claimed the most recent four. The last time these teams met in 2018, the Gators claimed a dominant 10-0 victory.
Up Next
Next weekend, the Gators softball team will hit the road again to travel to Birmingham, Alabama, to play a 3-game series against UAB.
