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The Gators softball team will hit the road tonight to take on in-state rival Florida State in Tallahassee Wednesday night. This will be the pair’s first meeting of the season, with one more game to be played between the two in Gainesville.
The Gators currently sit at ranked at No. 15 and the Seminoles are No. 4 in the DI collegiate softball rankings.
Florida vs. FSU
The Gators hold a record of 28-20 against FSU since the 1997 season. Despite Florida’s historic success over its rivals, the Seminoles have taken the last three matchups against the Gators. This year’s Gators team will look to change that Wednesday night.
ππππππππ ππππππππ (ππππ 1) is tonightβΌοΈ#GoGators
π No. 4 Florida State
π Tallahassee, Fla.
π°οΈ 6 PM (ET)
π https://t.co/9GuapWxJZT
π https://t.co/U2zqCOODMu
π» https://t.co/ir9vl9jLDl pic.twitter.com/96WeF5HUSa— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 26, 2023
Florida State enters this game as the favorites. The Seminoles have put together an impressive season to this point, with a record of 39-8 (16-2 ACC).
The Gators will look for star junior infielder Skylar Wallace and third baseman Charla Echols to have big performances. The duo has led the team in almost all major offensive categories and will be crucial to the team coming out on top.
The Gators Season Outlook
Florida has worked itself to a 32-14 (8-10 SEC) record this season. The Gators still remain ranked despite dropping all three games against the now No. 3 ranked Tennessee Volunteers. Despite this recent losing skid, the Gators are still in position to make a run for the SEC title this season.
Florida’s offense has been its strength to this point. As a team, the Gators hold a top-10 batting average in the country at .329. They have also hit 54 home runs and 302 RBIs as a team.
Echols gives us the lead with her 51st RBI of the year!! #GoGators
π» https://t.co/EV1FoWce1K // πΊ @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/MZe7eQQgZe
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 24, 2023
Although the Gators have been great offensively as a team, the story of this season has been the incredible production Skylar Wallace. Wallace has been on a different level this season and has been one of the most prolific hitters in all of college softball.
She boasts a batting average of .482 to go along with a .619 on base percentage and a 1.098 slugging percentage. Wallace has mashed a career-high 16 home runs as well as 50 RBIs with eight regular season games remaining.
She also currently holds the lead in nine offensive categories among SEC players.
.@Wallace2Skylar is your @SEC ππππππ in 9οΈβ£ offensive categories through 18 conference games! #GoGators pic.twitter.com/Voc2HEbQ3p
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 25, 2023
Sophomore outfielder Kendra Falby and Echols have also put together impressive offensive outputs for the Gators this season. Falby leads the team in hits with 55 and is a force on the base paths with 22 stolen bases in 24 attempts. Echols is the team leader in RBIs with 52 and holds the third highest batting average at .358.
the slide + the catch = π€―#GoGators | #RawlingsGoldGloveAward pic.twitter.com/o4AlrLNyN5
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 15, 2023
The production of these two, as well as Wallace, will be immensely important for the success of the team heading into SEC and national tournament play.
Looking Ahead
Following this game, the Gators will have seven regular season games remaining. Florida will take on Ole Miss, Florida State and Kentucky to close out the season.
