With a schedule that’s been so jam packed with games throughout the season, the Florida softball team finds itself with only one day to prepare for its next game: a midweek matchup against in-state opponent UNF.
No. 3 Florida (32-4) will take on the Ospreys (21-18) today in its first home game since March 15.
The game against UNF begins a span for the Gators as they will play eight of their next nine games at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Coach Tim Walton gives his team every Monday off during the season, so the team hasn’t been able to do much scouting on the Ospreys.
“We haven’t really prepared yet, so today’s that,” Kirsti Merritt said Tuesday. “Probably going to be doing the same things, looking at scouting reports, watching film. I haven’t really thought about it yet.”
Florida’s pitchers will have to make sure they take care of Stacy McClelland and Shelby Duncan. McClelland leads UNF with nine home runs on the season, which equals the same amount Lauren Haeger and Taylore Fuller have for Florida.
McClelland also leads the team in batting average (.419), RBIs (29), total bases (77), slugging percentage (.733) and on base percentage (.500).
Duncan leads the Ospreys in hits with 50 and is second on the team with a .394 batting average.
In the circle, UNF has used five pitchers and their combined ERA is 3.33. For UF, its three pitchers have a ERA of 1.55, while their opponents have a 7.12 ERA.
While Florida will be the first ranked team the Osprey’s have played this season, UNF did play one game against Kansas -- a 1-0 loss.
Florida beat Kansas earlier this year 7-1.
“Good players, they got some good kids on their roster and some good statistics and they’ve played a good schedule,” Walton said.
Walton was quick to praise UNF coach Marcie Hickey for the job she’s done since she took over in 2009.
Entering this season, Hickey had 169 wins in her career as the Osprey’s coach, which makes her the winningest coach in the program’s 22 year history.
The team has also had at least one player receive postseason honors in each of the last six seasons. UNF didn’t have much success before Hickey was hired to take over the program, but she’s been able to make the program competitive and respectable.
“They’ve competed well,” Walton said. “With a plus record and I say that not to slight them, but in the past before Marcie (Hickey) got there, they were a below .500 team a lot.”
Follow Luis Torres on Twitter @LFTorresIII
Coach Tim Walton was more than happy to empty his bench in Florida's 19-3 win over Florida A&M on Wednesday. “I think overall the main priority is to get everybody at-bats and to keep our timing right," he said.
