When No. 4 Florida starts its three-game series against No. 2 Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., tonight at 6, it’s going to be a pitcher’s duel.
The Gators (31-4, 5-4 Southeastern Conference) and the Volunteers (28-3, 5-1 SEC) are tied for second in the conference with a 1.76 ERA.
“We’re going to have to pitch well,” coach Tim Walton said in a release after UF’s 10-6 win against UCF on Wednesday. “We’ve got to go out and pitch well, set the tempo and gain that confidence.”
Tennessee has three pitchers with sub-2.00 ERAs with Ellen Renfroe (18-0) taking the bulk of the pitches.
The senior right-handed pitcher is second in the SEC with a 1.34 ERA in 120 innings pitched and is holding opponents to a .167 clip at the plate. Her 8.3 strikeouts per game average ranks fourth in the conference and 45th in the country.
Renfroe, a two-time SEC Pitcher of the Week this season, has thrown 16 complete games — eight were shutouts.
Like Tennessee, a senior leads Florida in the circle. Right-hander Hannah Rogers (14-3) leads Florida with a 1.57 ERA — the fifth-best mark in the SEC — while striking out 79 batters in 93.2 innings pitched this season.
But unlike the Volunteers, the Gators have two other pitchers who have logged more than 50 innings in the circle this season.
Freshman Delanie Gourley has shown growth through her first year, striking out 92 batters in just 80.2 innings.
The Lakeside, Calif., native holds an 11-1 record and is 2-1 against ranked opponents this season. Her only loss came against Alabama on March 21.
And while she has only pitched 11.2 innings since SEC action began, junior Lauren Haeger is still a valuable asset for the Gators on the mound. In 52.2 innings this season, the Peoria, Ariz., native boasts a 1.73 ERA and is holding opponents to a team-low .145 batting average.
While UF’s pitchers struggled during its midweek win against UCF — walking a season-high eight batters and giving up seven hits and six runs — Walton believes his pitching staff will rebound from its struggles when it faces Tennessee.
“I think the pitchers are going to give the hitters confidence and the hitters are going to give the pitchers confidence,” Walton said. “When you play a good team like we’re getting ready to play, it’s going to come down to trying to score first and limiting our opponent’s opportunities to score.”
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Hannah Rogers pitches during Florida’s 4-2 win against Mississippi State on April 6, 2013. Rogers has the fifth-best ERA (1.57) in the Southeastern Conference.
