The finish line is starting to come into focus.
Riding the longest winning streak in school history - 24 games - No. 3 UF (51-2, 21-1 Southeastern Conference) completed a sweep of Kentucky (16-31, 3-19 SEC) at Pressly Stadium on Sunday.
"It's always fun," senior Mary Ratliff said of playing the Wildcats. "Anytime you beat a good SEC opponent, it's good for us."
The Gators have proven to be better than good this season, using Sunday's 8-0 blowout to set the school record for most wins in a season, breaking the previous mark set by last year's team, which finished 50-22.
Currently, UF is in line to take home the second regular-season SEC title in history, holding a slim one-game lead over No. 1 Alabama (44-3, 23-2 SEC).
While making history within the conference is a big step for the Gators, coach Tim Walton has not lost track of the same lofty goal the team has had all year.
"We still have the same goal, to get to the College World Series," he said. "If we win the SEC along the way, if we accomplish hosting a regional, super regional along the way, great. But right now we're still focused on getting to the College World Series and figuring out how to be the best every game to get to that goal."
Trotting out junior Stacey Nelson to the circle is usually enough to make the Gators the best team on the field in every game.
The heart and soul of UF's team ran her record to 33-2 after pitching her second complete game - a mercy-rule-shortened five-inning affair - and one-hitter of the weekend in the final matchup of the three-game series.
Junior Ali Gardiner led the way for the offense, going 2 for 4, scoring one run and driving in four, including a three-run double to end the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.
"I had to make an adjustment, because I hit the ball opposite field, and they pitch me away, away, away," Gardiner said of her line-drive double down the right-field line.
Saturday, Nelson started the first game of the doubleheader, allowing only two base runners the whole game on the way to an 8-0 victory.
The All-American ace has, many times, held opponents to a single hit over the course of a game, but a no-hitter has been the one elusive accomplishment of an otherwise tremendous career.
"One-hitters are so much cooler," she said, brushing off the importance of no-hitting a team.
In the second game Saturday, the Gators jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the fourth inning but narrowly escaped with the win.
Freshman Stephanie Brombacher ran into trouble in the sixth inning when she allowed Kentucky to score four earned runs, cutting the lead to one.
Walton pulled Brombacher in favor of Nelson with one out in the inning, ultimately preserving Brombacher's undefeated record, 16-0, and a 6-5 UF win.
"Amazingly enough, I don't get that nervous this year," Ratliff said of watching the Wildcats' comeback. "We got Stacey Nelson in the bullpen at all times to come in and close it out."
The save was the fourth of the season for Nelson, who lowered her ERA to a paltry 0.71 after the three-game set.
After the series, Gardiner pointed to the team's defense when asked what she thought the team did particularly well over the weekend.
"Finally, 54 games into the season, we're finally there," she said of the defense, which did not commit an error against Kentucky. "We're where we should've been two games into the season, and it feels good."
