After five consecutive weekends of Southeastern Conference play, Florida will take a break from league action this weekend when it hosts Florida A&M and North Carolina State.
The No. 6 Gators (35-8, 8-7 SEC) will play the Rattlers (15-21, 3-3 Mid Eastern Athletic Conference) tonight at 6 followed by a matchup with the Wolfpack (25-10, 12-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) on Saturday at 3 p.m.
With a four-game win streak under its belt, Florida is looking to continue its winning ways.
“We’re not quite through the season yet,” Aubree Munro said. “I think it’s just a confidence builder for us and kind of helps us turn it around and build some momentum.”
FAMU is 5-2 in its last seven games, outscoring its opponents 42-31.
Despite the recent success, the Rattlers have struggled on offense throughout the season, posting a team batting average of just .254 and striking out on 21.7 percent of their at-bats.
NC State, which received votes in the latest NFCA poll, is riding a seven-game win streak and has won 10 of its past 11 contests heading into Gainesville.
The Wolfpack are third in the ACC with a 2.55 team ERA and average 6.37 strikeouts per game.
UF will look to its defense, which is the best in the country with a .984 fielding percentage, to continue making big plays during its nonconference matchups this weekend.
“I think all of us are still on the same page,” Munro said. “We’re still just working to just get back to grinding and winning games.”
Munro has been a key factor in Florida’s defense during her first two years at UF.
She had a .996 fielding percentage in 2013, good for the seventh-best mark in Florida history.
This year, Munro’s fielding percentage is still high at .991, and she is second on the team with 203 putouts — the 10th-best mark in the SEC.
Munro said she feels comfortable behind the plate and has adjusted to the different styles of each of UF’s three starting pitchers, especially since she has past experience working with all of them.
She started 30 games at catcher last season when Hannah Rogers and Lauren Haeger took the bulk of the starts in the circle.
In 2011 and 2012, Munro played on the same travel team — the Southern California Athletics — with freshman left-hander Delanie Gourley.
“I’ve caught her for years and I kind of know how she works and what her ball does, so that’s not anything new,” Munro said of Gourley. “But it’s definitely different with a lefty because the pitches are on the opposite side of the plate.”
While Munro has made contributions to Florida’s defense since her freshman year, she struggled at the plate to begin her UF career.
In 2013, Munro posted a team-worst .145 batting average, logging only five extra-base hits in 55 at-bats while striking out 17 times.
But Munro has shown strides in her second year at UF.
The sophomore is tied with Kelsey Stewart with a team-leading nine doubles. Munro’s batting average has also improved to .259 this season, and her .444 slugging percentage nearly doubles the .255 clip she posted in 2013.
“I’m improved a lot, mostly with my confidence,” Munro said.
“I’ve kind of got a better handle on the kind of player, especially the kind of hitter, I want to be and my role on the team as a hitter. I’m just understanding that and not trying to be anybody different than who I am and what I’m capable of and keeping things simple because that’s what I’ve learned works for me.”
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Aubree Munro catches during Florida’s 7-6 win against Auburn on Saturday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
