The Gators will hit the Golden State desert for their third tournament of the year.
No. 1 Florida (11-0) will play the first of five games at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic tonight in Palm Springs, California.
Florida faces No. 11 UCLA (7-3) at 8:30 and North Carolina State (5-4) at 11.
"This will be as challenging of a weekend as we’ve had in a long, long time," coach Tim Walton said in a release. "Just looking at the teams we play and how good they are will be a great test."
Two of the only three schools to win back-to-back championships, Florida and UCLA both have strengths in the circle. Bruins pitcher Selina Ta’amilo is 6-1 on the season with a 2.12 ERA, and she averages more than a strikeout per inning.
But Florida has the personnel to fire back. The three Gator pitchers have a 0.45 ERA — second best in the nation. The combination of Aleshia Ocasio, Kelly Barnhill and Delanie Gourley has allowed just four runs in 62 innings this season.
Gourley is seventh in the nation in strikeouts per game (11.1) and has yet to let an opponent cross the plate. The junior is also one of Florida’s seven California natives, including Walton and assistant coach Jennifer Rocha.
Walton said UF emphasizes the tournament as a chance for California players to visit home.
"This is one of the things we do in the recruiting process. When we’re talking to individuals who are from out west, we tell them that we take this trip every year," Walton said.
"This is not only so their families can see them play live, but it’s also a chance for us to play against some great competition."
From behind the plate, Florida’s offense is averaging more than eight runs per game, good enough to be in the nation’s top 15 in scoring.
A lot of that offense comes from freshman Amanda Lorenz and sophomore Janell Wheaton. The California-born duo has 38 total bases, the same amount that Florida has allowed this season. They’re also the team’s leading run producers, with Lorenz and Wheaton accounting for 12 and 13 RBIs each.
Walton knows the Gators will have to be sharp on both sides of the ball over the course of the tournament against such stiff competition.
"The few runs that most of them give up and how many they are all capable of scoring presents a great overall test for us, not only for our offensive (unit), but defensively as well," he said.
course of the tournament against such stiff competition.
"The few runs that most of them give up and how many they are all capable of scoring presents a great overall test for us, not only for our offensive (unit), but defensively as well," he said.
Contact Matt Brannon at mbrannon@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @MattB_727.
Aleshia Ocasio pitches in the first game of Florida's doubleheader against Jacksonville on Feb. 17, 2016, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
