Kelly Barnhill was on fire on Wednesday.
Coming off the freshman’s historic 18-strikeout performance against Winthrop — a school record for a single pitcher in a game — the No. 1 Florida softball team (27-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) is looking to build momentum during its upcoming weekend series at home against No. 16 Tennessee (21-5, 3-0 SEC) starting tonight at 7.
After Wednesday’s strong outing, Barnhill ranks third in the country with 11.5 strikeouts per game.
"If she gets ahead in the count, it really makes it tough on you because she does throw so hard and at different speeds," coach Tim Walton said.
"She doesn’t pitch to contact. She gets a lot of swings and misses."
The dominant performance is sure to be a confidence booster for Barnhill as SEC play continues.
She experienced the roughest outing of her career in her first conference game Sunday against No. 3 Auburn, tagged for four runs on four hits in just three innings.
Barnhill’s improving poise will be an important component to the Gators’ success as the team gets into the thick of its conference schedule.
Up next is Tennessee, one of the few teams that Florida has struggled against in recent years.
The Gators have lost five of their last six matchups against the Volunteers, including a three-game sweep in the 2014 regular season.
But Florida’s lone victory during that span came when the stakes were highest, as UF beat UT 7-2 in the first game of the 2015 Women’s College World Series.
This season, while the Gators have been successful against ranked opponents, the Volunteers have been anything but.
In four games against teams in the top 25, Tennessee has lost every time.
Florida leads the all-time series 42-24 and holds a noteworthy 22-5 mark at home.
"We like playing Tennessee. It’s always a good series," senior catcher Aubree Munro said.
"We usually try to focus on us and … what we want to go out there and do. It’s not about who we’re playing, it’s about us and playing our game."
Contact Brian Lee at blee@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @brianlee_17.
Kelly Barnhill (center) celebrates with teammates during Florida's doubleheader sweep against Jacksonville on Feb. 17, 2016, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
