The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
University of Florida
Softball Gears Up to Host No. 10 Florida
3/2/2023 10:46:00 AM | Softball
BIRMINGHAM – UAB Softball (10-7, 0-0 C-USA) returns to action this weekend with an SEC visitor, No. 10 Florida coming to Mary Bowers Field.
The Blazers wrapped up the weekend and entered the week with accolades for their athletes. Sophomore Olivia Valbak completed her first career perfect game as a collegiate, leading the Blazers to a shutout win over Butler. Sierra Frazier would tally five homers in a week, with three stemming from the home tournament alone.
"We're looking forward to hosting one of the top programs in our sport. Coach Walton and his staff do a great job year in and year out," said head coach AJ Daugherty. "This will be a good challenge for us in our final weekend before starting C-USA play. We look forward to packing Mary Bowers and competing."
The action begins on Friday, March 3 at 6 PM and concludes Sunday March 5 at 10 AM.
UAB (10-7, 0-0 C-USA) vs. No. 11 Florida (11-3, 0-0 SEC)
March 3-5 | Mary Bowers Field | Birmingham, Ala.
WATCH LIVE (Fri-Sat) | WATCH LIVE (ESPN+) | LIVE STATS
SCOUTING THE GATORS
Florida and UAB's history tracing back to May 25, 2013, where the Blazers fell to the Gators 3-4 in UAB's first appearance in the NCAA Super Regional. UAB and Florida played once more, this time being eliminated from the WCWS contention. The last meeting between these two teams stems back from 2018, where the Gators came out on top 6-0. Of these four games, none of them were played at Birmingham, making this the first time Florida will make the trip to the Magic City.
The Gators currently sits at the No. 10 spot in the NCAA RPI Softball rankings, with a record of 11-3 after a pair of losses to Oregon and Cal State Fullerton at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Despite the losses, Florida sits at the No. 7 spot in team batting average in the country, with a percentage of .372. The Gators also sit at the top of the order in scoring, with an average of 9.21 runs per game.
In the circle, pitcher Elizabeth Hightower leads the team with an ERA of 1.51, and a total of six wins so far for the Gators. At bat, outfielder Avery Goelz leads the way in batting percentage with .459. As a team, Florida totaled a team high of 21 putouts on five different occasions.
FOLLOW UAB SOFTBALL
To keep up with UAB Softball, follow @UAB_SB on Instagram and Twitter. For game previews, stories, and more, check our UAB Softball home page.
2022-23 GOLD CARD
Softball season tickets are available by purchasing the 2022-23 Gold Card for $65. The Gold Card will allow you access to all home events for Women's Basketball, Women's Soccer, Men's Soccer, Volleyball, Baseball, and Softball. Fans can purchase a Gold Card by clicking here or calling the UAB Athletics Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1. For questions, email tickets@uab.edu.
