photo by UT
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – After weather played havoc on Wednesday at the 2023 SEC Softball Tournament, Tennessee will face 8th-seeded Florida on Friday morning at 11 a.m. ET on SEC Network as it opens tournament action at Bogle Park.
Originally scheduled to open Thursday night, rain and storms passing through Fayetteville on Wednesday forced a change in the tournament schedule and pushed UT's first game back to Friday morning.
BROADCAST INFO
Friday's game will be televised on SEC Network with Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Michele Smith (analyst), Jessica Mendoza (analyst) and Holly Rowe (sideline) calling the action.
Fans can also listen to the Voice of Tennessee Softball, Brian Rice, call the action on the Vol Network via a free audio stream on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics Gameday App.
NOTABLE
REMATCH
Tennessee will face a familiar foe in Florida, having already played the Gators in a three-game series earlier in the season.
The Lady Vols swept the series and out-scored Florida 30-17.
In games two and three, UT erased a six-run and four-run deficit, respectively, to take the series. The Lady Vols run-ruled the Gators in game one.
SEC CHAMPIONS
UT enters the SEC Tournament as the regular-season champions – claiming its first regular-season title since 2007. Tennessee led the league wire-to-wire and clinched its crown on May 6 with a 4-2 victory over South Carolina.
PREVENTING BIG INNINGS
The Lady Vols have allowed three or more runs in only six out of 316 innings pitched this season. Additionally, UT has recorded 20 shutouts over 49 games – ranking second in the SEC and fourth in the NCAA. In league play, the Lady Vols have dished out five shutouts.
FIREPOWER
Tennessee's pitching has been dominant all year but its offense has been just as potent. The Lady Vols are outscoring opponents 349-81 this season. UT leads the SEC and ranks second nationally in scoring, averaging 7.12 runs per game. Tennessee has scored five or more runs 33 times this season and has scored double-digit runs 13 times.
UT put double-digits on the scoreboard against Florida in games two and three.
AWARDS WATCH
Awards season is rapidly approaching and three Lady Vols have made the top 10 for national honors. Graduate pitcher
Ashley Rogers and senior outfielder
Kiki Milloy are top-10 finalists for USA Softball National Player of the Year.
Freshman
Karlyn Pickens was announced Thursday as a top-10 finalist for TUCCI/NFCA National Freshman of the Year.
SCOUTING FLORIDA
Head Coach (Record at Florida): Tim Walton (923-220)
2023 Record: 36-19 (11-13 SEC)
Series Record: Florida leads 54-34
Last Meeting: W, 10-6, on 4/24/2023 in Knoxville
Key Stat: Florida leads the all-time series 54-34 – holding a 6-5 edge in neutral site matchups – but the last 10 games of the series have gone Tennessee's way 6-4. The Lady Vols have won each of the last three series against the Gators – sweeping them earlier this season for the first time since 2014.