{"id":198143,"date":"2026-03-19T18:57:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T18:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/198143\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T18:57:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T18:57:08","slug":"no-5-8-softball-hosts-no-1-tennessee-for-weekend-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/198143\/","title":{"rendered":"No. 5\/8 Softball Hosts No. 1 Tennessee For Weekend Series"},"content":{"rendered":"

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 5\/8 Florida welcomes No. 1 Tennessee to Gainesville for the first time since 2022 this weekend for a three-game series at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.<\/p>\n

Friday and Saturday’s games will stream on SEC Network+ with Kristina Wyatt and Ryan Urquhart calling the action. Sunday’s series finale will be a linear broadcast on the ESPN2 with\u00a0Clay Matvick (play-by-play)\u00a0and Michele Smith (analyst)\u00a0on the call.<\/p>\n

Fans can also listen to all three games FloridaGators.com with Sky Lebron, Nevada Cullen and Ethan\u00a0Eibe on the radio call.<\/p>\n

The Gators are coming off a 3-0 series sweep at Kentucky with back-to-back-to-back run-rule victories.<\/p>\n

Saturday is Florida’s annual Yellow Game, a day to honor children who are battling cancer and remember those who lost their fights. Yellow represents the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s efforts to fund research and eliminate childhood cancer. The Gators wear sunflowers in their hair every Saturday in remembrance of Heather Braswell, an honorary member of the club from 2009-14 and a fixture in the team’s dugout.<\/p>\n

Brawell’s mom, Terri, will throw out the first pitch on Saturday.<\/p>\n

The Gators (29-1, 6-0 SEC) are looking for their second series victory over the No. 1 team in the last two seasons. Florida took 2-of-3 from No. 1 Oklahoma in the regular-season home finale in 2025.

\n\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tNo. 1 Tennessee
\n\t\t\t27-1 (5-1 SEC)
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tHead Coach
\n\t\t\tKaren Weekly
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tCareer Record
\n\t\t\t1,382-455-2 (.752)
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tFlorida All-Time Record vs.
\n\t\t\t54-36
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tStreak
\n\t\t\tTennessee has won eight of the last 10
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tLast Meeting
\n\t\t\tMay 30, 2025 | UT 11, UF 3 – Oklahoma City, Ok.
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tFlorida Record vs In Gainesville
\n\t\t\t31-11
\n\t\t
\n\t
\n <\/p>\n


\n\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tHistory vs. Tennessee | Last 10 Results
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tTennessee
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t54-36
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tDate\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n\t\t\tLocation
\n\t\t\tW\/L
\n\t\t\tScore
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMay 30, 2025
\n\t\t\tOklahoma City, Ok.
\n\t\t\tL
\n\t\t\t11-3 (5)
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMay 12, 2023
\n\t\t\tFayetteville, Ark.
\n\t\t\tL
\n\t\t\t4-0
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tApril 24, 2023
\n\t\t\tKnoxville, Tenn.
\n\t\t\tL
\n\t\t\t10-6
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tApril 23, 2023
\n\t\t\tKnoxville, Tenn.
\n\t\t\tL
\n\t\t\t11-10
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tApril 22, 2023
\n\t\t\tKnoxville, Tenn.
\n\t\t\tL
\n\t\t\t9-1 (5)
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMarch 27, 2022
\n\t\t\tGainesville, Fla.
\n\t\t\tW
\n\t\t\t4-1
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMarch 26, 2022
\n\t\t\tGainesville, Fla.
\n\t\t\tL
\n\t\t\t7-2
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMarch 25, 2022
\n\t\t\tGainesville, Fla.
\n\t\t\tL
\n\t\t\t6-0
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMay 26, 2019
\n\t\t\tGainesville, Fla.
\n\t\t\tW
\n\t\t\t2-1 (8)
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMay 25, 2019
\n\t\t\tGainesville, Fla.
\n\t\t\tL
\n\t\t\t3-2 (9)
\n\t\t
\n\t
\n <\/p>\n

Weekend Schedule<\/p>\n


\n
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tFriday
\n\t\t\tTennessee
\n\t\t\t6 p.m.
\n\t\t\tSEC Network +
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tSaturday
\n\t\t\tTennessee
\n\t\t\t1\u00a0p.m.
\n\t\t\tSEC Network+
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tSunday
\n\t\t\tTennessee
\n\t\t\t12 p.m.
\n\t\t\tSEC Network+
\n\t\t
\n\t
\n <\/p>\n

Promotional Schedule<\/p>\n


\n
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tBlue Out

\n\t\t\tFriday, March 20
\n\t\t\t#WearBlue –\u00a0all fans are encouraged to wear blue to support the Gators
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tYellow Game

\n\t\t\tSaturday, March 21
\n\t\t\tThe first 500 fans in attendance will receive a sunflower sun hat
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tSalute to Service

\n\t\t\tSunday, March 22
\n\t\t\tThe first 500 fans will receive red, white & blue\u00a0swirl wristbands
\n\t\t
\n\t
\n <\/p>\n

Notables:<\/p>\n


\n\tTownsen Thomas<\/a>\u00a0was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on Tuesday, her first weekly honor. Thomas batted a team-best .667 (6-for-9) with four doubles, four RBI, four runs, a stolen base and a walk in Florida’s sweep at Kentucky
\n\tTaylor Shumaker<\/a>\u00a0ranks first in the NCAA in runs (49) and third in hits (50). Shumaker has plated a run in all but 3 games this season (27 games with a run)
\n\tJocelyn Erickson<\/a>\u00a0ranks third in RBIs (49) and fifth in home runs (16). Erickson leads the SEC in home runs in conference play (5)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0

\n\tKeagan Rothrock<\/a>\u00a0leads the country in victories (16). She is 5-0 through six SEC games and 16-1 on the season, already matching her 2025 win total\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0
\n\tAs a team, the Gators lead the NCAA in doubles (70) and walks (155) and rank in the top-5 in hits (338), home runs (67), on-base percentage (.501), RBIs (286), scoring (9.83), pitching shutouts (12), slugging percentage (.728), and total runs (295)
\n\tKenleigh Cahalan<\/a>\u00a0extended her on-base streak to 30 games at Kentucky and has now reached in every game this season (30)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0
\n\tThree Gators are on double-digit hitting streaks:\u00a0Jocelyn Erickson<\/a>\u00a0(14 games),\u00a0Townsen Thomas<\/a>\u00a0(14 games) and\u00a0Taylor Shumaker<\/a>\u00a0(12 games)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0
\n\tOver the last seven games,\u00a0Jocelyn Erickson<\/a>\u00a0has slugged six home runs, including one in each game against Kentucky. She now has 16 home runs this season, a new single-season career best
\n\t
\n\t\tHer 46 home runs as a Gator ranks sixth all-time in program history
\n\t
\n\t
\n\tErickson is five RBIs from 200 as a Gator and would be just the sixth Florida player to have 200 or more in their career
\n\tThe last time the Gators opened conference play with back-to-back sweeps was 2011 \u2013 Florida won both games of its series vs. Mississippi State on March 16 and went 3-0 at Ole Miss on March 18-20 that season <\/p>\n

FOLLOW THE GATORS<\/a>

\nFloridaGators.com<\/a>

\nFlorida Softball on Twitter<\/a>

\nHead Coach Tim Walton on Twitter<\/a>

\nFlorida Softball on Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n