{"id":217329,"date":"2026-04-03T10:45:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T10:45:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/217329\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T10:45:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T10:45:08","slug":"softball-hosts-mississippi-state-for-top-25-sec-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/217329\/","title":{"rendered":"Softball Hosts Mississippi State For Top-25 SEC Series"},"content":{"rendered":"

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 5\/8 Florida welcomes No. 13\/16 Mississippi State to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium for\u00a0the Gators’ third straight top-25 Southeastern Conference weekend series.<\/p>\n

Friday and Sunday’s games will stream on SEC Network+ with Aleshia Ocasio\u00a0and Ryan Urquhart calling the action. Game two of the series on Saturday will be a national linear broadcast on the SEC Network with Krista Blunk\u00a0and Ocasio\u00a0on the call.<\/p>\n

Fans can also listen to all three games on either FloridaGators.com\/Gators+ (Friday)\u00a0or\u00a098.1 FM \/ 850 AM WRUF\u00a0(Saturday\/Sunday)\u00a0where\u00a0Urquhart,\u00a0Nevada Cullen and\u00a0Nate Bilgoray will have the radio call.<\/p>\n

The Gators (34-4, 9-3\u00a0SEC) are looking for their fourth SEC series victory of the season and third in Gainesville.<\/p>\n


\n
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tNo. 13\/16 Miss\u00a0State
\n\t\t\t32-7, 4-5 SEC
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tHead Coach
\n\t\t\tSamantha Ricketts
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tCareer Record
\n\t\t\t230-126 (.646)
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tFlorida All-Time Record vs.
\n\t\t\t46-23
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tStreak
\n\t\t\tThe Gators have won eight of the last 10
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tLast Meeting
\n\t\t\tMarch 30, 2024 – UF 7, MSU 6 – Starkville, Miss.
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tFlorida Record vs In Gainesville
\n\t\t\t22-11
\n\t\t
\n\t
\n <\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tHistory vs. Mississippi State | Last 10 Results
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tNo. 13\/16 Mississippi State
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t46-23
\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\tMarch 30, 2024
\n\t\t\tStarkville, Miss.
\n\t\t\tW
\n\t\t\t7-6
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMarch 29, 2024
\n\t\t\tStarkville, Miss.
\n\t\t\tW
\n\t\t\t8-5
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMarch 28, 2024
\n\t\t\tStarkville, Miss.
\n\t\t\tL
\n\t\t\t13-12
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMarch 14, 2022
\n\t\t\tGainesville, Fla.
\n\t\t\tW
\n\t\t\t3-0
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMarch 13, 2022
\n\t\t\tGainesville, Fla.
\n\t\t\tL
\n\t\t\t1-0
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMarch 12, 2022
\n\t\t\tGainesville, Fla.
\n\t\t\tW
\n\t\t\t8-4
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMay 13, 2021
\n\t\t\tTuscaloosa, Ala.
\n\t\t\tW
\n\t\t\t6-2
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMarch 21, 2021
\n\t\t\tStarkville, Miss.
\n\t\t\tW
\n\t\t\t8-0 (5)
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMarch 20, 2021
\n\t\t\tStarkville, Miss.
\n\t\t\tW
\n\t\t\t10-0
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMarch 19, 2021
\n\t\t\tStarkville, Miss.
\n\t\t\tW
\n\t\t\t1-0
\n\t\t
\n\t
\n
\n
\n \n<\/p>\n

Weekend Schedule<\/p>\n


\n
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tFriday
\n\t\t\tMississippi State
\n\t\t\t6 p.m.
\n\t\t\tSEC Network +
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tSaturday
\n\t\t\tMississippi State
\n\t\t\t11:30 a.m.
\n\t\t\tSEC Network
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tSunday
\n\t\t\tMississippi State
\n\t\t\t1 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\tY2K Night

\n\t\t\tFriday, April 3
\n\t\t\tJoin the Gators for our Party at the Plate night with Y2K music and theming
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tMario Day

\n\t\t\tSaturday, April 4
\n\t\t\tLevel Up with the Gators for Mario Day! Enjoy themed activations and music, and one lucky fan will walk home with a Nintendo Switch 2
\n\t\t
\n\t
\n <\/p>\n

Notables:<\/p>\n


\n\tThe Gators enter the weekend looking for their fourth Southeastern Conference series victory of the season and fourth-straight series win over Mississippi State
\n\tThe last time the Bulldogs and Gators met was during the\u00a02024 season in Starkville. The Gators dropped the opening game 13-12, but took game two and three to secure the 2-1 series win
\n\tFlorida is the top fielding team in conference play in the SEC, holding a .997 fielding percentage
\n\t
\n\t\tMississippi State ranks eighth with a fielding percentage of .972. The Gators have committed just one error in 12 conference games
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tThe Gators are batting .297 in conference play, which ranks fourth in the SEC, while the Bulldogs are ranked 13th with a .209 team hitting percentage
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t
\n\t
\n\tKenleigh Cahalan<\/a> has reached base in all but two games this season (36 of 38 games)
\n\t
\n\t\tOver the last 10 games, Cahalan has slugged three home runs, all in SEC play, tied with Cassidy McLellan<\/a> for most in that time frame
\n\t
\n\t
\n\tWith a two-RBI single against Stetson on Wednesday, Jocelyn Erickson<\/a> became one of just six Gators in program history with 200 RBIs, a feat she accomplished in less than three seasons in Gainesville
\n\t
\n\t\tJust over 48% Erickson’s hits\u00a0have gone for extra bases this season. She leads the team with 16 home runs, nine doubles and has Florida’s sole triple
\n\t
\n\t
\n\tJunior catcher Ella Wesolowski<\/a> played for the Bulldogs during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. She made 73 starts in her Bulldog career
\n\tTaylor Shumaker<\/a> leads the NCAA in runs scored (58) and ranks fourth nationally in hits (60) and sixth in total bases (110)
\n\tOf Florida’s nearly 400 hits this season, 40% (159 of 397) have gone for extra bases
\n\tThe Gators lead the nation in doubles (81) and walks (181) and rank in the top-5 in the NCAA in hits (397), home runs (77), pitching shutouts (12), fielding percentage (.985), RBIs (319) and runs (333)
\n\tFlorida is 18-1 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium this season and are looking for their third SEC home series win. They earned series wins over Missouri and No. 1 Tennessee in Gainesville this 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