Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium will likely turn into a zoo when two undefeated animals take the field tonight in UF’s Southeastern Conference opener.
The No. 1 Gators (27-0) and No. 3 LSU Tigers (25-0, 3-0 SEC) will clash in the first contest of what should be a wild three-game series that starts tonight at 6.
"It’s gonna be competitive," senior Lauren Haeger said. "It’s gonna be loud. It’s gonna be what SEC softball is really all about."
While the series will mark the beginning of conference play for the Gators, it might also mark the best matchup of the season.
Florida and LSU are each off to the best start to a season in their respective histories. Both teams are also eerily similar in how they’ve won - they score at will and don’t allow opponents to cross home plate.
UF’s .76 ERA leads the nation among teams with at least 100 innings pitched, while LSU’s .86 ERA ranks second.
Florida pitchers Lauren Haeger and Aleshia Ocasio both rank in the top 10 in the nation for ERA with .59 and .69, respectively.
LSU pitcher Allie Walljasper’s .43 ERA slots in at fourth best in the nation.
"Every stat is just about the same, and so that’s what I think is gonna make this series so exciting and such a hostile environment," Haeger said.
As if this matchup needed any more hype, LSU head coach Beth Torina will return to Gainesville again, where she pitched for the Gators – as Beth Dieter – from 1997-2000 and won 60 games during her career.
UF coach Tim Walton thinks it will come down to the hurlers in the circle.
"I really have a hard time not thinking there’s gonna be pitching duels when you’ve got the ERAs as low as they are," Walton said. "Whoever can get to three runs first has got a good chance to win."
While the pitching stats between the two are almost identical, LSU has the slight edge at the plate this season.
This year, LSU’s 7.96 runs per game is tied for 11th best in the nation, while Florida is 13th with 7.85.
LSU’s lineup also features one of the best power hitters in the nation in Sahvanna Jaquish. Her 11 home runs are tied for third best in the country, and she leads the nation with 45 RBIs.
Haeger is Florida’s version of Jaquish. The Peoria, Arizona, native’s nine home runs and 34 RBI are tied for sixth best and tied for eighth best in the nation, respectively.
Walton said he isn’t changing up anything for this series.
"When you have two undefeated teams, you don’t know how your team is gonna respond to losing," he said. "So the best way to find that out is just don’t lose. Go out and win."
Follow Patrick Pinak on Twitter @Pinakk12
Lauren Haeger rounds the bases after hitting a home run during Florida's 7-1 win against Kansas at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
