#10/12 Georgia (24-1, 3-0 SEC) #2/3 Florida (22-1, 3-0 SEC)
Dates: Mar. 16-18, 2018
Times: 6/2/2 p.m.
Location: Athens, Ga.
Stadium: Jack Turner Stadium
Media Information
Streaming Video: SEC Network+
Play-by-play: Kaleb Frady
Analysis: Kristina Wyatt
Radio: 90.5 FM WUOG/WUOG.org
Play-by-Play: Myan Patel
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball
#10/12 Georgia welcomes #2/3 Florida for a three-game Southeastern Conference series at Jack Turner Stadium. The series begins under the lights Friday at 6 p.m. First pitch will be at 2 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
This Week’s Promotions
» Admission to every Georgia home game is FREE
» Saturday, Mar. 17
– St. Patrick’s Day themed promotions and prizes
– Postgame autographs
» The Georgia Athletic Association will be sponsoring a shuttle service to and from The Jack and the Livestock Arena Saturday and Sunday.
Follow the Bulldogs
» This weekend’s series will be streamed to the SEC Network+. Kaleb Frady will provide play-by-play while Kristina Wyatt will provide analysis.
» Sunday’s game will air live on 90.5 FM WUOG and WUOG.org. Myan Patel will be on the call.
» Live stats will be available. Live stat links can be found on the softball schedule at GeorgiaDogs.com.
» Live Twitter updates will be available all season long at @UGAsoftball.
Georgia Softball Notebook
Series History
Georgia trails 24-38
» In Athens, Georgia trails the Gators 7-17; lost both ends of a doubleheader in Athens in 2015.
» Georgia has lost seven-straight regular season meetings; last won a regular season game in Gainesville Apr. 26, 2013.
» In the postseason, the Bulldogs have won four of the last five meetings including sweeping the Gators in the 2016 Super Regional.
» Georgia was swept in Gainesville a season ago.
A Look Back
Georgia extended its winning streak to 23 games on with a doubleheader sweep of Bucknell Wednesday afternoon. The first game featured the Bulldog pitching staff’s 16th shutout of the season while the offense run-ruled the Bison in six innings, 8-0. The second game of the tilt saw the Bulldogs victorious 4-2. Cortni Emanuel paced the offense with four hits in the doubleheader, driving in three runs including slapping a two-run home run in game two.
Keep Ringing the Bell
Georgia softball widened its winning streak to 23 with a sweep of Bucknell Wednesday. The streak is the second-longest in program history. The record, set from May 6, 2001 to Mar. 3, 2002, is 25 games. Georgia won the season finale in 2001 then opened 2002 winning 24-straight games.
Georgia in the Top 25
The Bulldogs continued climbing to #10 in the week five USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll while dropping one spot to #12 in the ESPN.com/USA softball poll. The Bulldogs entered the season with a preseason #25 ranking and sat at #17 in the week one polls.
Despite finishing last in the SEC a season ago with a 6-18 record, the Bulldogs dropped out of the NFCA Poll only one week. It was the first time Georgia had been outside the top 25 since 2013.
A Look Ahead
The Bulldogs will host in-state foe Georgia Southern on Wednesday. The Bulldogs and Eagles will throw first pitch at Jack Turner Stadium at 6 p.m. Georgia will take to the road next weekend for a three-game SEC series with #20/21 Mississippi State.
It Begins at the Top
The top of Georgia’s lineup features four hitters all hitting north of .400 through 25 games. The first inning is the second-highest run producing inning for Georgia, scoring 38 runs in the opening stanza. The Bulldogs have scored in the first 14 times, winning all 14 of said games.
Head of the Pack
At the plate, Georgia leads the SEC in six offensive categories including batting average (.381), slugging (.636), runs scored (194), RBI (178), home runs (37), and total bases (418).
In the country, Georgia’s team batting average ranks second to UCLA. The Bulldogs lead the NCAA in slugging while coming in third in on base pct. and in scoring (7.76 runs/game).
The RUNdown
The Bulldogs have outscored opponents 194-23 in 25 games this season. Nationally, Georgia ranks third in scoring with 7.76 runs per game. Georgia’s .381 batting average is second-best in the NCAA.
Three individual Georgia student-athletes have scored the same amount or more runs than the Bulldogs’ opponents combined (23).
The Iron Woman
Senior pitcher Brittany Gray has worked a team-leading 64 innings in the circle, 43% of Georgia’s innings. Through 64 innings, she has not allowed an earned run all season. She is a perfect 11-0, shutting out six opponents in seven complete games. She has also struck out 102 batters. Her 2.3 hits allowed per seven innings ranks second nationally while her 11.2 strikeouts per seven innings comes in at sixth.
Her 463 strikeouts moves her into sixth all-time at Georgia.
Solid in the Circle
The Georgia pitching staff has been sharp to start the season, recording a 0.70 ERA through 25 games and 161 innings. Georgia’s ERA ranks second in the SEC and in the nation, second only to Florida. The staff has struck out 210 opposing hitters, allowing only 16 earned runs and putting 16 shutouts in the books. Kylie Bass and Brittany Gray have been staples in the circle, pitching a combined 102 innings. Together, they have struck out 155 batters.
Zoom, Zoom
Senior Cortni Emanuel tied a Georgia record with five stolen bases against Charleston on Saturday, Feb. 24. Her mark tied Kellie Middleton’s record vs. McNeese State on Feb. 11, 2007. Emanuel swiped 12 total bags in four games of the Georgia Classic. Now in her fourth season, she has 149 stolen bases, a figure that ranks second all-time at Georgia. Her 1.13 stolen bases per game this season ranks second in the country.
Over the Edge
Georgia has hit 37 home runs in 25 games in 2018. In 2017, Georgia had 28 in 58 games. Georgia’s 1.48 home runs per game average ranks third all of NCAA DI softball teams.