WHO: No. 21 USF (29-5) at No. 4 Florida (29-2)
WHEN: 6 p.m. Wednesday
WHERE: Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, Gainesville
TV: Fox Sports Florida
LIVE VIDEO FEED: Gatorzone.com
LIVE STATS: BullsCast on GoUSFBulls.com
RADIO: BullsCast on GoUSFBulls.com
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA - Wednesday is just one game of many, especially it being a nonconference test for the USF softball team, but the Bulls can't hide the fact that it is a very big one from a national standpoint.
No. 21 USF heads up to Gainesville for part two of its season series with the No. 4 Gators at 6 p.m. after the two had an epic battle Feb. 12 in Tampa. Kelsey Horton's homer gave UF a 3-1 lead in the top of the eighth inning before Gina Kafalas hit drove in a run of her own for USF, which fell short in the 3-2 loss.
"It's an exciting rematch," USF first baseman Stephanie Medina said. "It's a new game and we're not going to live off of how we played against them in the past. We just kind of have to bring a whole new plan up to the plate and on the field. Hopefully it works."
USF's plan has been nearly perfect since its fourth game of the season against the Gators.
The Bulls (29-5) are off to the best start in the program's history and ride a nine-game winning streak into Gainesville after sweeping their first Big East series against Rutgers this past weekend. USF outscored Rutgers, 21-0, in three games.
"We're not chasing after pitches," Medina said. "We're waiting for strikes and our eyes are great. We've had a lot of patience at the plate."
Plans will have to be tweaked a bit against a Florida team that is fifth in the nation with a 0.89 earned run average. USF head coach Ken Eriksen knows Gator pitchers will attack and the Bulls must be ready to respond quickly.
"We're going to have to be real aggressive at the plate," he said. "The nice part is they give you comfortable at-bats because they're pitches are going to be around the strike zone a lot. We have to take advantage of that. I think the earlier in the count that you take advantage of that king of stuff the better off you are."
The Bulls have been dominant delivering their own pitches in the process. USF ranks third in the country with a 0.84 ERA with sophomore left-hander Sara Nevins has the top ERA in the nation at 0.55 in 127 2/3 innings. Nevins (16-2) is the Big East pitcher of the week for the third straight time after posting three wins and allowing just one earned run in 19 2/3 innings last week.
"When she's ahead in the count she's pretty dominant," Eriksen said.
The Bulls get back to Big East play Saturday with doubleheader at Pittsburgh set for noon. USF plays one more at Pitt on Sunday at 11 a.m.
