The matchup will be the first time Florida and Houston have met since 2006.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 3 Florida softball team is hitting the road for four games in the state of Texas, starting with a midweek matchup at Houston on Wednesday.
First pitch is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ from Cougar Softball Stadium.
The Gators (23-1) are coming off a 5-0 week at home, recording victories over FCGU, Florida A&M, Troy, Western Michigan and Samford.
During those five games, Florida outscored its opponents 47-7 and slugged 10 home runs, while allowing just one.
Houston (14-5)
Conference
Big 12
Head Coach
Kristin Vesely
Career Record
225-198-1 (9 seasons)
Florida All-Time Record vs.
3-0
Streak
Florida won all three meetings
Last Meeting
March 11, 2006 | UF 7, Houston 2 – Houston, Texas
Florida Record in Houston
2-0
NOTABLES:
* Head coach Tim Walton’s first win at Florida was vs. Houston in their last meeting in 2006. On Friday, he notched his 1,000 win as the Gators’ head coach<https://floridagators.com/news/2025/2/28/softball-walton-wins-1000th-at-florida-no-3-gators-down-samford.aspx> nearly 19 years later
* Senior Reagan Walsh was named both the Southeastern Conference Co-Player of the Week and the NFCA Player of the Week. For the first time in program history, Florida has had three NFCA Player of the Week honors in the same season – Taylor Shumaker (Feb. 11) and Kenleigh Cahalan (Feb.25)
* 12 different Gators have combined for 44 home runs – Taylor Shumaker (11), Mia Williams (6), Jocelyn Erickson (6), Reagan Walsh (6), Kenleigh Cahalan (5), Korbe Otis (3), Rylee Holtorf (2), Gabi Comia (1), Ava Brown (1), Brooke Barnard (1), Kendra Falby (1) and Cassidy McLellan (1)
* The Gators have hit a home run in all but four games this season
* Florida has recorded 13 multi-home run games
* The Gators have 16 run-rule victories this season and in six straight games
* Florida hit four grand slams in 2024. They have hit six already in 2025 – two from each Kenleigh Cahalan, Rylee Holtorf and Walsh
* The Gators lead the NCAA in batting average (.402), on-base percentage (.490), RBI (208), total runs (223) and sacrifice flies (15)
* Florida ranks second in the country in home runs (44), scoring (9.29 runs/game), slugging (.710) and doubles (47)
* Two Gators come from the state of Texas – sophomore Ava Brown (Montgomery) and freshman Townsen Thomas (Humble)
* Freshman Taylor Shumaker (38) and senior Kendra Falby (33) rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in runs in the NCAA
* Shumaker also leads the nation in RBI (38), total bases (73) and is No. 2 in home runs (11)
* Falby leads the nation in stolen bases (26). She is 26-27 on the base path this season
* She has 108 career stolen bases. She needs five more stolen bases to move into a tie with Kelsey Stewart (113) for second-most in Florida program history. Skylar Wallace (119) currently holds the program record
* She has recorded nine multi-stolen base games
UP NEXT:
The Gators open SEC play at No. 5 Texas A&M with a three-game series from March 7-9 in College Station.
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