The Gators will host SEC preseason favorite Alabama, along with Arkansas and Tennessee who were picked third and fourth in the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Southeastern Conference announced the 2022 SEC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll Monday afternoon after a vote from the league’s 13 head coaches.
The Gators, 2021 SEC Regular Season Champions, are predicted to finish second place this upcoming season. The program picked up three first-place votes and accumulated 131 total points, while Alabama was picked the preseason favorite with seven first-place votes and 138 points.
Arkansas nabbed two first-place votes and 124 points for a predicted third place finish and Tennessee secured one first-place vote and 103 points to round out the top four teams.
Florida finished the 2021 season with a 19-5 record in conference play, which led to its league-leading ninth SEC Regular Season Championship and UF was the only program in the conference to win every SEC series in 2021.
This year the program returns a plethora of players from last year’s squad, which includes NFCA All-Americans Charla Echols, Hannah Adams and Elizabeth Hightower. That trio anchors a group of 16 returning contributors from last season, along with the addition of 2021 transfer Skylar Wallace and six newcomers.
Entering their first year with the program is graduate transfer Marissa Mesiemore, and freshmen Cali Decker, Lexie Delbrey, Kendra Falby, Sam Roe and Reagan Walsh. Roe, a catcher, joined the program this January as an early enrollee and Mesiemore is a graduate transfer from FGCU.
The Gators are slated to host Mississippi State (March 12-14), Tennessee (March 25-27), Alabama (April 9-11) and Arkansas (April 22-24). In addition, Florida will host the 2022 SEC Tournament (May 10-14) for the first time since 2005 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Ticket information for the SEC Tournament will be announced at a later date.
Florida opens its 2022 season Friday, Feb. 11, at 5:30 p.m. against Illinois State in Tampa, Fla. at USF’s tournament. The program’s first home game is set for Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. against Jacksonville.
2022 SEC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
Place
School
Points
1.
Alabama (7)
138
2.
Florida (3)
131
3.
Arkansas (2)
124
4.
Tennessee (1)
103
5.
Missouri
97
6.
LSU
93
7.
Georgia
78
Kentucky
78
9.
Ole Miss
47
10.
Texas A&M
41
11.
Auburn
36
12.
Mississippi State
35
13.
South Carolina
13
Points for the poll were awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 basis. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
Regular Season Ticket Information
Single-game tickets are currently on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online or by contacting the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683. Single-game ticket prices and availability can also be directly accessed here<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__am.ticketmaster.com_gators_buy-3FfilterType-3D43&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=kN_7yP8voUbFFqDwkAPibJi1-TwWwQ_xDR2VuZ1gDTHD9_pSPPES_pEcUC2EuYMW&s=TKJFa0JdkgiedQNMKZRcTjzievfWComYEumv8qs1K3Q&e= >.
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