UF roundup: No. 1 baseball team faces challenge/Schedule update

The No. 1 Florida baseball team (12-3) looks to get back to their winning ways after back-to-back losses to UCF this week.

UF hosts Rhode Island (2-8) for a three-game series this weekend, starting with a 6:30 p.m. game today.

“Things have been a little bit easy for us up to this point,” UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan said after Wednesday’s loss. “No one likes to lose, but this is probably what this team needs. It needs a little motivation. Hopefully this will motivate us to play a little better this weekend.”

Note: Due to the likelihood of rain Sunday, Florida and Rhode Island will now play a doubleheader Saturday to conclude its weekend series at McKethan Stadium.

The first game of the doubleheader Saturday will start at 1 p.m. Tickets for the original Sunday game will be honored for the opening game of the doubleheader.

The second game of the doubleheader will begin about 30 minutes following the conclusion of the first game. Original tickets for the 4 p.m. Saturday game will be honored for the second game of the doubleheader.

Friday’s series opener remains at 6:30 p.m. Friday

All three games of the series will be broadcast on the Gators IMG Sports Network (ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF in Gainesville).

NCAA Indoor Track and Field: Florida enters this weekend’s NCAA Indoor Championships, hosted by Texas A&M, ranked No. 3 on the men’s side and No. 6 on the women’s side.

The Gators were the men’s national runner-up, by half a point, at last year’s NCAA Indoors. Florida’s men have finished third or higher at 17 of the last 18 NCAA Championships, including eight of the last nine indoors. The Gators also boast seven national titles and top-two finishes at 19 of the 30 NCAA Championships for which Mike Holloway has been head coach. Florida’s women are seeking their first podium finish since 2015.

Four of the men’s entries rank fifth or higher — which is tied with Arkansas, Georgia, Houston, Texas A&M and Texas Tech for the most in the nation. Those entries include defending national champions KeAndre Bates (long jump) and Grant Holloway (60-meter hurdles), now the collegiate record holder.

All seven women’s entries rank seventh or higher, a total only matched or exceeded by Georgia (nine), Arkansas (eight) and LSU (seven). Leading the way is 2017 NCAA Indoors triple jump runner-up Yanis David (ranked No. 2 nationally) and quarter-miler Sharrika Barnett (ranked No. 4 nationally). The team’s lone SEC individual champion this year, Lloydricia Cameron, ranks fifth in the shot put.

ESPN3 will provide live streaming today at 6:30 p.m. ET and Saturday at 5 p.m. A condensed television replay will air Sunday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, and again at 9 p.m. on ESPNU.

Softball: Second-ranked Florida (19-1) returns to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium for SEC Opening Weekend, today-Sunday for a three-game series against No. 23 Kentucky (15-3).

The Gators wrapped up the Judi Garman Classic last weekend going 3-0 with three shutouts over Loyola Marymount, Cal State Fullerton and then ranked No. 8 Baylor.

All three games (6 p.m. today and Saturday, noon Sunday) will be broadcast on 92.1-FM/1230-AM) and 100.1-FM/900-AM. It is also being carried on the SEC Network+ (today) and the SEC Network (Saturday and Sunday).

Women’s tennis: It will have been exactly 40 days since the Gators last played at the friendly confines of the Ring Tennis Complex. Florida (7-4, 2-0 SEC) fans will have a chance to get reacquainted with the team this weekend when the Gators play host to LSU (10-2, 1-1) at 5 p.m. today, before welcoming Texas A&M on Sunday at 1 p.m.