Preview: #5 Softball Hosts #2 Florida in Championship Rematch

Alabama Softball returns home to the Rhoads Stadium this weekend to take on #2 Florida. Patrick Murphy's squad is riding high after taking two of three games on the road at #8 Georgia and is ready for a rematch of last year's national championship.

Alexis Osorio (8-2) continued her stellar freshman season by picking up two wins last weekend, one as a start and one in relief, while Sydney Littlejohn got her first loss of the year, pushing her record to 8-1 on the year. Demi Turner led the big Alabama bats with a .538 batting average over the weekend, with five RBI's and was one of five players to hit a home run.

Florida (28-2, 1-2) comes into the weekend series after suffering their first two losses of the season. The previously unbeaten Gators were upset by LSU at home. The losses dropped Florida from the top overall spot in the polls, while LSU took over as No. 1.

Lauren Haeger leads a Gator pitching staff that ranks second in the SEC in overall pitching. The senior has been dominant all year with a 12-0 record to match a 1.28 era. Aleshia Ocasio and Delanie Gourley are the other two stout pitchers, posting a 9-2 record, 1.34 era and a 7-0 record, 1.59 era, respectively. Kelsey Stewart leads the Florida bats with a .398 batting average.

These two programs have been the most dominant in the SEC for the past decade. Six of the last 10 SEC titles have gone to either Florida or Alabama, with two of the last three national championships. Alabama got the better of Florida in last year's regular season matchup, winning two of three games in Gainesville before the Gators took out their revenge in the national championship series in Oklahoma City, sweeping the Crimson Tide to claim the school's first national championship. With both teams playing at such a high level once again, the series is likely to add another great chapter to its history this weekend in the top five matchup.

Alabama and Florida play the first game of the three-game series on Saturday (1 pm) at Rhoads Stadium.