Bad weather holds back Gators’ schedule

Posted Feb 25, 2010 by Aaron Oberlin

Updated Feb 26, 2010 at 12:00 AM

Another wave of inclement weather will pound the northeastern United States tonight. Meteorologists expect the snowstorm to knock out the power to more than 100,000 homes, litter the streets with downed limbs and wires, and stall the airline industry. Life will slow down tomorrow for millions of northerners.

But Florida athletics also will feel the storm’s ripple effect, just like it has with the weather in the past two days.

Cold temperatures and rain caused one tennis match to be canceled, and as a result of tonight’s forecast, the La Salle baseball team (0-3) has postponed its Friday series opener against the No. 5 Gators (4-0) in Gainesville. Games will commence Saturday at 2 p.m., with a doubleheader at McKethan Stadium. The finale of the three-game series starts Sunday at noon.

The rain delayed the opening pitch last night by two and half hours when the Florida baseball team beat the University of Central Florida (3-1) 7-6. It also caused a much-anticipated men’s tennis match against No. 19 Florida State (6-1, 3-0 ACC) to be rescheduled for March 17 at 4 p.m.

The No. 6 Gators (7-2) have won the last three against the Seminoles. Both squads look forward to the match every year.

“This match means a lot,” said FSU junior and Tampa transplant Clint Bowles. “It’s probably one of the matches we want to win the most the whole year. The last two times we played them, my freshmen and sophomore years, we lost. It will be big if we win, for pride, as well. I think we’re ready.”