A new season of Florida Gators softball kicks off on Friday as the Gators once again head down to Tampa, Fla., to participate in the annual USF-Wilson Demarini Tournament. The Gators will play five games in three days and fans will finally get to see how the new team has shaped up after losing five seniors from 2016.
While there will be a few unfamiliar faces taking the field this season, the ones in the circle remain the same. Florida enters the season with what is arguably the deepest pitching staff in the country. The Gators bring back a rotation of three pitchers who have the ability to carry the team in senior Delanie Gourley, junior Aleshia Ocasio and sophomore Kelly Barnhill.
“Excited to see all of our young players get out there, put forth game action and have everyone on the same team,” said head coach Tim Walton. “So I’m really excited about opening up next weekend at South Florida, giving this pitching staff the ball and seeing what they can do this year.”
Last season, the trio combined for a 0.93 ERA to decidedly lead the nation. The closest ERA behind Florida was 1.15 and only five other teams came within a run of that average. It was a remarkable season for the Gators’ pitchers, and with all three returning a year older and a year stronger, their ceiling is even higher.
A 2016 First Team All-American, Gourley returns for her final season as the most experienced pitcher on the staff. The lefty appeared in 35 games last season and posted a 19-4 record with the nation’s third best ERA (0.80), allowing just 18 earned runs in her team-leading 157.2 innings pitched. She also led Florida’s pitchers with 224 strikeouts last season and allowed just a .141 batting average.
Gourley tossed two no-hitters last season and joined former Gator great Hannah Rogers as the only other Florida pitcher to throw three no-hitters in her career. Along with her no hitters, she threw nine complete game shutouts in 2016.
“Delanie Gourley has just grown herself into a real leader,” said Walton. “I’m really excited about her maturity level and how she’s handled her process throughout her previous three years.”
Ocasio was also a First Team All-American for Florida’s pitching staff last season and was a top-three finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year. She compiled a 22-2 record in 35 appearances as a sophomore. She was second in the country with a 0.77 ERA, allowing just 16 earned runs in 146.1 innings. She totaled 147 strikeouts to just 23 walks last season with a .183 opponent batting average. Ocasio recorded a no-hitter, along with seven complete game shutouts.
While Ocasio is a huge part of this pitching staff, her presence is also felt both offensively and defensively. She hit .433 in 30 at-bats for the Gators last season and had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 35 chances.
Barnhill took on a major role immediately as the third piece to Florida’s pitching rotation as a freshman last season. She was a part of the SEC All-Freshman Team and was a top three finalist for NFCA Freshman of the Year.
She pitched 108.1 innings for the Gators last season in 27 appearances and posted a 15-1 record in the circle. Barnhill broke Florida single season records for both opposing batting average (.140) and strikeouts per seven innings (10.8). Her 10.8 strikeouts per seven innings were good for the second best average in the country, with 167 total strikeouts on the season. While Barnhill’s 1.36 ERA was the highest on the team, she still ranked 11th in the country in the stat.
Walton looks to stick with a similar rotation for his pitchers this season, with a majority of the innings being shared between those three. Freshman left hander Katie Chronister could also be in the mix at times, but she will likely need a little more time before she is ready to make serious contributions for the Gators.
“I think what makes us the most special is just how dynamic our pitching staff is,” Walton said of his rotation.
The pitching staff will have to take the lead of a defense with little experience returning. When Florida takes the field this weekend, only two defensive players will be taking back over at a position they played most of their time at last season.
The biggest hole the Gators must fill is the one behind the plate. Replacing Aubree Munro, one of the best defensive catchers in Florida history, will not be an easy task. Junior Janell Wheaton, who spent most of her time at first base last season, is in line to take over for Munro. Walton said sophomore Brooke Clemens and freshman Jordan Roberts could also see some time in the rotation at catcher.
In the infield, junior Kayli Kvistad will see more time on defense at first base. She did not play a single inning on defense last season as she served as the team’s designated player throughout her sophomore year. Kvistad did play some at first base as a freshman in the Women’s College World Series and recorded a perfect fielding percentage, with 104 putouts and one assist, so it will not be completely uncharted territory for her.
Junior Nicole DeWitt is the only infielder to return to her position this season at second base. DeWitt had a .980 fielding percentage last year, with just three errors in 150 chances. She had 61 putouts and 86 assists, along with eight double plays.
At the other middle-infield spot, redshirt freshman Sophia Reynoso will take over for Kelsey Stewart at shortstop. Walton said she would have started there last season had she not went down with an ACL injury. Reynoso is one of the players Walton is most excited about for 2017.
The left side of the infield is young, with another freshman getting the nod at third base for the Gators. Jaimie Hoover will be in Taylore Fuller’s former spot this season, along with Ocasio, who will play some at third and right field when she is not in the circle.
All of Florida’s starting outfielders for this season posted perfect 1.000 fielding percentages in 2016. In left field, sophomore Amanda Lorenz will reclaim her position. Senior Chelsea Herndon will move out of her former pinch-hitter role to get her first significant playing time in her time at Florida in the other corner outfield spot. While she posted a perfect fielding percentage, Herndon had just two chances in the field as a junior. As mentioned before, Ocasio will share time in right field as well.
Senior Justine McClean will slide over to center field from right field in place of former standout center fielder Kirsti Merritt. Walton stated that McClean has not played center since she was in high school, but she will be called on to lead the outfield in her final season at Florida.
It will be interesting to see how this team shapes together defensively as the season moves along, but if inexperience shows early, Florida can lead on its pitching staff to get the job done. Walton just wants to put his best combination of girls on the field and let things fall into place from there.
“The big key for me is just trying to get all of those players the early season experience,” said Walton. “We can find out who is going to be the most consistent, who’s going to be the counted upon players that you can day in and day out write in that line to be successful.”