The Florida Gators softball team takes on a whole new look this season after saying goodbye to one of the most talented and successful classes in school history after the 2016 season. A class that consisted of five major contributors throughout their four seasons on campus. Aubree Munro, Kelsey Stewart, Taylore Fuller, Kirsti Merritt and Taylor Schwarz will go down as some of the most beloved players to ever step on the field at Florida.
This season, head coach Tim Walton and his staff bring in five new names that will try to build their own legacy over the next four years. Some of their impacts will be felt earlier than others, but Walton does not want fans trying to compare the girls who will be stepping into bigger shoes this season to the ones who are now gone.
“These are new players and they’re new athletes and they can’t be compared to those players,” Walton said. “Those that are going to compare them to the players that we lost last are going to be very disappointed, because they’re not them.”
While they are not the same players, there will still be high expectations on this team and the new faces of Florida softball to succeed. That simply comes with the territory when playing for a team that has had so much success in the past, so these girls know what is to be expected of them this season and in the future.
“We are the Gators, so I think the expectations when we recruited these players is you know what are you going to do to leave your mark to continue the legacy and the standards and the tradition that we built here at the University of Florida,” said Walton. “They are just the team that’s come to the University of Florida to continue the standards and continue the excellence.”
Meet the Freshmen
Sophia Reynoso
Reynoso is a redshirt freshman infielder from Palmdale, California. She was expected to start at shortstop for the Gators last season, before going through ACL reconstruction last fall, which forced her to take a redshirt year. The state of California has been a recruiting bed for Florida for a long time and produced some of the greatest Gators of all time, including names like Aubree Munro, Kelsey Bruder and Aja Paculba. There are currently six players from California on the roster. Reynoso won 2015 Female Athlete of the Year at Knight High School and made the SEC First Year Academic Honor Roll as a true freshman in 2016. She will take over at shortstop this season in place of Kelsey Stewart.
“She’s a super dynamic, very good player,” Walton said of Reynoso. “A different kind of a leader, but she’s also a kid that could easily be the leader of this team as a freshman. Even though she’s a redshirt, she’s very good.”
Katie Chronister
Chronister is a left handed pitcher and first baseman from Gainesville, Florida. She adds depth to Florida’s already-deep pitching staff this season. At Gainesville High School, Chronister was the 2016 Florida Gatorade Player of the Year and 2016 7A Player of the Year. She led her high school team to its first ever state championship in her senior season with a 0.53 ERA on the mound. Chronister compiled a 70-18 pitching record in high school with 725 career strikeouts. She joins Delanie Gourley as the only other left handed pitcher Tim Walton has brought on at Florida. Chronister will have to compete for every inning she gets this season, but when she steps on the mound, be prepared to see outstanding movement out of the hand of the lefty.
Jaimie Hoover
Hoover is a utility player from Suwanee, Georgia. She brings some power to the lineup, as she had a .426 career batting average at Collins High School and broke the school’s RBI and home run records in her time there. Hoover led her high school to a state championship in 2013. She will get immediate playing time for the Gators, sharing time with Aleshia Ocasio at third base this season. She and Reynoso will make up a very young and inexperienced left side of the infield when they are on the field together. Walton said Hoover’s athleticism will be a pleasant surprise for Gators fans this season.
Jordan Roberts
Roberts is a catcher from Live Oak, Florida. She is the exact image that comes to mind for a power-hitting catcher. Roberts plays outstanding defense blocking up balls behind the plate and brings a cannon for an arm. She helped lead Suwannee High School to its first ever Final Four appearance in 2013. Roberts won MVP for her high school team for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. She also set her school’s home run record with 14 in her senior season, while posting a .428 career batting average. Walton said Roberts will be in the rotation at catcher with Janell Wheaton and Brooke Clemens this season.
Jacqui Switzer
With the addition of Switzer, an outfielder from Grayson, Georgia, Walton added a little bit of everything to this freshman class. Switzer is a quick and versatile player who will also add more athleticism to Florida’s roster. She helped Archer High School to a state championship in 2012 and a regional championship in 2015. With more experienced players returning in the outfield for Florida this season, Switzer may not see much playing time out there, but she may get some time on the bases.