By Brad Goldbach
After the second-ranked Florida Gators (8-1) lost their first game of the season, Coach Tim Walton wanted to see his hitters step up to the plate and swing the bat aggressively. He got what he wished for as the Gators punished opponents to the tune of 67-1 in six games last week.
Now Walton wants his team to get ready for those tough Southeastern Conference games in the future by coming through with runners on base in tight games.
“We need to learn how we’re going to play in tight games,” Walton said last Sunday. “I like to play (blowout) games like this for a lot of reasons, but we need tight games to really determine exactly what type of a championship team we’re going to be.”
Walton should get a chance to see how the Gators handle the tough games this weekend when they face four ranked opponents at the prestigious Cathedral City Classic in Palm Springs, California.
Florida will open the tournament with No. 14/14 Fresno State (3-1) followed by defending-national champion No. 3/7 Arizona State (11-1) at 11:30 p.m. On Friday, the Gators will face No. 17/19 Nevada (7-2) at 4 p.m. and No. 7/3 Washington (9-0) at 8:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Gators will take on UNLV (5-4) at 12:30 p.m. in their finale.
The Gators impressive offensive showing last week was highlighted by junior left fielder Francesca Enea earning SEC Player of the Week honors after going 11-18 with 18 RBI and three home runs, including grand slams in back-to-back games on Saturday. Sophomore Stephanie Brombacher was named SEC Pitcher of the Week after going 3-0 with three shutouts, while allowing only three hits and striking out 28 batters in 18 innings. She also threw Florida’s first no-hitter in almost three years.
One reason the Gators turned it on offensively was because Walton tinkered with the top of the batting order, switching second baseman Aja Paculba to leadoff and moving senior center fielder Kim Waleszonia to number two in the order. Originally intended as an experiment, Walton liked what he saw enough to stick with the same batting order this weekend.
“I’m not even going to have a meeting,” Walton said. “They don’t even get a vote anymore. So it’s going to happen.”
There is no question the move was profitable. Paculba went 7-13 with two home runs and five RBI while Waleszonia was 6-15 with three triples and two RBI.
Now Walton is determined to get sophomore Tiffany DeFelice going.
“That’s a priority to me,” Walton said. “Tiffany DeFelice is one of the best, toughest outs in the country, so I got to get her going, get her on the right page. I really like her batting in the five-hole to protect Francesca (Enea). She’s just an ultimate, tough out.”
DeFelice went 1-8 as a starter in the first three games of last week before being relegated to pinch hitter. She was replaced in the lineup by senior Kristina Hilberth at catcher and sophomore Kristine Preibe at designated hitter. Preibe responded with two home runs in her three starts over the weekend. If DeFelice doesn’t get her bat going, Walton said Preibe will likely remain at DH. her replacement in
The Gators had an off-day Monday before traveling to California on Tuesday. Walton said the players, eight of whom hail from California, will get time to spend with their families on the road trip. The team will not have much practice time other than Wednesday, so they will continue to take the same approach that has paid dividends, including the Gators “phenomenal” adjustments at the plate.