Staying healthy the goal for UF softball at SECs

For Florida, it's the SEC Tournament that doesn't matter.

Certainly, the top-seeded Gators will be putting forth their best effort when they open the SEC Tournament against No. 8 seed Ole Miss (26-27, 9-19) today at 2:30 p.m. in Baton Rouge, La.

However, Florida enters the tournament having all but secured the right to host an NCAA regional and super regional. The Gators resume is nearly flawless: A 59-2 record, an SEC regular-season championship, the nation's No. 1 ranking and No. 1 RPI, and a 32-game win streak.

"I have to put in a lot of thought into how we approach this tournament," Gators coach Tim Walton said. "We have to think about: What do we need to do to maintain our health, to maintain our strength to take the next step at the next level of our season."

One precaution Walton will likely take is to rest ace pitcher Stacey Nelson for part, or all, of the single-elimination SEC Tournament. Nelson, named one of 10 finalists for USA Softball National Player of the Year, leads the nation with a 38-2 record and is eighth nationally with an 0.81 ERA.

Nelson, however, has thrown 260 innings this season and her health is imperative for Florida to compete for a national title.

"One particular thought is whether Stacey Nelson is going to pitch in this tournament," Walton said. "The number one game is most important. But she threw a lot of innings last weekend. We have had a tight race and there have been a lot of extra pressure to win all the time. It think that wears on you."

Instead, Walton might opt to lean heavily on freshman Stephanie Brombacher (18-0, 1.52) for most of the tournament.

Regardless, the Gators' sensational regular season has put them in position where they don't need the SEC Tournament to position themselves for hosting an NCAA regional. That is likely already accomplished.

"I think right now, what we've been able to accomplish, I'm very confident we should be a No. 1 seed in the (NCAA) tournament," Walton said. "If you look at who we've played and our conference being recognized as one of the best and obviously us being at the top of the conference, that warrants us to be one of the top two seeds in the country."

Florida has never won an SEC Tournament and its road is not easy. Should the Gators win today they would play the winner of No. 4 Tennessee and No. 5 Georgia.

"We don't have a very easy way to the championship game," first baseman Ali Gardner said. "Ole Miss is playing very well. If we beat Ole Miss we play the winner of Georgia and Tennessee. And Tennessee ...whoa. Every game we played Tennessee your heart was racing. So we're going to take it one game at a time. Not one team in this tournament can we overlook."

SEC gives honors to Gator players, coach

Eight Florida players and coach Tim Walton received SEC honors Wednesday.

Junior pitcher Stacey Nelson was named Pitcher of the Year. Nelson and fellow juniors Ali Gardiner and Kim Waleszonia were named to the All-SEC first team. Freshman Aja Paculba was named to the second team. Paculba and Stephanie Brombacher, Megan Bush and Tiffany DeFelice were named to the All-Freshman team. Nelson, Gardiner, Paculba and Waleszonia were named to the All-Defensive team.

Walton, who led the Gators to a conference record 27-1 season to capture the league title, was honored as the SEC Coach of the Year. Only one other time in league history has a team finished with only one loss in SEC play, as South Carolina finished the 1997 season 25-1.