A new year, a new ace for Gator softball
UF softball players (from left) Francesca Enea, Aja Paculba, Stephanie Brombacher and Kelsey Bruder form the nucleus of a team that looks to return to the College World Series.
Aaron E. Daye/Staff photographerPublished: Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 4:33 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 4:33 p.m.
For two years Stacey Nelson was the face of Florida Gator softball.
Back-to-back trips to the College World Series, back-to-back SEC titles, 143 games played, 133 games won — Gator softball had never been so successful.
But as impressive as Florida's season was last year, it ended with consecutive losses to Washington in the championship games of the College World Series in Oklahoma City. And as outstanding a pitcher as Nelson was, the Gators didn't come home with a national title.
Enter the 2010 season, without Nelson.
The No. 5 Gators open their season today with a doubleheader in Clearwater at the USF Wilson-DeMarini Tournament, facing No. 14 Georgia Tech at 4 p.m., then playing Long Island at 6 p.m. Florida follows with a game Saturday (vs. USF, 3 p.m.) and Sunday (vs. Canisius, 9 a.m.).
Junior Stephanie Brombacher, the No. 2 pitcher for two years behind Nelson, steps up as the new ace. She brings a 42-0 career record to the mound today.
“I'm just anxious to get out there and take over the pitching spot and see what I can do with it,” said Brombacher, who was named to the Collegiate Player of the Year preseason watch list along with senior outfielder Francesca Enea. “I'm excited. I can't wait to start playing. After that first pitch, my nerves will calm down a little bit.”
Entering his fifth season, head coach Tim Walton has steadily built the Gator program into one of the best in the nation with consecutive trips to the College World Series. In a preseason poll of SEC coaches, Florida was picked as the favorite in the East Division, with No. 2 Alabama chosen to win the league title.
“It was a disappointing ending to last season, but a wonderful ending to some great careers with our senior class going out in the national championship games at the College World Series,” said Walton, who is 226-57 at Florida. “I really like the way we are swinging the bats right now. We have a good group of hitters. We've worked hard on being very selective with pitches.
“Winning a national championship is something you dream about. It is not the goal. I train these athletes to be their very best. Our goal is to beat everybody every day. Last year we lost five games and three were to the same team.”
The Gators have four players who are preseason All-Americans in outfielders Enea and Kelsey Bruder, second baseman Aja Paculba and Brombacher.
Enea, Florida's career home run leader, led the Gators last year in home runs (18), RBIs (70), game-winning RBIs (14), extra-base hits (29) and tied with Bruder for best slugging percentage (.713). One of only two seniors on the team, Enea has confidence that Brombacher will be ready to go as No. 1 pitcher.
“She is a phenomenal pitcher,” Enea said. “I strike out against her all the time. She is something special.”
Paculba, UF's leadoff batter for the third straight season, said Brombacher benefited from her years with Nelson.
“Steph learned a lot from her the last two years,” said Paculba, a junior who led the team last year in runs (69), hits (75), triples (5), walks (49), stolen bases (27) and batting average in SEC games (.425). “With her being the No. 1 pitcher, all the things she learned from Stacey will help her.”
Brombacher should have plenty of offensive support. Walton said on paper, this offense could be even better than last year's team with other returnees in junior Megan Bush (16 home runs, .712 slugging percentage), who will play first base and shortstop, and senior third baseman Corrie Brooks (11 home runs, 58 RBIs). Two of seven freshmen figure to have an immediate impact in shortstop Brittany Walker of Tomball, Texas and utility player Brittany Schutte from Fountain Valley, Calif.
“We return three All-Americans in the batting lineup, so the expectations are going to be high,” Walton said. “Six of our nine starters have been in day-in, day-out for the last two years.
“Of our freshmen, Brittany Schutte is a game-changer, a flat-out hitter. And she has a cannon of an arm. She is going to bat in the middle of the lineup. Brittany Walker will play shortstop and outfield. If she can play good at shortstop, it will make our infield that much better.”
Bruder said coming so close to a national title last season serves as motivation going into this year.
“I think about it every single day,” said Bruder, who had a team-high .815 slugging percentage in SEC games last season. “It is a huge motivating factor to have worked your entire life to come within an inning, within a game. It makes me work harder.”
The Gators start their season with nine straight home games, beginning with their home opener against Jacksonville on Wednesday at 5 p.m. All home games will be broadcast on 104.9 FM.
Enea played three years with Nelson and will miss her “goofing around and making us laugh.” But this is a new team and a new season.
“We are definitely taking it one game at a time,” Enea said. “Obviously, Stacey was a great player. We are not going into any game defeated just because we don't have Stacey Nelson with us. That's not the case at all. We are a stronger team. We have a great team. We are ready to prove to everybody that we can be just as good as last year's team.”
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.