From Farewells To Standout Freshmen: Florida Softball Will Be Fine
BY MADELINE LAWSON
GatorBaitMedia.com
There’s good news and sad news for Florida softball after the 2022 season came to an end with an early departure from the Women’s College World Series.
Lauren Haeger, Aubree Munro, Stacey Nelson, Michelle Moultrie, Aleshia Ocasio … you know these names, and many more. These are just a few of the many Gator greats to have come through Florida's softball program. Sadly, and begrudgingly, it’s time to add fifth-year senior Hannah Adams to the list and arguably to the top. The upside is that UF has plenty of fresh talent to uphold the Gator standard and add to this infamous list in the coming years. There’s no need to worry Gator fans, with Adams’ departure comes room for new playmakers and Florida legends to be born.
Adams is the epitome of a Gator softball player. She’s been the starter at second base since her freshman year and has spent every game except for 13 games this season due to a hand injury, locking down the infield. Adams committed just 11 fielding errors in 5 years but was perfect in her freshman and super senior seasons. She capped off her final season by earning Rawlings Softball inaugural Golden Glove award at second base.
In addition to her impeccable fielding, Adams finished her collegiate career with a .329 batting average on 233 hits and 134 RBIs. But the best part about Adams is who she is off the field, just ask her coach.
"The next kid to wear No. 1 is going to have to be a special, special kid," head coach Tim Walton said. "That’s one of the best college softball players I’ve ever been around …The personality and to do what she does with the leather is unbelievable."
Along with Adams’ departure, pitchers Natalie Lugo and Marissa Mesiemore and outfielder Cheyenne Lindsey graduated this season. Though, no need to fret, sophomore Katie Kistler and freshman Kendra Falby has proved their defensive prowess covering the outfield. Kistler made an outstanding catch at the wall to rob a home run in the game nine matchup against UCLA at the WCWS.
Falby quickly made an impression with her addition to the roster. She led off for Florida most of the season, finishing with an impressive batting average of .514 and an on-base percentage of .578. A single for Falby quickly turned into a double with the speed she possesses, having stolen 20 bases her rookie season. In a 3-0 defeat over Mississippi State in the regular season, the freshman swung away and drove the ball deep to left-center field and hit the wall. For Falby, that’s deadly. She raced around the bases and slid across the plate for an inside-the-park home run. Who else does that?
As for pitching, freshman Lexie Delbrey survived and, at times, excelled in the pitching circle. It’s likely her place on the rubber felt more like a ring of fire at times, but having started four postseason games, it’s clear her coaches believe in how she spins the ball. The Bainbridge, Georgia, native has plenty to build off of in her sophomore season. Delbrey will look to improve on her 111.1 innings pitched and 1.90 ERA.
With so much youth in Florida’s lineup, it will be up to the upperclassman to guide the Gators and lead the team back to the WCWS. Florida will look to redshirt junior Skylar Wallace to be a key factor in the program again. She broke the single-season stolen bases record earlier this year with 37 but would rack up a whopping 52 in total. The shortstop managed a fielding percentage of .969 on the season, but with the loss of golden glove Adams, will she be able to replicate the elite offense the Gators are known for next season? I think it’s highly likely.
Wallace began her collegiate career with Alabama but transferred to Florida in 2020. Walton proved he could snag top talent in the portal and secured another offensive weapon in Pal Egan. Egan spent two years at A&M-Corpus Christi before heading to Gainesville with one year of eligibility as a graduate transfer. The utility player was named the 2022 Southland Conference Player of the Year, SLC Hitter of the Year, All-SLC First Team and SLC All-Tournament Team Selection. Egan will be another speedy addition and fit in well as she went 21-for-24 in stolen bases, and her pop at the plate will be welcomed.
Olivia Gigante, Kalia Pollard and standout freshman catcher Sam Roe joined Florida on signing day in November of ‘21. Roe traded in prom for an early start in the Swamp behind the dish. Pollard is an infielder from Riverside, California, and won the 2021 Alliance Fastpitch 18U National Championship. Gigante will be another west coast talent from California, moving more than 2,000 miles away from her hometown in San Diego. The right-handed pitcher comes with a hefty bat, hitting .523 as a junior at Patrick Henry High School. I’ll be the first one to beg for a reincarnated Haeger. It's a shot in the dark, but a girl can dream, right?
As players come and go, it’s always bittersweet. But we must keep passing the torch or, in this case, the bat. Before Adams, it was Nicole Dewitt, and before Wallace came Sophia Reynoso. Names ingrained in Gator softball history don’t happen by chance but by making the most out of every opportunity. The 2022 season didn’t end in a national championship. However, this group dominated the Gainesville Regional, won on the road with their backs against the wall in the Blacksburg Super Regional and made it back to Oklahoma. This was the 11th WCWS appearance in program history, and getting to experience the biggest stage in college softball will only better this team.
“We made it a goal at the beginning of the year to make it back to the World Series, and we worked really hard to do that, even at times when our season wasn’t looking great,” Adams said.
Through injury and a postseason plagued with weather delays, the Gators beat the odds and were the only SEC team to make it to the World Series. Adams and her team had accomplished the goal. With a final record of 49-19 (13-11), there’s certainly room for improvement, especially in conference play. Walton became the second-fastest coach to 1,000 wins this season, and if players continue to buy in, Walton and the Gators should have many more wins in their future.
One thing is for certain, regardless of wins and losses, as Lugo said in her final post-game press conference: “It really is truly great to be a Florida Gator.”
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