Most college softball teams are lucky if they have one dominant pitcher, the kind who can throw a shutout on any given day.
Last year, the Gators relied on Stacey Nelson to carry the team and step into the circle during every big game. But this season could be different for the UF softball team with the emergence of Stephanie Brombacher, who will play a larger role than she did in her freshman year.
"We've got two quality No. 1 pitchers, which is what I'm going to call Stephanie from now on - another No. 1 pitcher," UF coach Tim Walton said.
The Gators will host the Lipton Invitational this weekend at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, where they will play five games in three days, and Walton thinks having two reliable, unique pitchers will give UF a distinct advantage.
"It's very hard to face Stacey and Stephanie in the same day - very, very tough - because one throws the ball totally different than the other one, so your eye adjustment better be pretty quick," Walton said.
Brombacher, who is more of a power pitcher than Nelson, finished the 2008 season with an unprecedented 20-0 record and became the only pitcher in UF history to start her career with more than 10 wins without suffering a loss.
This season, the sophomore has won both of her starts, struck out 16 batters and only walked one in her 12 innings of work. She has started as many games as Nelson, who gave up just 1 run in her 14 innings against Baylor last weekend.
After last season, Brombacher went to her coach and said she wanted the ball more, and Walton took that as a sign that she was ready to be a more consistent option in the circle.
"She's now taking her ability to be mentally tough and to pitch against the better teams," he said. "She's not afraid of Francesca Enea in intrasquad (scrimmages). She's ready to go after her, and that is what catapults her into wanting the ball against the quality opponents we're going to face this year."
Nelson, who led the nation in wins (47) and had the fourth-lowest ERA (0.76) while pitching 352.1 innings last season, will still get more than 50 percent of the starts, Walton said. Despite Brombacher's impressive performance in fall and preseason practices, the senior remains the unquestioned ace.
Rather than seeing the younger pitcher as a threat to her position, Walton said Nelson realizes Brombacher can help her improve, and Nelson can help Brombacher turn into a more complete pitcher.
"They're a great team together," Walton said. "They work together, have a great chemistry together, and it's never really about pitting anyone against each other."
Nelson said she has welcomed Brombacher's expanded role with open arms and has benefited from having another reliable pitcher in the rotation.
"I don't really feel like I help her - not that I don't, but everything she's done has been on her own," Nelson said. "She's a great pitcher. She's grown over the past year and learned how to pitch at this level."
