UF sophomore Michelle Moultrie would be batting leadoff for just about every other team in the nation.
The speedy center fielder can turn a bunt into a base hit in a flash and has lately added a little power to her game as well.
But for at least another year and a half, she figures to be locked in at No. 2 in the order behind “The Ninja.”
Junior Aja Paculba, known as “Ninja” to her teammates, is in the midst of a career-long 14 game hit streak, recently broke Florida’s career runs record with her 167th, and will once again be at the top of the lineup as No. 3 UF (30-4, 12-2 Southeastern Conference) takes on No. 19 FSU (36-8, 8-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) in a doubleheader today at 5 p.m. in Tallahassee.
The second baseman is in the SEC’s top 10 in walks, RBIs, runs, doubles, total bases, slugging percentage, double plays and assists, and has only committed three errors on the season.
“When you look at how many runs and how many RBI she gets, she’s very important to this team in a lot of ways,” UF coach Tim Walton said. “She’s just a good person to have at the top of the lineup.”
In addition to her 14-game hitting streak, the preseason All-SEC selection has reached base in 19 straight contests. Over that time span, she is batting .381 with an on-base percentage of .487 and has driven in 21 runs and scored 21 times.
“I’ve been seeing the ball really well lately and just trying to get on any way I can,” Paculba said.
For Paculba, getting on base means a lot more than just getting hits.
Even though opposing pitchers are wary of giving senior power hitter Francesca Enea pitches she can handle, Paculba still manages to lead the team in walks.
“I just look for a pitch that I can hit,” Paculba said. “I don’t swing at pitches that I know that I can’t hit hard.”
Paculba’s knack for getting on base works nicely with her teammates’ ability to hit her home.
The junior scores 60 percent of the time she reaches base, having scored 37 runs on 34 hits and 28 walks.
“A lot of credit goes to the people behind me,” Paculba said. “We’ve got some great hitters in our lineup, and without them, I can’t score runs.”
While Paculba is quick to deflect credit, she certainly deserves a lot for herself.
If the numbers are any indication, Paculba would be able to score no matter who hits behind her.
After scoring 61 runs in 75 games as a freshman, Paculba scored 69 in 68 games as a sophomore and is once again scoring more than a run per game this season.
If she can keep that pace up, she may have a shot at the SEC career record of 288, currently held by Alabama’s Kelly Kretschman.
“We’ll just take it year by year and see how it goes,” Paculba said.
