Francesca Enea may have been the Gators’ top player last season, but the loss of fellow senior Corrie Brooks might be just as difficult to deal with this season.
Brooks started at third base the past three years, and her graduation leaves a big hole on the left side of the infield.
While she never wowed anyone with her hitting ability, she was a consistent, durable player and a strong defender at the hot corner.
“Corrie Brooks being a senior, starting there three years in a row, kind of somebody who flew underneath the radar, really did a great job,” coach Tim Walton said.
Brooks improved her batting average every season until it dipped from .301 to .285 last year.
But her strong defense at third base — an important spot in softball — will be missed the most.
After tying Megan Bush with a team-high 15 errors in 2008, Brooks committed 10 errors during her final two seasons.
Walton plans to replace Brooks with freshman Kasey Fagan, who was named the 2010 Gatorade National Player of the Year after going 26-1 in the circle for Dunnellon High while hitting .574 with eight home runs and 61 RBIs.
While she certainly has great upside, it won’t be easy to fill Brooks’ spikes.
“Kasey may be a little bit more athletic than what Corrie was, but Corrie was just so solid and just game-steady and was always in the right position,” Walton said.
Even though she hasn’t proven herself at the college level yet, Walton is certainly excited about the addition of Fagan to an already-talented team.
“We got a solid, solid human being, Gatorade National Player of the Year, valedictorian of her high school, just a well-rounded kid,” he said. “You get what coaches dream of. You get a kid from an athletic family that gets it both on and off the field.”
NEW SHORTSTOP IN THE FOLD: Fagan won’t be the only freshman starting on the left side of the infield.
California native Cheyenne Coyle should take over at shortstop for Brittany Walker, who transferred to Texas A&M after starting 48 games last season.
Walton said despite Coyle not playing a game for Florida yet, she is already one of the best shortstops he has coached in his six seasons at Florida.
He also said she is already head and shoulders above where Walker was at this time last season.
“She can adjust on the fly if she feels like she’s in an uncomfortable situation on defense where she can’t cover this and she has to give up this,” he said. “She throws the ball as well as I’ve ever seen a shortstop throw the ball.”
NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST: Senior Stephanie Brombacher and sophomore Brittany Schutte were named to the 2011 USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List, announced Wednesday by the Amateur Softball Assocation of America.
The 50-player list consists of 23 seniors, 12 juniors and 15 sophomores from 36 different schools.
The group will be cut to 25 players on April 13, down to 10 on May 11 and three finalists will be named on May 25.
