After beating up on the likes of Long Island and Jacksonville, the No. 5 Florida softball team will face its first real test tomorrow in its home opener against No. 22 North Carolina.
The opportunity to play in front of the home crowd is an exciting one for UF coach Tim Walton and his players.
“After the first six on the road, it’s good to get things going back at home,” Walton said. “It’s almost like our second start, and then we’ll be back on the road again.”
The seniors aren’t taking their final career opening-weekend for granted either.
In fact, 208 games into her career, second baseman Aja Paculba is still as excited as she was as a freshman.
“Opening weekend is always the best weekend,” she said. “Sometimes you lose focus on what’s important. This being my last year, I’m really gonna look at every series as a big weekend.”
So far, the Gators have played all their road games in state and have had good pro-Gator crowds in attendance.
Yet, even that support on the road doesn’t compare to the cozy, familiar feeling of home.
“We had a lot of fans travel, so it was nice to have them there, “ senior pitcher Stephanie Brombacher said. “But to see the stadium packed is the best thing for me. We have a great fan base here and they love coming to watch us play, and I love playing in front of them.”
While the seniors are accustomed to playing in front of the thousands of fans at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, it will be an eye-opening experience for UF’s four freshmen.
Third baseman Kasey Fagan said the freshmen are “super-stoked” to play their first home game Saturday, however, there is bound to be some first-time jitters.
Having been in that position before, the veterans know how the pressure of being at home can affect a player’s psyche, but it’s all about keeping the right mindset.
“The biggest thing for any freshman player is to learn what you can control and what’s out of your control and just let that be,” Brombacher said. “They’re just excited to hear their walk-out songs and feel the whole vibe of the whole crowd and feel what it is to really be a Gator.”
