Heading into its toughest matchup of the year, No. 2 Florida could once again be without ace Stephanie Brombacher.
UF’s senior starter hasn’t pitched since the Gators (30-1, 7-0 Southeastern Conference) beat Ball State 21-0 on March 12 due to bicep tenderness, and her status for this weekend’s series against No. 3 Georgia (23-4, 5-3 SEC) is up in the air.
“Mechanically, she has a lot of issues because of the injury,” UF coach Tim Walton said. “Before it was a shoulder, then it was an elbow, and now it’s the bicep.
“It’s a day-to-day process to get her back out there.”
Walton does not plan to throw Brombacher into the mix if she is not at or near 100 percent, but he did not fully rule out her return this weekend.
Although he hopes she will be available, Walton plans on using a combination of Hannah Rogers and Ensley Gammel to try to shut down the Bulldogs’ high-powered offense.
The Bulldogs were the top-ranked team in the nation before getting swept by current No. 1 Alabama last weekend, and they boast five .300 hitters, including Megan Wiggins, who leads Georgia with a .449 clip.
However, Rogers has displayed an innate ability to step up on the big stage.
The freshman picked up wins against then-No. 2 UCLA at the Cathedral City Classic in early March and won five consecutive games in five days last week against Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
“A lot of times, freshmen get rattled easily in adversity, but she stays true to herself,” left fielder Kelsey Bruder said. “She knows what her game plan is, and she sticks to it. Her poise is beyond her years.”
Facing an aggressive offense like Georgia’s will require Rogers to be unpredictable and make use of all her pitches, Walton said.
Despite an up-and-down season in the circle, Gammel will be counted on to take some of the workload off Rogers.
The sophomore was solid in her last outing, throwing two hitless innings in UF’s 11-3 win against Ole Miss, but she is still in search of more consistency.
“For a 10-day period last year, Ensley was the best pitcher in America,” Walton said. “Her command hasn’t been sharp. She needs a more consistent release point. She’s a ground-ball pitcher and needs to use her defense behind her.”
Whether it’s Brombacher, Rogers or Gammel in the circle, it will be the offense’s responsibility to pick up the slack as UF hosts the Bulldogs today at 5 p.m.
“Ensley’s definitely going to be key to the series, but more than that, it’s a challenge to our offense,” Bruder said. “We want to provide security for our pitching staff. It’s a lot easier to pitch when you’re up by five.”
