As senior ace Stephanie Brombacher recovers from bicep tenderness, what was once considered a strength for the Gators is now a question mark.
After a disappointing series last weekend, No. 5 Florida (30-4, 7-3 Southeastern Conference) will have a chance to rebound in Lexington tonight at 6 against No. 23 Kentucky (22-7, 8-3 SEC) with one improvement in mind: pitching.
Filling in for a suspended Hannah Rogers, sophomore Ensley Gammel struggled mightily, surrendering 20 earned runs in 12 innings.
When Rogers returned to attempt to salvage the series, the freshman allowed a season-high five runs in only her second loss.
Gammel’s inconsistency has forced UF coach Tim Walton to use third baseman Kasey Fagan in the circle.
While Fagan was a successful pitcher in high school, she and Walton envisioned her playing a different position at the college level.
“We discussed her future role, and she told me she’d really like to focus on defense and hitting as opposed to pitching,” Walton said.
In her only appearance this season, Fagan gave up three runs in two innings against a talented Georgia offense.
The versatile freshman spent the week throwing bullpen sessions, so she wasn’t surprised to be called upon when Gammel struggled.
But a few throwing sessions could not compare to the pressure of facing the Bulldogs’ hot-hitting lineup.
“There was definitely that nerve factor right away,” Fagan said. “I was worried about letting them score, but I was worried if I would even keep them off base at all.”
Fagan said her pitching role will be limited to emergency situations, and she enjoys playing the infield and hitting more than pitching.
“I don’t think she’d be a dominating, shut-down pitcher at our level,” Walton said. “But with her super-competitive nature, she could be a good pitcher going one time through the lineup.”
After showing flashes of promise as a freshman last season, Gammel’s struggles this year have been disappointing.
Prior to the Georgia series, she had only pitched 11.1 innings, and Walton said her lack of confidence is affecting her performance.
“She hasn’t quite delivered in the confidence area,” Walton said. “Her preseason performances in scrimmages have carried over into the regular season.”
Meanwhile, Rogers is looking to bounce back from a rough start and will need to focus on being more effective with her location.
“If there’s such a thing, she threw too many strikes,” Walton said. “They made her throw pitches in hitter’s counts and they capitalized.”
Although Brombacher threw bullpen sessions Tuesday and Wednesday, her status hasn’t changed from last week.
If she is unable to go, Rogers will likely start all three games, and once again, the Gators’ pitching depth will be tested.
