Freshmen have had success for Florida in recent years.
In 2011, pitcher Hannah Rogers won 36 games and struck out 221 batters, which were the third- and eighth-highest single-season totals, respectively, at that time.
In 2012, utility player Sami Fagan tied for a team-high 71 hits with then-senior Michelle Moultrie and posted a .378 batting average in her sole year at Florida. Lauren Haeger, also a freshman in 2012, led the team with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs while notching 129 strikeouts en route to a 15-5 record in the pitching circle.
But in 2013, a year when Florida was supposed to slump due to Sami Fagan, Kasey Fagan and Cheyenne Coyle transferring from the team, Kelsey Stewart jumped into UF’s record books in more ways than one during her freshman campaign.
The Wichita, Kan., native, who was the No. 2 recruit on ESPN’s 2012 top-100 list while playing at Maize High, led UF with a .378 batting average, tying Fagan’s freshman average in 50 more at-bats.
Stewart also set school records for triples (10), stolen bases (36) and stolen-base attempts (39) in a season while also cracking the top-10 in four other single season categories — highest stolen base percentage (T7th, .923), most at-bats (4th, 238), most runs scored (T6th, 62) and most hits (2nd, 90).
Coach Tim Walton anticipated Stewart’s stellar performance.
“Maybe some of the power numbers might have surprised us a little just given what she does, but we expected her to be an instrumental part of the team,” Walton said. “I recruited her to be a leadoff hitter, recruited her to play second base, so all of the things she did wasn’t too surprising.”
During Florida’s 15-game winning streak to start the season, which included wins against No. 5 Oregon, No. 3 California and No. 13 Arizona, Stewart accrued a .455 batting average and 13 RBIs while scoring 18 runs of her own.
“Just working hard and not really having expectations for myself, I think that helped a lot,” Stewart said.
Added Walton: “She came out on complete fire to start off the season last year. She was one of the big reasons why we were able to win so many games when maybe we could’ve lost easily in the last couple innings.”
Her high level of performance continued into Southeastern Conference play. In 24 games against SEC opponents, Stewart led Florida with a .358 batting average, 29 hits and 18 runs, leading to second team All-SEC and All-Freshman team accolades.
Stewart already has plans for improving this season, which starts tonight when No. 4 Florida faces off against No. 25 South Florida in Tampa at 6.
“This year, I think I’ve grown up and have expectations for myself because I just think that will make me better,” she said.
Stewart, who was named to the preseason All-SEC team on Monday and ESPNW’s preseason All-American team on Wednesday, said she has been working on improving on her soft game and her ball placement.
“I’m more of a power-slapper, so I hit the ball in front of people,” she said.
“Me and coach have been in the cages so much this year, but I think just being better at my weaknesses and making my strengths stronger will help.”
Defensively, Stewart believes that the infield can only get better from last season because all of its other starters — third baseman Stephanie Tofft, shortstop Katie Medina, first baseman Taylor Schwarz and catchers Aubree Munro and Taylore Fuller — are still on the team.
“We just look at each other and it’s a way of communicating,” Stewart said.
“We don’t really have to talk to each other to get our point across. We know each other’s’ moves. Like, if I know Taylor Schwarz isn’t going to get two steps to her right, I know I have to be there. It’s just little things like that.”
Tofft, the only player other than Stewart to start in all 67 games for Florida in 2013, was impressed by her performance.
“I think she started off great as a freshman,” Tofft said.
“As the season went on, I think she got more and more used to the college atmosphere, but honestly she came in mentally and physically ready for college softball.”
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
Kelsey Stewart attempts to tag out a runner during Florida’s 4-2 win against Mississippi State on April 6, 2013. Stewart hit .378 with 10 triples in her freshman season.
