It’s hard to argue against Lauren Haeger being the best player in the country right now.
And the performance she had against Illinois State and Kansas in the batter’s box and in the pitcher’s circle only proves that point.
Haeger went 3-for-7 at the plate with two home runs and nine RBIs on the day and pitched six innings allowing six hits against the Jayhawks, as No. 1 Florida swept its doubleheader to improve to 14-0 on the season.
Along with the nine runs she drove in, Haeger struck out nine against Kansas to bring her season total to 56 in 34 innings pitched. She’s 7-0 on the year with her ERA being a miniscule 0.21.
“Right now she’s throwing the ball extremely well,” coach Tim Walton said. “She’s one of the best, no question, been one of the best every year she’s been here.”
After Illinois State took a 1-0 lead in the first game after a solo home run by freshman Riley Strandgard in the fifth inning, Haeger came up to the plate with two on and two outs.
On a 1-0 count, she turned on one and sent it to left field to put UF out in front 3-1. It was the first three runs she drove in on the day, and she did it with clutch hitting with runners on.
“A lot of RBIs, that all I really care about,” Haeger said. “Whether I hit a home run or a double in the gap, or just hitting with runners in scoring position that’s usually my main goal.”
Bailey Castro would suit right after Haeger as she went back-to-back for her fourth home run of the season to push UF’s lead to 4-1, which would be the deciding score against the Redbirds.
“Obviously we have a little competition,” Haeger said of her and Castro. “We get excited for each other and I’m excited when she does good, she’s excited when I do good.
“We’re great friends off the field as well, so we just have fun.”
In the second game of the day, Haeger found herself rounding the bases once again as she hit another three run shot in the third inning to put Florida up 3-0.
The Jayhawks would then load the bases in the top of the fourth inning with one out. But Haeger would come away unscathed as she struck out Shannon McGinley and got Jessie Roane to line out to left field.
Haeger wouldn’t allow her first earned run of the season until the fifth inning when Chaley Brickey hit an RBI single to left field, which broke Haeger’s scoreless streak to begin the season at 32.2 innings.
But allowing her first earned run of the season didn’t damper her day and Walton knows how important she is.
“She’s certainly one of the best players in the country with what she brings to the game and what she can do to change a game,” Walton said.
Florida will now shift its focus to Mercer as they will play a doubleheader against the Bears Sunday in the final day of the University of Florida Aquafina Invitational.
Follow Luis Torres on Twitter @LFTorresIII
Lauren Haeger rounds the bases after hitting a home run during Florida's 7-1 win against Kansas at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
