With the loss of Florida phenom Lauren Haeger to National Pro Fastpitch, UF’s softball team will need to bolster its pitching department. Haeger, the 2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year threw a jaw-dropping 222.1 innings last season, more than all other pitchers on the team combined.
Her 1.23 ERA will be hard to replace, but the Gators will look to bounce back with pitching performances from sophomore righty Aleshia Ocasio, junior southpaw Delanie Gourley and newcomer Kelly Barnhill.
1. Aleshia Ocasio, sophomore
Career Record: 18-3
Last year:
Ocasio made a lasting first impression in her 2015 freshman campaign.
After defeating No. 8 Michigan with 10 strikeouts in her first start on Feb. 7, the right-handed pitcher recorded three more 10-strikeout performances.
Her 18 wins made for the third-most ever by a UF freshman, and she came through in big games, going 9-2 against ranked opponents.
The St. Cloud native’s 2.01 ERA and 155 strikeouts earned her 2015 NFCA Third Team All-American honors, making her just the third Florida freshman in school history to become an All-American.
Ocasio became the fourth Florida freshman in five years to strike out 100+ batters, and also etched her place in history by setting the UF record for most strikeouts in a seven-inning game when she tallied 17 against Florida A&M.
The 2015 All-SEC freshman also boasts international experience.
She played with the Puerto Rico Softball Women’s National Team in the 2015 Pan American games where she accrued a 3-1 record to help her team take home the bronze.
2. Delanie Gourley, junior
Career Record: 25-3
Last year:
In her second season as a UF pitcher, Gourley’s role was reduced, but she didn’t lose any effectiveness.
Gourley put a stamp on her sophomore season by going 10-2, four of those wins coming over ranked opponents.
While she only pitched 79 innings compared to 107.2 the season prior, Gourley was able to shave her ERA to 2.13 from her 2.67 ERA the previous season.
In her sophomore season she also threw 105 strikeouts and saw a spike in her strikeouts per inning, going from 1.18 her freshman year to an even more unhittable mark of 1.33 in 2015.
From Lakeside, California, Gourley became the first left-handed pitcher to sign with the Gators under coach Tim Walton.
After transitioning to a relief role on April 12, Gourley notched five saves for the duration of the season, the biggest coming over Michigan in Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series Championship Series on June 1.
3. Kelly Barnhill, freshman
This season, the Gators will be getting a new presence inside the circle in 2015 USA Today Softball Player of the Year Kelly Barnhill.
A right-handed pitcher from Marietta, Georgia, Barnhill definitely has the resume to become one of Florida’s new stars.
The freshman earned a spot on the 2016 USA Softball National Team, making her the youngest player chosen for the national roster since 2009. The year before, she helped the 2015 junior national team win gold at the 2015 World Baseball Softball Confederation Junior Women’s World Championship.
Barnhill went 6-0 in the tournament and struck out 51 batters in 26 innings pitched, recording a microscopic 0.54 ERA along the way.
Follow Matt Brannon on Twitter @MattB_727
Aleshia Ocasio pitches during Florida's win against Illinois State on Feb. 21, 2015, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
