Heading into his team’s Feb. 25 matchup against Liberty, coach Tim Walton made a change in the lineup.
The change affected who would be the lead-off hitter — a spot that had already been altered from senior Justine McLean to junior Nicole DeWitt in the first two games of the Citrus Classic.
This time, it was sophomore Amanda Lorenz’s turn to lead off and set the tone for the Gators.
Even though Florida took the 2-1 win, Lorenz recorded no hits.
But Walton kept her where she was, and since the change, the offense has surged.
A total of 70 runs have been scored since the change, and Lorenz had accounted for 13 of them. She has also contributed 16 hits and four RBIs.
“I think Amanda Lorenz is doing a good job being at the top of the lineup,” Walton said.
While her consistent hitting has been able to set the tone early for Florida in several games, others have also been growing into their roles as the season has developed.
This has created an offense that has helped Florida to the nation's No. 2 ranking.
Junior Janell Wheaton has had 11 hits since Feb. 25, including a grand slam in Wednesday’s win over North Dakota State. Meanwhile, senior Chelsea Herndon had three hits in the win.
“Everyone knows the role, everyone knows what they need to do,” Herndon said.
“We can all count on that one person to get the thing done that they need to do.”
But despite consistent hitting for Florida since the change, Walton doesn’t believe that the Gators have reached their peak quite yet.
“I think it’s just a matter of time before we settle in and start getting a little bit more consistent offensive swings,” Walton said. “Overall, I think we’re happy with where we’re at.”
With SEC play getting underway, that consistency is exactly what UF is looking for ahead of a weekend series against No. 24 South Carolina in Columbia. Today’s game will be the third time Florida has faced a ranked opponent this season.
The Gators have not faced South Carolina since 2015, when they outscored the Gamecocks 45-5 in a three-game series.
In that series, Herndon recorded an RBI and then-sophomore Delanie Gourley pitched three innings and recorded a pair of strikeouts.
But at that time, South Carolina wasn’t a ranked team. Now, the Gamecocks boast a 19-7 record.
The series will be good competition for Florida, and an opportunity for it to work towards consistent batting.
“We’re working hard and just got to keep getting better,” Walton said.
The game’s first pitch is at 7 p.m., and the action will be aired on the SEC Network.
Contact Cassie Amundson at camundson@alligator.org or follow her on Twitter @camundson_.
UF outfielder Amanda Lorenz prepares to swing during Florida's 9-3 win against Northwestern State on Feb. 17, 2017, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
