The life of a catcher isn’t glamorous.
Beyond the hours of knee-buckling, back-straining bullpen sessions, there’s the responsibility of directing the defense, calling the pitches and producing at the plate.
When it comes to Florida, the rock behind the dish is senior Tiffany DeFelice.
One of five seniors, DeFelice is often lost in the shuffle behind her more nationally recognized classmates.
But the grind-it-out hitter and unflappable backstop is every bit as important.
“Tiffany has so much passion for the game,” senior first baseman Megan Bush said. “She’s an all-around leader and brings a whole other dimension.”
After being named the 2006 and 2007 Miami Herald Player of the Year and 2007 Sun Sentinel Player of the Year, DeFelice and senior pitcher Stephanie Brombacher, her high school teammate at Plantation American Heritage, came to Florida with high expectations.
DeFelice stepped in and produced right away, hitting .291 with 33 RBIs and 33 walks in 60 starts.
Her average slipped to .230 as a sophomore, and she only scored eight runs while driving in 12.
She rebounded last year with a career-high .319 batting average, but her senior year has been a struggle.
After starting the season hitting 5 for 31 through 17 games, she was knocked out of the lineup when she re-aggravated her left hand, which she broke last season.
Initially, the Gators didn’t skip a beat in her absence, but the past two weeks haven’t gone so smoothly.
Florida was swept by Georgia on March 25-27 and at Kentucky last weekend.
Playing for the first time since March 20, DeFelice battled back from the injury and collected two hits in six at-bats against the Wildcats.
With only a few weeks remaining in the regular season, the senior hopes to finish strong.
“There’s definitely still room to meet my expectations,” DeFelice said. “I have some growing to do, even though I’m a senior. There’s still some work to be done.”
Although Brittany Schutte filled in well, one thing separates DeFelice from the sophomore: experience.
DeFelice has been Brombacher’s catcher since high school and has developed a close relationship with the pitching staff during her four years at UF.
Her concentrated work with Brombacher, sophomore Ensley Gammel and freshman Hannah Rogers is evident as she scouts each pitcher.
“Hannah’s best asset is her mental game; she doesn’t let much affect her,” DeFelice said. “Ensley is a tough kid. She’s going to keep fighting and battling until someone pulls her off the field.”
With Brombacher sidelined due to a bicep injury and the team amid a six-game losing streak, the Gators need DeFelice’s leadership and toughness now more than ever.
“We really value Tiffany’s experience and knowledge of the game,” senior left fielder Kelsey Bruder said. “Regardless of her batting average or how many hits she’s going to get, she always gets on for us. She’s always a tough at-bat. That’s going to spark the bottom of our lineup, and people will follow in her footsteps.”
