Coming into the season the junior battery of Stephanie Brombacher and Tiffany DeFelice was expected to carry the bulk of the load for the Gators.
But recently a pair of freshmen have stepped up and proven to be solid contributors, and their emergence has done wonders for Florida’s post-season chances.
The No. 4 Gators (27-4, 9-2 Southeastern Conference) have overcome both the inconsistencies of Brombacher and an injury to DeFelice thanks largely to Ensley Gammel and Brittany Schutte, who will both have to be at the top of their game as Florida travels to Arkansas (24-13, 8-3 SEC) for a weekend series.
“We had a couple freshman play out of their minds this past week,” UF coach Tim Walton said. “Brittany Schutte and Ensley Gammel really stepped up and were as advertised from the recruiting scene.”
Gammel has been dominant over her last three outings on the mound, rebounding from what was a poor start to her UF career by throwing 15 innings without allowing an earned run.
The freshman also went 3 for 3 at the plate, and earned three of the team’s four wins en route to being named USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Week.
“I was very, very surprised,” Gammel said of receiving the honor. “I couldn’t have done it by myself but it’s very honoring.”
Gammel’s battery mate for the vast majority of the past week has been Schutte, who is second on the team with nine home runs and 26 RBIs.
The new full-time catcher is only four home runs and 17 RBIs behind Florida’s freshman records, which were set by Megan Bush (home runs) in 2008 and Kristin Sandler (RBIs) in 1997.
“It would be great as a goal to break those records, but it’s not really on my mind,” Schutte said. “I’m just trying to perform to the best of my ability day in and day out.”
While Schutte has been a consistent threat at the plate this season, she recently proved that she is capable of handling herself in pressure situations.
On March 27, Schutte sparked a comeback win over Alabama, and four days later delivered game-tying and game-winning hits against UCF.
“I just try to tell myself it’s just another at-bat,” Schutte said.
Schutte’s emergence has come at the perfect time, as DeFelice is expected to be sidelined for another two weeks after breaking a bone in her right hand when she was struck by a foul tip in the eighth inning of last Wednesday’s game against UCF.
DeFelice, who struggled with an injury to the tendon in her left wrist throughout her first two seasons at UF, is still helping the team any way she can by looking for kinks in the pitcher’s mechanics or trying to steal signs.
“It gets really frustrating but unfortunately in a situation like this there’s really nothing you can do about it,” DeFelice said.
”I’m handling it a lot better than I’ve handled it before by being an active participant in the dugout and being more upbeat, whereas normally I would just get quiet and not want to be the center of attention.”
Unlike Defelice’s previous injury, it is expected that the break will be out of her way for good once the cast comes off.
