When Tim Walton and Francesca Enea first met back in 2002, neither could have predicted how much they would accomplish together.
At the time, Walton was just an assistant coach at Oklahoma and Enea had not yet started her high school career.
But when Enea’s older sister, Christina, became a Sooner, Francesca and Walton began to forge a relationship early.
Eight years and 232 UF wins later, the duo has taken their game to the National Pro Fastpitch league, where Walton is coaching the Kissimme-based USSSA Pride and Enea is playing outfield for him.
And while Enea and Walton have faced a steep learning curve during their inaugural two months, both are happy with how far they have come and are excited to take things even further.
“I really had a rude awakening the first couple games,” Enea said. “I realized I needed to make certain mental and swing adjustments, but at this point I think every game and every at-bat I’m getting better and definitely making progress.
“It’s an amazing league and I’m so happy I’m in it.”
ROUGH TRANSITION
Enea, like countless athletes before her, has found the transition from college athletics to the professional ranks to be difficult.
The 2010 UF graduate is hitting just .182 with two home runs and six RBIs through her first 18 games, but there are many explanations for her unflattering statistics.
Enea and Walton were late to join the Pride because of Florida’s deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Although the Pride season began on May 31, Enea did not make her NPF debut until the 11th game of the season after playing with UF in the Women’s College World Series.
Enea ended her Gators career in an 0-for-24 slump and was expected to return to form against some of the best pitchers in the world. But she successfully put her struggles behind her and delivered her first career hit in her third NPF at-bat.
“I was really nervous getting to play for a new team, but once I got here and started hitting and throwing the ball around it was like I started something new,” Enea said. “It was a new chapter and Florida and college softball were behind me.”
Because of how the NPF operates, new players and new coaches can have a difficult time making an early impression. The league only consists of four teams, leading to loaded rosters and stiff competition each game.
“Every player in this league has really accomplished a lot,” Walton said. “There are no free outs, no easy pitchers, and no off days.”
Every team Enea faces has gold medalists or former All-Americans like Jennie Finch of Chicago and Monica Abbott of Tennessee.
This drastic jump in the level of competition typically leads to poor hitting numbers from first-year players. Of the five rookies on the Pride, none are batting better than .244.
“Not only are the pitchers throwing different stuff at you but they’re smart, too,” Enea said. “They know how to set hitters up, especially rookie hitters.”
Walton and Enea are also faced with a brutally busy schedule, as the team plays 56 games in 84 days, including 22 in the month of July.
The hectic schedule means the Pride is limited to just one practice per week, forcing Walton to implement changes on the fly.
“If we’re struggling we only have one day to fix it,” Walton said. “It’s harder to get everything to gel properly and get communication right at this level.”
Communication is something that has never been an issue for Enea, who was a vocal leader from the moment she stepped on the Florida campus and has continued that trend in the pros.
Enea has kept a level head despite fighting for playing time for the first time in three years and has even bridged the gap between Walton and her teammates due to her experience in his system.
“She’s always smiling and she’s just got that personality; that charisma,” outfielder and gold medalist Jessica Mendoza said. “Franny is such a humble player and she’s always looking to learn when she’s not playing.”
COACHING CURVE
Walton has only coached the team during home games to balance his work with the Gators, but he has still impressed his players with his ability to adjust to a different style of play.
“He’s done a great job of coming in and using his style, but learning from us, too,” Mendoza said. “He asks us a lot of questions, respects us, and really treats us like professional athletes.”
The entire season has been a learning experience for Walton, with the Pride having to manufacture runs more than the Gators did this past season, when UF hit a school record 109 home runs.
Working in the NPF has also allowed Walton to work with fast and athletic players – the type of athletes he hopes to bring to Florida in the coming years.
“It’s been nice,” Walton said. “I’ve learned a lot of things from some of these players. I’ve gained so much confidence coaching this team because I watch the way I run a practice here and it validates the way I work with my teams at Florida.”
