UF's California Girls Savor Their Rare Homecoming
Thursday, February 24, 2011 | Softball, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida softball coach Tim Walton doesn't wish they all could be California girls, but he definitely likes to fill out his roster with a few players from the Golden State.
You can see why when you look at the history of NCAA softball. The West has clearly been best. Since the NCAA started crowning a national fast-pitch softball champion in 1982, only one team east of the Mississippi River has claimed the crown: Michigan in 2005.
Meanwhile, traditional power UCLA has won 12 national titles, including last year when the Bruins won their first national championship in six years. The No. 4 Gators face the No. 2-ranked Bruins on Friday night at the Cathedral City Classic in Palm Springs, Calif.
Not only is the tournament an early season challenge for the 9-0 Gators, but it serves as a homecoming for Florida's six California girls.
“A lot of our kids get to go home for the last time in their Gator uniforms,'' Walton said. “That's going to be a lot of fun for them.''
Three UF seniors from California – second baseman Aja Paculba, utility player Megan Bush and outfielder Kelsey Bruder – opted to move cross country to play for the Gators and are making their final visit home in orange and blue.
Walton's recruiting strategy involves a tournament in California each season since there is an abundance of talent and the fast-pitch style has been emphasized for longer out West than in other parts of the country.
He'll be watching every little detail, from the way the Gators take the field to the way they run off it at the end of each inning.
“I still get nervous for these events – not for the wins and losses – but I want to play well in front of these kids who have never seen us live,'' Walton said. “It's really important to set that tone for kids. We recruit the state of Florida as hard as any state, with California being the second state we recruit hard.
“We've got to play well in front of some of these kids and send a great first impression.''
Florida opens play on Thursday against Indiana and Texas, and then faces San Diego State and UCLA on Friday. The Gators close the tournament on Saturday with a game against Utah.
Bush grew up in Anaheim Hills in Southern California and expects her own cheering section during the tournament. She said her parents, grandparents, a sister and some aunts and uncles are coming to see the Gators play.
“I'm very looking forward to playing in front of my friends and family,'' she said. “You get to see a bunch of people you know and who haven't seen you play in a while. It's as exciting for them as it is us.''
Paculba hails from Wildomar, Calif., southeast of Los Angeles. While she has developed lifelong friendships with some of her teammates from places other than California – Florida's current roster features 10 players from Florida, six from California and one from Minnesota – Paculba said the bond the California girls share is unique.
“We definitely do [have a bond],'' Paculba said. “Coming across the country, you don't know any of these people. You kind of get to know the California people because they are going through the same thing, so you just go through it together.''
Florida makes the trek across country coming off an impressive three-game sweep of North Carolina. The Gators outscored the Tar Heels 22-0 in the three games. Overall, Florida has outscored opponents 82-3 and Gator hurlers have thrown six consecutive shutouts.
The easy wins won't come so easy in Palm Springs.
“For us, it's a great opportunity to go out and play in one of the best tournaments in the country,'' Walton said. “It will be the biggest challenge of our season to this point.
“We haven't peaked yet in some areas, so that's good. The one thing I've been really, really impressed with is this team's ability to come out and be ready to play.''
Bush said her senior season couldn't be off to a better start. She is hitting .450 with three home runs and 14 RBI. If you're going home for the final time in college, you can't bring a much better batting line than that.
“Everybody just seems to be coming through for us right now,'' she said. “We hope to continue playing like this. I've gone back once each year at Florida. It's always my favorite time.”
