Gators pitchers -- all of them -- on alert for WCWS
Tuesday, May 26, 2015 | Softball, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- In the wake of his program's latest Super Regional clincher Sunday, Florida coach Tim Walton made a mental note during his post-game press conference to speak with freshman pitcher Alesha Ocasio in the locker room.
Walton, it seemed, did not expect to use just one pitcher in the Super. Not that he was complaining, mind you. Not with the way senior Lauren Haeger was spinning it from the circle.
His message to Ocasio, as well as sophomore Delanie Gourley, was simple.
“We're going to need you,” Walton send.
In Oklahoma City, that is.
Five NCAA Tournament games so far, five shutouts. Four of those came from Haeger, who lowered her season ERA to 1.24 while improving to 28-1 on the season. The other came courtesy of Ocasio. Gourley didn't take the mound in the regional or Super Regional.
Hard to second guess 34 innings pitched and a collective 0.00 ERA between those two, but Walton's point is well taken. The Gators may be the top seed in the Women's College World Series -- which opens Thursday when UF (55-6) takes on Tennessee (47-15) at noon from Hall of Fame Stadium -- but at some point (or points) they're going to need all three of their pitchers.
“We're a staff,” Haeger said of Ocasio and Gourley. “They're ready to go and I'm excited to see them do their thing out there too.”
Don't expect Walton to tip his hand regarding his WCWS Game 1 starter the next couple days, but he'll be hard-pressed to bypass Haeger, his superstar and one of three candidates for NCAA Player of the Year, especially after three days of rest and the importance that comes with winning that first game (and avoiding the elimination bracket).
So Walton will talk among his coaching staff (in particular, pitching coach Jennifer Rocha) and come up with a plan. And then he'll have a chat with his pitchers.
A candid one.
One of the things Walton has come to appreciate about this team over the season's long haul is the trust that's been built. He's had to make some tough decisions along the way. Whether platooning three players at first base, a couple more at catcher, maneuvering a handful of players in the outfield or going with freshmen over veteran upperclassmen, Walton has been able to manage this group directly and honestly.
Collectively, the Gators have responded.
Case in point: Late in Sunday's game against Kentucky, Walton paid Haeger a visit to the circle. He wondered if a second straight day in the brutal mid-day Florida sun was taking its toll on his standout.
“I want you to finish the game, but how much more you got?” he asked.
Haeger: “I feel good.”
In past visits, she'd come clean if her pitches weren't breaking and advised her coach to make a change. Walton told that story after Sunday's game.
“No egos involved,” Walton said. “Just a big, strong trust.”
The Gators will place their trust in him again this week. And why not? Walton's only won 10 straight NCAA tournament games, dating back to last year's sweep through the WCWS. The won the Southeastern Conference regular-season title in a league that has five of the eight spots in Oklahoma City.
Yeah. To reiterate, he's going to need his pitchers.
Heck, even Hannah Rogers needed a break in her historic rampage to a national title last year.
“I can't see Lauren being able to effectively pitch all the way through,” Walton said. “It's definitely something in our mindset, how we keep this pitching staff involved. It's like I told Delanie last year, 'I plan to go back to the College World Series, so you need to go out there and toe that rubber.' We're going to need to Ocasio and Gourley, moving forward.”
