GAINESVILLE, Fla. —
Tim Walton speaks often about how softball is supposed to be fun. For the players, coaches, fans, everybody. The style of play he brought to Florida 10 years ago speaks to that philosophy.
"We are entertainment," he said.
What Walton saw from his then-No. 1 team last weekend wasn't very entertaining. In dropping two of three at home against No. 6 and rival Alabama, the Gators recorded just 13 hits for the series, going 5-for-28 with runners on base (that's a .179 average), including 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position (.167). On Sunday, still in position to take the series, UF's defense — the best in the country — made a couple field faux pas in the first inning to fall behind by a pair of runs in what turned out to be a 3-0 loss.
After watching his team flail away for just two hits, Walton wasn't around to see the final out of just the second shutout of his program in the last 115 games. He popped from the dugout in the top of the seventh to argue a call — vehemently, in fact — that led to his first ejection since March 16, 2012, a run of 277 games.
"People want to come out and watch them compete, watch them play, watch them win — and I just didn't want to watch that anymore," Walton said Tuesday, smiling but probably only half-kidding. "At least I gave the crowd something to cheer about it."
Earlier Tuesday, he gave a few of his players something to think about it. A lot of things, actually.
Walton called his five seniors, the core of the program out to defend back-to-back NCAA championships, for a meeting at the team's offices at the Lemerand Center. Together,
Kelsey Stewart,
Aubree Munro,
Taylore Fuller,
Kirsti Merritt,
Taylor Schwarz and Walton had some real talk about expectations.
He reminded them the team's first four Southeastern Conference series this season came against Auburn, Tennessee, LSU and Alabama, the four teams from the league that joined Florida at the Women's College World Series last year. He reminded them the Gators are 9-3 in SEC play and tied for first place. Oh, and he reminded them that last year's team was 8-4 through 12 league games and went on to win the national title; and the 2014 team was 5-7 and went on to win the WCWS.
Walton called it a "coach to coach talk."
These girls are so good, so trusted, that's how he sees them.
"I gave them facts about where they are, what they're doing, how they're doing it and what they need to do to improve themselves," he said. "We're in a good place, but it sucks when you lose. So you have to figure out what you did right, what you did wrong and what you have to do to change."
UF is 34-3 overall heading into Wednesday night's game at UCF (24-13). The Gators will go to Orlando ranked No. 2 in the nation, having been knocked from the top of the polls for the first time in nearly a year. The new No. 1 team is Michigan, which Florida defeated with an 8-0 run-rule mashing back in March.
Consider that more real talk.
That said, the Gators have some work to do, especially at the plate. The bottom half of the order is struggling mightily in SEC play. Each player will have to fight through that mental grind. Along the way, though, they can't lose sight of doing their overall jobs.
Walton's message to his seniors covered that: the bigger picture.
"The only thing you can really control is attitude and effort," he said. "Some are as good as they're going to be -- and that's good enough. We're not chasing expectations. I'm not worried about what they've done or what they're trying to accomplish. Just master what you're good at it."
And if that's not good enough, Walton will live with it. And if it is good enough?
Well, now that's entertainment.
