Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In the summer of 2017, Florida softball coach Tim Walton met with his starting shortstop, Sophia Reynoso, and had a very honest discussion. Walton explained that another shortstop with some big-time credentials would be there when Reynoso returned for her third-year sophomore season and that both players were going to get a crack at winning the position. 

Enter Hannah Adams, a slick-fielding hotshot from Georgia, who led Hoschton's Mill Creek High to a state championship, hit .571, was her county's defensive player of the year, and was picked for the USA Junior National Team.

 

Walton turned the fall season into a one-on-one competition between Reynoso, who started on a team that played in the Women's College World Series title series, and the rookie Adams. He split their practice time straight down the middle; each got 50 percent of the reps at short, 50 percent at second base. He would let the two decide for him. 

When it came time to break for Christmas, Walton met with Adams and told her that Reynoso would remain at shortstop. Adams would be the Gators' starting second baseman in 2018. 

"I was totally cool with it," Adams said. 

Clearly. 

In starting all 67 games on UF's way to a ninth WCWS berth over the last 11 years, Adams became the first freshman second baseman in Southeastern Conference history to go errorless while taking the required minimum 100 chances. Repeat: A fielding percentage efficiency of 1.000 — for a freshman. 

"She's a great second baseman," Reynoso said. "And she'd be a great shortstop, too." 

Maybe so, but for right now all UF parties are cool with the status quo and not just because of a rock-solid middle infield. It was just last week that Walton took his team to College Station, Texas, for the SEC Tournament as a No. 6 seed, thanks to a dozen league losses that marked the second-most since Walton took over the program and dropped 13 in his debut season of 2006. Florida's run of consecutive seasons drawing a top-eight NCAA Tournament seed every year since 2008 seemed all but lost. 

Then the SEC Tournament happened.  After four straight victories, thanks to one of the most dominating stretches of senior ace Kelly Barnhill's record-setting career, the Gators (45-15) not only were tournament champs, but vaulted to the No. 5 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, which for UF opens Friday against Boston University (37-18) at Seashole Stadium. Woven into that four-game streak was some timely hitting by the ladies in orange and blue, including some clutch knocks from Adams, who had two hits and scored twice in a huge comeback victory over South Carolina to open the tournament, then had all three RBI, including a two-run homer, in a 3-0 shutout of Auburn in the semifinals. The Florida defense and that masterful three-game run by Barnhill (0.33 ERA, .075 opponents' average, five hits, 1 run, 21 strikeouts) carried the team to the tourney title. 

Some timely hits did, as well. 

No, the Gators didn't crush the ball. They haven't done that all season, evidenced by a league-low .264 batting average that was actually much worse (.217) in the tournament. But Florida got hits when it needed them and Adams, who took a .272 average and just two homers with her to Texas, was a big part of that. 

"She's a better hitter now than she was two weeks ago," Walton said. 

About the time that Adams was dealing with a last-season 1-for-20 slump over nine games, she had a chat with her coach about her attitude at the plate. 

"It really flipped a switch for me," she said. 

Walton encouraged Adams by focusing on the good, smooth swing she's always had; one that allowed her hit nearly .600 one high school season and bat leadoff for Team USA. There was nothing mechanically wrong with what she was doing at the plate. 

It was mental. 

"We made one little tweak," Walton said. 

Rooted in confidence.  "We had this conversation about not overthinking everything," said Adams, who showed his faith by moving Adams from the No. 5 hole to the No. 3 spot behind Amanda Lorenz and Kendyl Lindaman, the team's best hitters (and only players in the lineup batting above .300). "Because they were getting walked so much he wanted me to give them protection, but for that to work I was going to have to be confident because I definitely would get pitches to hit. He didn't do it to put more pressure on me. He believed in me and wanted me to go up to the plate knowing my swing was good." 

Adams went 6-for-15 over her last five games and will go into NCAA play batting .274 (which is two points below the .276 she hit as a freshman). Not exactly Lauren Haeger, but she's gaining on it. At the right time, also. 

Like the rest of her team. 

"Hannah has always been something of a quiet person, but she's opened up more this season and I think what she's done, offensively, is just part of her coming out of her shell," Reynoso said. "She's always played a big role for us since she's been here, but this postseason we've needed her to step up and she's gotten the job done. She's showing more confidence in herself and it's exciting to see."

The signs of improvement are hardly a surprise to Walton, who watched Adams go — get this — 97 games into her college career before committing error. … [Disclaimer: Video replays show that Adams' first error, when she bobbled a grounder March 18 vs. LSU, was not an error; video replays showed the ball arrived to first base before the runner did, but the umpire ruled otherwise] … It's hardly unusual for a player, even one as talented as Adams, to take some time to adjust to SEC pitching. 

"I don't think she'll ever be a power hitter, but she's capable of being an RBI-getter," Walton said. 

Just like she's capable of being a shortstop. 

For now, Adams is fine being what the Gators need her to be.