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Thursday, March 28, 2024

As a walk-on freshman, Michelle Moultrie has quietly made an immediate impact on the UF softball team. Very quietly, according to her teammates.

Moultrie, who became the starting center fielder for the Gators when senior Kim Waleszonia fractured her left knee, has played in all of UF's Southeastern Conference games and has recorded the second-most stolen bases on the team this year (12). But the lively, outgoing personalities of her teammates - like left fielder Francesca Enea - haven't altered Moultrie's calm, quiet demeanor.

"If I can hear her cheer in left field, then I'm like, 'OK, I guess I gotta be a little bit louder because I can hear Michelle,'" Enea said. "She does everything a good player's supposed to do. She just won't make fun of me, and I want her to sometimes."

She's not expressing her gratitude by poking fun at Enea, but Moultrie is extremely thankful to be a part of the top-ranked Gators and to play with Enea and the rest of the team.

"It was really amazing for Coach to see such potential in me that I could play on this team," Moultrie said. "I didn't expect it. There are so many great players on this team that it's just been a privilege and a blessing to be able to play."

This weekend, Moultrie and No. 1 UF (43-3, 20-1 SEC) will take on No. 18 LSU (27-10-1, 10-6-1 SEC) in a three-game series in Baton Rouge, La., where the Gators have yet to win a game under coach Tim Walton.

Before coming to UF, Moultrie attended the softball camps held by the team in Gainesville. The first time Enea saw Moultrie play, the freshman cranked a home run out of the stadium.

"I was like, 'That girl's really good.' Then I saw her come out (in the fall), and I was like, 'Oh wow,'" Enea said. "Even though she doesn't know the game all that well, she has gotten so much better at it. She listens to everything we say, and she really tries to soak in everything."

Enea, who leads the team in home runs, RBIs and several other offensive statistics, has reached out to help Moultrie develop at the plate, noting that the freshman already has the talent to succeed in the field.

"I talk to her more with hitting stuff, not as much as the outfield because she's so fast she could cover the whole thing out there," Enea said. "For hitting, I just tell her to not get worried about stuff, relax out there, it's not a big deal."

While there are aspects of her game that still need improving - her batting average of .241 is the lowest among regular contributors - Walton complimented Moultrie's dependable play so far this season.

"She's done a lot of good things, hasn't done a whole lot of bad things and hasn't done a whole lot of great things. She's just been consistent," Walton said. "She's done everything I've asked her to do, and she'll get better and better and better as she gets a little more confidence and a little more used to seeing the caliber of teams she's seeing day in and day out."

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There's one specific area in which Enea thinks Moultrie can already improve, though.

"She needs to talk more," Enea said, laughing.

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