For every Batman, there’s a Robin. This year, Florida has a dynamic duo in Stephanie Brombacher and emerging freshman Hannah Rogers.
They share some similarities. Both stand 5-foot-10 and are Florida natives, but each relies on a different pitching style.
While the fiery Brombacher can overpower hitters by attacking the inside part of the plate, Rogers makes use of an effective changeup and utilizes her off-speed pitches well.
The early success of Rogers has been encouraging, and she has proven she can provide some relief for a workhorse like Brombacher.
As they head to Palm Springs, Calif., for the Cathedral City Classic, the Gators will need both pitchers to be on top of their games.
“Stephanie might throw six and Hannah throws the seventh, or Hannah might throw six and Stephanie throws the seventh,” UF coach Tim Walton said. “It’s just a totally different combination and something that I really like, comparable to what [former UF pitcher] Stacey [Nelson] and Stephanie brought to us two years previous.”
The experienced Brombacher has started the season on a tear, posting a 6-0 record and receiving the NFCA Division I National Player of the Week award after throwing 12 scoreless innings against North Carolina last weekend.
She also earned her second consecutive Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week honor.
“We’ve given her a little bit more freedom to call things,” Walton said. “She’s done a good job balancing the things she can control. We’re starting to get to the point to where Stephanie knows what she wants to do before the numbers are flashed.”
Just three starts into her career, Rogers has been nearly as good as her senior counterpart.
In four appearances, she has allowed only two runs in 21 innings and has a .139 opponents’ batting average compared to Brombacher’s .131.
UF’s ace has been impressed with the freshman’s early contributions at such a difficult position.
“Hannah’s a great pitcher. She’s tough,” Brombacher said. “She’s still working on getting used to college, and it’s different for her because every hitter, one through nine, is good, so it’s a little bit of an adjustment.”
The Gators’ list of scheduled foes in California includes not only top-ranked defending Women’s College World Series champion UCLA, but also No. 11 Texas, San Diego State, Utah and Indiana.
“The competition is going to be a step up from what we’ve seen,” Walton said. “Their schedules are a little bit better, so with that comes a lot of tighter games. It’ll be the biggest challenge of our season to this point.”
The trip isn’t all about business, as the team enjoyed its annual family dinner at senior Aja Paculba’s house Wednesday night.
Even beyond playing games and visiting family, the trip is a big recruiting tool.
“I still get nervous for these events, not because of the wins and losses, but I want to play well in front of some of these kids who’ve never seen us live before,” Walton said. “It’s good to set a good first impression with not only the way we play, but the way we carry ourselves, the way our fans act, the way our team dresses and how we look.”
