The Florida softball team has an advantage a lot of teams around the country wish they could have in their lineup.
The middle of the lineup for the Gators not only has experience, but it also produces at a high rate that can be attributed to the two seniors in the heart of the order: Lauren Haeger and Bailey Castro.
Haeger is a known commodity for her pitching prowess, but her ability in the batter’s box shouldn’t be overshadowed.
The senior is normally slotted into UF’s lineup in either the three hole or as the cleanup hitter and through 11 games this season, Haeger has a .464 batting average— which leads the team for players who have played in more than nine games — while driving in 12 runs.
But some of her production has to be credited to Castro, who is routinely hitting behind her in the lineup and providing protection.
"I actually really like hitting behind Lauren," Castro said. "If they don’t throw to Lauren, it gets me a little hyped up, knowing that they are going to come at me."
The amount of maturity both bring to the plate is invaluable to the program. Entering this season, Haeger and Castro combined to play in 358 games while hitting 72 home runs and driving in 260 runs in their first three seasons.
"I love it," coach Tim Walton said. "You can’t teach that experience that they bring and their on base percentage and slugging percentage are always going to be high."
Castro is second on the team behind Haeger in on base percentage for players who have appeared in more than nine games (.543), while hitting .385 through 11 games. Castro has made significant strides in her batting average in each season she’s played.
She hit .207 in 92 at bats her freshman year and increased her average to .227 in her sophomore campaign. But in her junior year, she started 53 games and hit a respectable .287 with 8 home runs and 30 RBI.
This season, Castro is second on the team with a .808 slugging percentage, which is due in large part to her five extra base hits, three home runs and two doubles, while Haeger is third with a .714 slugging percentage.
"They are both very patient, they both can drive in runs, they both can hit the ball out of the ballpark," Walton said. "You just can’t breathe if you’re a pitcher, you got to get through those two."
Castro and Haeger consistently feed off each other when one or the other gets a hit or gets on base, but their relationship goes beyond the softball field and it helps them have fun during games.
"Me and Lauren are actually really great friends off the field," Castro said. "So it’s really easy when we’re on the field to just joke with each other, just to kind of take like that serious edge out of it and just loosen up."
Haeger and Castro will look to continue their hot start to the season as No. 1 Florida will be hosting the University of Florida Aquafina Invitational starting today against Liberty at 4:45 p.m. The Gators are 11-0 on the season and will look to continue their winning ways this weekend against the aforementioned Flames, and against Kansas, Illinois State and Mercer.
Walton will be looking to his two seniors in the lineup to anchor the offense the rest of the season.
"To be a good team, you have to have a middle of the lineup that’s consistent," Walton said. "I can write Lauren Haeger in the three, four, or the five every day of the week. I can write Bailey in the three, four, or the five every day of the week.
"I like having those two consistently backing each other up."
Follow Luis Torres on Twitter @LFTorresIII
Bailey Castro bats during Florida’s 6-0 win against Jacksonville on Feb. 19, 2014, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
