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Friday, March 29, 2024

UF’s offense is much more powerful than last season’s

<p dir="ltr"><span>Florida outfielder/first baseman Amanda Lorenz leads the team with 17 hits.</span></p><p><span> </span></p>

Florida outfielder/first baseman Amanda Lorenz leads the team with 17 hits.

 

There’s no better way for a softball player to vault her team toward victory than hitting a home run in the first at-bat of the game.

Amanda Lorenz accomplished this twice in the past week: against No. 13 Arizona State on Friday and against Jacksonville on Wednesday.

The three-time All-American is having an impressive start to her season. She holds the team high in both batting average (.459) and slugging percentage (.757), improving on a .401/.675 career split entering 2019. The senior outfielder/first baseman also leads the Gators with 17 hits and three home runs.

Lorenz’ tremendous play is indicative of a bustling UF offense which is showing significant differences from a year ago. Not only are its numbers better, the way in which it’s playing has completely changed.

The Gators (12-0) are hitting much more, and they’re doing so with greater power. They have 107 hits compared to 85 from this time last year and twice as many home runs (14).

UF somehow scored less through 12 games this season than it did in 2018, but the margin is almost negligible. It had 86 RBIs to this point last season. The RBI-count currently sits at 78 heading into this weekend’s Bubly Invitational at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

The Florida of 2018 got on base at all cost, especially via the walk. This was a team that set the NCAA record for walks in a season (360) and through 12 contests, averaged almost six walks per game. It also struck out only 2.9 times per game during that stretch.

UF is now striking out a higher rate (3.75 times per game) and is drawing just over four walks per game.

These disparities are because the team is swinging a lot more freely this season.

The presence of Minnesota transfer catcher Kendyl Lindaman, the emerging consistency of juniors Jaimie Hoover and Jordan Roberts and the power of sophomores Danielle Romanello, Jordan Matthews and Hannah Adams all give UF one of the nation’s deepest and intimidating lineups. Each of these players are batting over .320 and has at least one home run and 10 hits.

Last season, Hoover and Romanello didn’t play much, while Roberts and Matthews split time as the designated player.

Coach Tim Walton can now fit all of those players into what he calls his “offensive lineup.” Lorenz, Hoover and Romanello, who played catcher as a freshman, all play the outfield. Matthews plays first while Adams plays second. And Lindaman and Roberts rotate at catcher and designated player.

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These batters account for 13 of the 14 home runs hit during this campaign.

Florida already has two three-home run games with this influx of power. It had zero this time last season.

The impressive part is that the 2019 team has played 11 of their 12 games on the road. And it won’t be shocking if the Gators’ numbers get even better with six games to settle into their newly renovated ballpark this weekend.

Follow Mark Stine on Twitter @mstinejr and contact him at mstine@alligator.org. 

Florida outfielder/first baseman Amanda Lorenz leads the team with 17 hits.

 

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