This summer, Stacey Nelson could be trading in her orange and blue for red, white and blue.
When Kristina Hilberth was involved in a head-on collision during her freshman year of high school, she was told that she could never play sports again.
The Gators went nine innings before scoring a run in their first game Saturday. In the first inning of their next game, Francesca Enea put 2 runs on the board with one swing.
When the UF softball team beat California to advance to the Women's College World Series last season, the players didn't properly celebrate the occasion on the field. Coach Tim Walton said his team didn't know what to do after the 4-2 victory.
Stephanie Brombacher was one out away from her first career loss.
Like learning to ride a bike or how to drive a car, understanding the nature of the beast that is the UF-FSU rivalry doesn't come naturally to everyone.
It was the kind of situation clutch players dream about: tie game, two outs, bases loaded, bottom of the final inning.
It's the elephant in the locker room; an obvious issue that goes unaddressed.
After Michelle Moultrie's flyout ended UF's chances of a seventh-inning come-from-behind win against Alabama on Sunday, Francesca Enea said the freshman would be cranking home runs like Enea in a few years.
The UF softball team isn't used to losing.
The difference between a tough loss and a series sweep: about 5 feet.
It's no secret that the Gators have been looking forward to this weekend since the season started.
With her team down 1-0 to Tennessee in the bottom of the fourth inning Sunday, Stacey Nelson stepped out of the UF dugout, energizing the crowd and telling them that the Gators were about to get back into the game.
The UF softball team is ready for a little March Madness of its own.
Whether at the plate or behind it, Kristina Hilberth made the big plays her team needed Wednesday.
Working an extra day of the week might not seem like an appealing prospect to most people, but for coach Tim Walton and the UF softball team, it's something to be excited about.
Stacey Nelson has seemingly done it all in her four years at UF. Sunday, she accomplished something even she previously thought impossible.
On Tuesday, the UF softball team reclaimed the top spot in the national rankings. On Wednesday, the Gators showed why they are the nation's No. 1 team.
With center fielder Kim Waleszonia out of the lineup with a knee injury until at least the end of the regular season, the Gators will need someone to step up at the plate. This weekend, Kelsey Bruder answered the call.
The UF softball team will have to face more than just the start of its Southeastern Conference season this weekend at South Carolina. The Gators will also have to try to fill the hole in their lineup left by injured center fielder Kim Waleszonia.
Solutions by The State News
