Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium fell silent Wednesday night with nothing but the wind blowing through the once echoing bleachers full of rowdy Gators fans.
The diamond was quiet, but the night was far from over for UF’s softball team following its doubleheader with Oakland.
Once the stands were cleared after Florida’s 6-2 and 10-0 victories over the Golden Grizzlies, the Gators took the field again. But they weren’t competing against another team.
Instead, each player needed to complete their assigned chore, one that was given to them at the start of the season.
Sophomore pitcher Katie Chronister is responsible for cleaning the bullpen, which consists of raking it down and watering it before she calls it a day.
“It’s a pretty good job for me because that’s where I live,” she said.
However, others aren’t as lucky.
Freshman Jordan Matthews is responsible for picking up bags and coolers.
Others, like sophomore catcher Jordan Roberts, have more challenging jobs. Roberts is responsible for keeping home plate — in addition to the pitcher’s circle — spotless.
“I think it’s just a pride thing to do that for our managers and help them out,” she said. “Even though we know it’s tedious and sometimes we don’t want to do it, it’s a pride thing, and you feel good because you take care of your own field in that way.”
This year, the Gators softball team competed for jobs like these in their Orange and Blue game — an intrasquad scrimmage held before the season began.
The winning team got to choose which chores they wanted first, and then the losing team picked from what was left in order of seniority.
Florida will return to its “real” job again this weekend at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium at the Aquafina Invitational.
The Gators (10-1) will take on Maryland (2-7), Illinois State (4-6), Iowa State (6-4) and Georgia Southern (7-2) in a six-game home tournament.
Friday afternoon, the Gators will take on Maryland at 4:30 and Illinois State at 7.
Florida will follow with two games apiece on Saturday and Sunday.
“It can be exhausting,” Roberts said.
Coach Tim Walton said that playing at home has its advantages.
“We can do a lot more here with our video, so it’s good to go back and teach and get some teaching moments,” he said.
Walton is confident that his pitching staff and defense will be able to handle the heavy schedule.
He will also count on the depth of his roster to play multiple positions when needed.
“That’s the beauty of playing so many games, we get a chance to get a lot of different looks,” he said. “It’s a nice luxury to have athletes in all positions.”
Follow Mari Faiello on Twitter @faiello_mari and contact her at mfaiello@alligator.org.
Sophomore pitcher Katie Chronister hasn't allowed a run to score while striking out 12 in 10 innings pitched this season.
