Throwback Thursday: Amanda Lorenz Talks About Her Recruiting Experiences & How She Became a Gator (Sept. 17, 2013)

Long before she became one of the top players in softball, including being ranked as the #1 player in the Class of 2015, an All-American and at the Univ. of Florida and a member of Team USA, Amanda Lorenz was a frequent blogger for our Executive Editor, Brentt Eads, when he was running Student Sports Softball.

In September 2013, when she early in her junior year at Moorpark (California) High, Brentt interviewed Amanda and we learned about her recruiting experiences and how she was first noticed by Florida and ultimately committed to Tim Walton and the Gators.

Back in her prep days, Amanda played with Team Mizuno which in 2013 merged with the OC Batbusters so the Moorpark High grad would win PGF National Championships in 2012, 2014 & 2015, while finishing 2nd in 2013, with Team Mizuno and then the OC Batbusters under two of the most successful club coaches of all time, Gary Haning and Mike Stith.

In high school, she was so dangerous that she would be walked intentionally to leadoff games! For her high school career Amanda had a .592 batting average, a .657 on-base percentage and slugged 39 home runs and 126 RBI. In 405 varsity at-bats she only struck out 10 times!

Here’s the interview and insights in what Amanda was up to a bit over five years ago…

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Congrats on your verbal to Florida!  How did the Gators first see you?
During fall of my 8th grade school year, my team (at the time we were OC Batbusters-Stith) was in a Surf City showcase tournament. But it got rained out, so we had a hitting and fielding workout at Mike Stith’s training complex (Sports Training Complex in Anaheim, Calif.) and Coach Walton from the University of Florida was there. I was super nervous because I always loved Florida’s uniforms and once I saw Coach Walton I wanted to impress him to catch interest so there could be a chance to wear the Gator uniform. I thought I did very poorly so I was very upset after the workout. But a few days after when I was hitting with Coach Stith he told me Coach Walton really liked me and I should give him a call!

How did they offer you?
In the very beginning of my freshman year I set up an unofficial visit to UF to tour the campus and talk to Coach Walton. We had a tournament in Orlando the first week of November (2011) and I went up a few days earlier so I could go up and visit UF. During breakfast one morning with Coach Walton, he verbally offered me a scholarship.

Tell us about how you made it official in choosing Florida…
It was very hard not to commit on my first visit to UF. I fell in love with Gainesville and loved everything about UF’s campus and athletic facilities. I came home to think things over to make sure it would be the right decision. However, my parents surprised me right before Christmas with a spontaneous trip to Florida for their winter camp and for me to commit. I committed at dinner on campus Friday night. The whole coaching staff and their families were there in addition to my parents and my sister. I asked Coach Walton if #18 was available if I were to come to Florida, and after joking around with me for a while, he finally said yes. And I said, “Okay then I want to be a Gator!”

Are you worried about being so far from home?
I’m very close with my family so there is definitely a little fear in going all the way across the country for college. However, I know I will gain independence and not only be on one of the best college softball teams in the country but get an amazing education as well. Also, my best friends will be attending Florida alongside me as well. Justine McLean is a freshman there now and Janell Wheaton will be there next year. We are very close and it will help a lot having them there to help me if I’m homesick.

When did you know for sure you’d be a Gator?
Once I stepped onto the softball field the first night of my visit I knew it was where I wanted to spend my four years in college. It just seemed like the perfect place for me!

Coach Stith runs a workout facility and his teams are known for being well conditioned… how has that helped your game?
I am incredibly lucky in the fact that I get the best training in the country every week. Mike Stith has taught me so many things about the game. I learn something new every practice and game and he never allows me time to get complacent. There is always something he can tell me to work on to get better.

What’s your reaction to his Team Mizuno teams merging with the OC Batbuster squads?
I am excited. I was lucky enough to wear the Batbuster uniform for two years before switching to Mizuno and I will love wearing it again. I am also very happy we still are a part of Mizuno because they are a big part of our success and they give us tremendous support.

What’s been the highlight of your softball career to this point?
My most proud moment of softball so far was winning the national championship in 2012 with Mizuno. I can honestly call my teammates sisters and experiencing that moment with them was indescribable. I get goosebumps just thinking about it!

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