Few softball broadcasters have been as busy as Francesca Enea this season. Already the standard color commentator for games at her alma mater, the University of Florida, Enea also added a new role in 2021 as the lead analyst for UCF softball games with Eric Lopez on ESPN+. She has called games steadily for both teams, including Florida’s matchup against Team USA earlier this year.
A resident of the Orlando area, Enea doesn’t have to go far from home to call the UCF matchups, though she makes a round-trip nearing four hours in length when she’s in the Gators’ broadcast booth. This past weekend, though, was unique for the Gator playing legend, as she called a college baseball game for the first time in her broadcasting career.
Set to call a Sunday matchup in Tampa between South Florida and East Carolina on the softball diamond, Enea got an opportunity to expand her horizons yet again in 2021 when the Bulls’ baseball team took on Cincinnati on Saturday.
“Got the opportunity to call my first baseball game!” Enea wrote on Twitter after the broadcast. “So much beauty in this sport and I’m beyond fortunate I could play a small role.”
Enea was teamed up with Ryan Urquhart on the play-by-play mic, an experienced diamond-sports voice with some previous Gator broadcasts on his resume. Her venture into softball’s “sibling” sport follows a similar mold set by other broadcasters like Jessica Mendoza; similar to Enea, Mendoza is a former star softball player and broadcaster but she now works almost exclusively on Major League Baseball broadcasts and programs.
Following her inaugural baseball broadcast, Enea earned positive reviews, particularly for her hitting analysis and knowledge of a hitter’s mindset that applies to baseball and softball offenses alike. Known as an analytical broadcaster, as opposed to an anecdotal one, Enea’s analysis style flowed smoothly despite it being her first foray into the sport.
During the final weekend of the softball regular season, Enea is scheduled to call two games during the Florida vs. Texas A&M series in Gainesville. She is also a steady bet to receive a Regional broadcasting assignment for the fourth straight postseason.
