Gator Softball Unveils 2012 Slate
Monday, November 7, 2011 | Softball
Florida head coach Tim Walton and the Gator softball program unveiled the 2012 softball schedule Monday, which features three early-season tournaments and an April slate that includes five home series and just two mid-week in-state road match-ups. The Gators will play three tough league opponents on the road with three-game series at Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, to accompany a mid-week doubleheader at SEC Western Division opponent Mississippi State and a three-game meeting with Arkansas in Fayetteville. After becoming the first Southeastern Conference institution to earn four-consecutive trips to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City last season, the Gators will aim to make it five in 2012.
Florida said farewell to its five-member winningest class in school history last season after four-consecutive SEC Eastern Division Titles, two SEC Championships and two WCWS national runner-up performances, but will welcome seven fresh faces in a talented freshman class to accompany 10 returners as the Gators embark on 2012 in February. In 2011, the Gators played for a national championship for the second time in the last three years and turned in a record-breaking year after pacing the nation in Academic All-Americans, with four, while boasting a nation-leading six All-Americans, the most possible for a single institution. Florida jumped out of the gate last season with a 24-0 start, the best in school history.
For the upcoming season, the Gators return the WCWS co-Most Outstanding Player, US Women's National Team member and 2011 Pan American Games Gold Medalist in senior Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.), along with WCWS All-Tournament Team members junior Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif.) and sophomore Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.). The Gators also return three All-Americans in Moultrie, Schutte and sophomore hurler Hannah Rogers (Lake Wales, Fla.). Among UF's seven freshmen, Florida boasts US Junior Women's National Team members Jessica Damico (Gray Summit, Mo.) and pitcher Lauren Haeger (Phoenix, Ariz.), along with the 2011 Gatorade Florida Softball Player of the Year, Sami Fagan (Dunnellon, Fla.).
A total of 12 Florida opponents this upcoming season earned a berth in the 2011 NCAA Tournament field, including league rivals Alabama, Kentucky, LSU, Tennessee, Georgia and Auburn. The Gators will additionally face tournament squads Jacksonville, Texas A&M, Washington, BYU, Texas and UT-Chattanooga as part of this upcoming spring's lineup.
For the third-consecutive season and fourth time in the last six years, the Gators will open the spring schedule at a Tampa-based tournament, this season at the USF-Fairfield Inn and Suites Tampa North Tournament in Tampa, Fla. The Feb. 10-12 tourney features match-ups against Long Island, FGCU, Maine and Illinois State Friday and Saturday. UF will cap off the three-day tourney with host USF in a Sunday afternoon showdown. Florida faced LIU, FGCU and USF last spring in its season-opening Clearwater, Fla., tournament with 6-0, 9-2 and 12-0 victories over the three squads, respectively, while also earning a 10-2 win over the USF Bulls last March.
The Orange and Blue will open the 2012 home slate Wednesday, Feb. 15, with the Jacksonville Dolphins, followed by a weekend series in Gainesville with Big Ten squad Michigan State, Feb. 17-19. Familiar with in-state opponent Jacksonville for what has recently become an annual contest, the Gators will take on the Spartans for just the eighth time in program history, the first in seven years after last facing MSU in 2005. UF downed Jacksonville, 7-0, in the regular-season matchup between the squads and hosted the Dolphins in the 2011 NCAA Gainesville Regional, but did not draw JU in the Regional.
Florida will next hit the road for the 2012 Cathedral City Classic in Palm Springs, Calif., Feb. 23-25 – its sixth-consecutive season with a California tournament – with four games against 2011 NCAA tourney teams in Texas A&M, Washington, BYU and Texas. The Gators will face future SEC opponent Texas A&M and Washington Thursday (2/23), before Friday (2/24) games with BYU and Texas. UF will cap off the cross-country trip with a contest against Boise State Saturday (2/25) before returning to Florida for its second home stand of the season.
Prior to hosting its home tournament March 2-4, the Gators will match up with Eastern Michigan March 1 before taking on the Eagles again March 2 in UF's first game of the home tourney. For a complete schedule of UF's home tournament, visit the 2012 schedule page on www.GatorZone.com/softball.The Orange and Blue will face Gardner-Webb twice (3/2, 3/3), along with Tennessee State (3/3) and Campbell (3/4) before opening 2012 Southeastern Conference play the second weekend in March.
Florida will open the league portion of its 2012 schedule on the road for the second consecutive season with a mid-week doubleheader against Mississippi State March 7 before heading to Knoxville, Tenn., for its first divisional conference competition at Tennessee March 9-11. The Gators swept the Vols in Gainesville in 2011 to win the SEC Eastern Division for the fourth-consecutive season and the fifth time in program history.
The Gators return home March 14 for a mid-week doubleheader against 2011 NCAA tournament competitor UT-Chattanooga, before welcoming South Carolina for a three-game stint March 16-18. The Gators will conclude the month of March with three-game series at Arkansas (3/23-25) and in Athens, Ga., at Georgia (3/30-4/1), while mixing in an additional mid-week home contest against USF March 28.
UF will enjoy nearly a month-long home stand in April with five home series and just two in-state mid-week games in Tallahassee at FSU (4/4) and in Orlando against UCF (4/11). The Gators will host Ole Miss (4/6-8), Auburn (4/13-15) and Kentucky (4/27-29) in traditional three-game conference series in April, while welcoming FIU March 20-21 for a non-conference three-game stint, including a Friday doubleheader and single contest Saturday. Florida will also host LSU in a Tuesday doubleheader March 24 after sweeping the Tigers last season to open the 2011 conference slate.
A familiar rivalry in Tuscaloosa, Ala., will round out Florida's conference slate and spring schedule as the Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide meet in Tide territory May 4-6 in the final league series for each squad before competition in the 2012 SEC Tournament May 10-13, hosted by Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
This year's NCAA Regionals will be a combination of dates between May 17-20 at the traditional 16 campus sites, while NCAA Super Regionals will be at eight campus sights spanning May 24-27. The 2012 Women's College World Series runs May 31-June 6 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
