Gators on Growl: Softball Team's National Title Latest in Impressive Run for UF
Wednesday, June 4, 2014 | Softball, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – If it seems like the Gators just won a national championship, well, you're not losing your memory.
They did.
As Florida ace Hannah Rogers dusted off Alabama late Tuesday night to claim UF's first softball national title at the Women's College World Series, only 45 days had passed since the UF gymnastics team won its second consecutive national championship, sharing the title with Oklahoma thanks to a stirring comeback.
Gators gymnastics coach Rhonda Faehn shared Florida's national-title success in a tweet Wednesday morning.
On ESPN Sports Center! It's Great to be a Florida Gator!! ���� pic.twitter.com/v7b5sVG54H
— Rhonda Faehn (@UFCoachRhonda) June 4, 2014
Meanwhile, UF softball coach Tim Walton tried to grasp the first national title in the UF softball program's 18 seasons.
Walton knew he had a good team. But he found out how good in the NCAA Tournament as the Gators went 10-1 and outscored opponents 81-10. The fifth seed, the Gators were a perfect 5-0 in Oklahoma City after knocking off SEC rival Alabama on back-to-back nights in the championship series.
"This is kind of a surreal for me,'' he said during his postgame press conference. "We just felt good about our team. We set a goal. Most teams set goals to win every series or win the SEC or do some things. This team actually set a goal to win a national championship. This team felt like we had the parts and pieces to do it."
In the first all-SEC WCWS Championship Series, the Gators won Game 1, 5-0, Monday night behind a four-hitter from Rogers. In Game 2, Rogers earned the save in Florida's 6-3 victory. Kirsti Merritt's three-run homer in the second inning was the game's biggest moment and knocked Crimson Tide ace Jaclyn Traina from the game.
The Gators are compiling national championship trophies at an impressive rate since winning their second football national title in 2006. Florida's athletic program has won 15 national titles over that span, adding 11 since the 2009-10 sports calendar.
Florida's 15 national titles since 2006 lead the SEC, and the Gators have won multiple national titles in each of the last five years.
That's a lot of new banners and trophies around campus.
More notes regarding Florida's recent run on national titles:
- This is the University of Florida's 33rd national title (31 NCAA and 2 AIAW).
- The Gators have won 24 national titles since 1992 when Jeremy Foley took over as UF's athletic director.
- Softball is the 13th UF sport to win an NCAA or football national title, a total which stands fourth all-time among the nation's programs and is tops among SEC programs.
- Softball is the third Gator team in the last three seasons to win their first NCAA title (2012: men's outdoor track & field, 2013: gymnastics, 2014: softball).
- Florida is the 12th different team to win the NCAA softball title in the 33-year history of the event.
- Florida ranked No. 3 on the 2014 ESPN/USA Today preseason poll.
- Florida is the lowest seed to win the NCAA title since UCLA (also the No. 5 seed) won the 2010 WCWS.
| Florida's National Title Teams | ||
| SPORT | YEAR | NATIONAL TITLES |
|---|---|---|
| Softball | 2014 | NCAA Championships |
| Women's Gymnastics | 2014 | NCAA Championships |
| Men's Outdoor Track & Field | 2013 | NCAA Championships |
| Women's Gymnastics | 2013 | NCAA Championships |
| Men's Outdoor Track & Field | 2012 | NCAA Championships |
| Women's Tennis | 2012 | NCAA Championships |
| Men's Indoor Track & Field | 2012 | NCAA Championships |
| Women's Tennis | 2011 | NCAA Championships |
| Men's Indoor Track & Field | 2011 | NCAA Championships |
| Women's Swimming | 2010 | NCAA Championships |
| Men's Indoor Track & Field | 2010 | NCAA Championships |
| Football | 2008 | BCS/Associated Press |
| Men's Basketball | 2007 | NCAA Championships |
| Men's Basketball | 2006 | NCAA Championships |
| Football | 2006 | BCS/Associated Press |
| Women's Tennis | 2003 | NCAA Championships |
| Men's Golf | 2001 | NCAA Championships |
| Women's Tennis | 1998 | NCAA Championships |
| Soccer | 1998 | NCAA Championships |
| Women's Tennis | 1996 | NCAA Championships |
| Football | 1996 | Associated Press/Coaches' |
| Men's Golf | 1993 | NCAA Championships |
| Women's Indoor Track | 1992 | NCAA Championships |
| Women's Tennis | 1992 | NCAA Championships |
| Women's Golf | 1986 | NCAA Championships |
| Women's Golf | 1985 | NCAA Championships |
| Men's Swimming | 1984 | NCAA Championships |
| Men's Swimming | 1983 | NCAA Championships |
| Gymnastics | 1982 | AIAW Nationals |
| Women's Swimming | 1982 | NCAA Championships |
| Women's Swimming | 1979 | AIAW Nationals |
| Men's Golf | 1973 | NCAA Championships |
| Men's Golf | 1968 | NCAA Championships |
