Softball Staff Named NFCA National Coaching Staff of Year
Wednesday, June 24, 2015 | Softball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- After winning the University of Florida softball program's second consecutive national title, head coach Tim Walton, assistant coach Jennifer Rocha and former assistants Kenny Gajewski and Stacie Pestrak (volunteer) have been named the 2015 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year, the NFCA announced on Wednesday.
It is the first NFCA national honor received by the UF staff in program history. Walton and his staff were previously named NFCA Southeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year four times (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011).
Walton and the staff led the Gators to a 60-7 record in 2015, taking the Southeastern Conference title as well as the NCAA crown. UF reached the 60-win plateau for just the third time in history and posted its third-highest win percentage (.895).
The Gators ranked first nationally in winning percentage, they tied for first in wins, were first in fielding percentage (.981), fourth in ERA (1.63), 11th in on-base percentage (.438), 22nd in scoring (6.55 runs per game), 29th in slugging percentage (.514) and 32nd in home runs per game (1.19).
Defensively, Florida's .981 fielding percentage was the best mark in school history, eclipsing the .979 mark set in 2013. The Gators committed just 33 errors in 67 games, seven fewer than any previous UF squad.
Road to NCAA Championship
Florida's season began with victories in the first 28 games, marking the best season start in history. UF used the early momentum to earn its fifth SEC championship (also: 1998, 2008, 2009, 2013). The Gators' five SEC titles are tied with Alabama and LSU for the most in the conference.
In addition, the four league crowns for the Orange and Blue since 2008 are tied with the Crimson Tide for the most in the conference during that span.
After a semifinals exit from the SEC Tournament, the Gators earned the No. 1 national seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, marking the third time in the program history that UF had been seeded first (also: 2008, 2009). In the Gainesville Regional, the Gators defeated Florida A&M, Hofstra and Florida Atlantic to advance to the NCAA Super Regional against SEC rival Kentucky, where they won the first two games of the three-game series to advance to the 2015 Women's College World Series.
In the WCWS, UF defeated Tennessee, LSU and Auburn on its way back to the Championship Series. This season, the Gators took on Michigan in the final and won Games 1 and 3 of the series to secure their second consecutive national title.
Coaching Resume
The Florida staff just completed its 10th year under Walton, the winningest head coach in program history. Rocha, who came to UF with Walton in 2005, and Gajewski, who had never coached softball before, made a smooth transition to Walton's staff three seasons ago. Pestrak, who played for Walton in 2006, finished her second season as a volunteer assistant.
Prior to Walton and Rocha's arrival, UF had never appeared in a Women's College World Series. Now the program has progressed to become a national power, reaching the WCWS in seven of the last eight seasons. The Gators are 552-121 since the start of that 2005 season.
Other achievements include 20 players earning All-SEC honors 41 times; 19 student-athletes have earned 44 NFCA All-Southeast Region honors, and 15 Gators have been named All-Americans 29 times. This past season, Kelsey Stewart and Lauren Haeger were named the SEC's Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year.
In addition, Haeger was named the 2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year. She is the first Gator to receive the award, considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women's softball.
Coaches Corner
Head Coach Tim Walton:
“This has been another incredible year for our entire softball program, but we couldn't have accomplished anything
without our players buying in to the entire process. Coaching at Florida with my entire staff is like going to work every day with my family. I truly appreciate how hard everyone works for me. This is a tremendous honor for our coaching staff and one that we take great pride in representing the NFCA."
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