Following the formula of past championship seasons, the Gators did not win the SEC Tournament as Auburn bounced them in the semifinals. Once regional play began, Florida obliterated their opponents by a combined score of 24-0 to set up what looked like a very winnable matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs in super regionals.
However, the Gators were not themselves in super regional play as they mustered a total of just eight hits and three runs in two games. After Georgia blanked Florida by a score of 3-0 in Game 1, it looked like the the Gators would force a winner-take-all contest with a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning.
With two outs and a runner on first, Gator sophomore Aleshia Ocasio was one strike away from extending the super regional. Georgia had other plans though. With the count 0-2, Bulldog pinch hitter Kaylee Puailoa crushed Ocasio's offering over the center field fence for a walk-off two run bomb.
The two-time defending National Champions had been eliminated and Georgia was on their way to the third Women's College World Series appearance in program history. This was perhaps one of the most shocking Gator losses I had ever seen in my time here at the university.
For the first time in school history, Florida had lost a super regional at home. They had previously been 14-1 in Gainesville Super Regionals prior to the 2016 season. In addition, they became the second No. 1 overall seed in history to not reach the Women's College World Series.
In spite of a heartbreaking finish to this season, the Gators accomplished much as a team in 2016! Some of these feats include:
- SEC Regular Season Champions for the sixth time in program history and second consecutive season
- A 25-0 start to the season
- 31 victories via shutout
- A 22-2 record at home (excluding the postseason)
- Eight series victories (Auburn, Tennessee, LSU, Ole Miss, UL-Lafayette, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Arkansas), six of which were sweeps
- All seven of their losses were to SEC opponents (Auburn twice, Alabama twice, Texas A&M Georgia twice)
- Lost consecutive games just once the whole year (unfortunatley it came during super regionals)
- A season series sweep of rival Florida State for the second straight season (1-0 & 7-1)
- Defeated 11 teams ranked in the final ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 polls
- Lost less than 10 games for the fifth time in program history
- Resided in the No. 1 spot of the polls for most of the season before finish with the final ranking of No. 8
Now that I have listed the team's success, let's take a look at some of the individual players who garnered some accolades:
- NFCA First Team All-Americans
- P - Delanie Gourley (Junior)
- P - Aleshia Ocasio
- NFCA Third Team All-Americans
- OF - Amanda Lorenz (Freshman)
- NFCA Southeast All-Region First Team
- P - Delanie Gourley
- P - Aleshia Ocasio
- C - Aubree Munro (Senior)
- OF - Amanda Lorenz
- DP/UT - Kayli Kvistad (Sophomore)
- NFCA Southeast All-Region Third Team
- P - Kelly Barnhill (Freshman)
- IF - Nicole DeWitt (Sophomore)
- SEC Freshman of the Year
- OF - Amanda Lorenz
- First Team All-SEC
- P – Delanie Gourley
- P – Aleshia Ocasio
- OF – Amanda Lorenz
- DP/UT - Kayli Kvistad
- Second Team All-SEC
- OF - Kirsti Merritt (Senior)
- C - Aubree Munro
- Freshman All-SEC Team
- P – Kelly Barnhill
- OF – Amanda Lorenz
- SEC All-Defensive Team
- C - Aubree Munro
With the award winners listed, let's take look at the final stat leaders for 2016:
Offense
Hits: Amanda Lorenz (73)
Doubles: Amanda Lorenz (14)
Triples: Kelsey Stewart/Janell Wheaton (2) (Senior/Sophomore)
Home Runs: Kayli Kvistad (11)
RBI’s: Kayli Kvistad (60)
Batting Average: Amanda Lorenz (.403)
Slugging Percentage: Kayli Kvistad (.637)
On Base Percentage: Amanda Lorenz (.528)
Stolen Bases: Kelsey Stewart (15)
Runs Scored: Kelsey Stewart (58)
Strikeouts: Taylore Fuller (39) (Senior)
Walks: Amanda Lorenz (48)
Home Runs: Kayli Kvistad (11)
RBI’s: Kayli Kvistad (60)
Batting Average: Amanda Lorenz (.403)
Slugging Percentage: Kayli Kvistad (.637)
On Base Percentage: Amanda Lorenz (.528)
Stolen Bases: Kelsey Stewart (15)
Runs Scored: Kelsey Stewart (58)
Strikeouts: Taylore Fuller (39) (Senior)
Walks: Amanda Lorenz (48)
Hit By Pitch: Nicole DeWitt (19)
Sacrifice Flys: Kayli Kvistad (4)
Sacrifice Bunts: Taylore Fuller (7)
At-Bats: Kelsey Stewart (211)
Defense
Assists: Nicole DeWitt (86)
Putouts: Aubree Munro (457)
Errors: Kelsey Stewart (11)
Saves: Aleshia Ocasio (6)
Appearances: Delanie Gourley/Aleshia Ocasio (35)
Innings Pitched: Delanie Gourley (157.2)
Assists: Nicole DeWitt (86)
Putouts: Aubree Munro (457)
Errors: Kelsey Stewart (11)
Fielding Percentage: Janell Wheaton/Kirsti Merritt/Amanda Lorenz/Justine McLean/Aleshia Ocasio (1.000) (McLean is a junior)
Pitching
Wins: Aleshia Ocasio (22)
Losses: Delanie Gourley (4)
Strikeouts: Delanie Gourley (224)
ERA: Aleshia Ocasio (0.77)
Pitching
Wins: Aleshia Ocasio (22)
Losses: Delanie Gourley (4)
Strikeouts: Delanie Gourley (224)
ERA: Aleshia Ocasio (0.77)
Complete Games: Delanie Gourley (13)
Saves: Aleshia Ocasio (6)
Appearances: Delanie Gourley/Aleshia Ocasio (35)
Innings Pitched: Delanie Gourley (157.2)
Final Takeaway:
2016 featured one of the tougher season-ending losses with a walk-off loss in Gainesville. Although Florida did not become the second team in NCAA history to pull off a three-peat, there still is a special place in the record books for this Gator softball team.
Florida has the most softball national championships among any SEC school and is the only non-Pac-12 team to win back-to-back titles (UCLA and Arizona have repeated as national champions on many occasions).
It can be argued that Texas A&M is tied with Florida as they have two titles as well. However, the Aggies won both those titles as a member of the Southwest Conference. So keeping that in mind, Florida is the league leader with two national titles while Alabama sits behind them with one.
Florida head coach Tim Walton's journey for his third National Championship in four years will be a difficult one as five of his seniors will be graduating. They are Aubree Munro, Kelsey Stewart, Taylore Fuller, Kirsti Merritt, and Taylor Schwarz. I'll elaborate on each one.
Aubree Munro
Playing all four years behind the dish, Aubree concludes her collegiate career with a slash line of .251/.350/.386, 104 hits, 55 runs scored, 8 home runs, 73 RBI’s, four stolen bases, and a .997 fielding percentage. Her career accolades include:
- 2016 NFCA Southeast All-Region First Team
- 2016 All-SEC Second Team
- 2016 SEC All-Defensive Team
- 2016 USA Softball National Team
- 2015 NFCA All-American
- 2015, 2014, & 2013 SEC Academic Honor Roll
- 2015 & 2014 National Champion
- 2015 & 2014 WCWS All-Tournament Teams
- 2013 SEC Tournament Champion
The road doesn't end here for Aubree though. She was recently selected by the USSSA Pride in the sixth and final round of the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch Draft. She was the second-to-last pick!
Kelsey Stewart
Instantly contributing from her freshman year forward as a middle infielder, Kelsey finishes her collegiate career with a slash line of .395/.460/.565, 355 hits, 257 runs scored, 15 home runs, 145 RBI’s, 113 stolen bases and a .963 fielding percentage. Her career accolades include:
- 2015 SEC Player of the Year
- 2015 & 2014 NFCA First Team All-American
- 2015, 2014, & 2013 NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team
- 2015 & 2014 National Champion
- 2015 & 2014 WCWS All-Tournament Team
- 2015 & 2014 All-SEC First Team
- 2015 & 2014 SEC All-Defensive Team
- 2013 SEC Tournament Champion
- 2013 NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team
- 2013 All-SEC Second Team
- 2013 SEC All-Freshman Team
- 2013 SEC All-Tournament Team
Kelsey will also be continuing her playing career and will be reunited with Aubree, as she was selected by the USSSA Pride in the second round of the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch Draft. Among her draft class, Kelsey was the highest Gator selected!
Taylore Fuller
Seeing much of the field since her freshman campaign as a utility player, Taylore finishes her collegiate career with a slash line of .244/.399/.477, 126 hits, 127 runs scored, 36 home runs, 141 RBI’s, 24 stolen bases, and a .980 fielding percentage. Her career accolades include:
- 2015 SEC Academic Honor Roll
- 2015 & 2014 National Champion
- 2013 SEC Tournament Champion
- Eight career grand slams, which is the third most in NCAA history and second most in Florida Gator history.
Like her two teammates before her, Taylore will be continuing her softball career as she was selected in the sixth round of the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch Draft by the Scrap Yard Dawgs.
Kirsti Merritt
Seeing substantial playing time as an outfielder from the moment she stepped on campus, Kirsti finishes her Gator tenure with a slash line of .308/.464/.534, 205 hits, 206 runs scored, 36 home runs, 170 RBI’s, 72 stolen bases, and a .984 fielding percentage. Her career accolades include:
- 2016 All-SEC Second Team
- 2015 NFCA All-Southeast Region First Team
- 2015 All-SEC First Team
- 2015 & 2014 National Champion
- 2015, 2014, & 2013 SEC Academic Honor Roll
- 2014 NFCA All-Southeast Region Third Team
- 2014 WCWS All-Tournament Team
- 2013 SEC Tournament Champion
- 2013 SEC Tournament MVP
- 2013 SEC All-Tournament Team
- 2013 SEC All-Freshman Team
- A top-10 diving catch in the clinching game of the 2014 Women's College World Series
Kirsti will be rejoining both Aubree and Kelsey as she as was selected by the USSSA Pride in the fourth round of the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch Draft.
Taylor Schwarz
Rounding out the senior class, Taylor slowly began to see less and less starts as her senior year wound down. Nonetheless, the Gator first baseman finished her career with a slash line of .252/.402/.423, 121 hits, 115 runs scored, 21 home runs, 103 RBI’s, 18 RBI's, and a .991 fielding percentage. Her career accolades include:
- 2015 NFCA All-American
- 2015 & 2014 National Champion
- 2015, 2014, & 2013 SEC Academic Honor Roll
- 2014 NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team
- 2014 SEC All-Defensive Team
- 2013 SEC Tournament Champion
- 2013 SEC All-Tournament Team
Taylor was the only member of this senior class to not be drafted into the National Pro Fastpitch League. I don't think she is too concerned, however, as her telecommunications degree has paved her a great career path in sports reporting.
***
With the departure of these five seniors, Tim Walton's squad will have big shoes to fill. Fortunately this time around, Florida is not losing any of their pitchers as Delanie Gourley, Aleshia Ocasio, and Kelly Barnhill will all be back.
The 2017 Florida Gator softball team will boast three seniors, four juniors, seven sophomores, and however many freshmen Tim Walton recruits. The championship hangover effect finally reached this team on the three-peat attempt, so it's back to the drawing board for next year.
The Gators will be a great team next season. The Georgia loss served as a humble reminder that no team is entitled no matter how much they have won or how good they are. Overconfidence is what unraveled the Gators in 2016, and it won't be the last time that a sports team suffers because of this same illusion.
Nevertheless, 2016 was still a great season for the Orange and Blue. If they crank down their confidence a few notches and continue to play with the fire and intensity that Coach Walton demands, then they will be dog-piling in Oklahoma City again in no time!
Go Gators!
*All stats and info accredited to FloridaGators.com, NFCA.org, & SECSports.com
*Photo Credits: Pinterest.com, SouthLakePress.com, & TampaBay.com
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