2008 Florida Gators softball team explained

Year:2008
Firstyear:1997
Team:Florida Gators
Conference:Southeastern Conference
Division:East
Shortconference:SEC
Record:70–5
Confrecord:27–1
Headcoach:Tim Walton
Assistantcoach:Jennifer Rocha, Jenny Gladding
Trainer:Eric King
Champion:SEC Regular Season Champions
SEC Tournament Champions
Stadiumarena:Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium
Confchamp:SEC Tournament Championship Game
Confchampresult:W 4–1 vs. Alabama
Espncomrank:3
Nfcarank:3

The 2008 Florida Gators softball team was an American softball team, representing the University of Florida for the 2008 NCAA softball season. The team went 70–5 overall and 27–1 in SEC play. The 70 wins set an NCAA single season record and Florida, named the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, advanced to the semifinals of the Women's College World Series. They also were the SEC regular season and tournament champions. Five Gators were named All-Americans (Stacey Nelson, Kim Waleszonia, Aja Paculba, Francesca Enea, and Ali Gardiner) and Junior pitcher Stacey Nelson was the SEC Pitcher of the Year.

Previous season

The 2007 Florida Gators finished second in the SEC East and made it to the SEC Tournament title game before losing to LSU. They were also invited to host Regionals of the NCAA tournament. After breezing through the Gainesville Regional, the Gators lost the three-game series to Texas A&M 2–1.

Pre-season

The 2008 Gators started the season ranked No. 13 in the NFCA/USA Today poll. They returned All-Americans Stacey Nelson and Kim Waleszonia as well as six other starters from the 2007 team.

Schedule

|-!colspan=9| USF-Wilson Tournament|-!colspan=9||-!colspan=9| Cox Communications Classic|-!colspan=9||-!colspan=9| Aquafina Invitational|-!colspan=9||-!colspan=9| Worth Invitational|-!colspan=9||-!colspan=9| SEC Tournament|-!colspan=9| NCAA Regionals|-!colspan=9| NCAA Super Regionals|-!colspan=9| Women's College World Series

Game notes

Bethune–Cookman

1234567RHE
Wildcats00000--010
Gators1531X--1090

Florida Gulf Coast

1234567RHE
Eagles0004000450
Gators301101X6101

Illinois

1234567RHE
Gators0201000360
Fighting Illini0002000240

Memphis

1234567RHE
Gators04023--940
Tigers00000--036

South Florida

1234567RHE
Gators0004100541
Bulls1000000121

Mercer (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Tobies0000000010
Gators102020X560

Mercer (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Tobies00010--150
Gators20010X--12111

East Tennessee State (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Buccaneers000000-012
Gators042003-960

College of Charleston

1234567RHE
Gators410101310151
Cougars0000000040

North Carolina (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Tar Heels0000000030
Gators400000X471

East Tennessee State (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Gators44011--1092
Buccaneers10000--123

North Carolina (Game 2)

123456789RHE
Gators000000001140
Tar Heels000000000050

Stetson

1234567RHE
Hatters00000--021
Gators10502--8103

Hofstra

1234567RHE
Pride0000000043
Gators00041X-561

Gardner–Webb (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Gators35106--15140
Runnin' Bulldogs00000--140

North Florida

1234567RHE
Ospreys0000000011
Gators000201X370

Notre Dame (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Fighting Irish1010000221
Gators000003X352

Gardner–Webb (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Runnin' Bulldogs0001200370
Gators0030001491

Notre Dame (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Fighting Irish0000020233
Gators200030X573

Long Beach State

12345678910RHE
Gators0000100000151
49ers0000010001250

Oregon State

1234567RHE
Gators601001-8101
Beavers000000-010

Pacific

1234567RHE
Gators120122210160
Tigers0101000272

Cal State Fullerton

1234567RHE
Gators1000001260
Titans0000000022

Louisville

1234567RHE
Cardinals0010010261
Gators201100X490

Stanford

1234567RHE
Cardinals0000030350
Gators1000003450

Ole Miss (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Rebels0003000322
Gators0201001482

Ole Miss (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Rebels0001200370
Gators0030001491

Ole Miss (Game 3)

1234567RHE
Rebels0001010282
Gators020210X590

Alabama (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Gators0000000030
Crimson Tide001000X120

Alabama (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Gators01210048100
Crimson Tide0100120461

Arkansas (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Gators0000001180
Razorbacks0000000042

Arkansas (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Gators2000100350
Razorbacks1000000143

Arkansas (Game 3)

1234567RHE
Gators00033017120
Razorbacks1000100250

Iowa

1234567RHE
Hawkeyes0000100182
Gators050100X660

Longwood (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Lancers01000--130
Gators4140X--990

Longwood (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Lancers0000000060
Gators010005X680

Longwood (Game 3)

1234567RHE
Lancers00002--241
Gators2027X--11123

South Carolina (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Gamecocks0000000044
Gators030021X6100

South Carolina (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Gamecocks0000000020
Gators0000001120

LSU (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Tigers1000000132
Gators002004X692

LSU (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Tigers0000000051
Gators020000X250

LSU (Game 3)

1234567RHE
Wildcats0000000031
Gators302020X7102

Mississippi State (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Gators1020002570
Bulldogs0000000050

Mississippi State (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Gators00010247122
Bulldogs0200000270

Mississippi State (Game 3)

1234567RHE
Gators1112000591
Bulldogs0000000041

Georgia (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Gators21000025101
Bulldogs0000000041

Georgia (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Gators00223029114
Bulldogs0200300581

Georgia (Game 3)

1234567RHE
Gators2021000571
Bulldogs0001100284

Florida State (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Gators31101006160
Seminoles0100000144

Florida State (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Gators03434--14131
Seminoles10300--481

Kentucky (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Wildcats00000--011
Gators60002--890

Kentucky (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Wildcats0001040572
Gators031200X6120

Kentucky (Game 3)

1234567RHE
Wildcats00000--014
Gators00305--8100

Jacksonville (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Dolphins0000000041
Gators000200X250

Jacksonville (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Wildcats0000000023
Gators201002X561

Auburn (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Tigers0001000130
Gators200010X381

Auburn (Game 2)

1234567RHE
Tigers0100001231
Gators070000X7104

Auburn (Game 3)

1234567RHE
Tigers10000--021
Gators5231X--10111

Tennessee (Game 1)

1234567RHE
Gators3000001492
Volunteers0000200250

Tennessee (Game 2)

1234567891011RHE
Gators01003000011672
Volunteers100003000105120

Tennessee (Game 3)

1234567RHE
Gators0030101581
Volunteers2001000381

Ole Miss (SEC Tournament)

1234567RHE
Rebels0000000010
Gators000001X160

Tennessee (SEC Tournament

1234567RHE
Volunteers1000000140
Gators030012X681

Alabama (SEC Tournament)

1234567RHE
Crimson Tide0000010131
Gators000004X451

Georgia Tech (NCAA Gainesville Regional – Game 2)

1234567RHE
Yellow Jackets0001100250
Gators400201X791

UCF (NCAA Gainesville Regional – Game 3)

1234567RHE
Gators0010020341
Golden Knights0000000040

UCF (NCAA Gainesville Regional – Game 6)

12345678RHE
Gators00000000052
Golden Knights00000001150

UCF (NCAA Gainesville Regional – Game 7)

1234567RHE
Golden Knights00000--013
Gators3106X--1090

California (NCAA Gainesville Super Regional – Game 1)

1234567RHE
Golden Bears0000110293
Gators001300X461

California (NCAA Gainesville Super Regional – Game 2)

123456789RHE
Gators0010100024101
Golden Bears000002000232

Louisiana-Lafayette (WCWS – Game 1)

12345678RHE
Ragin' Cajuns00002001390
Gators01010000261

Virginia Tech (WCWS – Game 7)

123456789RHE
Gators000000002281
Hokies000000000020

UCLA (WCWS – Game 9)

1234567RHE
Bruins0000000051
Gators100001X231

Texas A&M (WCWS – Game 11)

1234567RHE
Gators0103002691
Aggies0100000131

Texas A&M (WCWS – Game 13)

123456789RHE
Aggies000000001160
Gators000000000070

Ranking Movement

Poll Last Pre Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 9 Wk 10 Wk 11 Wk 12 Wk 13 Wk 14 Final
NFCA[1] 14131175543333333113
United States Softball[2] 15131097544434322113

Roster

The 2008 Florida Gators softball team had 1 senior, 8 juniors, 3 sophomores, and 8 freshmen.[3]

Name Position Height B/T Year Hometown
2Kelsey BruderUT5-5L/RFrCorona, California
3Aja Paculba2B5-3R/RFrWildomar, California
4Danyell HinesOF5-6L/RJrBryan, Texas
5Kim WaleszoniaUT5-4L/RJrFontana, California
8Kristine Priebe1B/C5-10R/RFrMoorpark, California
10Francesca EneaC5-8R/RSoWoodland Hills, California
12Megan BushSS5-5R/RFrAnaheim Hills, California
13Shaunice Harris3B5-5R/RFrMoreno Valley, California
15Brooke JohnsonOF5-8R/RJrLakeland, Florida
20Le-Net FranklinUT5-7L/RJrBelton, Texas
21Kristen AdkinsUT5-8R/RFrMcKinney, Texas
23Mary RatliffOF5-8L/RSrMt. Sterling, Kentucky
24Ali Gardiner1B5-7L/LJrWaccabuc, New York
26Ami AustinUT5-3L/LSoOrmond Beach, Florida
27Corrie BrooksOF5-9R/RSoChristmas, Florida
28Tiffany DeFeliceC5-5R/RFrCoral Springs, Florida
31Kristina HilberthUT5-6L/RJrDunedin, Florida
32Stephanie BrombacherRHP/1B5-10R/RFrPembroke Pines, Florida
33Brittany HandyOF5-10R/RJrGainesville, Florida
42Stacey NelsonRHP5-10R/RJrLos Alamitos, California

Coaching staff

Head coach: Tim Walton (3rd season)
Assistant Coaches: Jennifer Rocha (3rd season), Jenny Gladding (2nd season)
Athletic Trainer: Scott Schenker
Student Trainer: Arielle Gavdosh
Strength & Conditioning Coordinator: Steven Orris
Academic Counselor: Tony Meacham
Staff Assistant: Brittany Souilliard
Managers: Crystal Sleeman and Kip Collins

See also

Notes and References

  1. https://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-softbl/division_i3.html NFCA Poll
  2. https://www.ncaa.com/sports/w-softbl/division_i2.html USA Softball Poll
  3. Web site: Florida Softball Roster . 2009-02-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081013015946/http://www.gatorzone.com/softball/bios.php?year=2008 . 2008-10-13 . dead .