TRAVELING TOWARD SUCCESS - Florida Time Line

June 13, 1995 The Athletic Association Board of Directors, acting on a recommendation from President Dr. John Lombardi, approved the addition of women's softball to Florida's intercollegiate athletic program.

September 4, 1995 Larry Ray, top assistant at perennial national power Arizona the past 10 seasons, was the University of Florida's selection as head coach of the inaugural Gator softball team, Athletic Director Jeremy Foley announced.

November 8, 1995 Lora Pinkerton signed a national letter-of-intent to attend the University of Florida, becoming the first signee for the Gators.

February 1, 1996 Ground was broken on the construction of the new softball facility, located at the corner of Hull and Museum Roads.

September 30, 1996 The Gators held their first day of fall practice on the field at the new stadium.

November 2, 1996 Florida hosted the Gator Fall Softball Tournament, where they defeat Florida Community College at Jacksonville, 4-0, in its first-ever competition, held at the Southwest Recreation Center Fields on the UF campus.

January 26, 1997 The Gators had their first practice of the spring season at the UAA Softball Complex.

February 8, 1997 Florida played its inaugural doubleheader, defeating Stetson in both games. The first pitch was thrown by UF’s Chelsey Sakizzie to Stetson’s Bryttnee Roberts at 4:01:13 p.m. ET. Roberts fouled off the pitch and Sakizzie went on to strike out the side. The following are the list of firsts for the UF softball team:

• First SEC by UF player Amy Criswell at 4:12 p.m. ET. Criswell singled down left field line off Stetson's Jean Bonnici in the first inning. • First SEC scored by UF's Amy Criswell at 4:19:13 p.m. ET. Criswell scored from first on a throwing error by Stetson's 3B Traci Brown on a bunt by UF's Trisha Ward. • First SEC extra base hit at 4:24 p.m. ET by UF player Kristin Sandler. Sandler doubled to left center in first. • End of first inning UF vs. Stetson at 4:26 p.m. ET. • First hit allowed by UF vs. Stetson at 4:29 p.m. ET. Julie Wagner connected with one of Chelsey Sakizzie's pitches, the only hit Sakizzie allowed in the game. • First RBI by UF's Kristin Sandler who doubled home Nicole Kreipl. • First by UF's Lora Pinkerton who stole second after reaching first on a single to center. • First win by UF, 8-0, vs. Stetson at 5:29 p.m. ET. The game lasted 1:28 and 2,388 people attended the game.

February 14, 1997 Florida’s 4-3 eight-inning loss to Northwestern in Gainesville marked the first time an SEC team played an extra-inning game. February 15, 1997 Florida then defeated Florida Atlantic, 1-0, in eight innings for the league’s first extra-innings win.

February 15, 1997 Jennifer Cordero hit UF's first at UF Softball stadium against Loyola (Ill.). It was an inside-the-park homer.

February 19, 1997 The Gators beat No. 17 Florida State in the first game of a doubleheader for their first win over a ranked team.

March 5, 1997 Florida and Arkansas squared off in the first SEC softball game as the Gators earned the first- ever SEC win with a 2-1, nine-inning victory over the Razorbacks. Chelsey Sakizzie recorded the first pitch, a strike, to Augrista Belford at 6:01:10 p.m. ET and went on to strike Belford out. The following is a list of SEC softball firsts:

• First hit in a SEC game by Arkansas's Gretchen Thompson • First extra base hit (a ) in a SEC game by Arkansas's Gretchen Thompson • First run in a SEC game by Arkansas's Brett Erickson • First RBI in a SEC game by Arkansas's Tammy Kincaid, who singled home Brett Erickson • First stolen base in a SEC game by UF's Trisha Ward, who stole second in the fifth inning • First win in a SEC game at 8:20 p.m. ET; the game lasted 2:20 and 713 people attended. • First extra-inning SEC game

March 11, 1997 Tennessee’s Jackie Beavers hurled a three-hit, 1-0 shutout against Florida for the league’s first-ever shutout victory.

March 15, 1997 South Carolina’s Trinity Johnson recorded the SEC’s first no-hitter in a 5-0 victory against the Gators.

May 9, 1997 Florida and Alabama faced each other in the first SEC Tournament game in the league’s history. Alabama’s Christy Caccavo threw the first pitch, a ball, to Florida’s Amy Criswell. The first hit of the augural tournament was a home run by the Crimson Tide’s Kierstin Arntsen off UF’s Chrlsey Sakizzie in the first inning.

March 7, 1998 Chelsey Sakizzie threw UF's first perfect game against Iowa State in the Speedline Invitational, striking out 10 batters in nine innings to capture a 1-0 victory.

March 17, 1998 The Gators entered the USA Today/NCFA Coaches Top-25 Poll for the first time, appearing at the No. 25 position. Chelsey Sakizzie was the first UF player to be named SEC of the Week. She went on to earn that honor twice again the same season.

March 28, 1998 Emily Marino hit Florida’s first out-of-the-park home run at the UF Softball stadium in the last game of the Tennessee series, securing a 5-3 Gator victory. May 3, 1998 UF captured its first SEC regular-season title. The Gators entered the stretch in second place in the SEC standings with a 19-5 overall SEC record, as No. 10 LSU held the top position with a league record of 22-3. Thanks to a combination of Florida's four-game sweep over SEC East Division rival Georgia and Alabama taking three-of-four games from LSU the same weekend, the Gators moved to the top of the SEC regular-season standings.

May 5, 1998 The Gators, boasting a 47-20 overall and 23-5 SEC record, received their first berth into the NCAA tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Region 6 bracket. The Gators fell to host team South Florida, 1-0, and Arizona State, 1-0.

May 6, 1998 Chelsey Sakizzie became Florida’s first SEC Softball Player of the Year and Coach Larry Ray was named SEC Softball Coach of the Year.

Jan. 27, 1999 The Gators opened their spring season as a ranked team for the first time as they were voted No. 20 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll.

Feb. 12, 1999 UF opened against a ranked team for the first time with No. 11 DePaul. The Gators won 3-2, as junior Beth Dieter earned the win to become the first Gator walkon to earn the No. 1 pitching spot.

April 11, 1999 Nicole Kreipl became the first Gator to have her name in the NCAA record book as she tied for first with three doubles in a single game in a 9-1 victory over Florida A&M.

March 9, 1999 A four-game South Carolina series marked the first time UF opened conference play against a ranked opponent, it was also the first time UF began SEC action against the Gamecocks. The Gators captured the first SEC victory of any league team this season with a 4-3 come-from- behind victory over No. 13 South Carolina in Gainesville.

Feb. 11, 2000 Coach Larry Ray coached his 200th game in his fourth year at the helm of the Gator program. UF won 3-2 in eight innings against Stetson.

April 28, 2000 The Gators set the UF home wins record with their 24th triumph against No. 21 Mississippi State. UF finished the season 28-7 at the Florida Softball Stadium.

May 9, 2000 Seniors Jennifer Cordero, Beth Dieter, Jennifer Lutsi and Lora Pinkerton, and juniors Ashley Boone and Emily Marino, and sophomore Andrea Zimbardi were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll, setting a school record of seven student-athletes.

May 14, 2000 Jennifer Mossadeghi was the first UF freshman to be named to the SEC All-Tournament Team. She set a league tournament single-game record with two doubles against Arkansas the day before.

May 19, 2000 Florida recorded its first run in an NCAA Tournament game to earn its first post-season win. The Gators upset No. 1 seed and No. 6 ranked Fresno State, 1-0. June 16, 2001 Karen Johns was named the second coach of the UF softball program.

Aug. 18, 2001 Construction on the locker room facility began. The building housed a locker room, shower area, equipment room and team meeting area. It was completed for the start of the 2001 season. Jim McGinley of Alachua, Fla., was the architect, and Burns Brothers Inc. of Gainesville, Fla., was the contractor.

February 18, 2002 The Gators defeated North Carolina, 10-0, in their season opener at the Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium. In the third game of the GRU Classic, freshmen Amanda Knowles and Brittani Houghton combined for the first opening-day no hitter and the first combined no hitter by two freshmen in the program's history.

October 21, 2002 Five members of the team were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Academic All-Americans. Sophomore Nikki Baldwin, junior Jenilee Garner, senior Andrea Zimbardi and freshman Jessica Franklin earned the honor for the first time in their careers. Senior Jennifer Brown earned the honor for the second time in her career.

April 18, 2003 Junior right-handed pitcher Jenny Gladding pitched the third no-hitter of her career and hit a home run to lead Florida to its first of two shutout wins against Tennessee in Gainesville, Fla. Days later she became the first player program history to be recognized for as a national player of the week as she was named USA Softball National Player of the Week.

April 27, 2003 The Gators broke the school record for stolen bases in a game with 12 as they defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs, 6-1, in Gainesville, Fla.

February 21, 2004 The Florida softball team recorded its 11th straight win with an 8-2 win over Houston in Houston, Texas. With the win, the Gators set a new school record with an 11-game winning streak. The previous record was nine games set in 2001.

March 11, 2004 The team recorded the program’s 300th win with a 9-4 victory over Michigan State in Fullerton, Calif.

March 24, 2004 Florida wrapped up a series win against Alabama with a 5-1 victory in Tuscaloosa, Ala., winning the first series over the Crimson Tide since the 1997 season.

May 7, 2005 The No. 23 Florida Softball team ensured the sixth 40-win season in the nine-year history of the program with a doubleheader sweep of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky.

June 21, 2005 Tim Walton was hired as Florida’s third head softball coach.

May 6, 2006 Florida recorded its 400th win with a doubleheader sweep of South Carolina at the Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium.

May 20, 2007 UF advanced to its first-ever NCAA Super Regional with a 3-0 win over Texas in Gainesville, Fla.

April 16, 2008 Florida tallied its 500th program win in a doubleheader sweep of instate-rival Florida State with 6-1 and 14-4 wins.

May 10, 2008 The team won its first-ever SEC Tournament title after defeating Alabama, 4-1, in Baton Rouge, La., on a by senior Mary Ratliff.

May 18, 2008 Florida fell to UCF, 1-0, in eight innings in the NCAA Regional action, bringing its 37-game win streak to a halt. The Gators set the longest winning streak and the longest home win streak of 41 games in program history.

May 24, 2008 The top-seeded University of Florida softball team made its first-ever trip to Oklahoma City, Okla., for the Women’s College World Series after defeating California in the Super Regionals in Gainesville, Fla., hosting the NCAA event for the first time.

May 28, 2008 Five softball players earn NFCA/Louisville Slugger All-America honors, the most in a single season the program’s history. Juniors Stacey Nelson and Ali Gardiner, were named to the first team, freshman Aja Paculba and sophomore Francesca Enea, earned second-team honors and junior Kim Waleszonia was named to the third team.

June 2, 2008 Florida became the first team in NCAA history to record 70 wins in a season with a 70-5 record. Each of Florida’s losses were by only one run, four of them 1-0 losses, and opponents only scored seven runs against the Gators in their defeats.

January 27, 2009 For the first time in the history of the program, the Gators open the season with the No. 1 overall ranking in the ESPN.com/USA Softball and USA Today/NCFA preseason polls.

April 4, 2009 Head Coach Tim Walton tallied his 200th win as the head coach of the in only his fourth season. He became the first UF coach to reach the 200-victory mark.

April 18, 2009 With two shutout victories over LSU in Baton Rouge, the Gators clinched their second SEC regular-season title as head coach Tim Walton recorded his first two wins over the Tigers in their home stadium.

May 6, 2009 A record seven Gators earned All-SEC honors, including senior Stacey Nelson taking home her second SEC Pitcher of the Year award and first-team honors. Also on the first team were sophomores Aja Paculba and Kelsey Bruder while senior Ali Gardiner, junior Francesca Enea and sophomore and Megan Bush were on the third team. Tim Walton earned his second SEC Coach of the Year award.

May 9, 2009 Top-seeded University of Florida defeats Alabama for the second year in a row to win the SEC Tournament.

May 26, 2009 Senior Stacey Nelson became the first Florida student-athlete in any sport to earn the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages those leaders to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact.

May 27, 2009 Five softball players earn NFCA/Louisville Slugger All-America honors. Senior Stacey Nelson was named to the first team while sophomores Stephanie Brombacher Kelsey Bruder and Aja Paculba and junior Francesca Enea were named to the second team.

Nelson led a group of four players named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans by CoSIDA, the most in a single year in the program’s history. Nelson earned the Gators’ first- ever Academic All-American of the Year, along with first-team honors with fellow senior Kristina Hilberth. Senior Ali Gardiner and Brombacher garnered third-team honors.

May 31, 2009 The Gator softball team advances to its first Women’s College World Series championship series by defeating the Alabama on a walk-off grand slam by senior Ali Gardiner. With 86 home runs on the season, the Gators set a new SEC single-season record. They also recorded the most walks ever in the league with 274.

June 15, 2009 Recent senior Stacey Nelson was named to the USA Softball Women’s National Team and the USA Softball Japan Cup Team, becoming the first UF player to earn a spot on the national team.

October 5, 2009 Florida ranked fifth in the nation with a 3.49 team GPA, marking the highest ranking in program history and the first time the Gators cracked the top 10. UF was the highest ranking team that made the 2009 tournament. Earlier in the year, the Gators named a school-record 14 players to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

November 13, 2009 The Gators partner with the Friends of Jaclyn non-profit organization to add 13-year-old Heather Braswell as a teammate. Heather joined the Gator Softball family after she was diagnosed with medulloblastoma in early 2008. The Apopka, Fla., native spent more than four years with the Orange and Blue before she passed away on March 25, 2014.

March 5, 2010 UF chalked up its 600th all-time win in a 12-3 victory over Pacific.

May 26, 2010 Stephanie Brombacher and Kelsey Bruder earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors from CoSIDA.

June 2, 2010 Stephanie Brombacher and Francesca Enea were named All-Americans by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and Louisville Slugger.

August 29, 2010 Francesca Enea and Tim Walton win the championship with the USSSA Florida Pride. The Pride defeat the two games to one in the best-of-three championship series in Sulphur, La.

Feb. 11, 2011 Tim Walton earns his 400th career win as a head coach when the Gators defeat Florida Gulf Coast, 6-0, in the second game of a season-opening doubleheader at the USF Wilson-DeMarini Tournament in Clearwater, Fla.

March 30, 2011 A trio of Gators are selected in the National Pro Fastpitch draft – Kelsey Bruder (USSSA Pride), Megan Bush (Akron Racers) and Aja Paculba (NPF Diamonds).

May 11, 2011 Kelsey Bruder is named SEC Player of the Year and Tim Walton earns SEC Co-Coach of the Year honors, headlining a crop of 11 conference awards for a group of seven Gators. Florida places three players on the All-SEC First Team, three on the All-SEC Second Team, two on the Freshman All-SEC Team and two on the SEC All-Defensive Team.

May 26, 2011 Stephanie Brombacher earns Capital One Academic All-America honors for the third time, leading a quartet of Gators who earn the highest recognition for academic excellence in college softball. Joining Brombacher on the team are fellow Gators Kelsey Bruder, Megan Bush and .

June 2, 2011 Florida lands a national-best and program-high six players on the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All- America teams. Kelsey Bruder, Megan Bush and Brittany Schutte earn spots on the First Team, while is a Second Team selection and Michelle Moultrie and Aja Paculba are named to the Third Team.

June 5, 2011 The Gators advance to the WCWS championship series for the second time in program history following a doubleheader sweep of SEC rival Alabama. The squad sets single-season school records in five major offensive categories.

June 14, 2011 Kelsey Bruder wins the 2011 , presented to the nation’s top collegiate female athlete in softball. The honor is based on the results of national voting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards.

June 29, 2011 The NFCA names UF coaches Tim Walton, Jennifer Rocha, Jenny Gladding and Coy Adkins as the Southeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year. It marks the fourth time in a five-year span that Florida has won the Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honor.

October 23, 2011 Gator outfielder Michelle Moultrie strikes gold with the United States national team at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Red, White and Blue defeated Canada 11-1 in the gold-medal game to earn its eight Pan-Am Games title.

December 18, 2011 Florida’s gold-medal tally for the year rises to four as Cheyenne Coyle, Jessica Damico and win the ISF IX Junior Women’s World Championship crown with Team USA in Cape Town, South Africa. Haeger earned the win for the Eagles in the championship game in a 4-1 victory over Japan.

January 13, 2012 Kelsey Bruder wins the NCAA Top VIII Award, which recognizes eight student-athletes from around the country for their success on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

January 23, 2012 Bruder adds to her awards haul when she is one of two recipients of the 2011 Ben Hill Griffin Award, presented each year to the top male and female student-athletes at the University of Florida.

February 18, 2012 Florida earns the 700th win in program annals with an 11-1, five-inning decision over Michigan State at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

March 19, 2012 Gator outfielder Michelle Moultrie is drafted by the USSSA Florida Pride of National Pro Fastpitch in the fourth round of the 2012 NPF Draft.

May 9, 2012 Moultrie is named SEC Player of the Year, leading a group of seven Gators who are selected to All-SEC squads. In addition to Moultrie, Florida sees conference honors for Kelsey Horton and Hannah Rogers (Second Team All-SEC) and Alyssa Bache, Jessica Damico, Sami Fagan and Lauren Haeger (Freshman All-SEC). Rogers and Moultrie additionally are named to the SEC All-Defensive Team.

May 29, 2012 Moultrie and Kelsey Horton are named Capital One Academic All-Americans, as selected by CoSIDA. The duo earn the 20th and 21st Academic All-America honors by Florida players during Tim Walton’s tenure in Gainesville.

May 30, 2012 Moultrie and Hannah Rogers garner NFCA All-America honors, with the senior outfielder landing on the First Team and the sophomore pitcher earning a Second-Team selection.

June 14, 2012 UF earns public recognition from the NCAA as one of 30 schools in the country to post multiple-year Academic Progress Rate scores in the top-10 percent of all softball teams in the country.

March 27, 2013 Briana Little hits a walkoff grand slam over the left-field scoreboard as Florida defeats in-state rival Florida State 7-3 (8 innings) before a facility-record crowd of 2,443 fans at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

May 7, 2013 Tim Walton is named SEC Coach of the Year for the fourth time. In addition, UF lands two players each on the league’s First-Team (Lauren Haeger and Hannah Rogers), Second-Team (Kelsey Horton and Kelsey Stewart) and Freshman (Stewart and Kirsti Merritt) squads.

May 12, 2013 Florida defeats Missouri, 10-4, in Lexington, Ky., to capture its third SEC Tournament title. The Gators earn their third sweep of the league’s regular-season and tournament crowns (also: 2008, 2009).

May 29, 2013 Lauren Haeger and Hannah Rogers are named First Team All-Americans by the NFCA.

June 1, 2013 UF earns a 9-8 (15 innings) win over Nebraska in a WCWS elimination game in Oklahoma City. The contest marks the longest WCWS game in 19 years and the longest game in school history.

June 5, 2013 For the second straight year, the NCAA tabs Florida for public recognition as the Gators post multiple-year Academic Progress Rates in the top-10 percent of all softball teams nationwide.

July 25, 2013 Kelsey Horton is one of 29 female student-athletes selected for the NCAA’s spring sports postgraduate scholarship. To qualify, student-athletes must excel academically and athletically, be in their final year of eligibility and plan to pursue graduate study. Candidates must also maintain at least a 3.2 grade-point average and be nominated by their institution’s faculty athletics representative.

May 6, 2014 Five Gators earn All-SEC accolades, led by Kelsey Stewart’s First-Team honor. In addition, Hannah Rogers and Stephanie Tofft are named to the Second Team, while Justine McLean is an SEC All-Freshman Team selection. Finally, Rogers, Stewart, Tofft and Taylor Schwarz are named to the league’s All-Defensive Team.

May 7, 2014 Florida earns public recognition from the NCAA for posting an Academic Progress Rate that ranks in the top 10 percent of all Division I softball teams. The Gators are one of three UF teams (also: men’s and women’s basketball) and one of two SEC softball teams tabbed by the NCAA.

May 16, 2014 no-hits Florida A&M in the Gators’ 8-0 (5 innings) win over Florida A&M to open NCAA Regional play. The “no-no” is UF’s first postseason no-hitter.

May 28, 2014 Kelsey Stewart (First Team) and Hannah Rogers (Third Team) earn All-America honors from the NFCA. Rogers becomes Gator Softball’s first four-time All-American.

June 1, 2014 UF defeats Baylor, 6-3, to advance to the WCWS championship series for the third time in school history.

June 3, 2014 The Gators top the Crimson Tide, 6-3, to capture the program’s first national championship. Hannah Rogers is named Most Outstanding Player of the WCWS, while Bailey Castro, Kirsti Merritt, Aubree Munro and Kelsey Stewart join the senior on the All-Tournament Team.

June 4, 2014 The national champions return home and celebrate their title with their home fans at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

July 1, 2014 Hannah Rogers is selected as the 2014 Female Athlete of the Year, becoming the first Gator Softball player to earn this accolade and earning Florida’s 10th league Athlete of the Year.

October 11, 2014 Stacey Nelson and Hannah Rogers perform the “Two Bits” routine before the Florida-LSU football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The Gator pitchers are the first females to serve as the Honorary Two Bits.

January 20, 2015 Coming off the program’s first national championship, UF began the 2015 campaign ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Polls.

March 13, 2015 The Orange and Blue improved to 28-0 on the season after a series opening win against LSU, extending their school record.

April 11, 2015 Florida defeated Kentucky, 1-0, on April 11 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in front of the largest home crowd in program history (2,488).

April 18, 2015 Lauren Haeger set the Gator and Southeastern Conference career home run records (66) as the No. 2-ranked University of Florida softball team clinched its fifth consecutive SEC series victory on Saturday with 8-4 and 4-3 victories against No. 11 Georgia at Jack Turner Stadium.

May 3, 2015 Following Auburn’s loss at LSU, Florida secured its fifth Southeastern Conference regular- season championship. Florida (49-5, 18-5 SEC) finished league play a half-game ahead of Auburn (46-9, 18-6).

May 5, 2015 SEC Player of the Year Kelsey Stewart and SEC Pitcher of the Year Lauren Haeger led a group of six Florida Softball players to receive All-SEC accolades. The awards were voted on by the conference’s 13 head coaches and announced Tuesday by the league office. Junior Kirsti Merritt joined Haeger and Stewart as First Team All-SEC selections, while infielder Nicole DeWitt and utility player Aleshia Ocasio earned spots on the Freshman All-SEC team. Florida is the top fielding team in the country according to the latest NCAA statistics, and Stewart and double-play partner Kathlyn Medina represent the Gators on the SEC All-Defensive team.

May 7, 2015 Kelsey Stewart had four hits on the day at South Carolina, bringing her career total to 280 to set the Florida program record.

May 26, 2015 Lauren Haeger was named the 2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year. She became the first Gator to receive the award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women’s softball.

May 30, 2015 Lauren Haeger (70 homers, 71 wins) joins Babe Ruth (714 homers, 94 wins) as the only two people to ever accrue at least 70 career victories on the mound or in the circle and mash 70 career home runs.

May 31, 2015 UF defeats Auburn, 3-2, to advance to the WCWS championship series for the fourth time in school history.

June 3, 2015 The Gators top the Michigan Wolverines, 4-1, to capture the program’s first national championship. Lauren Haeger was named Most Outstanding Player of the WCWS, while Nicole DeWitt, Aubree Munro and Kelsey Stewart joined the senior on the All-Tournament Team.

June 4, 2015 The national champions return home and celebrate their title with their home fans at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

June 10, 2015 Lauren Haeger was the 2015 softball recipient of the Honda Sports Award, designating the Peoria, Arizona, native as the nation’s best female athlete in the sport. The honor was based on the results of national balloting among all NCAA member schools as part of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards program.

June 24, 2015 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) were named the 2015 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year.

June 24, 2015 Lauren Haeger was up for two awards at the 2015 ESPYS, as she was nominated for Best Female College Athlete and Best Championship Performance.

July 9, 2015 Lauren Haeger was selected as the 2015 Southeastern Conference Female Athlete of the Year, becoming the second Gator Softball player to earn this accolade and earning Florida’s 11th league Athlete of the Year.

August 12, 2015 Head softball coach Tim Walton announced the addition of Sharonda McDonald as the Gators new assistant coach on Friday. McDonald, a former Texas A&M standout and National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) League All-Star joins Florida softball.

September 3, 2015 After helping the University of Florida softball program win its second consecutive national title, assistant coach Jennifer Rocha has been named the 2015 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Assistant Coach of the Year.

September 9, 2015 Tim Walton announced the addition of Doug Mirabelli as a Gators' volunteer assistant coach. Mirabelli, a two-time World Series Champion, was a fifth-round pick in the 1992 MLB Draft and spent 11 years in the Major Leagues, before retiring after the 2008 season. A three-time All- America catcher at Wichita State, Mirabelli is the only Shocker baseball player to earn three team Gold Glove Awards (1990-92), as he threw out 46 percent of all stolen base attempts.

October 5, 2015 The team visits Governor Rick Scott at the Florida Governor’s Mansion for lunch and to be recognized for winning its second-consecutive national championship. The team ended the day by going to the Capitol Building.

October 6, 2015 The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced that Kayli Kvistad, Aubree Munro, Taylor Schwarz, Becca Shipper and Janell Wheaton along with 5,489 other softball players across seven membership divisions earned NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors for the 2014-15 academic year.

October 16, 2015 The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced today a list of 43 initial invitees, including three current and two former Gators, for the 2016 USA Softball Women's National Team Selection Camp.

Kelly Barnhill, Nicole DeWitt, Lauren Haeger, Michelle Moultrie and Kelsey Stewart were among the five Gators invited.

November 5, 2015 The University of Florida softball program posted a 100 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) during the 2005-09 academic years, according to data released by the NCAA.

November 12, 2015 The University of Florida softball program, under the direction of four-time Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year Tim Walton, signed four future Gators – Katie Chronister, Jaimie Hoover, Jordan Roberts and Jacquelyn Switzer – to National Letters of Intent during the fall signing period.

November 18, 2015 Florida assistant coach Jennifer Rocha was announced as the new head coach of the National Pro Fastpitch League's Dallas Charge for the 2016 season by General Manager Kevin Shelton on Wednesday. January 8, 2016 University of Florida senior catcher Aubree Munro, senior infielder Kelsey Stewart, freshman pitcher Kelly Barnhill and Gator Great Michelle Moultrie will play for the USA Softball Women's National Team (WNT) during its 2016 campaign, the Amateur Softball Association of America announced on Friday. In addition, sophomore Nicole DeWitt was selected to play for the U.S. Women's Elite Team.

January 21, 2016 The defending SEC Champion Gators have been picked by a vote of the league's head coaches as the preseason favorite for 2016, announced by the conference office Thursday afternoon. Florida received 10 first-place votes from the SEC's 13 head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

January 26, 2016 Coming off the program's second straight national championship, the University of Florida softball team will open the 2016 season as the No. 1-ranked squad in the country, according to the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls.

The Gators received 26 first-place tallies (782 points) in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll and 17 first-place votes (495 points) in the ESPN.com Poll. Florida headlines the top five in each poll followed by Michigan, LSU, Auburn/Oregon and Alabama.

January 28, 2016 The Southeastern Conference has released its preseason All-SEC team and the University of Florida softball team is well-represented with seniors Kirsti Merritt, Aubree Munro and Kelsey Stewart all making the list. Stewart is making her third consecutive appearance on the preseason team, while Merritt and Munro are making their debut.

February 3, 2016 University of Florida seniors Aubree Munro and Kelsey Stewart were named to the Top 50 "Watch List" for the 2016 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, announced Wednesday by the Amateur Softball Association of America.

February 11, 2016 The University of Florida softball team began its 2016 season with an 11-0 (5 innings) win over Illinois State on Friday at the USF Wilson-DeMarini Tournament. Five UF players recorded a multi-RBI game, three Gators scored a pair of runs and two had two hits.

February 12, 2016 Behind three singles, three runs scored and one RBI from freshman Amanda Lorenz, No. 1 Florida blanked No. 2 Michigan, 8-0 (5 innings), on the second day of its season at the USF Wilson-DeMarini Tournament. This was the first time in the 18-game history of the UF-UM series that the Gators run-ruled the Wolverines.

February 17, 2016 The Florida pitching duo of Aleshia Ocasio and Kelly Barnhill combined for 16 and one hit allowed, as the No. 1-ranked Florida softball team swept Jacksonville in a doubleheader Wednesday evening. The Gators beat the Dolphins by scores of 6-0 and 10-0 in UF's home-opening games.

March 6, 2016 The University of Florida softball team defeated Illinois State, 11-1 (six innings), and Florida A&M, 4-1, on the final day of the 2016 Aquafina Invitational. Florida captured the Invitational title after posting a 5-0 record this weekend while outscoring its opponents, 44-5. The pitching tandem of Delanie Gourley and Kelly Barnhill combined for Florida single-game record 18 strikeouts against the Rattlers in the second game of Florida's doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. March 13, 2016 In a matchup of top-five squads, the No. 1-ranked University of Florida softball team defeated No. 3 Auburn, 6-3, on Saturday night in the first game of the Gators' Southeastern Conference schedule. Tonight's contest drew an AU season-high 2,059 fans. The win marked Florida Head Coach Tim Walton's 700th of his illustrious career. Kayli Kvistad hit a go-ahead three-run home run.

March 16, 2016 The No. 1 Florida softball team defeated Winthrop, 7-0, on Wednesday night at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Freshman Kelly Barnhill threw a two-hit shutout with three walks and a school-record high tying 18 strikeouts to run her record to 9-0 on the season. Barnhill's 18 strikeouts tied a UF single-game record that she and junior Delanie Gourley set a few weeks ago against Florida A&M.

March 21, 2016 After earning two wins and recording 27 strikeouts in 12.0 , Florida right- hander Kelly Barnhill garnered Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Week honors, the league office announced Monday. The accolade marks the first SEC weekly award of her career, and Florida's first weekly accolade this season.

March 26, 2016 Florida is now 33-1 on the season, which is the best start in school history. In addition, UF has now opened SEC play with three-straight series victories for the first time since 2013.

March 28, 2016 After earning two wins and one in 10 shutout innings last weekend at No. 7 LSU, Florida right-hander Aleshia Ocasio garnered Southeastern Conference (SEC) Pitcher of the Week honors, the league office announced Monday. The accolade marks her second-career SEC weekly award of her career. This was Florida's second weekly accolade this season.

April 2, 2016 Saturday’s game against Alabama marked the first official yellow game in memory of Heather Braswell & Ian Lockwood and to also raise awareness about pediatric cancer. Teri Braswell and Denise Lockwood threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Florida defeated Alabama 3-2.

April 13, 2016 University of Florida junior Delanie Gourley and sophomore Aleshia Ocasio were named Top 25 Finalists for the 2016 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, announced Wednesday by the Amateur Softball Association of America.

April 14, 2016 University of Florida softball seniors Taylore Fuller, Kirsti Merritt, Aubree Munro and Kelsey Stewart were all selected during the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) College Senior Draft on Thursday evening (April 14) at the CMA Theater in Nashville, located directly within the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Key Resort. Fuller was chosen by the Scrap Yard Dawgs, while Munro, Merritt and Stewart went to the USSSA Pride.

April 19, 2016 Following a pair of wins over then-No. 5 Louisiana-Lafayette this past weekend, University of Florida left-hander Delanie Gourley was selected as the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week on Tuesday. This is second national award of Gourley's career and Florida's first of the season. The southpaw last earned this award on March 3, 2015, after yielding a mere three hits over 11 innings in UF's shutouts of No. 2 Oregon and UC Davis.

April 21, 2016 University of Florida freshmen Kelly Barnhill and Amanda Lorenz were named Top 25 Finalists for the 2016 Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year, announced Thursday by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

May 5, 2016 Sophomore Kayli Kvistad has been named as to the 2016 Academic All-District team, announced on Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The Lake City, Fla. native is a communication sciences & disorders major and carries a 3.65 grade point average. A season ago, Kvistad was named an NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete.

May 6, 2016 Following Auburn's loss to Texas A&M on Friday night, the No. 1-ranked University of Florida softball team secured its sixth Southeastern Conference regular-season championship on Friday night. Florida (50-4/18-4 SEC), picked in the preseason to win the SEC, has won its second-straight SEC regular season crown for the first time since the Gators went back-to- back in 2008 and 2009.

May 9, 2016 After throwing Florida's fourth no hitter of the season and first of her career in Sunday's series finale against Arkansas, University of Florida right-hander Kelly Barnhill garnered Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Week honors, the league office announced Monday. The accolade marks the second SEC weekly award of her career, and Florida's fifth weekly accolade this season.

May 10, 2016 After Florida won its sixth Southeastern Conference Championship this past weekend, SEC Freshman of the Year Amanda Lorenz headlines a group of seven Gator Softball players to receive All-SEC accolades. • Lorenz becomes the second Gator to be named SEC Freshman of the Year, and the first since Mandy Schuerman in 2002. • In addition, the Moorpark, Calif. native is the first rookie in school history to be voted as a First Team All-SEC performer. • Junior Delanie Gourley (LHP) and sophomores Aleshia Ocasio (RHP) and Kayli Kvistad (DP/U) join Lorenz as First Team All-SEC selections. • Outfielder Kirsti Merritt and catcher Aubree Munro earned spots on the Second Team All-SEC. • Kelly Barnhill was named to the All-Freshman team. • Munro was UF's lone student-athlete named to the SEC All-Defensive team.

May 11, 2016 Florida senior catcher Aubree Munro was named on Wednesday to the SEC Softball Community Service Team, as announced by the league office. The conference has selected one student- athlete from each school to a Community Service Team for every SEC-sponsored sport since 2004.

May 15, 2016 The Southeastern Conference Champion Gators earned the No. 1 national seed in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, marking the fourth time in the program history that UF has been seeded first (also: 2008, 2009, 2015).

May 19,2016 Seven members of the University of Florida softball team earned NFCA All-Southeast Region recognition, announced Thursday by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The Gators' All-Region selections are: Aleshia Ocasio, Delanie Gourley, Aubree Munro, Amanda Lorenz, Kayli Kvistad (First Team); Kelly Barnhill and Nicole DeWitt (Third Team).

May 24, 2016 University of Florida junior pitcher Delanie Gourley and freshman Amanda Lorenz will play for the U.S. Women's Elite Team during its 2016 campaign, the Amateur Softball Association of America announced on Tuesday.

May 25, 2016 University of Florida sophomore Aleshia Ocasio is one of three finalists for the 2016 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, announced Wednesday by the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA). The other finalists are Auburn's Kasey Cooper and Michigan's .

May 26, 2016 Sophomore Kayli Kvistad has been named to the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America Division I Softball Team on Thursday, May 26. Kvistad earned first team honors, becoming the ninth UF softball player to earn Academic All-America honors and first since Michelle Moultrie in 2012.

May 31, 2016 University of Florida freshman Amanda Lorenz has been named the NFCA Freshman of the Year, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced Tuesday night at the NCAA Championship Banquet in Oklahoma City.

June 1, 2016 A national-high tying four University of Florida softball players appear on the 2016 NFCA All- America teams, announced by the organization on Wednesday afternoon. Florida is tied with Michigan for the most All-America selections in the country. • Two Gators were named to the All-America First Team ballot, including sophomore Aleshia Ocasio and junior Delanie Gourley. • In addition, sophomore Kayli Kvistad earned Second-Team honors. • Amanda Lorenz received Third-Team accolades.

June 29, 2016 Eight members of the Gator softball team were named to the 2016 Spring Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll released on Wednesday. Senior Taylore Fuller, junior Chelsea Herndon, sophomore Kayli Kvistad, junior Justine McLean, senior Kirsti Merritt, senior Aubree Munro, senior Taylor Schwarz and sophomore Janell Wheaton all were named to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll for the Orange and Blue.

July 7, 2016 Six freshmen from the Gator softball team were named to the 2016 Spring Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll released on Thursday.Rookies Kelly Barnhill, Amanda Lorenz, Lily Mann, Sophia Reynoso, Theresa Swertfager, Alex Voss all were named to the First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll for the Orange and Blue.

July 7, 2016 The Gators sported the best fielding percentage (.984) and average (0.93) in the nation at the end of the season.

September 16, 2016 The UAA Board of Directors was presented Friday with a proposal for a new capital improvement campaign that includes plans for a new stand-alone football complex, along with major renovations to the baseball and softball stadiums. The estimated cost of this next mega- wave of improvements figures to be close to $100 million, meaning the UAA will have committed to facilities upgrades of roughly $207 million since January 2015.

September 29, 2016 University of Florida head softball coach Tim Walton announced the appointment of Cody Dent as the program's volunteer assistant softball coach in September, 2016. Dent replaces Doug Mirabelli, who spent the 2015 season with the Gators.

November 4, 2016 The back-to-back Southeastern Conference champion Florida softball team and head coach Tim Walton have announced the 2017 schedule and that the Gator Ticket Office will be selling tickets for the 2017 season for the first time in school history.

November 9, 2016 The University of Florida softball program and head coach Tim Walton have announced the addition of six future Gators – Danielle Romanello, Hannah Adams, Haven Sampson, Jordan Matthews, Josie Page and Natalie Lugo – to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, Nov. 9.