2016 SOFTBALL REVIEW The Gators miniscule .156 batting average against (412.1 Record: 56-7 Overall, 20-4 SEC Team Highlights IP) was the top b/avg. for a single season in UF history Won the program’s sixth SEC Championship by Florida’s .984 fielding percentage in 2016 is the best mark going 20-4 in league play NCAA Finish: T-9th in school history, eclipsing the .981 mark set in 2015 Picked up the No. 1 National Seed in the 2016 The Gators committed just 27 errors (UF record), which is NCAA Tournament, UF’s eighth-straight top-five six fewer than any previous squad SEC Finish: 1st national seed Delanie Gourley (19-4, 224 K), Kelly Barnhill (15-1, 167 K) Received an NCAA Tournament bid for the 17th time and Aleshia Ocasio (22-2, 147 K) are the first trio in UF SEC Tournament Finish: T-3rd in school history and hosted NCAA Regionals at history to win at least 15 games each and record 125+ KSP Stadium for the 11th straight season, including strikeouts in a single season each year under Tim Walton All-Americans: 4 – Delanie Gourley, Aleshia Ocasio (0.77) and Gourley (0.80) ended the season with Ocasio (first team); Kayli Kvistad (second team); Finished the year with a 56-7 overall record but the No. 2 and No. 3 ERAs in the country and Barnhill was Amanda Lorenz (third team) opened its season with a 33-1 mark, which was the 11th with a 1.36 earned run average best start to a season in school history Historically, UF joined its own 2009 squad and South Recorded Florida’s eighth 50-win season. NFCA All-Southeast Region: 7 – Delanie Carolina’s 1997 team as the only SEC teams to ever Following a 6-3 win over Auburn on March 12, head finish a season with two pitchers in the top-five Gourley, Kayli Kvistad, Amanda Lorenz, Aubree coach Tim Walton became the 39th coach in Munro, Aleshia Ocasio (first team); Nicole DeWitt, nationally in ERA. collegiate history to win at least 700 games in his UF’s strikeout total (538) ranks second all-time in program Kelly Barnhill (third team) career history for a single season Boasted seven NFCA All-Southeast Region Team Florida’s opponents only attempted to steal 11 bases NFCA Freshman of the Year: Amanda Lorenz members: Delanie Gourley, Kayli Kvistad, Amanda against Aubree Munro and UF’s catchers in 2016. That SEC Freshman of the Year: Amanda Lorenz Lorenz, Aubree Munro, Aleshia Ocasio (first team); mark shattered Florida’s school record of 25 attempts by Kelly Barnhill, Nicole DeWitt (third team) opponents that was set in 2015. In addition, UF’s stolen- Delanie Gourley, Aleshia Ocasio (first team), Kayli All-SEC: 6 – Delanie Gourley, Kayli Kvistad, base-against percentage of 45% (5-11) was the lowest in Kvistad (second team) and Amanda Lorenz (third school history. UF’s 2003 team previously held the top Amanda Lorenz, Aleshia Ocasio (first team); Kirsti team) went on to earn All-America honors, bringing Merritt, Aubree Munro (second team) mark as they allowed just 51.7% (31-60) of runners to steal the tally to 18 athletes with 23 honors under Tim a base safely Walton, as the Gators have had at least one All- Amanda Lorenz (.528), Nicole DeWitt (.514) and Kayli Freshman All-SEC: 2 – Kelly Barnhill, Amanda American each of the last nine years, including a Kvistad (.500) became the first trio in school history to all Lorenz first-team selection for eight straight seasons have at least a .500 OBP or higher in a single season Kvistad was named a first team member of the 2016 Prior to the season, senior catcher Aubree Munro, senior SEC All-Defensive: 1 – Aubree Munro (C) CoSIDA Academic All-America team infielder Kelsey Stewart, freshman pitcher Kelly Barnhill The Lake City, Fla. native is a communication and Gator Great Michelle Moultrie were selected to play for sciences & disorders major and carries a 3.65 the USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) during its SEC All-Tournament: 2 – Nicole DeWitt, Kelsey grade point average Stewart 2016 campaign Kvistad became the ninth UF softball player to In addition, junior Delanie Gourley, sophomore earn Academic All-America honors and first Nicole DeWitt and freshman Amanda Lorenz were CoSIDA Academic All-American: Kayli Kvistad since Michelle Moultrie in 2012 all selected or invited to play for the U.S. Women’s (first team) Lorenz was named the NFCA Freshman of the Year Elite Team Although the award is only been in existence Walton completes the 2016 campaign with a 608-128 SEC Academic Honor Roll: 8 – Taylore Fuller, for three seasons, Lorenz is the first Gator to (.826) record at UF and boasts a 731-192 (.792) career Chelsea Herndon, Kayli Kvistad, Justine McLean, receive this award record as a head coach. Walton is 67-25 (.728) in the Kirsti Merritt, Aubree Munro, Taylor Schwarz, Her classmate Kelly Barnhill was also a top NCAA Tournament as a head coach, while the Florida three finalist for the honor Janell Wheaton program moved to 35-18 (.660) in NCAA Regional play, 15- Ocasio was a top three finalist for the 2016 USA 5 (.750) in Super Regional play and remains 22-12 (.647) Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year in WCWS action SEC First-Year Honor Roll: 6 – Kelly Barnhill, Award, which is considered the most prestigious After being named the 2015 NFCA Assistant Coach of the Amanda Lorenz, Lily Mann, Sophia Reynoso, honor in Division I women’s softball Year, Florida assistant coach Jennifer Rocha was named Theresa Swertfager, Alex Voss Gourley was a top 10 finalist for the award the new head coach of the National Pro Fastpitch League’s UF had six All-SEC selections and two SEC All- Dallas Charge for the 2016 season by General Manager Letterwinners Returning/Lost for 2016 season: Freshman Team members Kevin Shelton 14/6 Lorenz became the second Gator to be named SEC Seniors Taylore Fuller, Kirsti Merritt, Aubree Munro and Freshman of the Year, and the first since Mandy Kelsey Stewart were all selected during the 2016 National Schuerman in 2002. In addition, the Moorpark, Calif. Departing Players (all seniors): Taylore Fuller, Pro Fastpitch (NPF) College Senior Draft on April 14. Fuller native was the first rookie in school history to be was chosen by the Scrap Yard Dawgs, while Munro, Merritt Kirsti Merritt, Aubree Munro, Taylor Schwarz, voted as a First Team All-SEC performer and Stewart went to the USSSA Pride Kelsey Stewart UF finished the season ranked No. 8 in the polls, No. Florida's senior class of Taylore Fuller, Kirsti Merritt, 1 in the NCAA RPI and Florida had the eighth- Aubree Munro, Taylor Schwarz and Kelsey Stewart cap Newcomers: 4 - Katie Chronister, Jaimie Hoover, toughest schedule in the NCAA their careers as the second-winningest class in program Jordan Roberts, Jacquelyn Switzer Florida had six crowds over 2,000 fans at Katie history (229-35; .867) Seashole Pressly Stadium in 2016. That is the most in program history as UF’s 2009 season held the previous record with three. Individual Highlights LSU, FSU and Ole Miss all set program attendance Delanie Gourley records when the Gators came to play in their park. Honors: The Gators sported the best fielding percentage . USA Softball Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist (.984) and earned run average (0.93) in the nation . First Team All-American Florida’s pitching staff allowed the second-fewest runs (68) in a single season in school history . First Team All-Southeast Region UF’s 2009 squad was one tally better as that . First Team All-SEC Florida, picked in the preseason to win the SEC, squad allowed just 67 runs in 68 games . SEC Pitcher of the Week once (4/25) won its second-straight SEC crown for the first UF’s astounding 0.93 team ERA (412.1 IP) went time since the Gators went back-to-back in 2008 . USA Softball National Player of the Week once down as the third-best ERA for a single season in (4/19) and 2009. program history . Finished the season with a 19-4 record with a team-high 224 strikeouts in 157.2 innings pitched Amanda Lorenz . Among the conference’s best in ERA (second, 0.80), 2016 Schedule & Results victories (T-11th, 19), strikeouts (third, 224), saves (T-4th, . Honors: 5) and opposing batting average (second, .141) Record: 56-7 . First Team All-American Home: 30-4 Away: 13-2 Neutral: 13-1 SEC: 20-4 Her ERA ranks third in the country behind her . First Team All-Southeast Region Date Opponent Result teammate, Aleshia Ocasio (0.77) and FAU’s Kaylee . NFCA Freshman of the Year FEBRUARY Hanson USF Wilson-DeMarini Tournament (Tampa, Fla.) . In addition, her earned run average goes . SEC Freshman of the Year 12 Fri vs. Illinois State W, 11-0 (5) down as the fifth-best in a single season in . First Team All-SEC 13 Sat vs. No. 2 Michigan W, 8-0 (5) program history . SEC All-Freshman Team 14 Sun vs. Virginia Tech W, 8-0 (6) at USF W, 11-1 (5) . Her opponents’ batting average against (.141) is the . Named SEC Freshman of the Week once second-best mark in a single season in UF lore (3/28) 17 Wed vs. JACKSONVILLE W, 6-0 . Recorded her second no hitter of the season and third of . Among SEC leaders in hitting (.403, ninth), OBP W, 10-0 (5) her career against Mississippi State in late April (.528, sixth), runs scored (56, T-12th), hits (73, Diamond 9 Tournament (Orlando, Fla.) .