25 Cheers for 25 Years: Florida Softball Goes Back to Back

Florida celebrates its 4-1 win over Michigan at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, OK. KT King/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

In June 2015, the Florida Gators softball team went back-to-back.

Under head coach Tim Walton, the Gators repeated as Women’s College World Series champions, defeating Michigan in a competitive, three-game series that showed the team’s depth and top stars.

Florida jumped all over Michigan early in Game 3, scoring three runs in the first inning.

Senior Lauren Haeger, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, set the tone on both sides. She pitched a complete game, holding the Wolverines to five hits and a one run, and opened the scoring herself with a first-inning RBI single.

First baseman Taylor Schwarz then knocked in two more with a clutch two-out hit, and it was 3-0 in the bottom of the first.

Kelsey Stewart added an RBI double in the second to push the lead to 4-0. Michigan got across a run in the fifth, but Haeger shut the door. The Gators ended up as back to back champs, showing the college softball world what the gold standard is.

Haeger was named Most Outstanding Player of the WCWS, and even Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins tipped her cap, saying, “She was on fire… very deserving of the award.”

Haeger had delivered all season as a dominant two-way player, but her impact went beyond stats.

After the game, she said, “I just want everyone to know me as a person more than a softball player. And that when you work hard, good things happen for you.”

Florida’s title run wasn’t just about Haeger, either. Stewart was electric all season. Aubree Munro’s defense behind the plate was rock-solid.

Taylore Fuller also delivered a big two-run single in Game 3, and freshman Nicole DeWitt’s bunt helped spark the first-inning rally. In the circle, Delanie Gourley and Aleshia Ocasio played crucial roles throughout the tournament, including posting a combined shutout in Game 1.

This was a complete team with an elite coach in Tim Walton. When asked about going back-to-back, Walton admitted the second time felt different.

“It was kind of an interesting thing. I don’t know if it was a relief… This time was a little bit different emotion.” He said he was proud of how his team handled the pressure — staying focused, playing with class, and finishing what they started.

Only two other programs had won consecutive national titles before Florida did it in 2014 and 2015. It was a remarkable achievement for a deserving program.

For seniors like Haeger and Schwarz, it was the perfect ending. They had come close earlier in their careers — national runners-up in 2011 — but they left Gainesville with not one, but two titles.

In Haeger’s words: “When you work hard, good things happen for you.” For the Gators, those good things were multiple national titles and a place in Florida sports history.