It might be easy to assume that Florida softball, the No. 1 overall seed and defending national champions, should win another title the following year.
Heck, they lost just two starters from 2014 and are on a roll this postseason.
But to really understand how difficult a repeat is, you have to step into the cleats of someone who’s been there and done it.
Someone like Jennie Finch, the most famous softball player in history, according to TIME Magazine in 2008.
"Being ranked No. 1 and being the defending national champions, everyone’s gonna give [Florida] their best," Finch said. "The bull’s-eye is on their back."
As a three-time NFCA First-Team All-American and two-time Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year, Finch was the ace of Arizona’s pitching staff in her four years from 1999-2002.
Finch took the No. 1 overall-seeded Arizona Wildcats to the NCAA Women’s College World Series and won a national championship in 2001.
Finch finished that year with a perfect 32-0 record, an NCAA record for most wins in a season without a loss.
But 2002 was a different story for Finch and the Wildcats.
The No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Softball Tournament, Arizona went all the way to the national championship before California defeated them.
Arizona’s head coach at the time, Mike Candrea, has lead the program for the last 30 years and has won eight national championships — two of which followed a national championship year (1994 and 1997).
Finch said Candrea used to say that winning back-to-back titles was the hardest thing to do, despite having done it twice.
"He said it’s one thing to win it but to go back-to-back is extremely hard," Finch said.
This is Florida’s first opportunity to win back-to-back championships, and Finch thinks the Gators have what it takes to repeat.
"I think Florida has an edge because they’ve done it," Finch said. "They know what it’s like, they’ve been there before."
Finch can relate to Florida’s recent string of success.
She entered the Wildcat program at the end of a softball legacy. Arizona had amazingly been to the final game of the WCWS for eight straight years from 1991-98. Ironically, that streak was broken in 1999 — her freshman season.
Similarly, Florida has been to seven of the past eight WCWS and has played in three championship series (‘09, ‘11, ‘14).
In the past 10 years, four of the No. 1 overall seeds have gone on to win the WCWS (’05 – Michigan, ’07 – Arizona, ’11 – Arizona State, ’13 – Oklahoma).
Finch said experience and veteran players play a huge role in winning back-to-back championships.
"You have that swagger about you," Finch said. "You have that confidence which is huge because so many other schools don’t have that and Florida does."
While experience and confidence gives Florida an edge, Finch said that UF still has to play its best softball possible.
"I think you have to be firing on all cylinders at the right time," Finch said. "Timely hitting, timely pitching [and] timely defense."
Florida’s version of Finch? That would be Lauren Haeger, the 2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year.
"Lauren Haeger is just incredible," Finch said. "Not only with the bat but in the circle as well, and I think she can truly lead them back to where they were last year."
Haeger is doing all she can to lead the Gators to another ring.
The senior from Peoria, Arizona, has tossed each of Florida’s last 29 innings this postseason in regional and super regional play, allowing zero earned runs in that span.
Like Finch in 2001, Haeger has been nearly perfect as her record sits at 28-1. She was 24-0 before a 2-1 loss to Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference Tournament on May 8.
"National championships start in the circle," Finch said. "Hannah Rogers did that for them last year, and I think Lauren Haeger is doing that for them this year. They have what it takes, it’s just a matter of getting there and firing on all cylinders."
While both Finch and Haeger won national championships in their junior seasons, only Finch was in the circle for the final out of one.
Haeger started the final game against Alabama last year, but Hannah Rogers recorded the last out as she closed out the win.
Finch described the final moment as best as she could.
"Oh my gosh, nothing better," Finch said. "It’s what you dream about. It’s just to kind of be there and be the last team standing and be excited."
Haeger said after Sunday’s 1-0 win over Kentucky that sent the Gators to the WCWS that she had never been the winning pitcher in a game like that.
And after all the hard work Haeger’s put into becoming an ace this season, she might just get a taste of what Finch experienced in 2001.
"It’s just a huge relief and just a joy that is pretty much indescribable and so much fun," Finch said. "Every blood, sweat and tear that went into getting there was so worth it."
Follow Patrick Pinak on Twitter @Pinakk12
UF's Lauren Haeger pitches during Florida's 7-1 win against Kansas on Feb. 21 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
