The Tide nearly rolled right over the UF softball team.
After a season-long scramble for Southeastern Conference supremacy with the girls from Tuscaloosa, the Gators needed a final weekend sweep over Tennessee to secure the second regular-season title in school history. Alabama coach Patrick Murphy even admitted his team was "cheering for Tennessee."
The Gators (62-2, 27-1 SEC) won the regular-season title by posting the best record in school history. Their last SEC crown came in 1998 after finishing with a 23-5 conference record.
Then UF continued its streak by winning the SEC Tournament title for the first time in school history. The Tide got one more crack at the Gators Saturday during the championship game of the SEC Tournament, but Alabama was once again met with heartbreak as UF won 4-1. UF pitcher Stacey Nelson took home the tournament's most valuable player award.
Nelson pitched a complete game while allowing only three hits in her championship duel with the Tide.
Just as she had done during their second meeting in Tuscaloosa, Ala., earlier this season, Mary Ratliff hit a sixth-inning grand slam to put the game away for the Gators.
"The way I look at is that I have a job to do," Ratliff said. "They walked me all weekend and to finally get another chance was awesome. I'm just glad I could deliver."
Then it just kept on getting better for the Gators as Coach Tim Walton was named SEC Coach of the Year, and Nelson won SEC Pitcher of the Year. On top of that Nelson, just a junior, has even being named a Top-10 finalist for National Player of the Year.
"She's the player of the year in my book," Walton said. "Take Stacey Nelson off this team and we're not as good. I don't think a lot of teams out there can say that."
The Gators earned the No.1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and will host the first three rounds at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, starting on Friday against Georgia Tech.
Should UF advance in the tournament, the Gators would not have to play a game away from home until they made the trip to Oklahoma City, Okla., for the college world series.
This years' No.1 ranking marks the first time the Gators have earned a top-10 seed in program history.
UF is one of eight SEC to make the tournament field - the most of any conference in the nation. This is especially impressive considering an SEC school has never won the Women's College World Series, although the SEC has only been playing softball for 11 years.
"It's awesome to be playing at home," said Walton, who's in his third season at UF. "This is what our record is for. This is why you win games, so you can host a regional,"
Murphy may have put it best about this year's UF squad.
"You know it's Murphy's Law when you can go 25-3 in the conference and still end up second," Murphy said. "It could have gone either way, but just like it's been all year Florida came out on top."
