The 2008 Florida Gators softball team was an American softball team, representing the University of Florida for the 2008 NCAA softball season. The team went 70–5 overall and 27–1 in SEC play. The 70 wins set an NCAA single season record and Florida, named the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, advanced to the semifinals of the Women's College World Series. They also were the SEC regular season and tournament champions. Five Gators were named All-Americans (Stacey Nelson, Kim Waleszonia, Aja Paculba, Francesca Enea, and Ali Gardiner) and Junior pitcher Stacey Nelson was the SEC Pitcher of the Year.

Previous season The 2007 Florida Gators finished second in the SEC East and made it to the SEC Tournament title game before losing to LSU. They were also invited to host Regionals of the NCAA tournament. After breezing through the Gainesville Regional, the Gators lost the three-game series to Texas A&M 2–1.

Pre-season The 2008 Gators started the season ranked No. 13 in the NFCA/USA Today poll. They returned All-Americans Stacey Nelson and Kim Waleszonia as well as six other starters from the 2007 team.

Schedule

!colspan=9| USF-Wilson Tournament

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!colspan=9| Cox Communications Classic

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!colspan=9| Aquafina Invitational

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!colspan=9| Worth Invitational

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!colspan=9| SEC Tournament

!colspan=9| NCAA Regionals

!colspan=9| NCAA Super Regionals

!colspan=9| Women's College World Series

Game notes

Bethune–Cookman 1234567RHEWildcats00000--010Gators1531X--1090

Florida Gulf Coast 1234567RHEEagles0004000450Gators301101X6101

Illinois 1234567RHEGators0201000360Fighting Illini0002000240

Memphis 1234567RHEGators04023--940Tigers00000--036

South Florida 1234567RHEGators0004100541Bulls1000000121

Mercer (Game 1) 1234567RHETobies0000000010Gators102020X560

Mercer (Game 2) 1234567RHETobies00010--150Gators20010X--12111

East Tennessee State (Game 1) 1234567RHEBuccaneers000000-012Gators042003-960

College of Charleston 1234567RHEGators410101310151Cougars0000000040

North Carolina (Game 1) 1234567RHETar Heels0000000030Gators400000X471

East Tennessee State (Game 2) 1234567RHEGators44011--1092Buccaneers10000--123

North Carolina (Game 2) 123456789RHEGators000000001140Tar Heels000000000050

Stetson 1234567RHEHatters00000--021Gators10502--8103

Hofstra 1234567RHEPride0000000043Gators00041X-561

Gardner–Webb (Game 1) 1234567RHEGators35106--15140Runnin' Bulldogs00000--140

North Florida 1234567RHEOspreys0000000011Gators000201X370

Notre Dame (Game 1) 1234567RHEFighting Irish1010000221Gators000003X352

Gardner–Webb (Game 2) 1234567RHERunnin' Bulldogs0001200370Gators0030001491

Notre Dame (Game 2) 1234567RHEFighting Irish0000020233Gators200030X573

Long Beach State 12345678910RHEGators000010000015149ers0000010001250

Oregon State 1234567RHEGators601001-8101Beavers000000-010

Pacific 1234567RHEGators120122210160Tigers0101000272

Cal State Fullerton 1234567RHEGators1000001260Titans0000000022

Louisville 1234567RHECardinals0010010261Gators201100X490

Stanford 1234567RHECardinals0000030350Gators1000003450

Ole Miss (Game 1) 1234567RHERebels0003000322Gators0201001482

Ole Miss (Game 2) 1234567RHERebels0001200370Gators0030001491

Ole Miss (Game 3) 1234567RHERebels0001010282Gators020210X590

Alabama (Game 1) 1234567RHEGators0000000030Crimson Tide001000X120

Alabama (Game 2) 1234567RHEGators01210048100Crimson Tide0100120461

Arkansas (Game 1) 1234567RHEGators0000001180Razorbacks0000000042

Arkansas (Game 2) 1234567RHEGators2000100350Razorbacks1000000143

Arkansas (Game 3) 1234567RHEGators00033017120Razorbacks1000100250

Iowa 1234567RHEHawkeyes0000100182Gators050100X660

Longwood (Game 1) 1234567RHELancers01000--130Gators4140X--990

Longwood (Game 2) 1234567RHELancers0000000060Gators010005X680

Longwood (Game 3) 1234567RHELancers00002--241Gators2027X--11123

South Carolina (Game 1) 1234567RHEGamecocks0000000044Gators030021X6100

South Carolina (Game 2) 1234567RHEGamecocks0000000020Gators0000001120

LSU (Game 1) 1234567RHETigers1000000132Gators002004X692

LSU (Game 2) 1234567RHETigers0000000051Gators020000X250

LSU (Game 3) 1234567RHEWildcats0000000031Gators302020X7102

Mississippi State (Game 1) 1234567RHEGators1020002570Bulldogs0000000050

Mississippi State (Game 2) 1234567RHEGators00010247122Bulldogs0200000270

Mississippi State (Game 3) 1234567RHEGators1112000591Bulldogs0000000041

Georgia (Game 1) 1234567RHEGators21000025101Bulldogs0000000041

Georgia (Game 2) 1234567RHEGators00223029114Bulldogs0200300581

Georgia (Game 3) 1234567RHEGators2021000571Bulldogs0001100284

Florida State (Game 1) 1234567RHEGators311010060Seminoles0100000144

Florida State (Game 2) 1234567RHEGators03434--14131Seminoles10300--481

Kentucky (Game 1) 1234567RHEWildcats00000--011Gators60002--890

Kentucky (Game 2) 1234567RHEWildcats0001040572Gators031200X6120

Kentucky (Game 3) 1234567RHEWildcats00000--014Gators00305--8100

Jacksonville (Game 1) 1234567RHEDolphins0000000041Gators000200X250

Jacksonville (Game 2) 1234567RHEWildcats0000000023Gators201002X561

Auburn (Game 1) 1234567RHETigers0001000130Gators200010X381

Auburn (Game 2) 1234567RHETigers0100001231Gators070000X7104

Auburn (Game 3) 1234567RHETigers10000--021Gators5231X--10111

Tennessee (Game 1) 1234567RHEGators3000001492Volunteers0000200250

Tennessee (Game 2) 1234567891011RHEGators01003000011672Volunteers100003000105120

Tennessee (Game 3) 1234567RHEGators0030101581Volunteers2001000381

Ole Miss (SEC Tournament) 1234567RHERebels0000000010Gators000001X160

Tennessee (SEC Tournament 1234567RHEVolunteers1000000140Gators030012X681

Alabama (SEC Tournament) 1234567RHECrimson Tide0000010131Gators000004X451

Georgia Tech (NCAA Gainesville Regional – Game 2) 1234567RHEYellow Jackets0001100250Gators400201X791

UCF (NCAA Gainesville Regional – Game 3) 1234567RHEGators0010020341Golden Knights0000000040

UCF (NCAA Gainesville Regional – Game 6) 12345678RHEGators00000000052Golden Knights00000001150

UCF (NCAA Gainesville Regional – Game 7) 1234567RHEGolden Knights00000--013Gators3106X--1090

California (NCAA Gainesville Super Regional – Game 1) 1234567RHEGolden Bears0000110293Gators001300X461

California (NCAA Gainesville Super Regional – Game 2) 123456789RHEGators0010100024101Golden Bears000002000232

Louisiana-Lafayette (WCWS – Game 1) 12345678RHERagin' Cajuns00002001390Gators01010000261

Virginia Tech (WCWS – Game 7) 123456789RHEGators000000002281Hokies000000000020

UCLA (WCWS – Game 9) 1234567RHEBruins0000000051Gators100001X231

Texas A&M (WCWS – Game 11) 1234567RHEGators0103002691Aggies0100000131

Texas A&M (WCWS – Game 13) 123456789RHEAggies000000001160Gators000000000070

Ranking Movement

Poll Last Pre Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 9 Wk 10 Wk 11 Wk 12 Wk 13 Wk 14 Final NFCANFCA Poll 14 13 11 7 5 5 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 3 United States SoftballUSA Softball Poll 15 13 10 9 7 5 4 4 4 3 4 3 2 2 1 1 3

Roster The 2008 Florida Gators softball team had 1 senior, 8 juniors, 3 sophomores, and 8 freshmen. # Name Position Height B/T Year Hometown2Kelsey BruderUT5-5L/RFrCorona, California3Aja Paculba2B5-3R/RFrWildomar, California4Danyell HinesOF5-6L/RJrBryan, Texas5Kim WaleszoniaUT5-4L/RJrFontana, California8Kristine Priebe1B/C5-10R/RFrMoorpark, California10Francesca EneaC5-8R/RSoWoodland Hills, California12Megan BushSS5-5R/RFrAnaheim Hills, California13Shaunice Harris3B5-5R/RFrMoreno Valley, California15Brooke JohnsonOF5-8R/RJrLakeland, Florida20Le-Net FranklinUT5-7L/RJrBelton, Texas21Kristen AdkinsUT5-8R/RFrMcKinney, Texas23Mary RatliffOF5-8L/RSrMt. Sterling, Kentucky24Ali Gardiner1B5-7L/LJrWaccabuc, New York26Ami AustinUT5-3L/LSoOrmond Beach, Florida27Corrie BrooksOF5-9R/RSoChristmas, Florida28Tiffany DeFeliceC5-5R/RFrCoral Springs, Florida31Kristina HilberthUT5-6L/RJrDunedin, Florida32Stephanie BrombacherRHP/1B5-10R/RFrPembroke Pines, Florida33Brittany HandyOF5-10R/RJrGainesville, Florida42Stacey NelsonRHP5-10R/RJrLos Alamitos, California

Coaching staff Head coach: Tim Walton (3rd season) Assistant Coaches: Jennifer Rocha (3rd season), Jenny Gladding (2nd season) Athletic Trainer: Scott Schenker Student Trainer: Arielle Gavdosh Strength & Conditioning Coordinator: Steven Orris Academic Counselor: Tony Meacham Staff Assistant: Brittany Souilliard Managers: Crystal Sleeman and Kip Collins

References

See also Florida Gators softball