When Tim Walton came to UF three years ago all he had was a dream.
Now that dream has turned into a reality.
As the No.1 Gators prepare for their first game of the Women's College World Series against Louisiana-Lafayette today, they can't help but look back on the long road that they traveled to get to this point.
"Three years ago, we sold these kids on a dream, to do things the right way and not cut corners," Walton said. "I thought that we had a program with the resources that was capable of competing with the best teams in the country."
He has done just that.
In three years, he has taken UF from an average Southeastern Conference team to the WCWS and the favorite to win the national title.
In his first year, he took the Gators to regional play.
In his second, all the way to a super regional championship game where UF would fall to higher seeded Texas A&M.
But now in his third year, Walton has the Gators where he always thought they could be - in Oklahoma City for the WCWS.
"We're at the University of Florida where championships are expected," Walton said. "You come here to win a championship."
UF has never been to the WCWS before, and no school from the SEC has ever won a national title.
But after storming through the regional and super regional portion of the tournament, the Gators look poised to make history.
For each Gator, the trip to the Oklahoma City means something different.
Francesca Enea is happy to be able to follow in her big sisters footsteps and make it to Oklahoma City.
Christina Enea played for Oklahoma from 2002-2005 and played in three WCWS.
"We have this little joke. She always says 'Oh you're doing so good' and I always say 'No, stop telling me that. You're jinxing me.'" Francesca said. "But every time she does that it feels really good. I know she's proud of me."
Ace pitcher Stacey Nelson is proud to see how far her team has come in such a sort period of time.
"It means a lot," Nelson said about playing in the World Series. "My freshman year, we weren't even able to get out of regionals, so to watch us grow and take the next step each year, it's very special."
For Mary Ratliff, the team's lone senior, the journey has been an especially memorable one.
"I've never had chills like I did during the last out of the (regional championship) game with the crowd standing and cheering," Ratliff said. "It was really kind of an unreal feeling."
Ratliff is sure that this won't be the last time you see the Gators on the big stage.
"There isn't a doubt in my mind that this program can reach this point every year. This isn't a one time thing," Ratliff said. "This is going to be the goal every year, and it's going to be a realistic goal."
