The Gators appeared primed to make a run in the NCAA Tournament before being done in by a trio of costly suspensions.
Hours before the NCAA Regional opener, Florida announced it would be without Cheyenne Coyle and both the Fagan sisters, Sami and Kasey. With a depleted lineup, UF lost 2-1 to Florida Gulf Coast and subsequently entered the losers' bracket.
After the defeat, coach Tim Walton announced that the three girls were suspended for the remainder of the season for an undisclosed reason.
Although Florida stayed alive by defeating UCF and FGCU in a rematch, it ended its season with a 1-0 loss to USF in the regional championship. The Gators ended their streak of four consecutive appearances in the Women's College World Series and failed to advance past the NCAA Regional round for the first time since 2006.
Florida was predicted to win the Southeastern Conference title in the preseason coaches' poll but fell to Alabama, the eventual national champions, in the semifinals.
Walton and company still managed to receive a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and an opportunity to host an NCAA Regional for the eighth consecutive season.
Michelle Moultrie was the only graduating senior on the 2012 squad, but the three suspended players have opted to transfer.
