In this edition of the Alligator Awards, we debate which UF team was the best of the 2016-17 season. Sports writers Mari Faiello, Andrew Huang and Morgan McMullen join alligatorSports editors Dylan Dixon and Jake Dreilinger in a roundtable discussion to debate the five nominees. Debates will go in alphabetical order by the writer’s last name.
Dixon: Baseball finally put its title drought to bed
It took the program over 100 years to win its first national championship. But in 2016-17, Florida baseball finally broke through.
The Gators capped off a stellar season last month with a two-game series sweep of LSU in the College World Series Finals, clinching an NCAA title that all but solidified their spot as the best team at UF.
Florida did everything this year, notching a 52-19 record, winning the SEC regular season championship, surviving three elimination games in the NCAA Tournament and dominating the competition it faced in Omaha.
And let’s not forget how it racked up those impressive accomplishments. Pitching was the name of the game for the Gators this year, and it’s scary just how good their staff was.
Friday night ace Alex Faedo, selected 18th overall by Detroit in the MLB Draft, led the NCAA this season with 157 strikeouts. Reliever Michael Byrne was the best closer in the country this year with a program-record 19 saves. Starters Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar combined to earn a solid 21-6 record.
And the staff as whole, boasting other talented arms like Tyler Dyson and Garrett Milchin, finished the summer with a 3.45 ERA for the best mark in the SEC.
When you also add into the equation a lineup that featured sluggers JJ Schwarz and Nelson Maldonado, a defense that included fielding wizards Dalton Guthrie and Mike Rivera and a coaching staff led by Kevin O’Sullivan, the result you get is the best team at UF in 2016-17. Hands down.
Yes, sports like women’s tennis, men’s track and field and numerous others all had seasons to be proud of. But for me, it’s a no-brainer. None of those programs came close to the level of dominance Florida baseball achieved this year.
Dreilinger: Softball reemerged as national powerhouse
After the Gators softball team fell to Georgia in the NCAA Super Regionals last year, coach Tim Walton knew his team didn’t want to experience that heart-breaking feeling ever again.
Florida was coming off back-to-back national titles when its shot at a third straight championship was ripped away before it even advanced to Oklahoma City.
This year, however, the Gators returned with a vengeance, tearing through opponents left-and-right while starting the season 29-2. Most of those early games came in bunches, as Florida won 20 of its first 21 contests over a 22-day span.
It kept up that dominance throughout the rest of the season as well. Forty of UF’s 58 wins were shutouts, and 15 of those shutouts came by mercy rule.
The Gators finished the year 58-10 and went to the Women’s College World Series Finals after shutting out Texas A&M and LSU in before defeating Washington 5-2.
They also played in the longest game in WCWS history, losing to Oklahoma 7-5 in a 17-inning marathon.
When you look at the talent Florida had, it’s no surprise it had a great year. The team boasted a pitching staff that included Kelly Barnhill and Delanie Gourley, two of the NCAA’s top four pitchers in ERA.
Florida was also the only school in the country to hold a sub-1.00 ERA with 0.81.
The pitching wasn’t its only strong suit either. UF also had some strong hitters.
Outfielder Amanda Lorenz batted .388 and recorded a hit in all but two games in the NCAA Tournament, while first baseman Kayli Kvistad recorded a .368 average and led the team with 53 RBIs.
While the softball team may not have gotten the end result they wanted, it still had an incredible season, one that’ll be remembered for a long time.
Faiello: Volleyball succeeded despite early postseason exit
The Gators had an impressive year with sports programs across the board.
However, despite its early NCAA Tournament loss, UF’s volleyball program set itself above the rest.
Finishing 16-2 in the conference standings to win its 22nd SEC championship in program history, the Gators took away prominent wins from rivals such as Florida State, Alabama and LSU. They then advanced to the NCAA Tournament in December where they defeated Alabama State in the first round but fell to FSU in the second round.
Regardless of the loss, UF’s statistics speak for itself. The offense accomplished great things, leading the SEC in kills per set (14.45), assists per set (13.72) and hitting percentage (.338). Florida also took home 86 set wins and 19 set losses.
After the disappointing loss to the Seminoles, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced five Gators earned All-America honors. Senior right-side hitter Alex Holston and and junior middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan were selected to the second and third teams, respectively, while junior libero Caroline Knop, junior outside hitter Carli Snyder and redshirt sophomore setter Allie Monserez were recognized as AVCA All-American Honorable Mentions.
The volleyball program did not bring home an NCAA title like women’s tennis, baseball or men’s outdoor track and field did. However, with an inexperienced team, they accomplished a lot.
Huang: Men’s track and field to all others: Stay in your lane
What makes a great team? Winning, obviously, plus star players and the leadership of a seasoned head coach. And in the Gators men’s track and field team’s case, a national championship can be added to that list as well.
They were the best team to wear orange and blue this season.
They had three athletes — Andres Arroyo, Eric Futch and TJ Holmes — earn a spot on world teams and an opportunity to compete in the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London this August.
Those three are combined for six All-American selections and an NCAA title in the 400-meter hurdles for Futch.
That’s not even including jumper extraordinaire KeAndre Bates. The El Paso, Texas, native has three SEC titles and owns three more at the NCAA level, all of which came in the triple jump or long jump.
Neither does it include do-it-all freshman Grant Holloway. Holloway turned down an opportunity to play football to focus on track full time — a good decision if his two NCAA titles, SEC title and All-American selections in four separate events are any indication.
And of course, head coach Mike Holloway deserves plenty of credit for leading the men’s team to dominating performances in both the indoor and outdoor competitions.
The team finished in a tie for third and runner-up in the SEC and NCAA Indoor Championships, respectively.
They were even better outdoors, taking fourth place in the SEC Championships, followed by a repeat as national champions to close out the postseason.
The success of 2017 was enough to earn coach Holloway his second consecutive Coach of the Year award, and he has now led the team to seven NCAA championships and five SEC championships.
Great team? Check.
Best Gators team this season? You bet.
McMullen: Women’s tennis served year’s first title
I received a text from my editor the day this story was due. In it, he said the four other writers participating in this roundtable discussion had neglected to pick women’s tennis as UF’s best program in 2016-17.
Imagine my surprise, both at my luck and the ignorance of my colleagues.
If I can be real for just a second with my fellow writers and Gators: There is no argument against the women’s tennis team being the single best unit this past year.
No other squad came close to a better winning percentage (.906). Neither the baseball team nor the men’s track and field team dominated in their championship runs the way women’s tennis did.
Heck, they outscored their opponents 24-5 during the NCAA Tournament, only giving up more than one set to SEC champion Vanderbilt.
Of UF’s three losses on the year, two came against Vandy, the squad that impeded its path to the national title game. The Gators were down 2-1 in the NCAA semifinals after losing a pair of singles matches in straight sets.
Despite the slow start against Vandy, this team would not be denied, avenging its previous two losses on the way to its seventh all-time NCAA title.
No matter what my colleagues write about, you cannot deny the fact that this women’s tennis team was, and will forever be, the first national championship for Scott Stricklin in his Gators tenure. This team is the definitive best of what UF had to offer this season.
Which team do you think was the best at UF in the 2016-17 season? Vote online at alligator.org/sports.
Florida’s baseball team poses for a photo before its 2-0 win against Miami on Feb. 25, 2017, at McKethan Stadium.
