Florida
Does Florida softball winning SEC Tournament mean Gators will make WCWS? Recent history suggest so
Could Florida softball’s win in the SEC tournament be a good omen for the upcoming Women’s College World Series?
The Gators have qualified for the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City each of the previous five times they have won the SEC Tournament title. In fact, since the SEC started playing softball conference games in 1997, 16 of the 26 tournament champions coming into this season have advanced to the WCWS.
REQUIRED READING: Florida softball defeats Missouri to win SEC Tournament Championship: Score, highlights from Gators’ win
Since the 2015 season, just two teams have not made it to the WCWS after winning the SEC tournament, including Florida in 2018 and 2019. Tennessee made the World Series last year after winning the tournament. Interestingly, Alabama is the only SEC program to win the World Series and the SEC Tournament in the same season, with the Crimson Tide beating Oklahoma in the 2012 WCWS.
Florida ― the only other national champion in the SEC ― won back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015 in seasons in which they did not win the SEC Tournament. The Gators did win the regular season titles both years.
Here’s what you need to know about how winning the SEC tournament championship correlates to an appearance in the Women’s College World Series:
Most SEC softball tournament titles
Florida tied Alabama with the most SEC Tournament championships with their victory over Missouri. The Tigers have not won one yet. The Gators’ championship was their first since 2019 while the last one for the Crimson Tide was in 2021.
The first SEC tournament was played in 1997 with South Carolina sweeping the regular season and postseason titles.
- T1. Florida — 6
- T1. Alabama — 6
- 3. LSU — 5
- 4. Tennessee — 3
- T5. South Carolina — 2
- T5. Auburn — 2
- T7. Arkansas — 1
- T7. Ole Miss — 1
- T7. Georgia — 1
SEC Tournament title and WCWS appearance by season
- 2024 — Florida, TBD
- 2023 — Tennessee, qualified for WCWS
- 2022 — Arkansas, did not qualify
- 2021 — Alabama, qualified
- 2020 — no season
- 2019 — Florida, qualified
- 2018 — Florida, qualified
- 2017 — Ole Miss, did not qualify
- 2016 — Auburn, qualified
- 2015 — Auburn, qualified
- 2014 — Georgia, did not qualify
- 2013 — Florida, qualified
- 2012 — Alabama, qualified
- 2011 — Tennessee, did not qualify
- 2010 — Alabama, did not qualify
- 2009 — Florida, qualified
- 2008 — Florida, qualified
- 2007 — LSU, did not qualify
- 2006 — Tennessee, qualified
- 2005 — Alabama, qualified
- 2004 — LSU, qualified
- 2003 — Alabama, qualified
- 2002 — LSU, did not qualify
- 2001 — LSU qualified
- 2000 — South Carolina, did not qualify
- 1999 — LSU, did not qualify
- 1998 — Alabama, did not qualify
- 1997 — South Carolina, qualified
FORT MYERS, Fla. – An injured manatee and her calf are recovering after authorities on a boat rescued them from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Thursday.
What we know:
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, drone pilots and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in saving the pair after the mother was found hurt in the water and in need of medical attention.
READ: Missing Florida man found stuck in mud without food or water for days: PFD
Video shows authorities pulling the frantic manatees safely onto the boat in netting before taking them to shore.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Both animals will be taken to ZooTampa for evaluation and medical care.
What we don’t know:
LCSO did not say the extent of the mother’s injuries.
By the numbers:
As of Feb. 20, there have been 85 manatee deaths across Florida in 2026, according to the FWC. Last year reportedly saw a total of 632 manatee deaths.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this month, the FWC began investigating a spike in manatee deaths, specifically in Lee County, where officials say 25 were found dead within a week.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
The FWC believes these manatee deaths could be from several factors: cold stress, a lack of seagrass and polluted waterways.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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