The Florida Southern Moccasins (also shortened to Florida Southern Mocs) are the athletic teams that represent Florida Southern College, located in Lakeland, Florida, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Moccasins compete as members of the Sunshine State Conference for all 19 varsity sports. Florida Southern has been a member of the conference since 1975.
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Championships
Florida Southern's athletic program is one of the most prolific in Division II sports with 29 national championships, including in men's golf (13), baseball (9), women's golf (4), men's basketball (2), softball (1), and women's lacrosse (1). Moccasin athletes have also captured 22 individual NCAA National Championships, including 8 in men's golf, 6 in women's golf, 5 in women's swimming, and 3 in men's swimming. Florida Southern's most recent championship came in 2016 when the women's lacrosse team won its first NCAA title.. The college competes in 20 sports, 9 for men, 10 for women, and 1 co-ed sport.
Team
Florida Southern Basketball Video
Varsity teams
List of teams
Individual teams
Basketball
The men's basketball program has experienced significant success since the inception of the SSC in 1975. The Mocs have won the SSC regular season 22 times and have also been crowned SSC Tournament Champions 22 times. FSC, which won consecutive regular and postseason titles from 2012-2014, leads the SSC in conference wins (310), and owns the best winning percentage of any current member (.711). The men's basketball team won the NCAA Division II national title in 2015 with a 77-62 win over Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and Kevin Capers was named tournament MVP and first team all-American. The Mocs also won the 1981 title with a 73-68 win over Mount St. Mary's. John Ebeling led Florida Southern to 3 straight trips to the Final Four where they placed 3rd in 1980, Winning the Championship in 1981 and losing in the finals in 1982. John Ebeling was voted the Best Player to play in the Sunshine State Conference in the last 25 years. On November 17, 2016 John Ebeling was nominated to the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame.
Baseball
The baseball program has also seen success on the national stage. The Mocs have won 17 SSC baseball championships and nine national championships (1971, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1985, 1988, 1995, and 2005). The Moccasins finished the 2014 season 35-19, and as runner-up at the NCAA South Regional Tournament. In addition to NCAA play, the baseball team traditionally plays an exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers, who conduct their Spring Training in Lakeland. Matt Joyce, a 2011 Major League All-Star for the Tampa Bay Rays, is a former Moccasins.
Football
Florida Southern fielded a football team from 1912 to 1935 with a break during the 1918 season. From 1926 to 1930 it was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The team's overall record in those years was 57-70-8.
Golf
The men's golf program has won 13 NCAA National Championships and produced eight individual national champions, including Tim Crouch who won back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014. Among the more successful Moccasin alumni are PGA Tour members Rocco Mediate, Lee Janzen and Jeff Klauk. The women's team has won four championships of their own with three golfers each winning two NCAA individual national championships.
Swimming
The men's swimming program has also experienced success at the national level placing third in 2012 and 2016 and runner-up in 2013 and 2014.
Notable people
- Goof Bowyer, basketball coach
- Jessie Burbage, basketball coach
- Brian Butterfield, baseball coach
- Ralph Citarella, baseball player
- Linc Darner, basketball coach
- Rob Dibble, baseball player
- Eddie Gaillard, baseball player
- Jimmy R. Haygood, basketball coach
- John Hudek, baseball player
- James Hurst, baseball player
- Lee Janzen, professional golfer
- Matt Joyce, baseball player
- Andy McGaffigan, baseball player
- Lance Niekro, baseball player
- Greg Pryor, baseball player
- Carlos Reyes, baseball player
- Clay Roberts, soccer player, coach
- Gus Schlosser, baseball player
- Brett Tomko, baseball player
- Hal Wissel, basketball coach
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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