Florida Southern Moccasins
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 in 17 varsity sports. Florida Southern has been a member of the conference since its founding in 1975. Florida Southern also competes as independents six other sports.
| Florida Southern Moccasins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Florida Southern College |
| Conference | Sunshine State Conference |
| NCAA | Division II |
| Athletic director | Drew Howard |
| Location | Lakeland, Florida |
| Varsity teams | 23 |
| Basketball arena | George W. Jenkins Field House |
| Baseball stadium | Henley Field |
| Soccer stadium | Moccasin Field |
| Lacrosse stadium | Moccasin Field |
| Nickname | Moccasins |
| Colors | Scarlet and White[1] |
| Website | fscmocs |
Championships
Florida Southern's athletic program is one of the most prolific in Division II sports with 30 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.
| Association | Division | Sport | Year | Opponent/Runner-up | Score/Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA (30) | Division II (30) | Baseball (9) | 1971 | Central Michigan | 4–0 |
| 1972 | Cal State Northridge | 5–1 | |||
| 1975 | Marietta | 10–7 | |||
| 1978 | Delta State | 7–2 | |||
| 1981 | Eastern Illinois | 9–0 | |||
| 1985 | Cal Poly Pomona | 15–5 | |||
| 1988 | Sacramento State | 5–4 | |||
| 1995 | Georgia College | 15–0 | |||
| 2005 | North Florida | 12–9 | |||
| Men's Basketball (2) | 1981 | Mount Saint Mary's | 73–68 | ||
| 2015 | Indiana (PA) | 77–62 | |||
| Men's Golf (13) | 1981 | U.S. International | 1,184–1,219 (-35) | ||
| 1982 | Southwest Texas State | 1,181–1,191 (-10) | |||
| 1985 | Stephen F. Austin | 1,192–1,202 (-10) | |||
| 1986 | Columbus | 1,196–1,207 (-11) | |||
| 1990 | Columbus | 1,170–1,196 (-26) | |||
| 1991 | Columbus | 1,166–1,190 (-24) | |||
| 1995 | USC Aiken | 1,204–1,214 (-10) | |||
| 1996 | USC Aiken | 1,178–1,187 (-9) | |||
| 1998 | Columbus State | 1,168–1,175 (-7) | |||
| 1999 | USC Aiken | 1,125–1,157 (-32) | |||
| 2000 | Cal State Bakersfield Grand Canyon |
1,140–1,169 (-29) | |||
| 2010 | Central Missouri | 1,206–1,213 (-7) | |||
| 2017 | Lynn | 3–2 | |||
| Women's Golf (4) | 2000 | Rollins | 1,259–1,266 (-7) | ||
| 2001 | Rollins | 1,250–1,266 (-16) | |||
| 2002 | Barry | 1,234–1,308 (-74) | |||
| 2007 | Rollins | 1,188–1,198 (-10) | |||
| Women's Lacrosse (1) | 2016 | Adelphi | 8–7 | ||
| Softball (1) | 1993 | Augustana (SD) | 11–5 |
Varsity teams
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Beach volleyball |
| Cross country | Cross country |
| Golf | Golf |
| Lacrosse | Lacrosse |
| Soccer | Soccer |
| Swimming | Softball |
| Tennis | Swimming |
| Track† | Tennis |
| Water skiing | Track† |
| Esports | Volleyball |
| Equestrian | |
| Esports | |
| Water skiing | |
| † – Track includes both indoor and outdoor | |
Men's 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.[2] 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.
Baseball championships
| Association | Division | Year | Opponent/Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA | Division II[3] | |||
| 1971 | Central Michigan | 4–0 | ||
| 1972 | Cal State Northridge | 5–1 | ||
| 1975 | Marietta | 10–7 | ||
| 1978 | Delta State | 7–2 | ||
| 1981 | Eastern Illinois | 9–0 | ||
| 1985 | Cal Poly Pomona | 15–5 | ||
| 1988 | Sacramento State | 5–4 | ||
| 1995 | Georgia College | 15–0 | ||
| 2005 | North Florida | 12–9 |
Men's golf
The men's golf program has won 13 NCAA National Championships and produced nine 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.
Men's 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.
Esports
In November 2017, Florida Southern announced their journey into collegiate Esports — the first varsity program of its kind in Florida. Senior, Nathan Carson was selected to serve as the head coach for the Mocs in their inaugural year. In January 2018, the Moccasins announced rosters for Hearthstone and League of Legends. In August 2018, the Mocs Esports team introduced two additional teams competing in Overwatch and Rocket League.
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.[4]
Notable alumni
Baseball
- Brian Butterfield, baseball coach
- Ralph Citarella, baseball player
- Rob Dibble, baseball player
- Eddie Gaillard, baseball player
- John Hudek, baseball player
- James Hurst, baseball player
- Matt Joyce, baseball player
- Andy McGaffigan, baseball player
- Lance Niekro, baseball player
- Greg Pryor, baseball player
- Carlos Reyes, baseball player
- Gus Schlosser, baseball player
- Brett Tomko, baseball player
Men's basketball
- Goof Bowyer, basketball coach
- Jessie Burbage, basketball coach
- Linc Darner, basketball coach
- Jimmy R. Haygood, basketball coach
- Hal Wissel, basketball coach
- Kevin Capers, basketball player
Men's golf
- Lee Janzen, professional golfer
- Rocco Mediate, professional golfer
Men's soccer
- Clay Roberts, former soccer player, current coach
References
- "Florida Southern College Athletics Style Guide". Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- "NCAA record book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
- "Division II Baseball Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
- Florida Southern Moccasins, College Football Data Warehouse, accessed July 9, 2013.
