In her 30th season as the University of Tampa head softball coach, Leslie Kanter has built the program into a consistent threat to challenge for the Sunshine State Conference championship. At the helm, she has compiled a 774-479 record with 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. She is one of just three SSC coaches to have reached the 600-win mark.
The 2023 season was one to remember for Kanter and the squad. After receiving the No. 1 ranking in the NFCA Division II Poll for the first time in program history, the Spartans became back-to-back regular season SSC Champions and made their first-ever appearance in the NCAA South Super Regional final. The Spartans concluded the season with new records in wins in a season at 40-wins (previous best was 39 from 2011) and highest batting average at .311, making the 2023 team the first in program history to finish the season with a .300-plus batting average. Tampa brought home numerous accolades including Mariah Galhouse and Camryn Wineinger earning All-American status as well as First Team All-SSC honors with fellow teammates Lilly Keister and Avery Perkins. Due to a successful campaign, Kanter received her sixth SSC Coach of the Year while the entire 2023 staff was named Region Staff of the Year.
In 2021, The Spartans ended the season on an eight-game win streak, finishing with a record of 18-4. Tampa had a team batting average of .266. Lauren Fantone was named the SSC Freshman of the Year.
The 2020 season was stopped halfway through the season due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Prior to the season stoppage, the Spartans had a 19-9 record through 28 games played. Tampa was also 9-3 in the Sunshine State Conference. UT had a team batting average of .278 while only allowing opponents to hit .221. Corynn Miner led the team in both pitching (108 IP, 0.84 ERA, 102K) and batting (17 R, 14 RBI).
Tampa went 34-13 (22-8 SSC) in 2019 and reached the NCAA South Regional. Tampa played exceptionally at the end of the season and had a 19-game win streak that lasted from 3/9 to 4/18. The Spartans were 16-5 at home during the season. UT pitched exceptionally well and had a combined team ERA of 1.30. Ace Pitcher Makaleigh Dooley had a 28-8 record with a 1.02 ERA and 231 K in 253 IP.
She led her Spartans to their second straight Sunshine State Conference championship in 2015, and fourth overall. She coached Julia Morrow to SSC and South Region Pitcher of the Year honors while advancing to the program's fifth straight NCAA tournament.
Under Kanter, Tampa had a dominating pitching season in 2014, led by the duo of Kayla Cox and Julia Morrow. Cox was the SSC and South Region Pitcher of the Year while Morrow was the national leader in ERA. The Spartans finished the season with an overall record of 33-8 while winning the SSC with a 19-5 league mark. The team was ranked throughout the season, achieving the program's best-ever ranking at No. 2.
The 2013 season was a year where the program was ranked all season and earned a selection to the NCAA South Regional. Kanter coached Kayla Cox to first-team All-American honors as she became the program's first National Pitcher of the Year. The nation's ERA leader also garnered SSC Pitcher of the Year laurels while hurling seven no-hitters during the season.
In 2012, the Spartans finished 37-8 and advanced to the NCAA South Regional for the second straight year. UT also achieved its second consecutive ranking in the final NFCA top-25 poll, showing at No. 12. The Spartans were in the national rankings for the entire 2012 season, including a No. 5 showing for three of the final four installments. She also guided pitchers Deanna Henriott and Kayla Cox to All-American honors, marking the second and third Spartans in program history to be named to the elite group.
Kanter led her Spartan squad to the program's second straight appearance in the 2009 NCAA South Regional. In 2008, she guided UT to the regional final for the first time in program history. UT finished the 2008 season ranked No. 12 in the nation in the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll, representing the lone final ranking for Tampa. UT spent a total of eight weeks in the 2008 national top 25, marking another first.
In 2007, Kanter led her squad to a 29-20 overall record as the Spartans equaled a school record with a 10 game winning streak. She also guided her team to four victories over nationally-ranked opponents. That season, Kanter helped Devlin Dougherty become the sixth player in UT history on the all-South Region team.
When Kanter first arrived in Tampa for the 1995 season, she inherited a team that had won just 13 games and was predominantly rostered by walk-ons. In 1997, her program received an injection of new scholarship funds and her ensuing recruiting efforts reflected the improvement. In 1998, the Spartans posted their first winning season in four years and were rewarded with four all-Sunshine State Conference selections, including a sophomore and two freshmen recruited by Kanter.
In 2000, her team equaled a then-school record for victories with 28 and posted a winning SSC ledger. Following the successful 2000 season, the Spartans continued to improve as they won the 2001 Sunshine State Conference Championship and posted a 33-16 record, shattering the school’s previous record for victories in a season. In that same year, Kanter’s squad was ranked in the NCAA II poll for just the second time in school history at #25.
In 2002, UT reached its highest-ever national ranking at number four after jumping to a 10-0 start with victories against four nationally-ranked teams. In just its second NCAA Tournament appearance, Tampa won its first two NCAA Tourney games, posting a 2-2 record in the South Regional. During the regular season, Tampa had its first perfect game pitched by Christy Exizian.
Prior to taking the helm of the women’s softball program in 1995, Kanter was an assistant coach to Michelle Lamont from 1990-93 and was on staff when the Spartans won their previous school record of 28 games, finishing second in the Sunshine State Conference behind national champion Florida Southern.
During Kanter’s tenure as an assistant coach at UT, the Spartans recorded a five-year streak of winning seasons, earned the school’s first national ranking in softball at No. 18 in 1992, and produced a conference Co-Player of the Year.
Kanter earned all-area and all-sectional honors in three years while playing at the University of South Florida and in 1986, she earned All-Region and first-team All-America honors.
In 2003, Kanter received the highest recognition from her alma mater when she was inducted into the USF Hall of Fame in 2005. Kanter was also inducted into the USSA Softball Hall of Fame in November of 2007, which is known as the highest honor in the sport.
In June of 2005, Kanter coached the United States to a gold medal at the Maccabiah Games (Jewish Olympics) in Israel.
Sunshine State Conference Championships (6): 2001, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023
NCAA Tournament Appearances (13): 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2023
All-American (13)
2023 - Camryn Wineinger (NFCA third team)
2023 - Mariah Galhouse (NFCA third team)
2022 - Mary Beth Feldman (D2CCA third team)
2019 - Makaleigh Dooley (NFCA first team, D2CCA second team)
2018 - Makaleigh Dooley (NFCA Second team, D2CCA honorable mention)
2015 - Julia Morrow (Daktronics third team)
2014 - Kayla Cox (NFCA second team, Daktronics first team)
2014 - Julia Morrow (Daktronics third team)
2013 - Kayla Cox (Daktronics first team, NFCA first team)
2012 - Kayla Cox (Daktronics first team)
2012 - Deanna Henriott (Daktronics second team, NFCA third team)
2011 - Deanna Henriott (Daktronics second team)
2003 - Lacinda Norman (NFCA second team)
National Pitcher of the Year (1)
2013 - Kayla Cox (Daktronics)
All-South Region (28)
2023 - Mariah Galhouse (NFCA first team)
2023 - Camryn Wineinger (NFCA first team)
2022 - Mary Beth Feldman (D2CCA first team)
2022 - Mariah Galhouse (D2CCA first team, NFCA first team)
2021 - Lauren Fantone (NFCA second team, D2CCA second team)
2021 - Corynn Miner (D2CCA second team)
2019 - Makaleigh Dooley (D2CCA first team, NFCA first team)
2018 - Makaleigh Dooley (NFCA first team, D2CCA First Team)
2015 - Julia Morrow (Daktronics first team)
2014 - Kayla Cox (Daktronics first team, NFCA first team)
2014 - Julia Morrow (Daktronics first team, NFCA first team)
2014 - Meagan Burke (Daktronics second team)
2014 - Lindsay Dring (Daktronics second team)
2013 - Kayla Cox (Daktronics first team, NFCA first team)
2012 - Kayla Cox (Daktronics first team, NFCA second team)
2012 - Deanna Henriott (Daktronics first team, NFCA first team)
2012 - Becky Vyzas (NFCA second team)
2011- Deanna Henriott (Daktronics first team, NFCA second team)
2011- Susan Jallo (NFCA second team)
2011- Becky Vyzas (Daktronics second team, NFCA second team)
2009 - Becky Vyzas (Daktronics second team)
2008 - Deanna Henriott (Daktronics first team)
2007 - Devlin Dougherty (Daktronics first team)
2004 - Lacinda Norman (NFCA second team)
2004 - Becky Testin (NFCA second team)
2003 - Lacinda Norman (NFCA first team)
2002 - Kristen Abbott (NFCA second team)
2002 - Christy Exizian (NFCA second team)
South Region Pitcher of the Year (4)
2015 - Julia Morrow (Daktronics)
2014 - Kayla Cox (Daktronics)
2013 - Kayla Cox (Daktronics)
2012 - Deanna Henriott (Daktronics)
Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year (1)
1993 – Shannon Abarbanel
Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Year (7)
2022 - Mary Beth Feldman
2019 - Makaleigh Dooley
2018 - Makaleigh Dooley
2015 - Julia Morrow
2014 - Kayla Cox
2013 - Kayla Cox
2012 - Deanna Henriott
Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year (3)
2022 - Lilly Kiester
2021 - Lauren Fantone
2012 - Meagan Burke
NFCA National Pitcher of the Week (1)
2015 - Julia Morrow
CoSIDA Academic All-District (21)
2022 - Corynn Miner (first team)
2018 - Erica Matich
2015 - Meagan Burke, Jenna Halper
2014 - Meagan Burke
2014 - Kayleen Boatwright
2014 - Kayla Cox
2014 - Jenna Halper
2013 - Katie Bannon
2013 - Kayleen Boatwright
2013 - Meagan Burke
2013 - Kayla Cox
2013 - Stacy Piagno
2013 - Brie Walton
2012 - Deanna Henriott (first team)
2012 - Brie Walton (first team)
2011 - Deanna Henriott (first team)
2011 - Kari Walsh (first team)
2011 - Cassie Barnes (second team)
2010 - Kari Walsh (first team)
2007 - Kelly Glover (second team)
Capital One Academic All-American (3)
2014 - Kayla Cox (first team)
2014 - Meagan Burke (third team)
2013 - Kayla Cox (third team)
NFCA Scholar-Athlete (23)
2022 - Stephanie Balmer, Lauren Fantone, Mary Beth Feldman, Devin Hammonds, Emalee Jansen, Lilly Kiester, Corynn Miner, Miranda Perez, Kylie Siwek
2021 - Stephanie Balmer, Cristina Clauberg, Kate DeSimone, Lauren Fantone, Maddie Farrell, Devin Hammonds, Miranda Perez, Abigail Siegel
2007 - Katie Bannon, Kayleen Boatwright, Chelsey Brooks, Meagan Burke, Stacy Piagno, Brie Walton
SSC Coach of the Year (6)
2000-2001, 2011-2012, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2016-2017, 2022-2023
Milestone Wins
600, Feb. 23, 2018, def. Rollins, 2-0
500, March 11, 2014, def. Adelphi, 6-0
400, March 21, 2011, def. Hillsdale, 8-0
300, Feb. 19, 2008, def. Salem International, 1-0
200, Feb. 28, 2004, def. North Alabama, 10-4
100, April 19, 2000, def. Eckerd, 9-0
1, Jan. 27, 1995, def. Goldey-Beacom, 8-0
