Coming off its second-straight Women’s College World Series appearance, Florida softball will look to avenge last year’s early exit in Oklahoma City. The Gators debuted at No. 10 on Softball America's preseason top-25 rankings. Head coach Tim Walton enters his 20th season with a significantly smaller roster at 18 players, the smallest in the SEC.
Though he acknowledged the team doesn’t “have a lot of players,” Walton asserted his players “can do a lot of things.”
Setting the standard
This season’s leaders are Ava Brown and Jocelyn Erickson. The pitcher-catcher duo was named team captains by their teammates, Head Coach Tim Walton announced Jan. 27.
Brown is the definition of a three-way player — she pitches, hits and plays the field. The East Texas native was a major key to last year’s run to the WCWS and thrived in the reliever role, recording an SEC-leading five saves.
Brown reflected on how that leadership is built on trust and communication within the team.
“I feel like it creates a really deep level of trust as well,” she said. “The communication that we're able to all have, and building the trust, building the relationships, I feel like it really touched home in a sense of just how they see us as people.”
The backbone of this Florida team, meanwhile, is Erickson. The catcher heads into her third season behind the plate for the Gators and will look to win her third straight Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Coach Walton has advocated for Erickson to be a consideration for the USA Softball Olympic team in 2028.
“I hope she gets a chance to compete for a spot on the Olympic team,” Walton said. “She can do a lot; she can hit, she can catch and throw, and she can play first base at a higher level.”
For Erickson, 2026 will be all about reflection and celebration as her decorated career at Florida comes to an end.
“I'm really trying to enjoy my last season, not let the pressure get too much and really trying to pour it into my teammates,” Erickson said. “That's what it's all about, and that's how you have the most fun is playing with people who you really want to play with.”
Portal splash
After the departure of All-Americans Kendra Falby, Korbe Otis, Reagan Walsh and Mia Williams, Florida softball leaned on the transfer portal to maintain success in 2026. The Gators added five players from the portal: Madison Walker, Kendall Grover, Ella Wesolowski, Giulia Desiderio and Allison Sparkman.
Walker brings a veteran bat to the Florida lineup. Last year at Missouri, she had the fifth-most home runs in the SEC with 18 and led the Tigers in RBIs with 48. The junior will share time with Brown between first base and designated player throughout the season.
The two-time Ohio Valley player of the year, Grover, is projected to start at third for the Gators. The Eastern Illinois transfer hit an impressive .416 last year and was the first player in the history of the Ohio Valley Conference to win player of the year twice.
“It's funny, just the Fall, how she's developed and what she's got, she got better at third base. She's got better as a hitter,” Walton said.
Help will come for Erickson this season as Florida added two catchers in the portal cycle, Wesolowski and Giulia Desiderio. When Erickson isn’t behind the dish, Mississippi State transfer Wesolowski is expected to fill the position. Desiderio did not play in the 2025 season, but she stood out for her impressive defense in her three years at South Carolina.
Sparkman is the lone pitcher in the portal class. At Florida Gulf Coast, she led in innings pitched with 169.2 and recorded 98 strikeouts. Florida has four weekend tournaments to start the season, and Sparkman will play a key role in strengthening the pitching depth before SEC play starts.
Familiar faces and internal development
Fortunately for the Gators, several key pieces remain in place as they chase the program’s 14th Women’s College World Series appearance. Florida returned 11 players, including four starters on offense.
All eyes will be on sophomore outfielder Taylor Shumaker to be the face of the Florida offense. In 2025, Shumaker batted .389 and set the single-season school record in total bases with 164. The reigning Softball America Freshman of the Year returns with a full season of experience under her belt.
Joining Shumaker in the outfield will be two Gators who waited their turn in the program, junior Cassidy McLellan and redshirt freshman Townsen Thomas. McLellan will be the left fielder, and Thomas will be the leadoff hitter and centerfielder for the Gators.
McLellan spent two years waiting for a starting spot in the Florida lineup. Growing up, the Lakewood Ranch, Florida, native attended camps in Gainesville, and Walton has watched her grow as a player throughout the years. In a recent interview with Softball America, he expressed his confidence in her progression.
“She has a lot of talent,” he said. “We’ve been trying to coach her up differently. We’ve never given her the confidence to know that her hard work has been seen. It’s her opportunity to take it.”
A former multi-sport athlete and 2018-19 Junior Olympian in track and field, Thomas redshirted last season because of injury, allowing her to spend the longest stretch of her career training solely for softball.
A familiar face in the lineup, Kenleigh Cahalan, will move from third base to shortstop for the Gators this year. The senior enters her second year with Florida after transferring from Alabama. Cahalan was the No.1 recruit in the 2023 class and played shortstop in her freshman season.
Gabi Comia enters her sophomore year and will step into a much larger role in 2026. Comia saw limited action in 2025, appearing in 37 games. In her first career at-bat, she hit a two-run home run against Delaware.
Kalie Matsuno is the lone freshman hitter for Florida. Matsuno has a very skilled glove and may serve the role of defensive player only for the Gators in spurts during the year. The Southern California native will return to her hometown when Florida travels to Fullerton, California, for the Judi Garman Classic Feb. 26-28.
In the circle
The biggest strength that the Gators have coming into 2026 will be at the pitcher position. In 2025, the pitching staff was never at 100% as they dealt with injuries all throughout the season. Florida returns four pitchers from last year and added Sparkman in the portal.
Walton emphasized just how important the staff will be for the Gators if they want to return to Oklahoma City.
“Our pitching is the key to our success,” Walton said in an interview with Softball America. “We can hit the ball, defend well, run the bases well, but if we don’t pitch, it’s going to be a tough season.”
Keegan Rothrock is at the top of the rotation for Florida. While being injured for most of March last season, Rothrock still led the team with 131.2 innings pitched and complemented that with nine complete games, two being in the Super Regional series against rival Georgia.
The most consistent pitcher for the Gators last year was Katelynn Oxley. In her freshman campaign, Oxley ranked eighth in the SEC in earned run average with a 2.58 ERA. Even with missing the first three weeks of the season last year, Oxley ranked second in innings pitched with 76.
Florida’s main reliever will be left-handed specialist Olivia Miller. In the fall season, Miller impressed Walton, and he believes she had one of the best falls out of anybody on the staff.
“If you want to pitch in the game, we're up by one run in the seventh inning, these are the things necessary for you to do,” he said. “And she understood, she embraced them.”
Freshman Leah Stevens has mostly been developing in her time so far at Florida, and Walton believes she will be ready by spring. In her junior year of high school, Stevens made the Florida High School Athletic Association All-State team.
Caroline Stanton also has the opportunity to learn and develop in 2026. Stanton was
the number one overall recruit in the 2026 class, and she won a state championship in November at Buford High School. She then decided to graduate high school early and enrolled at Florida in January. Stanton is expected to be a crucial piece of Florida’s roster in the coming seasons.
The Gators kick off their season against Illinois State in the USF-Rawlings Invitational in Tampa at 7 p.m. Feb. 6.
Contact Zach Moore at zmoore@alligator.org. Follow him on X @zach_moore27.
Zach is a sophomore sports journalism student in his first semester at The Alligator, covering softball. He also has experience as an intern in the Florida Collegiate Summer League. Zach enjoys watching sports in his free time, primarily the Minnesota Vikings, Orlando Magic, and Arsenal FC.
