Looking to open the 2026 season off on the right foot, Florida turned to their ace: Keagan Rothrock. The junior took the mound and was in sparkling form.
The preseason all-SEC selection pitched four innings and allowed zero hits while recording seven strikeouts.
Behind Rothrock and strong bullpen play, the No. 6 Gators defeated Illinois State 7–0 Friday at the USF Softball Stadium in Tampa as part of the Rawlings Invitational. Florida’s staff combined for nine strikeouts while allowing just one hit, which came in the final inning.
The matchup marked the fifth straight year the Gators and Redbirds have met during opening week. The two programs have now faced off in 13 of the last 15 seasons, and Florida improved to a perfect 14-0 record following tonight’s win.
Missouri junior transfer Madison Walker got the scoring started for the Gators. With two outs in the top of the second, she drove in junior Cassidy McLellan and gave Florida an early 1-0 lead.
Shortly after, sophomore Gabi Comia extended the lead with another RBI single. Comia had an impressive debut to her sophomore season. The Florida second basemen went 2-2 on the night.
The reigning Softball America Freshman of the Year, Taylor Shumaker, launched Florida’s first home run of the season in the top of the third inning. Shumaker picked up right where she left off last year and will look to break the Florida single-season home run record in 2026 after tying it 22 in 2025.
McLellan delivered one of the night’s strongest performances, going 3-3 with two runs scored in just her 14th career start. After spending the past two seasons behind Korbe Otis, the Lakewood Ranch, Florida, native is stepping into a significantly larger role this year.
Florida blew the door open in the top of the 4th when Eastern Illinois transfer Kendall Grover walked with the bases loaded to extend the Florida lead to 4-0. Moments later, junior Ava Brown singled to left field, scoring redshirt freshman Townsend Thomas and Shumaker to extend the margin further
Senior catcher Jocelyn Erickson entered the game in the fifth inning and made an immediate impact. In her first at-bat of the season, Erickson delivered an RBI single, accounting for Florida’s final run of the night.
Florida resumes Rawlings Invitational play Saturday against Michigan at 11:30 a.m. and Bethune-Cookman at 4:30 p.m at the USF Softball Stadium
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.
