As summer comes to a close, UF’s student-athletes will soon return to Gainesville. That also means fall softball is right around the corner, and for the Gators, the expectation remains unchanged: reach Oklahoma City.
Florida enters the 2027 campaign with unfinished business after finishing the 2026 season at 52-12 overall and 17-7 in SEC play before its postseason run was cut short in the Super Regional by eventual national runner-up Texas Tech.
The offseason has brought plenty of change to Gainesville. Florida lost several seniors to graduation — Jocelyn Erickson, Kendall Grover, Kenleigh Cahalan and Giulia Desiderio — leaving significant holes both offensively and defensively. In response, head coach Tim Walton and his staff attacked the transfer portal and recruiting trail.
The Gators added two transfers while signing a seven-player 2026 recruiting class that finished ranked No. 2 nationally and is expected to make an immediate impact. They did all of that while not losing a single player to the transfer portal.
According to On3's Softball America, the 2026-27 softball transfer portal cycle featured 862 players who officially entered the portal.
With a blend of proven veterans, experienced transfers and one of the nation's top freshman classes, Florida once again has the pieces to compete for a Women's College World Series berth. With that in mind, here's a look at what to expect from Florida softball in 2027, along with projected starters.
Returners
Florida returns six of its nine everyday starters from the 2026 lineup and its entire pitching staff, giving the Gators one of the nation's most experienced cores entering 2027.
Once again, Taylor Shumaker headlines the roster, and for good reason.
The junior outfielder is coming off another record-breaking campaign, earning NFCA Second Team All-American honors and First Team All-SEC recognition. Shumaker rewrote Florida's single-season record book once again, setting program marks with 92 runs scored and breaking her own record of 164 with 166 total bases.
Joining her in the outfield is Townsen Thomas, who appears poised for a breakout season of her own. The redshirt sophomore finished fourth on the team with a .374 batting average and emerged as one of Florida's most consistent offensive contributors in 2026. Thomas was named SEC Freshman of the Week twice, including after Florida's sweep at Kentucky, where she went 6-for-9 with four doubles and four RBIs.
Rounding out the outfield is senior right fielder Cassidy McLellan. The Lakewood Ranch, Florida, native started 61 of Florida's 64 games last season and opened the year with a 21-game on-base streak.
The left side of the infield will feature new faces in 2027, but the right side returns two proven veterans in junior second baseman Gabi Comia and senior first baseman Ava Brown. Comia was a key contributor on both sides of the ball, batting .344 while posting a perfect fielding percentage in SEC play. She recorded 51 putouts and 36 assists without committing an error in 87 chances, earning a spot on the All-SEC Defensive Team.
For Brown, the 2027 season is about returning to full strength. The two-way standout suffered a lower-leg injury against California on Feb. 26 that sidelined her for more than a month. When she returned to the lineup April 3, her role was understandably limited.
Brown spent the remainder of the season primarily as Florida's designated player rather than in her usual position at first base and made just one appearance in the circle, recording one out against Georgia. Even with those limitations, she remained one of Florida's most dangerous hitters. Brown batted .400 with three home runs during the Gainesville Super Regional against Texas Tech, driving in a program-record eight RBIs in a Super Regional.
Ella Wesolowski and Madison Walker both transferred to Florida ahead of the 2026 season and quickly became key pieces of the Gators' offense.
Wesolowski primarily served as Florida's backup catcher, making 41 starts while also seeing time in right field once her bat became too valuable to keep out of the lineup. She recorded six multi-hit games and five multi-RBI performances and enters 2027 as the favorite to take over the starting catcher role.
Walker also made an immediate impact after transferring from Missouri, where she hit 18 home runs in 2025. She delivered timely hits throughout the season, including a walk-off single against her former team on March 8 and a go-ahead two-run home run against then-No. 1 Tennessee two weeks later.
Kalie Matsuno is the lone returning position player with an uncertain starting role. Matsuno saw time at second base as a freshman and could potentially earn the starting job there if Comia shifts to shortstop.
In the circle, Florida returns every pitcher who contributed during the 2026 season. Leading the staff once again is senior Keagan Rothrock, who enters her fourth season as the Gators' ace. Rothrock posted a 30-7 record as a junior and carried Florida's workload throughout the postseason, starting every NCAA Tournament game.
Brown is expected to slot in as Florida's No. 2 pitcher after emerging as one of the nation's most effective arms before her pitching season was cut short by the injury. Before suffering the injury, Brown logged 28 1/3 innings, allowing just two earned runs while striking out 21 batters.
One of the nation's most anticipated debuts will come from Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year Caroline Stanton. The right-hander was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class and spent last season with the program as an early enrollee.
They are joined by four other returning pitchers, headlined by left-hander Olivia Miller, who served as Florida's primary reliever last season. The staff is rounded out by Allison Sparkman, Katelynn "Red" Oxley and Leah Stevens.
Newcomers
Florida signed the nation's No. 2 recruiting class in the 2026 cycle while adding two experienced players through the transfer portal.
The Gators brought in catcher Kairi Rodriguez from Duke and first baseman/utility player Tori Edwards from LSU.
Rodriguez spent four seasons with the Blue Devils and enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2025, starting all but one game behind the plate while batting .320 with a .556 slugging percentage. She hit nine home runs, drove in 39 runs and earned NFCA All-Region Second Team honors.
She followed that performance by starting 47 games in 2026. Although her batting average dipped to .238, Rodriguez matched her career high with nine home runs and drove in 26 runs.
Edwards brings much-needed power to Florida's lineup. The Flower Mound, Texas, native burst onto the collegiate scene in 2025 with one of the best freshman seasons in LSU history. She started all 58 games at first base, set the program's single-season slugging percentage record at .802 and tied the school record with 18 home runs.
Stanton headlines Florida's freshman class and is joined by six additional signees.
Infielder Nina Carcone, ranked the No. 11 overall recruit by Softball America, provides depth to the infield. Fellow infielder Kennedy Bradley was ranked No. 14 nationally after batting .518 as a junior with 59 hits, including 39 for extra bases, while scoring 68 runs and driving in 59 across 39 games.
Shayla Bahr is UF’s lone outfielder in the 2026 class. The Wesleyan School product is a four-time state champion, a four-time first-team all-state selection and the No. 13 overall recruit in the country.
Brooklyn Giddey, an infielder from College Station, Texas, was another highly sought-after prospect and is a two-time Premier Girls Fastpitch national champion.
Avery Killian gives Florida additional depth behind the plate. The Metairie, Louisiana, native is a three-time All-District 9-5A selection.
Rounding out the class is pitcher Liliana Escobar, the lone arm in the 2026 signing class. The Southern California native posted a 14-5 record with a 1.20 ERA and 239 strikeouts in 140 innings during her junior season.
Way-too-early projected starting lineup:
- CF Taylor Shumaker
- RF Cassidy McLellan
- 1B Ava Brown
- LF Townsen Thomas
- 3B Tori Edwards
- DP Madison Walker
- C Ella Wesolowski
- 2B Kalie Matsuno
- SS Gabi Comia
Starting rotation: Rothrock, Brown, Stanton.
Relievers: Miller, Oxley, Sparkman, Stevens and Escobar.
The 2026 fall schedule has yet to be announced. Florida is expected to release its official 2027 schedule in late October.
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.
