As the season approaches and Florida softball looks to return to the Women’s College World Series for the 14th time, three Florida stars were named to the 2026 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award watch list: catcher Joeclyn Erickson, outfielder Taylor Shumaker and pitcher Keegan Rothrock
Stepping into his 20th year at the helm of Florida softball, head coach Tim Walton will look to his core trio to return to Oklahoma City, where the Gators went 0-2 in 2025.
Entering her senior season, Erickson will look to claim her third-straight Rawlings Gold Glove Award at catcher after winning as a junior and sophomore. Last year, she batted .303 and complemented that with 59 RBI, 55 runs and 15 home runs. She also held a team-high .490 on-base percentage in SEC play.
On the defensive side, Erickson had a .997 fielding percentage, committing only one error in 315 chances in 2025. She ranked 2nd in the SEC in caught stealing, throwing out nine runners.
“I’ll be honest with you – I don’t know how you ever replace a Jocelyn Erickson,” Walton said on the In the Circle podcast on Jan. 22. “I’ve never seen anyone like this, behind the plate or in the box.”
The 2025 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Freshman of the Year, Taylor Shumaker, rounds out Florida’s nominees. In her freshman campaign, Shumaker had one of the greatest offensive seasons in school history. She tied the UF single-season RBI and home run records and was ranked in the top 10 nationally in RBIs, runs, total bases and home runs.
“The staff here is just so amazing — they really made me feel prepared for every single moment, whether it was in school, in life or in the game,” she said on the In the Circle podcast on Jan. 22.
For Rothrock, this year’s focus will be on staying healthy after missing over a month due to compartment syndrome injury last year. Despite that minor setback, Rothrock started a team-high 27 games in the circle and led Florida in innings pitched, strikeouts and complete games. Last year, Rothrock was a top-25 finalist for this award.
“One of the biggest things is having a great defense behind me and knowing the stuff I have is good enough; good enough to beat anybody," Rothrock said in a postgame interview on May 17, 2024
The 2026 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year winner will be announced prior to the NCAA Women's College World Series.
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.
