(SB) Ongoing UF Softball Commentary

Yep, some kids just want to be on their favorite team, some kids actually want to play, and, in todays game, some will chase the paycheck.

 

Have you heard someone might?

 

It certainly should be.

 

I believe for the most part CTW has high standards in his recruitment requirements. He recruits extremely talented players, who are high in character and are academic achievers. The record speaks for itself. Great softball skills are needed to meet the expectations in Florida Gator Softball program and intelligence to meet the academic standards that are required for being academically successful at the UF. Note: a majority of the CTW’s athletes are garnished with SEC and UF Academic Honor Roll honors. Some of the portal transfers in the past few years had academic difficulties or had a hard time meeting the high standards required and expected by CTW and his staff.

 

Can you elaborate?

 

We are going to know soon if any of the current ladies will be leaving for the upcoming season. Portal is open from Dec 1 - Dec 15.

 

Are we going to look to the portal or do we ride who we got. Im good either way.

 

What needs would we have in the portal? Looks like we’re going to have some traffic jams as it is.

 

We have twenty players, unless we lose one, I thinking we go with what we have. Personally, I’m good with everyone of them. We will need them all to reach our intended goal, a National Championship.

 

Softball America Florida Fall Report:
2025 Preview: Florida

by:Brady Vernon

After coming just short of the title series last year, Florida returns most of its core with an incredible freshman class and high-level transfers looking for the program’s first title since 2015.

When asked about the top-to-bottom talent on the 2025 roster, Tim Walton compared the team to the group he had coming into the 2008 season. That freshman class became the winningest Florida class, went to the Women’s College World Series every season and played for two National Championships. From a pure talent standpoint, he believes his 2025 roster comes close to that group which had a handful of All-Americans.


Florida Roster Movement

Impact Losses

INF Skylar Wallace
OF Katie Kistler
C Emily Wilkie

Transfer Additions

INF Rylee Holtorf (Washington)
INF Kenleigh Cahalan (Alabama)
RHP Kara Hammock (UNC Wilmington)


Freshman Class

OF Townsen Thomas (No. 6 overall recruit in the 2024 Softball America class)
OF Taylor Shumaker (No. 9)
RHP Katelynn Oxley (No. 13)
INF Gabi Comia (No. 17)
INF Layla Lamar (No. 20)

Florida Newcomers

The Gators welcome one of the best recruiting 2024 classes. All five freshmen; Townsen Thomas, Taylor Shumaker, Katelynn Oxley, Gabi Comia and Layla Lamar rank inside the top 20 of Softball America’s 2024 recruiting rankings.

Shumaker and Oxley will likely see the most time but the door is always open for Thomas, Comia and Lamar. Walton pointed out that even on a team with so much talent, he always recruits with the idea that freshmen can and will play all four years if it is what is best for the team.

Walton projects Shumaker to be the team’s starting right fielder. She came in with high expectations and answered them with a good fall to earn that spot. Thomas has had highs and lows as any freshman but Walton made it a point that she’s faced a team with multiple All-Americans and any freshmen would have struggles. Comia, who battled injuries this fall, and Lamar currently serve as infield depth.


The additions of Oxley and Kara Hammock have made the fall more fun this season. Last year at this time, Olivia Miller was the only pitcher who could throw full-time for the Gators, which was certainly stressful for the Florida staff. Both have settled in nicely and give the Gators much-needed depth and options in the circle they didn’t have last year.

According to Walton, Oxley has had one of the best falls of anyone on the team. She’s shown her ability to change speeds and eye level like a veteran. Walton also mentioned you can’t teach her experience of winning two Florida state titles and a PGF Championship. Hammock works as a great complimentary piece to the rest of the Florida staff. She threw 372-plus innings at UNC Wilmington and had a sub-two ERA all three seasons.

Florida’s biggest question leading into the year was who would fill in at shortstop for the graduated Skylar Wallace. Walton was in the unique position to add two players from top-tier programs who have had experience playing shortstop. Rylee Holtorf and Kenleigh Cahalan bring plenty of talent, but they also have given new ideas to Walton and the program.

“Transfers that come from other high-level programs, they bring stuff to you,” Walton said. “Korbe Otis brought stuff to us, Jocelyn Erickson, Skylar Wallace too. They bring skillsets, communication, and chemistry. I’ve taken a lot of things from them and added them to our program because they’re doing it better than how we were doing it. That’s been a secret to our sustained success it constantly finding ways to train and teach the student-athletes better. They root for each other and make each other better. That’s been fun to watch Rylee and Kenleigh be friends, work together and learn from one another.”


Holtorf is coming off a career year at the plate. She posted career-highs batting average (.336) and home runs (11) while being a proven defender in the infield. Cahalan has been a solid defender as well and has a good skillset at the plate, but hasn’t fully reached the potential many believe she has. Florida fans are hopeful the staff can unlock that ceiling as they did for another former Alabama transfer.

Florida Returners

Jocelyn Erickson always had the talent. Last season, She came in and immediately became one of the best players in the country as a hitter and a defender. She won NFCA Division I Player of the Year and the Rawlings Gold Glove Award behind the plate. The SEC Player of the Year finished the year with a .386 average, 15 doubles, 15 home runs and a team-high 86 RBIs.


The most remarkable part of her year to Walton was that after the season she came to him asking how she could make a bigger impact as a leader. She picked up on things while with Team USA during the summer and then got involved with NCAA leadership programs with the help of the Florida administration.

“You can talk all day long about talent, but the kid still has to go out and do it,” Walton said. “I give her a lot of credit. She left a championship-level team to play the position she wanted to play. There’s so much people don’t know about her, her work ethic, her knowledge of the game, and her determination to be a leader. She earned all of her accomplishments from last year and came to me after the season wanting to improve her leadership. She’s trying to impact others on the softball field and the locker room. That’s a really special trait, especially after an amazing season.”


Erickson’s main battery mate is looking to build off a great freshman year. Keagan Rothrock’s didn’t have eye-popping numbers because, at times, she was the only pitcher Florida could rely on. That led to a few inflated ERAs in a handful of games. However, the added depth in the circle should keep her fresh and see her at her best more often. Walton said her velocity is consistently up and the control has been better as well. Walton felt the same way about sophomore Ava Brown too.

Korbe Otis and Kendra Falby make for one of the best and most athletic outfields regardless of who is in right field. The combined speed at the top of the lineup is a headache for any defense. Otis led the team with a .434 batting average. She added 12 doubles, five triples, nine home runs, 53 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. Falby stole 19 bags and had 22 extra-base hits. Plus there’s no ball in center field she doesn’t believe she can’t catch.


Reagan Walsh had a bit of an underrated season. Erickson, Wallace, Otis all made plenty of headlines but Walsh was stellar last season as well. She led the team with 19 home runs while driving in 70 runs. She’ll be back in the heart of the order, offering defensive flexibility around the infield.

The sophomore class also returns a ton of experience. Brown had 162 at-bats with 13 home runs. Ariel Kowalewski finished the year with a .308 average with 18 extra-base hits, primarily starting at third base but can be a catching option behind Erickson. Mia Williams started 59 games after coming in as a highly touted recruit. She flashed her leather quite often but had her struggles at the plate. However, she hit half her home runs during the SEC Tournament and NCAA postseason. A small piece to build upon.


Florida Projected Lineup

C Jocelyn Erickson
1B Reagan Walsh
2B Mia Williams
SS Rylee Holtorf
3B Kenleigh Cahalan
LF Korbe Otis
CF Kendra Falby
RF Taylor Shumaker
DP Ava Brown/Ariel Kowalewski

Editor’s Note: These projections are predictions based on previous positions and conversations with coaches. This is a gentle reminder that a lot can change between now and February.

The outfield feels pretty set barring injury but expect Thomas to be the first call off the bench if necessary. The infield feels like the opposite. Walton has a large amount of different combinations to use and admitted it’ll be tough to make the lineup each day. He has multiple experienced players who can play different positions, leading to the added depth that could include the freshmen as well

 

We have two incoming signees in Softball America top 100:
Kylie Shaw is No. 30
Makenna Bellaire is No. 65

 

I also have a hard time not seeing AK at 3bb unless she is catching. I could even see her at 1b before not being in the field.

 

Reagan Walsh looks like she can do it all on the infield.

Based on that projection, Ava Brown likely will be concentrating on pitching, not a bad thing, but I'm sure she'll be seeing 1st base too.

CTW has an embarrassment of riches which he will need to knock off OU and UTex in the SEC and nationally.

 

CTW definitely has the tools to do it. Now he needs to coach them up and and the leaders need to step up and make the rest of the team believe. I don’t think there will be an issue in the latter.

 

Given CTW has 2 national championships under his belt, I don't think there will be an issue with the former either.

 

CTW will coach them up and Francesca, Stephanie and Aric will challenge them.

 

I am definitely a Reagan fan. She hits the ball just about as hard as anyone on the team. She deserves to be in the lineup. I don’t care where you place her or make her the DP. I predict over 20 HRs by “Reag” this season.

 

I’m excited for this electric season to begin!