Florida Gators infielder Skylar Wallace (17) gets a fist bump from Head Coach Tim Walton after she hit a home run in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead of the Seminoles 4-3. The Florida women’s softball team hosted FSU at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. The Seminoles defeated the Gators 8-7. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] Flgai 050523 Fsu Uf Softball

Florida Softball Gears Up for Season Opener

Cooper Bates February 9, 2024 College Softball, Gators Softball, Gators Sports, SEC 196 Views

The Florida Gators softball team opens its season Friday against Oregon State at the USF-Rawlings Invitational.

2023 Season Recap

Florida finished the 2023 season with a 38-22 record. The Gators began the season 20-4 before SEC play began but struggled in conference, finishing 11-13 in the SEC.

The season ended in the NCAA Regional Round for the Gators following an 11-2 loss to 9-seed Stanford. It was the second loss to Stanford in as many days for Florida, who was run-ruled 8-0 in 6 innings in the first meeting.

Returning Production

Redshirt senior shortstop Skylar Wallace headlines the returning production for the Gators. Wallace followed up her 2022 season, when she made All-SEC first team, with a dominant 2023 season. In 2023, Wallace made All-SEC first team again, won SEC Player of the Year and won National Fastpitch Coaches Association Player of the Year.

Unsurprisingly, Wallace was voted to the 2024 Preseason All-SEC team on Jan 24.

Junior outfielder Kendra Falby was also voted to the 2024 Preseason All-SEC team. In 2023, Falby made All-SEC second team alongside infielder Reagan Walsh, who returns for her junior season.

Walsh batted .310 (52-for-168) with 49 RBIs, 11 doubles, eight home runs and 24 walks in 2023.

New Additions

The Gators’ 2023 freshmen class was rated as the top recruiting class in the country by Extra Inning Softball. Florida landed the 2022 and 2023 National Softball Gatorade Player of the Year winners in freshmen pitchers Keagan Rothrock and Ava Brown, respectively. Brown also won 2023 Gatorade Best Female Athlete.

Mia Williams, Alyssa Hovermale, Cassidy McLellan, Ariel Kowalewski and Olivia Miller join Brown and Rothcock in the freshmen class.

Furthermore, Florida signed four transfers in Korbe Otis (Louisville), Mackenzie Wooten (Virginia), Jocelyn Erickson (Oklahoma) and Brooke Barnard (Ole Miss).

Wooten is the only pitcher on the team with collegiate experience with 111 innings pitched while at Virginia.

Florida Head Coach Tim Walton is heading into his 19th season as head coach and has been announced as a member of the 2024 NFCA Hall of Fame Class.

The No. 18 Gators were voted to finish seventh overall in the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll entering the 2024 season.

First pitch for Friday’s contest is set for 5:30 p.m.

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