Three Gators Named to All-SEC Preseason Softball Team

Florida softball has a trio of players named to the All-SEC preseason team ahead of the 2026 season. The conference’s 15 head coaches selected Jocelyn Erickson, Keagan Rothrock, and Taylor Shumaker to the list. Florida’s three players are the third most in the conference, trailing only Oklahoma and Texas.

This is the second consecutive season that Rothrock and Erickson were named to the list, with Shumaker joining the group after an award-winning freshman campaign. 

Jocelyn Erickson returns to Gainesville for her senior season behind the plate. Last season, Erickson claimed her second consecutive Golden Glove award and is a former SEC and NFCA player of the year. She posted a 1.144 OPS, which was tied for second on the team. 

Keagan Rothrock returns to the circle after a season in which she led the team in nearly every pitching statistic. The former SEC Freshman of the Year posted a 16-7 record through 27 starts, with a 5-3 mark in conference play. 

Taylor Shumaker burst on the scene last year as a freshman, wasting no time turning heads. She was named both the Softball America and NFCA Freshman of the Year, and earned NFCA first-team All-American and All-SEC honors. She set the UF single-season record with 164 total bases, while tying the record 22 home runs and 86 RBIs. 

The Gators are picked fourth in the SEC preseason coaches’ poll, behind Texas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. USA Softball ranks Florida sixth in its preseason poll as well. 

Florida is looking to reach its third consecutive Women’s College World Series this season for the first time since 2017-19. The Gators are also searching for its first national title since 2015. 

The first pitch for the season will come against Illinois State on Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. The game will be a part of the USF-Rawlings Invitational in Tampa.

Category: Gators Softball