NCAA TOURNAMENT / GAINESVILLE REGIONAL 

GAINESVILLE, Fla.  – Florida sophomore Mia Williams knocked in four runs on a pair of doubles and freshman Taylor Shumaker tied the Florida freshman record with her 19th home run of the season, as the third-seeded Gators defeated Mercer 8-0 in Friday’s opening round of the NCAA Gainesville Regional at Pressly Stadium.  

UF sophomore Ava Brown replaced starter Kara Hammock, who loaded the bases with two walks and hit batter in the Mercer third. Brown got out of the inning with a fly ball and the Gators took control from there. 

After managing just one hit through the first two innings, UF struck for five hits and five runs in the third, starting with a leadoff walk to Kendra Falby followed by Shumaker’s two-run homer, her 18th season of the season. Jocelyn Erickson kept the line moving with a walk, then scored two batters later on Williams’ double down the left-field line to make it 3-0. With two outs, Korbe Otis drew a walk. The Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, Kenleigh Cahalan and Rylee Holtorf, followed with run-a scoring double and single, respectively, to make it 5-0 and put the run rule in play. 

Florida plated two more in the fourth, with an Erickson walked, Walsh singled and Williams doubled to left center to scored two for a 7-0 advantage. Erickson’s RBI walk-off single in the fifth scored Falby and put Mercer down by the mercy rule. 

Brown (11-3) got the win for the Gators, working 2.1 innings, without allowing a run and surrendering two hits. 

PLAY OF THE GAME: Shumaker’s towering blast put her name alongside Brittany Schutte, who smashed 19 homers in her 2010 rookie season. It took 15 years for the Gators to find a freshman to produce that kind of power. 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Williams carried her tremendous offensive turn-around season into her second postseason. The UF second baseman batted .164 as a freshman in 2024, with 18 RBI. As a sophomore, Williams at .352 with 44 RBI.

STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Gators improved to 14-0 all-time against the Bears, including an aggregate 41-5 advantage over the last four meetings, with all four coming by the eight-run mercy rule. The combined score in all 14 meetings, dating to their first in 2008, is 126-20. 

UP NEXT: Florida (44-10) will play the field’s second seed, cross-state foe Florida Atlantic (45-10) in Saturday’s winner’s bracket, with first pitch scheduled for noon. The Owls needed nine innings to defeat Georgia Tech 5-4 in Friday’s first game, meaning the Yellow Jackets (27-23) and Bears (38-25) will play the regional’s first elimination game Saturday at approximately 2:30 p.m. The survivor of that game will play the UF-FAU loser at approximately 5 p.m. to determine which team advances to Sunday’s regional title round. 

HERE FROM THE GATORS:

Opening statement…

“I’m very happy with the way we started. It was a very efficient offensive day and defensively we made some really nice plays. Ava (Brown) did a really good job in relief, I think Kara (Hammock) did a really good job start and getting a quality go for us. And Gabi (Comia) off the bench with a pinch hit to start the fifth. It was really nice to get everyone involved and having everyone involved in what we’re doing to win.” – head coach Tim Walton

On similarities he sees between Brittany Schutte and Taylor Shumaker…

“They both have really sweet swings, beautiful left-handed swings and long levers. They both played for the same travel coach from very similar parts of California. Brittany was really cool, she reached out to me a couple of weeks ago and sent a video that I shared with Taylor about her excitement that Taylor has the chance to have the freshman home run record. It was really cool; I didn’t even know. She sent me the message. It was a really neat thing to see. Brittany is recently a mom and it was really cool to see her sharing in Taylor’s success. It was a blast from the past. There is a lot of similarities. Both could hit tape-measure shots and neither one was really trying to hit home runs, but they both have an easy swing about them.” – head coach Tim Walton

On what she can attribute to her big jump from her freshman year to now…

“The mindset I came into this season with was completely different (than last year). I think last year I was trying to do a lot and trying to press. This year it’s about having trust in myself and my teammates and having trust in my coaches, too.” – sophomore Mia Williams

 

On tying Brittany Schutte for the Florida freshman home run record…

“I mean I wasn’t even thinking about it because when things like that happen, I feel like once I start looking at a number, that’s when it starts getting a little overwhelming. Like, you put a lot of pressure on yourself just to kind of achieve that number. So, I think it was kind of good for me to not really know the number. I didn’t even know that I tied it today actually. I had no clue. I feel like once you put a number on it, that’s when softball can become a very lonely sport, if you’re just worried about averages and numbers and stuff like that. Just thinking about doing something for my team, things like that will come eventually, but as long as I’m staying with my team and I’m doing what’s best for them, I don’t really think numbers and stuff like that matter to me. – freshman Taylor Shumaker

 

On Schutte reaching out when Shumaker was close to tying the record…

“Just to be able to see people from different years, to see their support and show that they’re still watching and they’re still supporting us it’s something really special and it says a lot about our program.” – freshman Taylor Shumaker

 

On the team staying loose and having fun in the dugout regardless of the scoreboard…

“This team is one that thrives based off of the energy that we put out. So, if the dugout’s quiet and not a lot of people are talking and not a lot’s happening, then that’s the kind of how we end up feeling and playing. We kind of came together and had a conversation, like, hey, if we want to be fun to watch, then we need to put 1000% of ourselves into being fun to watch out on the field, in the batter’s box, the pitcher circle, out in the outfield, the infield, in the dugout, no matter what it was, we knew that we had to just put a lot more effort into just being fun to watch. At the end of the day, it could be somebody’s first and only time watching us play ever and if they come out and see us being blah, they’re never going to want to watch again. And this game is really fun, regardless. So, to be able to kind of play and not be so tight and anxious about winning all the time, just as long as we stay loose the wins will come.” – freshman Taylor Shumaker