GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida softball team debuted at No. 10 on Softball America’s preseason top-25 rankings, the publication announced on Tuesday morning.

Softball America is the first major publication to unveil its 2026 preseason rankings. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), ESPN/USA Softball and D1Softball will release their top-25 rankings in the upcoming weeks.

The Gators are coming off a 48-win 2025 season that included the program’s 13th trip to the Women’s College World Series.

While Florida graduated three All-Americans in Kendra Falby, Reagan Walsh and Korbe Otis, the Gators also return 10 players from a season ago.

2025 NFCA First Team All-American and NFCA Freshman of the Year Taylor Shumaker, 2025 & 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner Jocelyn Erickson and 2024 NFCA All-American Third Team Keagan Rothrock highlight Florida’s returners.

The Gators also added five transfers in the offseason: Ella Wesolowski (Mississippi State), Madison Walker (Missouri), Allison Sparkman (FGCU), Kendall Grover (Eastern Illinois) and Giulia Desiderio (South Carlina), in addition to three freshmen.

Below is a complete breakdown of Softball America’s preseason top 25 with Florida’s 2026 opponents in bold.

1. Texas Tech
2. Texas 
3. Oklahoma
4. Tennessee
5. Oregon
6. Florida State
7. Arkansas
8. UCLA
9. Clemson
10. Florida
11. Nebraska
12. LSU
13. Alabama
14. Texas A&M
15. Georgia
16. South Carolina
17. Arizona
18. Stanford
19. Oklahoma State
20. Duke
21. Mississippi State
22. Washington
23. Virginia
24. Virginia Tech
25. Ole Miss

The Gators open the 2026 season vs. Illinois State on Feb. 6 at the USF-Rawlings Invitational in Tampa, Fla.

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