Softball Kicks Off 2026 Campaign Friday

Last Updated: February 5, 2026By


GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 6 Florida softball team kicks off the 2026 season this Friday, Feb. 6 at the USF-Rawlings Invitational in Tampa. The Gators are scheduled to play five games over three days in Tampa vs. Illinois State, RV Michigan, Bethune-Cookman, Kansas and USF.

2026 USF-Rawlings Invitational Schedule









Date Opponent Time*
2/6 vs. Illinois State 7 p.m.
2/7 vs. RV Michigan 11:30 a.m.
2/7 vs. Bethune-Cookman 4:30 p.m.
2/8 vs. Kansas 12 p.m.
2/8 at USF 2:35 p.m.

**Saturday’s game times were moved up one hour from original schedule

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. Freshman Caroline Stanton, who enrolled early in January, will redshirt this season.

Notables

  • Florida is ranked in the top-10 in all four major preseason polls: D1 Softball (No. 4), NFCA Coaches Poll(No. 6), ESPN/USA Softball (No. 6) and Softball America (No. 10)

  • The 18-member 2026 Gator team is not only the smallest in the Southeastern Conference, but of any Power 4 (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 & ACC) roster this season

    • Head coach Tim Walton has never carried a large roster. The Gators have had 20 or less players on 16 of his 21 rosters 

      • Florida won the 2014 NCAA title with 16 players

  • Despite their size, the Gators’ roster is versatile and includes multiple players who are able to play multiple positions on the field: 

  • The Gators return four pitchers accounting for 84.2 percent of all innings pitched (341 of 405) in 2025: Keagan Rothrock, Ava Brown, Olivia Miller and Katelynn Oxley

  • Under Tim Walton, the Gators are 19-1 in season openers

    • The only loss came in 2006, his first season in Gainesville, vs. Kansas

  • Florida has played USF during Opening Weekend in Tampa for 13 straight seasons and in 17 of the last 19 seasons

    • The Gators are 17-0 against the Bulls during Opening Weekend in that span

  • Florida has played Illinois State during Opening Week for five straight seasons and in 13 of the last 15 seasons

    • They are 13-0 against the Redbirds in that span

  • The Gators went 5-0 during the 2025 USF-Rawlings Invitational, outscoring opponents 45-8

Florida versus USF-Rawlings Invitational Opponents

Illinois State










Head Coach Tina Kramos
Career Record 77-83 (.481)
Florida All-Time Record vs.  19-2
Streak 19 straight wins
Last Meeting February 7, 2025 | UF 10, ISU 2 (6) – Tampa, Fla.
Last Loss vs. March 4, 2007 | UF 0, ISU 0 – Los Angeles
Last Loss in Tampa N/A

RV Michigan










Head Coach Bonnie Tholl
Career Record 108-64 (.628)
Florida All-Time Record vs.  14-12
Streak Florida is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings
Last Meeting February 8, 2025 | UF 13, UM 1 (5) – Tampa, Fla.
Last Loss  March 2, 2024 | UF 2, UM 10 (5) – Fullerton, Calif.
Last Loss in Tampa February 10, 2024 | UF 1, UM 2 (10)

Bethune-Cookman










Head Coach Laura Watten
Career Record 822-733 (.529)
Florida All-Time Record vs.  19-2
Streak 10 straight wins
Last Meeting February 11, 2024 | UF 16, BCU 0 (5) – Tampa, Fla.
Last Loss  May 20, 2005 | UF 2, BC 3 – Daytona Beach, Fla.
Last Loss in Tampa N/A

Kansas










Head Coach Jennifer McFalls
Career Record 145-191-1 (.432)
Florida All-Time Record vs.  2-2
Streak Florida has won the last two meetings
Last Meeting February 21, 2015 | UF 7, KU 1
Last Loss  February 10, 2006 | UF 0, KU 6 – Houston
Last Loss in Tampa N/A

USF










Head Coach Ken Eriksen
Career Record 1,171-601-2 (.661)
Florida All-Time Record vs.  62-14
Streak Florida is 29-1 in the last 30 match ups
Last Meeting April 23, 2025 | UF 9, USF 1 (5) – Gainesville, Fla.
Last Loss  April 10, 2024 | UF 4, USF 7 – Gainesville, Fla.
Last Loss in Tampa April 13, 2005 | UF 2, USF 5 

Follow Along

The Gators will have radio coverage for all five games on WRUF 98.1 FM/850 AM with Sky Lebron and Lance Williams on the call. The weekend finale vs. USF will be streamed on ESPN+. 

Follow the Gators

FloridaGators.com
Florida Softball on Twitter
Head Coach Tim Walton on Twitter/X
Florida Softball on Facebook




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