UF SB: No. 17 Gators Set for Opening Weekend at USF-Rawlings Invitational

Florida softball opens the 2024 season in Tampa at the USF-Rawlings Invitational Friday night at 5:30 p.m. against Oregon State.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No.17/18 University of Florida softball team begins their 2024 campaign this weekend at the USF-Rawlings Invitational hosted by USF in Tampa. UF is set to open the season Friday, Feb. 9, at 5:30 p.m. against Oregon State.

The Gators enter the season with a balanced mix of veteran returners and newcomers that include seven freshmen and four transfers.

Returning to the program to lead the team is 2023 NFCA Player of the Year Skylar Wallace along with All-SEC performers Kendra Falby and Reagan Walsh. Avery Goelz, Baylee Goddard, Katie Kistler and Emily Wilkie all return for their senior seasons and look to make an impact throughout the year.

Joining the solid foundation of returning players is a talented group of seven freshmen and four transfers. Ava Brown and Keagan Rothrock, each tout Gatorade Softball National Player of the Year honors coming into their freshmen season, as Brown won the award in 2023 and Rothrock secured the title in 2022.

The right-handed pitching duo expects to see a plethora of innings this season as they are also joined by freshman left-handed pitcher Olivia Miller and graduate transfer Mackenzie Wooten. Wooten joins the Gators staff as the only pitcher on the roster with collegiate experience coming into the weekend as she tallied 111.0 innings pitched over her career at Virginia.

Mia Williams, Alyssa Hovermale, Cassidy McLellan and Ariel Kowalewski round out the talented freshmen class that was touted as the nation’s top signing class by Extra Inning Softball.

The additional transfers joining Wooten and the freshmen on the roster are Korbe Otis (Louisville), Jocelyn Erickson (Oklahoma) and Brooke Barnard (Ole Miss).

Notables

* Florida was picked seventh overall in the SEC Preseason Coaches Poll entering the season, while Skylar Wallace and Kendra Falby were tabbed Preseason All-SEC selections.
* Head Coach Tim Walton of the Florida softball program was announced a member of the 2024 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame class. He will be inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in Dallas, Texas on December 6, 2024.
* The program welcomes a pair of new assistant coaches as Chelsey Dobbins joins the Gators as the pitching coach, while Gator legend Francesca Enea also returns to the program. A familiar face also joins the coaching staff as Charla Echols will join as a student assistant coach.
* Wallace and Louisville transfer Korbe Otis were tabbed to the USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List. Last season, Wallace finished the year as a top three finalist for the award.
* In addition, Wallace and Otis were both declared Preseason All-Americans by both D1Softball.com and Softball America.
* Freshmen Keagan Rothrock, Ava Brown, Mia Williams and Ariel Kowalewski were selected to Softball America’s Freshmen Watch List.
* Wallace, Otis, Falby and Rothrock were named to Softball America’s Top 100 as Wallace checked in at No. 6, Otis at No. 23, Falby at No. 70 and Rothrock at No. 90.
* D1Softball.com announced Wallace as the No. 5 player in the country heading into the year, while Falby was tabbed No. 27 and Otis was designated as the No. 31 player in the country.
* The Gators enter the season with one of the youngest pitching staffs in the nation as the rotation features three freshmen and a graduate transfer with 111.0 career innings.
* Wallace and Falby enter the year both in the top three in career batting average amongst all UF hitters. Wallace enters her final season ranked first with .413 average and is currently on the second batter in UF history with a .400 or better career average at the plate alongside Amanda Loren (.407), while Falby ranks a close third with a .397 average.
* Wallace is also chasing career records in slugging percentage (.790), on base percentage (.566) and stolen bases (82). The speedster currently sits third all-time in stolen bases behind Michelle Moultrie (83) and Kelsey Stewart (113).
* In addition, Falby looks to make a move up the career ranks in stolen bases as she has swiped 63 career bases which currently ranks seventh overall.
Gators in the USF-Rawlings Invitational – Schedule
Date

Opponent

Time

Live Stats

Live Audio

Live Video

Feb. 9

Oregon State

5:30 PM

Link<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=515733&vislive=fla>

Link<https://floridagators.com/watch/?Live=5301&type=Archive>

N/A

Feb. 10