Softball Kicks Off 2026 Campaign Friday

Friday, February 6

Tampa, Fla.

7 p.m.

Florida Gators

Illinois State

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Softball Kicks Off 2026 Campaign Friday

Thursday, February 5, 2026 | Softball

By: Lauren Staff

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 fewer 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:
- Ava Brown - P/1B/DP
- Kenleigh Cahalan - 3B/SS
- Gabi Comia - 2B/SS
- Giulia Desiderio - C/2B
- Jocelyn Erickson - C/1B
- Kalie Matsuno - 2B/SS
- Madison Walker - 1B/DP/OF
- Ella Wesolowski - C/OF
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+.