Tim Walton Talks Gator Softball Offseason

Florida Gators softball head coach Tim Walton and the team did not have the ending to the 2023 season they had hoped for. After getting knocked out in the Palo Alto Regional by Stanford back in May, Walton is getting ready for his 19th season at the helm.

Walton joined Sport Scene to talk about the ending of last season, coaching staff changes and exciting incoming freshmen.

Saying Goodbye

Walton talked about his normal end of season traditions and how this year was a little different. As he always does, he held a team meeting one day after getting back to Gainesville. This was an emotional meeting for Walton, as he said goodbye to eight seniors.

Rylee Trlicek, Charla Echols and Elizabeth Hightower were three of the eight seniors, and they played major roles in the success of the program over the past four years.

Additionally, there were major contributions from younger athletes during the 2023 season. Most notably was Skylar Wallace, who led the Gators in batting average, home runs and stolen bases. Moreover, she was named SEC Player of the Year and was a top three finalist for the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.

Walton explained that this wasn’t the season they envisioned, but some of the individual performances were incredible.

Turning the Page

Walton and the rest of the Gator softball program is gearing up for next year, with a star-studded freshman class coming in. According to Extra Inning Softball, Florida has the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation.

Walton raved about the top two incoming freshmen for Florida: Keagan Rothrock and Ava Brown. Both won Gatorade National Player of the Year honors in their high school careers. Rothrock and Brown are both talented pitchers, but Walton feels they can help the team on the offensive side, as well.

These two will have the opportunity to work with a new pitching coach on the Gators’ staff. Walton announced that Chelsey Dobbins will be the program’s next assistant coach. Her main responsibility will be to lead and develop the pitching staff.

Before coming to Gainesville, Dobbins served as the pitching coach for North Carolina since 2015. She was then promoted to Associate Head Coach in 2018.

Walton believes that Dobbins can help Florida reach the promise land. He explained that she is what this program needs and has completely bought in to what Gator softball is all about.

While the 2024 softball season is still months away, Walton and the Gators are excited for what’s to come.