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The Oklahoma Sooners, four-time defending women’s college world series national champions, are not the top-ranked team on Softball America’s preseason top 25 announced Monday. That title belongs to the Florida Gators.
It’s time for season picks ⬇️
There is a new No. 1 in town @GatorsSB 🐊
Full article 👉 https://t.co/pVDDAXSfTN#Top25 | #SoftballAmerica pic.twitter.com/rYP3hVgG1A
— Softball America (@SoftbalAmerica) January 13, 2025
Erickson’s Return
The Gators look to continue the success of their 54-win 2024 season. The team earned an SEC Tournament championship and the program’s 12th trip to the Women’s College World Series.
A significant factor in the Gators’ softball ranking is the return of their star players. Jocelyn Erickson, the NFCA Player of the Year, headlines this elite roster at catcher. She finished the last season hitting .382 with 15 home runs and 86 RBIs. Three other National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American honorees, Keagan Rothrock, Reagan Walsh and Korbe Otis, are returning to Gainesville.
There are also some new faces looking to bring firepower to the team. The Gators added three transfers, Kenligh Calahan (Alabama), Rylee Holtorf (Washington) and Kara Hammock (North Carolina Wilmington), along with seven true freshmen.
Holtorf boasts the best resume of the new additions. At Washington, she was one of five Huskies to start in all 47 games, doing so at shortstop. Her first-team All-Pac-12 campaign included a .336 average with 51 hits, 11 home runs and 25 RBIs.
Florida softball’s season ended in the Women’s College World Series semifinals after a loss to Oklahoma. Its season starts
Baseball’s New Outfield
The Gator baseball team also cracked the top 10 of a preseason rankings, opening at No. 10 on D1 Baseball top 25 rankings. The team opened as the No. 10 in the country after making it to the College World Series for the second straight year.
The Gators will be tested this year, as the SEC is the premier league in college baseball. Florida will play seven preseason top-25 teams in the regular season. Five teams in the SEC are ranked above them, including No. 1 Texas A&M.
Preseason @D1Baseball Rankings ⚾️ #NCAABaseball pic.twitter.com/arESuicWI1
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) January 13, 2025
Similar to the Softball team, Florida returned 17 players from last year’s Omaha squad. The Gators bring back nine pitchers, headlined by projected ace Liam Peterson.
Five positional starters will return to the field, joined by some transfer talent. Blake Cyr (Miami) and Kyle Jones (Stetson) are expected to start in the outfield alongside returning starter Ty Evans. Bobby Boser (USF) will compete for a spot in the corner infield.
Opening as a top-10 squad 💪#GoGators pic.twitter.com/jPx53f1kFD
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) January 13, 2025
Opening Weekends
The Florida softball team will open its season Feb. 6 against North Florida. First pitch is at 6 p.m. in Gainesville at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The season takes full flight a day later in Tampa for the USF-Rawlings Invitational. The Gators will face Illinois State, Delaware, Michigan, Georgia Southern and USF throughout the weekend.
The Florida baseball team takes the field a weekend later for a three-game series against Air Force. The first game is on Feb. 14 with the last one wrapping up Sunday.
