When Florida got bounced from Super Regionals by Texas Tech, it was a bit of a sour ending for a Gator squad that had the bats to compete with anyone, but also had its pitching depth depleted. If everyone in Florida can stay healthy in 2027, the Gators should have the pitching trio of Keagan Rothrock, Ava Brown, and Caroline Stanton to hold the fort down.
But Florida also needs to replace the power production at the plate of Jocelyn Erickson after she graduated, and on Thursday, they grabbed a player out of the transfer portal who has the potential to do just that.
Florida signs Tori Edwards from LSU
Former freshman All-American Tori Edwards has signed with Florida out of the transfer portal. After redshirting in 2024, Edwards had a monster 2025 campaign, hitting .383 with 18 HRs and 73 RBIs. For whatever reason, those numbers dipped this past season as she hit .284 with 12 HRs.Â
Former SEC Freshman of the Year Tori Edwards is set to join Florida https://t.co/G5mMuEGECX
— Softball America (@SoftbalAmerica) June 25, 2026
LSU advanced to the Super Regionals, where the Tigers lost to No. 1 overall seed Alabama and fell short of the WCWS. LSU fans have been grumbling about their head coach Beth Torina, and so the hope for Florida fans is that Edwards can regain her form under Walton.
If Edwards can regain the form she had in 2025, she should slot in the lineup to fill the void that Erickson leaves behind and create a formidable 1-2-3 punch of Taylor Shumaker, Brown, and Edwards. She also represents a cornerstone of the transfer portal, as Florida had been mostly quiet in it, only signing Duke catcher Kairi Rodriguez prior to Thursday.
But in a lot of ways, Florida didn't have a ton it needed to grab from the portal, as the bulk of its 2026 roster is slated to return. And with Edwards in the lineup, Florida’s offense shouldn’t miss too much of a beat heading into 2027.
As noted, the offense wasn’t why Florida’s season ended at the hands of Texas Tech, as Florida scored at least 7 runs in all 3 games of the Super Regionals. The storyline for Florida in 2027 will be the health of the pitching staff, and whether their depth can hold up. A run in Oklahoma City should be the expectation next year.
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