Gators with a distinction only one other team can claim in 2026

Florida Softball is off to a 19-0 start, and none of their games have been all that competitive. The Gators have scored at least five runs in every game this season, and they have won every game by at least three runs, with ten of their wins coming via the run rule.

But it’s not just the offense that has been clicking for Florida, and updated stats from this past weekend showcase just how dominant the Gators have been to start the 2026 campaign.

Florida Softball in top ten for hitting and pitching

With a team batting average of .389, the Gators are 7th in the country. Emblematic of Florida’s prowess at the plate is the fact that Taylor Shumaker is hitting .426 and is only 4th on the team in hitting. Kenleigh Cahalan is having a breakout year so far and is hitting .500 with eight home runs and seven doubles. Not far behind is Gabi Comia, who hit .313 last year as a rotational player, hitting .482 in 2026.

Joycelyn Erickson has put together a .455 campaign with seven home runs, and Missouri transfer Madison Walker is also north of .400 at .414.

But the other strength of Florida to this point has been the 1-2 punch of Ava Brown and Keagan Rothrock in the circle. Rothrock seems to have recovered from her injury-riddled 2025 season and is currently sporting a 2.04 ERA through 48 innings pitched. But Ava Brown has taken a huge step forward in the circle and is sporting a .49 ERA in 28.1 innings pitched, good for 10th in the country.

Florida as a whole has a team ERA of 1.63, good for 9th in the country.

The combination of being 7th in batting average and 9th in ERA makes Florida one of just two teams in the country to rank in the top ten of both, with North Carolina being the other.

Bigger tests to come

We have pointed this out, but if fair is fair, we must point out that Florida’s first 19 games weren’t against the elites in college softball. To this point, Florida has not played a ranked opponent. 

And we have been down this road before, as in 2023 the Gators got off to a similar 10-0 start, where they run ruled eight of their first ten opponents, only to then get run ruled themselves by UCLA and Oregon. Florida didn’t host Regionals in 2023 and was bounced in the Regional round.

Florida’s opponent this week?

No. 10 UCLA.

The Gators seemingly have the pieces for a better foundation in 2026 than they had in 2023, and if they can clear this upcoming weekend while still looking dominant, then it’s full speed ahead for a return trip to Oklahoma City in 2026.