(SB) Ongoing UF Softball Commentary

Roster size for SEC Teams
27. Ole Miss
25. Ark. Miss St. Tex A&M
24. Missouri. Tenn.
23. Aub. Ga. LSU. S.C. Tex
21. Ala
20. KY. Okla.
17. UF. .
Note: Tex A&M calculated as roster not officially published.

 

Softball america has a list up of breakout sec stars for next year. I dont subscribe but I'd say for us it could be Gabi, Cassidy, Red, or Townsen.

 

Brady (Softball America) likes the get:

 

1 Potential Breakout Player from each SEC Team
by: Brady Vernon14 hours agoBradyVernon

Photo courtesy of LSU Athletics


Typically, stars don’t walk into college softball and take the world by storm. It takes time, development. What players may take that leap into stardom this spring in SEC softball? We take our early guesses.

Alabama – Abby Duchscherer, CIF

Duchscherer has had really good stretches during her career, but hasn’t put it all together throughout an entire season. The Tide will need a power boost in the lineup after Kali Heivilin’s graduation, who had a senior season breakout in 2025. Duchscherer could find herself replicating Heivilin’s season by hitting double-digit home runs for the first time.


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Arkansas – Ramsey Walker, OF

Arkansas is a challenging team to find a breakout player, given the abundance of talent returning and transfers filling significant holes. However, rising sophomore Ramsey Walker came to Fayetteville with a powerful bat. She’ll likely have a chance to take on the designated player role from the graduated Courtney Day, who hit 16 home runs last season.

Auburn – Kylie Shaw, OF

Shaw, a transfer from Florida, is essentially walking into her true freshman season after early enrolling with the Gators last season. The outfielder, who is a former Top 100 player in the 2025 Softball America recruiting class, has plenty of talent. She’s a true triple threat that could easily see a lot of at-bats in a new-look Auburn offense.

Florida – Townsen Thomas, OF

The talent is undisputed with Townsen Thomas. The former 2024 five-star outfielder redshirted last season and could be the replacement for Kendra Falby in center field. She’ll bring a similar speed element, but probably offers a bit more power than Falby did.

Georgia – Mua Williams, C/UTL

Williams didn’t have the greatest numbers as a freshman, but she still started 57 games in 2025. She has plenty of ability to be an All-Conference star and we saw glimpses of that. A potential move behind the plate, a very natural position for her, might also help her grow.

Kentucky – Emory Donaldson, UTL

Donaldson had a really hot bat for stretches last season, and as a true utility player, she can play anywhere if she’s hitting well. Kentucky needs more players to step up in the lineup around Peyton Plotts and Allie Blum to remain competitive in the SEC.

LSU – Jayden Heavener, LHP

LSU brought in reinforcements for the bullpen through the transfer portal and the freshman class. However, Heavener projects to take on the most innings after Sydney Berzon’s departure. When Heavener is throwing strikes, she’s a tough matchup. According to Synergy Sports, she had a 26% swing-and-miss rate.

Ole Miss – Makenna Bellaire, C

Similar to her former teammate, Kylie Shaw, Bellaire is essentially entering what would be her freshman year. Another former four-star early enrollee will have the chance to be the starting catcher at Ole Miss. Plus, she had a great summer in the Florida Gulf Coast League.

Mississippi State – Taylor Troutman, OF

Mississippi State was very excited about Troutman coming into 2025, but a knee injury in the fall erased her true freshman season. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs have plenty of production to replace after losing Sierra Sacco to the pros.

Missouri – Madison Uptegrove, INF

Larissa Anderson was very high on the local Columbia product heading into last season. While her freshman year numbers weren’t spectacular by any means, but started 47 games and can easily be trusted as the team’s starting shortstop in 2026.

Oklahoma – Audrey Lowry, LHP

The Sooners return nearly their entire starting roster from last season. While Oklahoma added Sydney Berzon and Miali Guachino, in addition to freshmen arms, Lowry offers a different skillset than the other pitchers. Lowey had a 23% whiff rate in her limited innings.

South Carolina – Alyssa Hovermale, CIF

Hovermale is part of the very large South Carolina transfer class. The former Florida Gator had her freshman season derailed by an injury and never found a true role in Gainesville. She’ll have a chance with a Gamecock staff that has found production from talented players, who didn’t have as much in previous stops.

Tennessee – Ella Dodge, MIF

Dodge cemented herself as the team’s starter at second base during her redshirt freshman season. The average might never be super high for Dodge, but for a team needing to replace all three of their double-digit home run hitters, she could step up there. She had big swings against Oklahoma and Nebraska.

Texas – Cambria Salmon, RHP

Texas returns most of its champion roster. However, they’ll need to replace Mac Morgan’s 75 innings. Given that, and Citlaly Gutierrez’s struggles as a starter, Salmon projects to have a major role in the weekend rotation with Teagan Kavan. Salmon, who produced groundballs nearly 50% of the time the ball was put in play, would fit nicely into Morgan’s role.

Texas A&M – Maya Bland, OF

The Oklahoma transfer shone in a few clutch moments in her limited opportunities this past season. However, she will have plenty of at-bats in College Station after the graduations of Allie Enright and Kramer Eschete. Bland will offer speed and power, which the new-look Aggie lineup will certainly need.

 

There are three former Gators on this list, Kylie Shaw, Lou Hovermale and Makenna Bellaire.

 

They called out Townsen and I posted the list. Former Gators also made the list. Kylie (Auburn), Makenna (Ole Miss) and Lou (South Carolina).

 

Lou i could see. Maybe Shaw. But surely there were other choices above them on their rosters I would've thoguht.

 

Lou and Kylie don’t surprise me. I felt they had the talent. Actually, I was surprised that both of them transferred. I guess they weren’t given guarantees that they were going to start in 2026. We all know that for CTW, the position has to be earned, there are no give-mes.

 

Uh, there were "give-mes" last year and it cost us.

 

Prove it.

 

Losing AK did hurt us.

 

We all wish we didnt lose AK and it did hurt us in the sense she would be our catcher after Jocey, but she obviously wanted other things. There is still no proof that bringing another player in meant pushing her out. That narrative is so old and not believable when you look at this program over many many years. AK was not going to be forced to the bench after the freshmen year she had unless she was beat out. What we don't know.... did AK not want to play 3rd? Did she not put the work in during the summer or fall? We do know she was in Texas A&M for sure one weekend during the fall while fall ball was happening and then she leaves in December and goes straight there. Im sure she was in contact with Ford or others while there. If AK didnt want to be here then im glad shes gone and hope she's happy. The statement of Kenleigh came here and was guaranteed to start so AK left is so far out there when you look at the history of this program and how Walton runs it. Kenleigh got better as the year went on and i think she will be great in year 2 as a Gator.

 

Boulware to South Carolina.

 

I'm not going to recite what I have said over and over. AK left with obvious anger and a two sentence "screw you" goodbye post. She lost a job she earned when a portal move was made in July. Nothing she could do after that as promises were made, as Tim confirmed. She never thanked anyone. She never said boyfriends or Texas were calling. People can live in fairy tale land and believe in the Easter Bunny or they can look at the facts and evidence. As for Kenleigh, she feasted on February crap and crashed the remaining year. Look it up.

 

How do I prove a negative other than what you can see with your own eyes and logic not obscured through orange and blue glasses? A portal move was made in July with promises as Tim confirmed. Tim's own words are the best "proof" I can provide. AK lost a job she had earned. She left with obvious anger and saw the writing on the wall, which she likely realized in July, and wanted out so bad she didn't care about having to sit for a year. She could have taken the easy way out and thanked everyone and said the call of a boyfriend and home to Texas was too strong. Never did any such thing. Prove I'm wrong.

 

Simple facts. Not trying to bang on a kid. Cahalan, up to the Houston game at the first of March, hit .435 with 27 hits, 28 rbis and 5 home runs. The next three plus months she hit .230 with 27 hits, 21 rbis, and 5 home runs.

 

1st year in a new program. I would be shocked if you don't she her be improved this year. She came through in some key moments at the end for us. Her defense also got to the level we expected. You dont know the true reason Ariel left. Neither does anyone else, except her and those directly involved. Walton does not gurantee anyone to play. If there's anybody I belive was guaranteed a spot it was Holtorf with the amount of times she struggled. And I still don't even believe that. You've seemed against the Kenleigh move from day 1. I'm not attacking yo, but you brought all of this up again. You believe she left because of someone being brought in to start over her and get a spot she earned... you earn a spot by your performance at the time, not what you did last year. Walton has openly said that. There are no guarantees. It's fine for you to believe what you want to believe, but you dont have to force that on everyone else. I know towards the end of fall she was in the dugout in a video and everyone else was running out to celebrate and she didn't look enthused at all. No matter the reason she wasn't happy and left. Wish her the best. She was actually my favorite freshmen to watch.

 

At least its not OU. Or FSU. Kids pretty awesome. OU fans thought they had her too.

 

Since some one brought up Catalan, I got a question. Did anyone else think her skills may be better suited for SS? What I mean is she has a good arm and seemingly effective if she has time to react to the ball. It appeared to me she, at times, seemed slow reacting to hard hit balls requiring her to move laterally or was out of position to protect the hits down the line. These did not necessarily result in an error-just she did not make some plays that Charla and some of our other 3B’s would have made look easy.
What do you think?
By the way, most of you know I am a big fan of statistics. However, to me, fielding stats, particularly errors, can be very misleading. It takes film review or maybe a coach making notes (analytics) to pickup up on the plays not made that did not result in a charged error. Things like a slow reaction, being it of position, make the improper decision and so on.
We forget these but you better believe our coaches don’t.

 

Well, She did play SS at Alabama for her first two years. I think she must have gotten beat out by Holtorf during the fall, I am assuming she'll slide over to SS or 2nd base this year. Comia/Cahalan will be the middle in some order, Grover likely at 3rd, with Walker/Brown/Wesolowski at 1st?