On softball's biggest stage Keagan Rothrock paints a masterpiece

Keagan Rothrock was all but unhittable Thursday night in Florida's Women's College World Series game wtih Oklahoma State

Any nerves Keagan Rothrock might have had Thursday must have been left behind at the Florida team hotel. On the biggest stage in all of collegiate softball Rothrock pitched like a been there, done that veteran when she held Oklahoma State’s powerhouse offense to two hits. Rothrock walked two in the first inning and gave up a single in the second. That was it for the Cowgirls until a 2-out single in the sixth. Otherwise, Rothrock was nails.

Over in the other circle, Lexi Kilfoyl pitched like the All-American veteran she is. She didn’t give up a hit until the bottom of the fifth inning but that one left the yard. Katie Kistler, who had two of Florida’s three hits off Kilfoyl when Oklahoma State beat the Gators 3-0 in Gainesville back in February, fouled off a potential strike three on a 3-2 count, then got a pitch she liked. Kistler knew a drop ball was coming, had a pretty good idea about the location and barreled it up.

From the moment bat struck softball, this was a no-doubter. Kistler knew it was gone before she was more than a couple of strides out of the batter’s box. The mostly Oklahoma State fan block among the 12,556 at Devon Park knew it too and they were stunned. Kistler’s fifth home run of the season was the only run Rothrock and the Gators (52-13) needed for a 1-0 win on opening night of the Women’s College World Series.

“All I felt was just straight joy looking at my teammates, everybody jumping up and down,” Kistler said. “I was happy to do it for my team and Keagan, as well, pitching her butt off that game.”

Rothrock (31-7) and Kilfoyl (26-4) were brilliant. The second inning single Rothrock allowed came on a full count. She didn’t go 3-2 on another batter until the sixth when she induced a weak pop to Avery Goelz at first base on the seventh pitch. Kilfoyl walked only three and other than the Kistler home run, the only ball that got out of the infield was a sixth inning soft liner for a single by Korbe Otis. Her one mistake, however, proved costly.

Other than the two singles, Rothrock only gave up a couple of well hit balls. One of them Kistler tracked down in right field in the third inning. The other was a hard smash to center field in the fifth that allowed Kendra Falby to show why she won the Rawlings Gold Glove as the nation’s best defensive center fielder.

Former Alabama freshman All-American, now the Oklahoma State shortstop Megan Bloodworth, got hold of a 1-2 pitch from Rothrock and drove a ball that would have gone for extra bases except that Falby literally outran the ball. At the warning track, Falby timed her leap perfectly to glove the ball before crashing into the padded wall.

Other than the two first inning walks, that fifth inning drive off Bloodworth’s bat represented Oklahoma State’s only serious scoring threat. After the first inning, the Cowgirls never got another runner to second base as Rothrock kept the ball in on their fists. Of the Cowgirls’ 21 outs 13 were either fly outs or infield popups.

The win was Florida’s 15th in the last 17 games and it earned a day off for the Gators, who don’t play again until 7 p.m. Saturday night when they take on No. 1 seeded Texas (53-8), a 4-0 winner over Stanford (48-16). No. 2 Oklahoma (55-6) run-ruled Duke (52-8), 9-1, and 6th-seeded UCLA (43-10) knocked off Alabama (38-19) 4-1. Oklahoma will face UCLA Saturday at 3 p.m.

In elimination games Friday, Alabama and Duke will square off at 7 p.m. with Oklahoma State and Stanford going at it at 9:30 p.m.

UF BASEBALL: Can the Gators put it all together in Stillwater?

The inconsistency has all but driven Florida baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan nuts. The Gators (28-27) go into today’s first round NCAA Stillwater Regional game (3 p.m., ESPN+) with Big Ten champ Nebraska (39-20) capable of playing as well as any team in the country. The flip side of that is they’re quite capable of stinking the joint up.

This has been a woulda, coulda, shoulda kind of season for the Gators, last season’s College World Series runner-up. Instead of sweating it out on Selection Monday to see if they got into the NCAA field of 64 for the 16th consecutive year, the Gators could have gotten there comfortably if they had done better than 6-10 in runs decided by two or fewer games.

But, all those heartbreaking losses of the regular season are behind the Gators, who are capable of going 3-0 in Stillwater to advance to the super regional round. The Gators pin their Friday hopes on freshman Liam Peterson, who has been outstanding in his last four outings in which he has a 2.20 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 16-1/3 innings.

The Gators will be going against Nebraska righty Brett Sears (9-0, 2.00 ERA) who has allowed only 62 hits in 99 innings this year. Sears throws a lot of ground ball outs, but if the wind is blowing out at the Oklahoma State stadium today, Florida’s big boppers are more than capable of putting on a show.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR SOFTBALL, BASEBALL

Although the transfer portals are open and active for both Division I softball and baseball, the foundation for success for the Gators in both sports has been in landing outstanding high school recruits. Here is a look at the recruiting classes for Tim Walton and Kevin O’Sullivan.

Florida softball signees

Gabi Cormia (Cedar Lake, IN Hanover Central), SS: .590 batting average, .609 on base percentage, 22 stolen bases. Career .627 batting average, 10 HR, 72 RBI, .655 on base percentage, 73-73 stolen bases. Slick fielder, elite leadoff hitter and disruptive baserunner.

Layla Lamar (Cary, NC Panther Creek), SS: .680 batting average, 13 home runs, 9 doubles, 7 triples, 43 RBI, .623 on base percentage, 11 stolen bases. Career .611 batting average, 29 HR, 21 doubles, 14 triples, 104 RBI, .665 on base percentage. 39-41 stolen bases. Struck out only 7 times in her career. In one game this past season she hit for the home run cycle – a solo, 2-run, 3-run and grand slam all in the same game. Mother is the Duke coach.

Katelynn Oxley (Bartow, FL), P: 15-1, 0.14 ERA, 233 strikeouts and only 25 walks in 102-1/3 innings. Career 77-6, 0.39 ERA, 1,158 strikeouts in 537 innings. Gatorade Player of the Year in 2023 when she led Bartow to the state championship. Led Bartow to the state championship game as a senior.

Townsen Thomas (Humble, TX/Belleaire, TX Houston Episcopal) OF: No stats available for Thomas, perhaps the fastest high school player in the country. She was a member of the US women’s national team for the under-18 World Cup last summer and she is an elite track athlete who runs the sprints and the hurdles.

Taylor Shumaker (Fullerton, CA Esperanza), CF: .620 batting average, 18 home runs, 12 doubles, .709 on base percentage. Struck out only one time. Considered the nation’s most dangerous power hitter who is only going to get stronger when she gets into a strength and conditioning program at UF.

Florida baseball signees

Kellon Lindsey (Wauchula, FL Hardee) SS: .343 batting average, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 23-23 stolen bases. Career .385 batting average, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 50-52 stolen bases. No. 26 prospect Baseball America, No. 30 prospect per MLB. Perfect Game gives him a 9.5 grade.

Jackson Barberi (Snellville, GA Brookwood) RHP: 8-1, 0.68 ERA, 74 strikeouts in 51-2/3 innings. No. 97 prospect per MLB, No. 167 prospect Baseball America.Throws mid-90s. Has a 10 Perfect Game grade.

Brendan Lawson (Toronto, ON Canada/Lexington, SC P27 Academy) SS/3B: Lefty hitter with power and great speed with a 10 grade from Perfect Game. No. 141 prospect Baseball America, No. 155 prospect per MLB.

Joshua Whritenour (New Port Richey, FL/Tampa, FL A3 Academy) RHP:  Throws a 95 mph heater and gets a 10 grade from Perfect Game. No. 159 prospect per MLB, No. 162 prospect Baseball America. No stats available.

Blaine Rowland (Plant City, FL Durant) RHP/OF: As a hitter in 2024, hit .494 with 2 HR and 26 RBI. Career .402. As a pitcher, 6-0 with a 1.57 ERA. Struck out 79 in 49 innings. Career 14-2 with a 1.27 ERA. Perfect Game gives him a 9.5 grade. No. 325 prospect per Baseball America.

Schuyler Sandford (St. Augustine, FL/Orange Park, FL St. John’s Country Day) RHP: He’s a 6-6, 220-pound righty who clocks in at 96 regularly. No stats available. Perfect Game gives him a 10 score. No. 274 prospect per Baseball America.

Kolton Meyers (St. Augustine, FL/Orange Park, FL St. John’s Country Day) C/3B: Excellent defensive catcher with a strong arm who hits with power. .303 with 2 homers and 22 RBI. Perfect Game gives him a 10.

Niko Janssens (Spring Hill, FL/Tampa, FL A3 Academy) 1B/LHP: Gets a 9.5 score from Perfect Game. Fast ball tops out at 95. Expected to concentrate on pitching at UF. No stats available.

Felix Ong (Key West, FL), RHP/OF: Gets a 9.5 from Perfect Game. Throws in the low 90s with an outstanding breaking ball. No stats available.

McCall Biemiller (Tampa, FL Jesuit) LHP: Hard to hit lefty who gets plenty of strikeouts. 8-1, 2.29 ERA, 104 strikeouts in 55 innings. Throws low 90s. Perfect Game gives him an 8 grade.

Aidan King (Jacksonville, FL Bishop Snyder) RHP: Throws low 90s with a slow breaker that’s effective. Struck out a whopping 144 batters in 72-1/3 innings. Only 10 walks. Perfect Game gives him an 8.5.

Jordi Guerrero (Cape Coral, FL) IF/OF/P: No stats available. No Perfect Game ranking. Throws mid-80s.

Brock Clayton (Pensacola, FL Catholic) C: .466, 4 HR, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 28 RBI. Lefthanded hitter with power. No Perfect Game grade.

Jayden Dubanewicz (Parkland, FL Marjory Stoneman Douglas) RHP: 7-2, 1.52 ERA, 74 strikeouts, 60 innings. Throws high 80s to low 90s. No Perfect Game score.

Carson Montsdeoca (Fort Meade, FL) RHP/3B: Throws mid-80s but gets plenty of strikeouts. 7-4, 1.85 ERA, 115 strikeouts in 64-1/3 innings. As a hitter, .352 with 4 HR and 19 RBI. No Perfect Game score.