Top High School Softball Pitcher Joins Florida For 2026 Season=

Stanton will join pitchers that includes returning juniors Keagan Rothrock, Olivia Miller, and Ava Brown

Pitcher Caroline Stanton is reclassifying and will join Florida for the 2026 season, a year earlier than planned. The highly-touted recruit plans to redshirt the year.

When signing with the Gators, she said:

"I chose the University of Florida to both win championships and earn my degree. I want to have a great college experience and meet new people while becoming the best version of myself."

With the current environment in college athletics, having the number one overall recruit come to school early is nothing but positiv

Coach Tim Walton was ecstatic.

Assistant coaches: Francesca Enea, Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro, (Player Caroline Stanton), Aric Thomas, Coach Walton. (Photo UAA)

"What an opportunity for the Gators, when Caroline painted the picture of graduating early after winning the Georgia High School Softball State Championship, her family and I agreed upon her enrolling early," said Walton. "We're looking forward to training Caroline all spring while she redshirts.

"Having her in the dugout, supporting her teammates, providing feedback and learning a semester early will be a great start to what we're looking forward to in her career as a Gator.”

Stanton will join pitchers that includes returning juniors Keagan Rothrock, Olivia Miller and Ava Brown; junior transfer Allison Sparkman; sophomore Katelynn Oxley, and freshman Leah Stevens.

The Gator Softball season cranks up February 6-7-8 at the USF-Rawlings Invitational. Illinois State, Michigan, Bethune-Cookman and Kansas join the Gators in Tampa.