Florida softball fans who arrived early at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in the 2026 season held the chance to see something special.
A look at the future of the Gators program.
Because in the left field bullpen stood a right-handed pitcher at six feet tall, one who will be taking the college softball world by storm in 2027.
Her name is Caroline Stanton. She is, in many ways, the future of the Gators program.
But who is she? Here’s what to know about Caroline Stanton:
The nation’s top recruit
To say that Caroline Stanton was good in high school is like saying Beethoven knew how to compose music.
It simply isn’t going far enough.
Stanton won her third state championship at Buford in October. In those four seasons, she lost just…three games.
In the state semifinals, Stanton struck out 20 of the 21 batters she faced and threw a perfect game vs. Brookwood.
On Halloween night, Stanton defeated East Coweta and completed a 35-0 season. MaxPreps named the Wolves the No. 1 team in all of Georgia.
No. 1 seems to have significance for Stanton. She wore the number for Florida this season, which makes sense since it was where Softball America ranked her among Class of 2027 prospects.
Given that high school softball is a fall sport in Georgia, it allowed Stanton to graduate early and enroll at UF before the season. She decided to enroll early since it was a “good opportunity.”
“Once I finished my high school season, to just come in and train and just be developed before next year,” Stanton told the Independent Florida Alligator.
She comes from an athletic family. Her mom, Jessica, played basketball at Rollins College. Her dad, Robert, played basketball and football at Clemson.
Caroline Stanton holds international experience
Not only has Stanton dominated in the Peach State, but she’s taken her talents against the best in the world.
She was part of the U18 U.S. National Team at the 2025 World Baseball Softball Confederation. She struck out 10 with a 0.82 ERA in 17 innings. That led to a Gold Medal for the Americans in a game played at Devon Park – home of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Stanton got to play powerhouses like Team Japan – winner of Gold at the Tokyo Olympics – the last with softball. She called it a “different version of softball.”
“They’re super hard to get out. It just helps me find different ways to get people out,” Stanton said to the Alligator.
Florida softball coach Tim Walton praises Stanton
The Gators coach didn’t speak about Stanton until his last press conference of the season – after the Super Regional defeat to Texas Tech.
Walton said Stanton has a “long way to go.” As impressive as Georgia high school softball is, it is not the SEC.
However, he called her a “great kid” and a “hard worker.”
“She’s not a swing-and-miss pitcher, so she’s going to really have to rely on her movement, but at some point in time, she’s going to be a high velocity,” Walton said.
In 2027, Stanton will join a deep Gators staff with All-American Keagan Rothrock leading the way, along with two-way star Ava Brown – who missed most of the 2026 season pitching. Olivia Miller, Leah Stevens, Katelynn Oxley and Allison Sparkman expect to contribute, along with any pitcher Walton grabs in the transfer portal.
Liliana Escobar, from Trabuco Canyon, California, is the Gators’ lone other Class of 2026 pitching recruit. This season, at JSerra Catholic, Escobar has 252 strikeouts, a 1.25 ERA and 17 wins – all ranking in the top 50 in California.
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1 and on Instagram @Ramreporter.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Who is Caroline Stanton? The story behind Florida softball’s newest pitcher
Reporting by Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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By Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun | USA TODAY Network
