Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Mackenzie Wooten's four softball seasons at her previous school were mostly nondescript, including a senior year when she pitched just 5.2 innings in relief. 
 
But Wooten did leave the University of Virginia, one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the country, with a degree this spring and after being accepted to physical therapy graduate program at Florida (another one of the nation's most prestigious academic institutions) got a return phone call from Gators coach Tim Walton and an invite to join the team. 
 
"The expectations for her were zero," Walton said. "Just come in, work and keep getting better." 
 
The Gators, in fact, weren't even sure how much access they'd have to Wooten, given the rigorous demands of a PT schedule that, in Walton's words, made Wooten a full-time professional and part-time softball player. 
 

"I just wanted to come and be a part of program with a great culture and winning culture," Wooten said. "I think I'm living my best life, right now." 
 
Yeah, and it got even better this weekend after she had a big hand – a big right arm, actually – in 10th-ranked Florida's two victories in its Southeastern Conference series win over South Carolina at Pressly Stadium. 
 
Going into the weekend, Wooten had thrown just 5.1 innings during the 2024 campaign and only 2.2 innings in league play. On Friday, though, Wooten got the call after a rocky first three innings from freshman Keagan Rothrock, promptly held the Gamecocks to a single hit over two innings and got her first victory since April 30, 2022, when she was a junior with the Cavaliers. 
 
And then came Sunday's rubber match. Once again, it was a rough start for Rothrock, who gave way to Wooten after surrendering five runs on six hits through three innings. Wooten, the 5-foot-10 fifth-year from Windsor, Va., went three innings – again, her longest outing since '22 – gave up just one run on two hits and steadied the UF ship while the Gators (37-10, 12-6) were rallying from a three-run deficit en route to a 7-6 win that gave Wooten her second win of the season. 
 
Her season numbers now show a 2-0 record, a 0.62 ERA and .231 average against. Her two wins came over three days, compared to her career 7-4 record (with two saves) and 5.35 ERA compiled over four seasons as a Wahoo.
 
"My job is to get out there and throw quality pitches and keep us in the game," Wooten said after Sunday's victory. "I knew we were going to break through. I just knew my job was to get us to a point where we would break through. Keep us in the game."
 
While Wooten did her job in the circle, the Florida bats did theirs in the batter's box. UF entered the bottom of the fourth trailing 5-2 when Ariel Kowalewski's two-run homer closed the margin to one. Kendra Falby's RBI triple tied the game and Jocelyn Erickson plated the first of her two go-ahead runs, the second of which came in the Florida sixth and gave the Gators (and Wooten) the win, with freshman Ava Brown closing out the seventh.  "If you look at her stats, she hasn't contributed a ton in Division I softball, but she's got the work ethic," Walton said of Wooten. "She's worked really hard and done a really good job of improving. She's throwing hard, changing speeds – three speeds now, instead of two – and she's done a good job understanding location." 
 
Wooten has done the work despite a schedule that doesn't always align with her teammates' routine, given her PT classes and work responsibilities. Walton, pitching coach Chelsey Dobbins and the Florida staff have accommodated her when conflicts arise, being making members available in the pitching lab, taking grounders by herself, whatever it takes.
 
The Gators have even pushed back their Thursday departures for road trips until after Wooten is out of class. 
 
This weekend, her hard work paid off in the form of some timely and clutch payback to her coaches and teammates. 
 
"I didn't know the [UF] pitchers when I was coming in, only that they were really good," Wooten said of Rothrock and Brown, the No. 1 and 2 national prospects the last two seasons. "I didn't know what coming here held for me, but Coach Walton and Coach Dobbins, we work every day, so these [games] weren't surprises. You never know when your name is going to be called, but I'm also never unprepared for these situations."