Tim Walton gushes about Florida freshman class, two-way star Ava Brown

Florida two-way star Ava Brown is putting together an unforgettable debut campaign. During a break in the action of the Gators’ matchup against No. 9 Georgia on Saturday, Florida head coach Tim Walton raved about his freshman standout.

“She’s putting together one heck of a freshman season,” Walton said. “Her batting average is higher in SEC play than it is overall — a lot of homeruns. She’s done a good job. In the circle, she’s a competitor. Obviously, she wanted to be a little bit better for us yesterday, but she’s done a good job. Great leadership, great competitiveness about her.”

Ava Brown boasts a .271 batting average this season with 11 home runs and 35 RBI. When Brown isn’t crushing home runs, she’s dominating from the mound. The right-handed pitcher is 14-5 this season from the circle and has a 3.19 ERA.

In 101.0 innings pitched, Brown has amassed 54 strikeouts while only throwing three wild pitches. In March, Brown earned D1Softball National Freshman of the Week and SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honors following a stunning three-game showing against Alabama.

Of course, Brown still faces the typical freshman learning curve from time to time. In Georgia’s Game 2 win over Florida on Saturday, Brown struggled. In 4.1 innings pitched, Brown allowed three home runs for eight total runs. It was the most runs Brown has given up in a single game yet this season.

Thankfully, one underwhelming performance doesn’t discredit an incredible season. Boosted by Brown’s jaw-dropping freshman campaign, Florida has a 38-12 overall record and 13-7 mark in conference play.

Tim Walton praises redshirt senior Skylar Wallace

Brown isn’t the only one who has been hot for the Gators. During Florida’s showdown against South Carolina last week, Walton praised Skylar Wallace, putting an emphasis on her leadership traits.

“I think it’s always going to start with Skylar Wallace,” Walton said. “Skylar Wallace is a great player, a good leader for us. So, it’s gonna start with her. I think she knows that. She’s obviously working her butt off to try to get out there, and then stay in tune with our defense and work with our pitching staff, and she’s done a good job. She’s played good defense all year and all weekend long. So, it’s gonna start with her.”

Skylar Wallace was the 2023 SEC Player of the Year and has continued to be productive at her shortstop position during the 2024 season, with a .375 batting average and nine home runs on the season.