Skylar Wallace has been a force for Florida softball for three seasons and is a major reason why the Gators hold the No. 4 national seed in the 2024 NCAA Softball Tournament.
Wallace is looking to end her sixth and final collegiate season with a national championship, something which looks like a realistic opportunity for Florida after reeling off eight straight victories to close the season, including winning the SEC Tournament for the sixth time in program history.
Wallace will lead the Gators against Florida Gulf Coast in the NCAA Tournament Gainesville Regional, which starts at noon ET Friday.
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Wallace, a native of Woodstock, Georgia, was the 2023 SEC Player of the Year for the Gators during her redshirt junior season. That year, she became the only known player in NCAA Division I history to post at least 70 hits, 70 runs, 50 RBIs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.
While Wallace had another strong year in 2024, she watched Oklahoma transfer and teammate Jocelyn Erickson win the SEC Player of the Year honors this season. Like Erickson, Wallace herself is a transfer to Florida. She began her career under Patrick Murphy and Alabama softball for the first two years of her collegiate career.
Here's what you need to know about why Wallace transferred from Alabama to Florida, along with her stats:
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Why did Skylar Wallace transfer from Alabama to Florida?
Wallace was the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2018 class, according to FloSoftball's “Hot 100” list coming out of Etowah High School in Woodstock. As a freshman, Wallace appeared in 69 games for the Crimson Tide, primarily playing second base. During the 2020 COVID-19-shortened season, she served as the starting shortstop and finished second on the team in OPS, slugging percentage and stolen bases. She also led the program in triples.
Following the 2020 season, she entered her name in the transfer portal on Sept. 15, 2020. On Nov. 18, 2020, she announced her intentions to transfer to Florida.
“This is an incredible opportunity and I am very thankful that I have found a home with the Gators,” Wallace said after transferring. “I made plenty of great memories at Alabama and am also thankful for the opportunities I had there, but now I’m focused and ready to get to Gainesville, so I can start building relationships with my new teammates and coaches.”
Wallace has never publicly explained why she transferred from Alabama to Florida, but no one with the Gators is complaining. She posted historic numbers in 2022, with a .386 batting average, eight home runs, 53 RBIs and 52 stolen bases. She had a .447 batting average in 2023, a .595 on-base percentage and 30 stolen bases, along with a career-high 19 home runs last season, a year in which she won conference player of the year.
This season, she hit .399 and been among the best in the NCAA with a.550 on-base percentage (fifth), 81 runs (first), .785 slugging percentage (28th), 59 RBIs (tied for 16th) and 32 stolen bases (tied for 10th). The 59 RBIs represent a career-high.
Why did Skylar Wallace not play in 2021?
Due to SEC transfer rules, Wallace had to sit out for one season after transferring within the conference, from Alabama to Florida.
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Skylar Wallace was drafted in the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball draft
Wallace was drafted sixth overall in the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball draft on Tuesday. She'll join the fifth championship season of softball, which takes place from July 26 through Aug. 25 and features 60 of the best softball players in the world, including Olympians, national champions and All-American selections.
AAU games are played at The Stadium at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois.
Skylar Wallace stats
Here's a look at Wallace's year-by-year stats:
- 2019 (Alabama): .293 batting average, .427 on-base percentage, 7 home runs, 32 RBI, 18 stolen bases (69 games)
- 2020 (Alabama):.387 batting average, .524 on-base percentage, 1 home run, 18 RBI, 9 stolen bases (22 games played)
- 2021 (Florida):Redshirted/sat out due to transfer
- 2022 (Florida):.386 batting average, .542 on-base percentage, 8 home runs, 53 RBI, 52 stolen bases (68 games played)
- 2023 (Florida):.447 batting average, .595 on-base percentage, 19 home runs, 55 RBI, 30 stolen bases (56 games played)
- 2024 (Florida): .399 batting average, .550 on-base percentage, 13 home runs, 59 RBI, 32 stolen bases (58 games played)
- Career: .380 batting average, .529 on-base percentage, 48 home runs, 217 RBI, 141 stolen bases (7 times caught stealing), 273 games
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