March 5, 2026, 4:01 a.m. ET
- The Gainesville-area high school softball season has officially begun.
- Defending champion Trenton High School starts the season with a dominant 6-0 record.
- Several local teams, including Gainesville High and Buchholz, feature players committed to SEC programs.
- A fan poll is open until March 9 to determine the best baseball player in the Gainesville area.
The circle is ready! High school softball season is officially here in the Gainesville-area.
Trenton is the area’s back-to-back champion, and the Tigers look as dominant as ever two weeks into the 2026 record. THS is 6-0 with McKenzie Fisher and Florida softball commit Addison Allaire leading the way.
Gainesville High has another SEC commit in the circle with Leanna Bourdage (Texas A&M). Buchholz, though, already has a win over the Hurricanes in 2026 and wants to turn the tide of the city. Santa Fe still leads the way in Alachua County, though.
Rural powerhouses Branford and Williston will look to provide a punch to Trenton, and then there’s consistent playoff teams Columbia and Newberry.
Enough talk about what to expect, it’s time to determine who is the best of the best. Below is a poll to decide the best softball player in the Gainesville area. There are 35 nominees to choose from. The poll is open until Monday, March 9 at 12 p.m., and you can vote as many times as you’d like, so please share this poll with friends and family.
Good luck to all!
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. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com.