Former Alabama softball infielder moves to Florida

Kenleigh Cahalan no longer plays for Alabama, but there is a good chance she will play against the Crimson Tide over the next two seasons.

The former Alabama shortstop announced on her personal social media Saturday evening that she would be moving to Florida. She will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Gators.

Cahalan entered the transfer portal the day after Alabama’s season ended at the Women’s College World Series, ironically at the hands of the Florida Gators.

She follows in the footsteps of former Alabama infielder Skylar Wallace, who moved to Florida after two seasons with the Crimson Tide. Wallace became the SEC Player of the Year in 2023, beating the nation’s bset players. Cahalan will likely replace Wallace at shortstop.

Cahalan came to Alabama as the No. 1 player in the class of 2023 by Perfect Game Softball after reclassifying to join the Crimson Tide a year earlier. She started almost every game for Alabama the past two years. In 2024, she finished third on the team with a .296 batting average and led the team with 55 hits and 30 RBIs. However, she also ranked worst on the team with 13 errors.

Former Alabama pitching coach Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro recently joined the Florida coaching staff after two seasons as Memphis’ head coach.

Since the end of the season, Cahalan is the only Alabama player to enter the transfer portal. Alabama added three players: utility Alexsis Pupillo and pitchers Catelyn Riley and Emily Winstead.