‘Sister Clutch’: Florida catcher Jocelyn Erickson, SEC Player of the Year, tells about her ‘leap of faith’

After helping Oklahoma win a national championship as a freshman, Erickson felt spiritually guided to transfer to Florida. The result has been ‘more than I could have ever hoped,’ she says

Published: May 22, 2024, 12:15 p.m. MDT

University of Florida catcher Jocelyn Erickson (8) winds up to throw the ball during warm-ups before an NCAA softball game against Jacksonville, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, in Jacksonville, Florida. — University of Florida catcher Jocelyn Erickson (8) warms up before an NCAA softball game against Jacksonville, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, in Jacksonville, Florida. Gary McCullough, Associated Press

Stepping to home plate with two outs in a scoreless first inning, all University of Florida sophomore catcher Jocelyn Erickson wanted to do was provide a spark for her team.

An opportunity came moments later with a South Alabama pitch right down the middle of the plate. The 19-year-old Latter-day Saint slugger, the 2024 SEC Player of the Year, swung and smashed the ball over the right field fence to give her team an early 2-0 lead.

Two innings later, Erickson hit an RBI single to ignite a 7-run rally that gave her Gators a 9-1 victory over the Jaguars in the championship round of the NCAA Tournament’s Gainesville Regional on May 19.

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