A familiar face returns to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium when Florida softball hosts Texas Tech in its Gainesville Super Regional opening game of a three-game series on May 22 (11 a.m. ESPN2)
Mia Williams, who played two seasons for the Florida Gators from 2023-25 before transferring for Texas Tech, is expected to start at second base for the Red Raiders.
It wasn’t the smoothest parting. Williams’ mother, Denika Williams, openly questioned Florida softball coach Tim Walton’s coaching and approach to the 2025 WCWS in a social media post shortly before her daughter transferred. Williams also said she was unhappy at Florida in a Lubbock Avalanche-Journal article written last February and made the move to the Red Raiders in part due to her close relationship with third baseman Taylor Pannell.
But Williams didn’t let on about feelings of revenge entering the matchup with the Gators.
“Two really good teams playing softball,” Williams said. “That’s what we’re focusing on. We’re prepared and we’re ready and I’m sure they are too, so it’s going to be two good softball games.”
Williams said she still has friends on UF’s team and that she shared messages with them following the NCAA Tournament Selection Show about the potential Super Regional matchup.
“We chatted after the Selection Show, like hopefully we’ll see each other because we had to make it out of the regional,” Williams said.
Florida junior outfielder Cassidy McClellan, who came into UF in the same class with Williams, didn’t let on about any feelings facing her former teammate.
“Right now, we’re just trying to focus on the Gators,” McClellan said. “So just control what we can control and playing Gator softball.”
How former Florida softball 2B Mia Willims is playing at Texas Tech
As a freshman at UF, Williams struggled, batting .164 with 6 home runs and 18 RBIs while dealing with a leg injury that lingered from her senior high school season at Windemere Prep. She improved at UF as a sophomore, batting .335 with 19 home runs and 44 RBIs.
This season, Williams has enjoyed a breakout junior campaign at the plate for Texas Tech, batting .435 with 22 home runs and a program-record 77 RBIs.
“Just trusting the work, the work that I’ve put in all year up to this point and having Coach (Gerry) Glasco by my side has really helped too,” Williams said. “I think he knows me even though we’ve really only known each other a little bit. He’s just a really good coach to have in my corner as well, hitting.”
Williams said her mother, Denika, and father, former Florida basketball and NBA star Jason Williams, will be among a contingent of family and friends supporting her in Gainesville this weekend.
“It’s fun that we get to come back close to home and yeah a lot of my family will be here so it will definitely be fun,” Williams said. “Yeah they’ve definitely supported me, always.”
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Texas Tech softball’s Mia Williams talks about transfer from Florida, facing the Gators
