Korbe Otis’ dual success on the softball field and in the classroom has been the story of the outfielder’s career. As a student-athlete at the University of Florida, Otis pursued a challenging bachelor’s degree in biology while becoming an NFCA First Team All-American. Being a doctor was always the goal for Otis, and now she’s made another big league commitment: Otis is headed back to Gainesville after being accepted to the UF College of Medicine.
But first, she’s primed to be one of the leaders of an Athletes Unlimited Softball League expansion franchise, the Portland Cascade. Otis has always been comfortable on the big stage – she batted in the lead-off spot in college and as a pro. She shadowed cardiovascular surgeons when she wasn’t diving in left field for fly balls.
Otis graduated cum laude from UF in May and then played her first season in the AUSL with the Blaze. She was not only one of the top-performing rookies but also a top overall hitter in 2025. She started in every game, eighth in the league in hits, and posted a slash line of .346/.422/.500.
At the end of the Cascade’s season, Otis will return to UF to begin her studies as a member of the College of Medicine’s M.D. Class of 2030.
The university’s College of Medicine news highlighted Otis and her balanced commitment to softball while exploring her passion for medicine. Otis often shadowed faculty member and cardiovascular surgeon Kirsten Freeman, M.D., who talked about the importance of a female mentor in the field.
“Fewer than 10% of cardiac surgeons are women,” Freeman said in the article. “Some aspects of mentorship can be challenging without a female mentor; it can create doubt in the back of your mind when you don’t see a lot of other women in the field.”
Otis has expressed interest in a specialty like cardiothoracic surgery, but is “open to what specialty calls her” once she’s started her program. As one of just 96 rostered professional softball players in the AUSL – a young league with coveted spots on six teams – Otis is already a trailblazer and makes up a small percentage of the best.
Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on X @savannaecollins.