University of Georgia Athletics
Photo by: Cristina Pinnow/UGAAA
Novickas Living Her Softball Dreams
May 20, 2026 | Softball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Gabi Novickas may have grown up in Chicago, in the land of the Big Ten and historic pro teams like the Bears and Cubs, but the Georgia softball freshman spent a lot of time watching the SEC Network.
"I had always wanted to play in the SEC growing up. That's the channel that I put on when I wanted to watch softball," she said.
Now, she's doing it. And flourishing. The No. 10-seeded Bulldogs continue their postseason this weekend with an NCAA Super Regional series at No 7 Tennessee.
"This is the thing that you dream about when you're a little girl, when you're watching TV at home with your family. You're watching these girls, and they're playing in the postseason, and they're getting to compete for a national championship," she said. "Ever since I was little, I knew that I wanted to do that, and so now that I'm finally here, it's really insane to see. I'm just so grateful and blessed."
The 6-foot Novickas is from an athletic family. Her father, Raymond, played football at College of DuPage, and her brother, Danny, played at Ohio. When she was young, Novickas tried a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, volleyball and gymnastics, but there was never any doubt about which one was her favorite.
"I played basketball up until my freshman year of high school, I was on varsity, and then I just was like, You know what? Softball's the sport for me. That's when I switched over for good," she said. "I love being around teammates; I think that we all drive each other to be better. ... I love getting to have the opportunity to take the big swing, make the big play, or something like that.
"I don't know exactly what it was, but softball, something drew me to it, and I just loved all the competitiveness, the passion that you could play a sport with."
Novickas made her first collegiate appearance in Georgia's season opener against Missouri State. Pinch-hitting in the fourth inning, she singled to left field and drove in a run. The tone of her season was set, though she wouldn't be out of the starting lineup for long.
In her first career start, against Belmont in the fourth game of the season, Novickas singled, walked and scored a run. Heading into Thursday's Game 1 against the Volunteers, Novickas has played in 55 of Georgia's 59 games, with 44 starts at first base. She's third on the team with a .379 batting average, leads the team with an on-base percentage of .500, has driven in 28 runs, scored 26, hit eight home runs, and her 24 walks are second-most on the squad.
There's a lot for her to be proud of in all of those numbers, and she said her batting average stands out among her favorites.
"I haven't necessarily been a bad average hitter (over the years); I'm definitely more of a power hitter ever since high school and travel ball, but I definitely like being a little bit more of a high average hitter this year," she said. "I want to, obviously, grow my power numbers even more in the years to come, but I'm just trying to get on base for my team, because I know my teammates can hit me in."
Novickas' 24 walks, trailing only senior Tyler Ellison's 38 on the team, demonstrate a high level of patience and maturity for a player in her first college season.
"Coming here and getting used to a college strike zone and the pitchers at this level, it's definitely been an adjustment," she said. "Being able to take enough walks is something I've learned, that you don't always have to put a swing on the ball. A walk is just as good as getting a hit."
Novickas was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on May 4, following her five-hit and six-RBI performance in Georgia's series win over then-No. 8 Florida. She ended the series in spectacular fashion, belting a grand slam to run-rule the Gators in a 9-1 win.
"We were in the locker room, and one of my teammates was like, Did you see this? And then she showed me the post (announcing the SEC weekly honors). I was like, Oh, my gosh! It was so insane. It was so surreal. Just to be able to do that for my team, just to be able to know that I'm contributing and everything, it's a great feeling."
Novickas chose Georgia because of the coaches and players, because it was in the SEC, and because of UGA's strong academic reputation. She plans to major in Biomedical Physiology, with the goal of becoming a physician's assistant.
"Just being able to help people, getting to know their story, and fully getting to help them is really what drew me in," she said.
Life after softball is a long way down the road. Until then, she will keep living her dream with the Bulldogs.
Staff Writer
Gabi Novickas may have grown up in Chicago, in the land of the Big Ten and historic pro teams like the Bears and Cubs, but the Georgia softball freshman spent a lot of time watching the SEC Network.
"I had always wanted to play in the SEC growing up. That's the channel that I put on when I wanted to watch softball," she said.
Now, she's doing it. And flourishing. The No. 10-seeded Bulldogs continue their postseason this weekend with an NCAA Super Regional series at No 7 Tennessee.
"This is the thing that you dream about when you're a little girl, when you're watching TV at home with your family. You're watching these girls, and they're playing in the postseason, and they're getting to compete for a national championship," she said. "Ever since I was little, I knew that I wanted to do that, and so now that I'm finally here, it's really insane to see. I'm just so grateful and blessed."
The 6-foot Novickas is from an athletic family. Her father, Raymond, played football at College of DuPage, and her brother, Danny, played at Ohio. When she was young, Novickas tried a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, volleyball and gymnastics, but there was never any doubt about which one was her favorite.
"I played basketball up until my freshman year of high school, I was on varsity, and then I just was like, You know what? Softball's the sport for me. That's when I switched over for good," she said. "I love being around teammates; I think that we all drive each other to be better. ... I love getting to have the opportunity to take the big swing, make the big play, or something like that.
"I don't know exactly what it was, but softball, something drew me to it, and I just loved all the competitiveness, the passion that you could play a sport with."
Novickas made her first collegiate appearance in Georgia's season opener against Missouri State. Pinch-hitting in the fourth inning, she singled to left field and drove in a run. The tone of her season was set, though she wouldn't be out of the starting lineup for long.
In her first career start, against Belmont in the fourth game of the season, Novickas singled, walked and scored a run. Heading into Thursday's Game 1 against the Volunteers, Novickas has played in 55 of Georgia's 59 games, with 44 starts at first base. She's third on the team with a .379 batting average, leads the team with an on-base percentage of .500, has driven in 28 runs, scored 26, hit eight home runs, and her 24 walks are second-most on the squad.
There's a lot for her to be proud of in all of those numbers, and she said her batting average stands out among her favorites.
"I haven't necessarily been a bad average hitter (over the years); I'm definitely more of a power hitter ever since high school and travel ball, but I definitely like being a little bit more of a high average hitter this year," she said. "I want to, obviously, grow my power numbers even more in the years to come, but I'm just trying to get on base for my team, because I know my teammates can hit me in."
Novickas' 24 walks, trailing only senior Tyler Ellison's 38 on the team, demonstrate a high level of patience and maturity for a player in her first college season.
"Coming here and getting used to a college strike zone and the pitchers at this level, it's definitely been an adjustment," she said. "Being able to take enough walks is something I've learned, that you don't always have to put a swing on the ball. A walk is just as good as getting a hit."
Novickas was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on May 4, following her five-hit and six-RBI performance in Georgia's series win over then-No. 8 Florida. She ended the series in spectacular fashion, belting a grand slam to run-rule the Gators in a 9-1 win.
"We were in the locker room, and one of my teammates was like, Did you see this? And then she showed me the post (announcing the SEC weekly honors). I was like, Oh, my gosh! It was so insane. It was so surreal. Just to be able to do that for my team, just to be able to know that I'm contributing and everything, it's a great feeling."
Novickas chose Georgia because of the coaches and players, because it was in the SEC, and because of UGA's strong academic reputation. She plans to major in Biomedical Physiology, with the goal of becoming a physician's assistant.
"Just being able to help people, getting to know their story, and fully getting to help them is really what drew me in," she said.
Life after softball is a long way down the road. Until then, she will keep living her dream with the Bulldogs.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
Players Mentioned
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