Florida softball outfielder Taylor Shumaker earns SEC Freshman of the Week honors
The Florida Gators are one of the true powerhouses in collegiate softball, and the Orange and Blue appear to have another star on its hands.
Freshman outfielder Taylor Shumaker put on a loud, five-homer performance over opening week and earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honors. Shumaker is tied for the Division I lead in home runs with UNC Greensboro's Jessie Shipley and is tied for eighth in runs batted in.
Shumaker, a Fullerton, Calif. native, went 9-for-18 (.500) and scored 11 runs over Florida's first six games. She's the first Gators freshman since 2008 to hit two home runs in a regular-season game against a ranked opponent and has tied a single-game record with four runs scored against Michigan. Her 1.444 slugging percentage leads the Orange and Blue.
A lefty, Shumaker shows power to all fields. Her first homer went to left-center against North Florida at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium just over the College World Series graphic. She's the first Florida freshman to hit a home run in the season opener.
"It was just awesome," head coach Tim Walton said after the game. "Any time you can get a hit in your first Gator game, let alone your first hit is a home run, that's a special feat, especially going opposite field."
Shumaker's first two-homer game came on Saturday against No. 22 Michigan. She hit a two-run homer in the first inning and another to center field in the third. On Sunday, she sat on a pitch in the outer third against South Florida and took it over the tall wall in left field. In the same game, she hit an almost identical home run off a screwball.
Shumaker has been a star for some time, leading the No. 1-ranked Orange Country Batbusters Stith on the Alliance fast-pitch circuit. She led that team with a .663 batting average, 17 homers and 60 RBI over 36 games, and won a championship title with the organization in 2023. Shumaker earned a spot on the 2024 MaxPreps All-America Team last June at the conclusion of her high school career. She was No. 9 overall recruit in the 2024 Softball America class.
It became apparent very early that Shumaker's power would translate to the college level. Head coach Tim Walton projected her as the team's starting right fielder after a convincing performance in fall practice.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Top LSU football rival makes big decision about starting quarterback
One of LSU's biggest rivals made a major decision in its quarterback battle. According to ESPN, Alabama has settled on Ty Simpson as QB1. Simpson was a five-star recruit in 2022, per the Rivals Industry Rankings. Despite having to sit behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe, Simpson waited his turn, passing up the transfer portal. Simpson's path mirrors the one LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier took. Nussmeier sat three seasons before taking over the starter role in his fourth year on campus. In 2024, Simpson attempted just 25 passes. He completed 14 of them for 167 yards. Alabama's roster is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. The Crimson Tide have stars at wide receiver with Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard. The offensive line is expected to be one of the best in the country. On defense, Kalen DeBoer's squad returns eight starters on a unit that led the SEC in turnovers. If Simpson is as advertised, Alabama is a national title contender. The Crimson Tide rank No. 8 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, one spot ahead of LSU at No. 9. When does LSU football play Alabama in 2025? LSU and Alabama won't meet until Nov. 8. As usual, the game is one of the most anticipated of the college football season. Alabama is nearly a touchdown favorite as of early August. This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Top LSU football rival makes big decision about starting quarterback
Indianapolis Star
2 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
What are the best college football games of Week1? We list the top 10
The 2025 college football season kicks down the front door with a series of marquee non-conference games in Week 1, starting with a high-profile pairing of two of the top teams from the Big Ten and SEC. That would defending national champion Ohio State and Texas, last seen matching wits in the Buckeyes' 28-14 win in College Football Playoff semifinals at the Cotton Bowl. This postseason system, especially with the expanded format, has removed the do-or-die nature of this season openers. Even still, the game in Columbus will color the perception of both teams and both leagues as the Big Ten and SEC jockey for position in the playoff race. But that's not the only cross-conference matchup with postseason ramifications. There's also the Death Valley bragging-rights matchup between LSU and Clemson and a historic rivalry renewed between Notre Dame and Miami, not to mention Alabama's road trip to Florida State to kick off coach Kalen DeBoer's second season. Ending the weekend on Labor Day is the start of the Bill Belichick era at North Carolina. We're just weeks away from this buffet-style feast to get things started in the Bowl Subdivision. Here are the 10 games you can't miss from Week 1: The only Power Four-only matchup of the first Thursday of the regular season pits a trendy contender in Nebraska against a Cincinnati program struggling to gain a foothold under third-year coach Scott Satterfield. A convincing Nebraska win combined with a strong game from sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola will support the increasing faith in the Cornhuskers' chances of finally earning a Top 25 finish. It's make-or-break time for Hugh Freeze at Auburn. He's stockpiled some major talent via traditional recruiting and the portal, including former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold, and there are no more excuses as he starts his third year. But Baylor could be a beast in the Big 12 after winning its last six games of the regular season in 2024. A victory by the Bears in this Friday matchup would give the league's national reputation a much-needed boost. Colorado is in a state of transition after losing Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. What will the Buffaloes look like in 2025? Can Deion Sanders continue to build on last year's nine-win campaign. Starting with a victory won't be easy. Georgia Tech is highly physical and very tough to handle in the trenches, putting the focus in this opener on Colorado's defensive front. This is one of the most anticipated season openers in years with the top two teams in the preseason Coaches Poll. Arch Manning will be making his debut as the Longhorns' full-time starter. The Buckeyes will break in their own new starter, likely Julian Sayin. The result will color the perception of both teams and both leagues while impacting how the selection committee ranks the 12 playoff teams in December. This one feels bigger for Alabama despite FSU's desperate need for a rebound after last year's nightmare. Losing in Tallahassee would be a dreadful way to start DeBoer's second year and force a reevaluation of the Crimson Tide's place in the SEC pecking order. If not for Ohio State and Texas, this would be the defining game of Week 1 and maybe the biggest non-conference game of the season. LSU needs a big year to take the pressure off Brian Kelly, and breaking the streak of three consecutive losses in openers would help. Clemson has immense expectations thanks to one of the nation's top passers in Cade Klubnik and a roster built to win the ACC and the national title. A win by Dabo Swinney's bunch could rocket Clemson back to the top of the Bowl Subdivision. Nico Iamaleava makes his UCLA debut against a Utah team that will be dramatically improved heading into what may be coach Kyle Whittingham's final season. The Utes have reimagined their offense with new offensive coordinator Jason Beck and new quarterback Devin Dampier, both brought in from New Mexico. UCLA isn't a realistic Big Ten contender, but the Bruins play hard, tough football under coach DeShaun Foster and will get much more at quarterback thanks to the addition of the Tennessee transfer. The Hokies are treading water at best under coach Brent Pry. They need to make a move up the ACC standings to take him off the hot seat. Much will ride on the health of quarterback Kyron Drones. Tech will have its hands full from the start against the Gamecocks and highly touted sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who might be the most underrecognized young star in the FBS. This should be our first look at new Miami starter Carson Beck, if he's fully recovered from the injury suffered in last year's SEC title game. It should also be the first glance at new Notre Dame passer C.J. Carr, the favorite to claim the starting job. The Irish are loaded for another run at the national title; going unbeaten in the regular season isn't out of the question. Miami is also looking to take the next step.
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Washington Post
Bull riding? Wrestling? Maryland's new AD is hardly a traditional hire.
Before Maryland introduced Jim Smith as its new athletic director this spring, the person leading the Terrapins had been a senior associate in College Park, the athletic director at Georgia, an assistant in the Bulldogs' athletic department, an assistant in the SEC offices and the compliance director at Missouri. At one time, that would have been an ideal résumé to run a college athletics operation. That time is not 2025.
