Golden Gators: Florida softball's Falby, Erickson Gold Glovers again, Shumaker earns top honor
OKLAHOMA CITY — Taylor Shumaker has made history all season for Florida softball.
In her maiden voyage with the Gators, she set not only freshman records, but also overall program records.
Tuesday night, on the sport's biggest stage, she added one more, and it was more prestigious one of all.
Advertisement
Shumaker was named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Freshman of the Year on Tuesday in Oklahoma City – two days before the Gators kick off the WCWS vs. Texas.
Shumaker became the second freshman to claim the award for the Gators – joining Amanda Lorenz. Lorenz, a UF legend, grew up in Moorpark in Southern California, not far from Shumaker's hometown of Fullerton. The two played in many of the same AAU circuits.
She currently sits at 23 home runs and 86 RBIs. Both of those tie program records. For home runs, she ties with Brittany Schutte in 2011, and RBIs with Jocelyn Erickson last season.
During Florida's pre-WCWS press conference Wednesday, Shumaker touched on what the experience of OKC has been like.
Advertisement
'It's all really surreal. It's crazy to think I'm here after watching it for so many years,' Shumaker said. 'It's an unreal venue, so many amazing softball fans. We're growing the game we have been playing since we were five, six years old.'
Shumaker wasn't the only Gator to leave Wednesday with hardware. Kendra Falby and Erickson made history by going back-to-back with Gold Gloves, becoming just the second and third player to do so.
Falby was a no brainer. She awed players, coaches and fans alike with a new home run-stealing catch almost every week. This season, though, came with the new honor of All-American as she was named a second teamer – the first of her career.
The speedster said she credits her teammates more than anyone for her success.
Advertisement
'The numbers that I've been able to put up when it comes to runs wouldn't be any help without Jocelyn and Taylor Shumaker and like the list goes on,' Falby said. 'It's really thanks to my teammates and pushing me every single day.'
Erickson credited outfielders like Falby for pushing her. Falby, along with fellow outfielders Shumaker and Korbe Otis, have mentioned how competitive the outfielders are in practice. Erickson said that mantra rubs off on the rest of the team.
'Our team feeds off of each other. When the outfield makes insane plays, like when Kendra robs a home run, it just makes me want to be so much better,' Erickson said. 'Having teammates around you that want to push you to be your best is honestly surreal.'
In total, Shumaker was named as a first team All-American by the NFCA, and Falby and Mia Williams were named second team.
Advertisement
Florida begins its WCWS journey vs. Texas at 12 p.m. ET from Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1. Read his coverage of the Gators' national championship basketball season in 'CHOMP-IONS!' — a hardcover coffee-table collector's book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida softball's Kendra Falby, Jocelyn Erickson, Taylor Shumaker win awards
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Scott showing out at 3B
Follow our coverage of the WCWS from Oklahoma City as the six remaining teams chase the softball national title Imagn Images Imagn Images Mia Scott is putting on a defensive showcase at third for Texas. Teagan Kavan is forcing these Gators hitters to swing out of the zone, and somehow, they're still making decent contact, but Scott is gobbling up every hop that comes her way. For as much love as offense gets in Oklahoma City, it's looking like defense may be what wins this first game of the weekend. Imagn Images T6 - Texas 1, Florida 0 Teagan Kavan has her second 1-2-3 inning and continues to keep Florida scoreless. She has limited the Gators to one hit and two walks and has recorded two strikeouts. B5 - Texas 1, Florida 0 Huge strikeout for Keagan Rothrock, who gets Reese Atwood to end the top of the fifth with two runners on. Rothrockhas four strikeouts and has kept the Longhorns in check. Now would be a great time for Reese Atwood to get going for the Longhorns, as both teams have struggled with runners on base. ... But the Longhorns come up short yet again with a runner in scoring position. That's a tough pitch to go down looking on if you're Atwood, but maybe that will give the Gators some momentum heading to the plate. Imagn Images I'm sorry … Did I just hear that right? Florida's Korbe Otis is a competitive go-kart driver?? I'm going to need the broadcast to elaborate more on that. Also cool, Otis is working on her personal statement to apply to medical school — She was the SEC Scholar of the Year. T5 - Texas 1, Florida 0 Gators have their first hit on a single from Korbe Otis, but Teagan Kavan keeps them off the board for the fourth straight inning. She has been impressive through the first four. Imagn Images It's the fourth inning, and Teagan Kavan has picked up her first strikeout of the 2025 WCWS. On the broadcast, Michelle Smith and Jessica Mendoza said the Longhorns ace looked nervous to start this game, but she only looks like she's getting more locked in as this game gets deeper. Texas' Teagan Kavan gets her first strikeout of the day against her 12th batter, Reagan Walsh. Imagn Images With all the players using sliding mitts these days, you don't see many feet-first slides anymore in softball. That slide from Joley Mitchell right there, which now puts runners on third and first for Texas, was a rare exception this tournament. B4 - Texas 1, Florida 0 Somewhat of a risky move by Joley Mitchell heading to third on that ball to Rylee Holtorf at short, as you never want to make the third out of an inning (or the first, for that matter) at third base. Would have been key for Holtorf to get out of the inning by throwing to first there, but Mitchell's confident read on the ball is what got her there. It ends up not mattering, but aggressiveness on the basepaths would come into play in this tight matchup so far. It's back to the circle for Keagan Rothrock in the top of the fourth. On the ESPN broadcast, Florida coach Tim Walton said she's 'thrown a really good game' thus far. 'Defensively, (we're) playing well behind her. I think she's setting a really good tone for us.' Texas still leads 1-0. T4 - Texas 1, Florida Teagan Kavan has been in control through the first three innings. She has held the Gators hitless and has worked around two walks. There's so much talk, understandably, about Oklahoma's dominance within college softball. You've probably heard that the Sooners are going for their fifth consecutive title. Well how about this: There are some former Sooners at the WCWS this week, too, trying to help other teams dethrone the Sooners. Both Florida catcher Jocelyn Erickson and Tennessee catcher Sophia Nugent won national titles with OU earlier in their careers; Erickson in 2023, Nugent in both 2022 and 2023. In the past leaving a dominant program like OU would have seemed unthinkable, but with instant eligibility and name, image and likness money, the transfer portal has become prevalent in every NCAA sport. Nugent will match up with her former team in the second game of the day, when Tennessee takes on OU in the mostly highly anticipated matchup of the first round. Another former Sooners connection in OKC this week: Oregon coach Melyssa Lombardi, who spent 21 seasons in Norman on Patty Gasso's staff, the final 10 as associate head coach. She is an OU alum, too. This is Lombardi's seventh season at Oregon, and the first time she's led the Ducks to the WCWS. Oregon plays former Pac-12 foe UCLA in the final game of the day. B3 - Texas 1, Florida 0 Other than the LONG home run she gave up in the second inning, Keagan Rothrock has been on point in the circle for Florida. She has given up two hits total and has struck out three Longhorns batters. While the Gators don't have anything to show for it yet, the at-bats they're having against Teagan Kavan are getting more and more impressive. Kenleigh Cahalan's line-out to center a pitch after using every inch possible of her bat to foul off a dirty changeup to stay alive shows these Florida batters are locked in. Now they just need to break through. T3 - Texas 1, Florida 0 Impressive start by Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan, who has held the powerful Florida offense hitless through two innings. That's just the start Texas was looking for. Woahhhh what a stroke for fifth-year Joley Mitchell to get the Longhorns on the board. Homers have become a hallmark of the WCWS, and that's the first one of the weekend. You love to see it. T2 - Texas 1, Florida 0 Texas has jumped on top with a no-doubt home run from Joley Mitchell. It's her 15th home run of the season, according to the broadcast, the Longhorns are 39-2 when they score first. Courtesy of Texas Athletics One thing I will be keeping my eye on is Texas ace Teagan Kavan. In the Supers against Clemson, I feel like it was one of the first times on a big stage we saw Kavan really waver. While she's really the Longhorns' workhorse, it'll be key to see how things change if they do at some point have to turn to the bullpen.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
100 new structures from Peruvian Chachapoya civilization found in Andes
World Monuments Fund (WMF) announced a monumental discovery at Gran Pajatén, one of Peru's most significant archaeological sites for its exceptional architecture from the Chachapoya civilization. In the 1960s, the Rio Abiseo National Park, a UNESCO Mixed World Heritage Site, quickly became known as one of the most remarkable surviving Chachapoya sites in the country. The complex included 26 ceremonial buildings decorated with stone mosaics depicting human figures, high-relief friezes, and more. Recently, researchers identified and documented more than 100 previously unknown archaeological structures. Described as a 'milestone,' the buildings have advanced archaeologists' understanding of their settlement organization, architecture, and regional influence, according to a press release. Earlier research unearthed the site, but much remained hidden beneath dense vegetation since the 1960s, shrouding the complex's chronology and scope in mystery. However, advanced technology, including aerial and manual LiDAR scanning, photogrammetry, topographic registration, and technomorphological analysis, enabled archaeologists to bring an unprecedented view of the Gran Pajatén to the surface without damaging the delicate ecosystem that holds it. 'What makes this moment so meaningful is not only the scale of what's been uncovered, but how we were able to do it,' Bénédicte de Montlaur said, President and CEO of World Monuments Fund. 'By using advanced technology, our team gathered extraordinary visual and scientific documentation that brings Gran Pajatén to life—all while preserving its delicate environment. Though the site remains out of reach for most, these tools will allow us to share its stories widely through thoughtful, immersive digital storytelling. 'This discovery radically expands our understanding of Gran Pajatén and raises new questions about the site's role in the Chachapoya world. Evidence now confirms that it is not an isolated complex but part of an articulated network of pre-Hispanic settlements from different periods,' Juan Pablo de la Puente Brunke, Executive Director of WMF in Peru, continued in a press release. As the age of Gran Pajatén remained elusive, archaeologists confirmed that it dated earlier than they thought, the 14th century. The soil revealed an even earlier use of the site. Furthermore, aside from a 'commanding view' of the cloud forest nearby, a nearby network of roads suggested an organized and well-connected territory. Known as 'the people of the cloud forest,' the Chachapoya civilization developed between the seventh and sixteenth centuries in the northeastern Andes of Peru. They settled about 6,561-9,842 feet above sea level. Often in hard-to-reach locations, they built sophisticated urban centers, ceremonial platforms, cliffside burial structures, and agricultural terraces. They demonstrated a 'distinctive' architectural and artistic language, as their unique circular buildings, geometric friezes, and highly decorated cliffside burials reflect. Though they successfully warded off the Inca superpower, they eventually were incorporated before the arrival of the Spanish. A free exhibition at the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI), Peru, on view from May 21 to June 18, offers visitors an opportunity to explore the Chachapoya culture in Peru and learn more about WMF's recent discoveries, the press release concludes.
USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
WCWS schedule: Scores, start times, TV channels for Sunday NCAA softball games
WCWS schedule: Scores, start times, TV channels for Sunday NCAA softball games Show Caption Hide Caption Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady and Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens lead WCWS players to watch The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson highlights several Women's College World Series key players to watch. By the end of the weekend, the 2025 Women's College World Series field will be trimmed in half. What began as an eight-team event on Thursday will be down to four national championship aspirants after a pair of elimination games Sunday pitting No. 7 Tennessee against No. 9 UCLA and No. 16 Oregon against No. 2 Oklahoma. The most surprising inclusion of the bunch is undoubtedly the Sooners, the four-time reigning NCAA champions. Coach Patty Gasso's team followed up a walk-off victory Thursday against Tennessee with a 4-2 loss to archrival No. 6 Texas on Saturday in a rematch of last year's WCWS championship series. REQUIRED READING: OU softball 'timing was off' vs Teagan Kavan, Texas in falling to WCWS loser's bracket The winner of the game between the Lady Vols and Bruins will advance to the national semifinals to take on Texas while the winner between the Sooners and Ducks will earn a date with Texas Tech in the semifinals. Both of those games are scheduled for Monday. Here's a look at the schedule for Day 4 of the WCWS on June 1, including matchups, start times, TV channels and more: Women's College World Series games today The fourth day of the 2025 Women's College World Series will take place Sunday with a pair of elimination games. In the first matchup, No. 7 Tennessee will take on No. 9 UCLA, with the winner advancing to play Monday against Texas. The second game will pit No. 16 Oregon against No. 2 Oklahoma, with the winner of the game moving on to face Texas Tech Monday. Here's a look at Sunday's full WCWS schedule: All times Eastern No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 9 UCLA | 3 p.m. | ABC (ESPN+) No. 16 Oregon vs. No. 2 Oklahoma | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 (ESPN+) REQUIRED READING: Why Karen Weekly knew Tennessee softball would bounce back in WCWS elimination game vs Florida Who is in the Women's College World Series? The WCWS began Thursday with eight teams vying for a national championship, a field that has been narrowed down to four. Here's who remains, with the names of eliminated teams crossed out: No. 2 Oklahoma (51-8) No. 3 Florida (48-16) No. 6 Texas (53-11) No. 7 Tennessee (45-16) No. 9 UCLA (55-12) No. 12 Texas Tech (52-12) No. 16 Oregon (53-9) Ole Miss (42-19) Women's College World Series bracket Click here to see the official bracket for the 2025 Women's College World Series. When is the Women's College World Series? The 2025 WCWS began May 29 and will wrap up on either June 5 or June 6, depending on whether the best-of-three championship series goes two or the full three games. Watch the 2025 Women's College World Series live with ESPN+ What channel is the Women's College World Series on? TV channel : ABC | ESPN2 : ABC | ESPN2 Live stream: ESPN app | ESPN+ The fourth day of WCWS action will be split across two channels. The Tennessee-UCLA game will air on ABC, with Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Jessica Mendoza (analyst) and Michele Smith (analyst) on the call, and Holly Rowe serving as the sideline reporter. Oregon-Oklahoma will air on ESPN2, with Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Amanda Scarborough (analyst) on the call, and Taylor McGregor serving as the sideline reporter. Streaming options for all four games include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login to access, and ESPN+, ESPN's subscription streaming service. The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.
