Latest news with #NFCA
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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, and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@ 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 This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida softball's Kendra Falby, Jocelyn Erickson, Taylor Shumaker win awards
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Major League Baseball Invests In Professional Women's Softball, AUSL
Major League Baseball (MLB) announced on May 29 that they have partnered and invested in Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). MLB has already shown support of the sport of softball at large with their involvement and association with USA Softball and support of the Women's National Team, more recently as an Official Sponsor of the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association), and through MLB's youth initiatives such as PLAY BALL, the Nike RBI program. However, this investment into AUSL is monumental as professional softball in the US has historically struggled due to its underdevelopment and lack of true investment from owners and outside stakeholders. Former leagues in the Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL, 1997-2001), National Pro Fastpitch (NPF, 2004-2021) folded due to lack of revenue and financial backing. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Jr said about the partnership, "As a part of our broader commitment to growing softball and creating more opportunities for women and girls in sports, this agreement reflects our confidence in Kim Ng's leadership, the AUSL vision, and the incredible talent of its athletes. During this extraordinarily exciting time for women's sports, we want softball to thrive. MLB is committed to help build a sustainable and impactful league that drives fandom, serves the softball community, and benefits all female athletes.' AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng, former Marlins General Manager and MLB executive who recently was announced as the first commissioner of AUSL, also mirrored the excitement of the partnership, 'This is a watershed moment for women's sports and especially for softball. MLB's investment will supercharge our efforts to build the sustainable professional league this sport has long deserved, and sends a powerful message about the value of female athletes and the importance of creating professional opportunities for them." Although the MLB has not released the monetary investment amount, they have detailed that the partnership includes assisting the league with growth and operation cost, airing AUSL games and highlights on MLB TV and MLB Network, shared marketing efforts including social media marketing, collaborative events including AUSL players taking part at marquee MLB events such as the All-Star Game, Home Run Derby X, and the MLB postseason. Additionally, MLB's premiere show MLB Tonight: National Pregame will be on-site in Rosemont, Illinois on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 to cover Opening Weekend where AUSL's four teams – the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts will compete. AUSL will play 24 games between June 7 -July 23 and the top two teams will compete in a best-of-three championship series July 26-28 at the University of Alabama's softball stadium, a homecoming for AUSL star and former Alabama standout pitcher Montana Fouts if her team makes the series. Follow me for more women's sports news on X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Nebraska softball star named NFCA DI Player of the Year
Nebraska softball star named NFCA DI Player of the Year Nebraska softball star Jordyn Bahl was named the NFCA DI Player of the Year on Wednesday. Bahl is Nebraska's first player of the year honoree. She was also a unanimous selection as an NFCA First-Team All-American. She's the program's first NFCA First-Team All-American since MJ Knighten in 2016. Bahl finished the season with a .462 batting average while slugging .988 with an on-base percentage of .555. She had 72 runs, 78 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, 23 home runs and 66 RBIs. The Nebraska native also set numerous records for the Huskers this season. She owns Nebraska single-season records in extra-base hits (41), home runs (23), runs scored (72), total bases (167), batting average (.462), and slugging percentage (.988). As a pitcher, she had a 26-8 record with a 1.56 ERA. She threw eight shutouts in 34 starts with 24 complete games. Bahl also had 286 strikeouts and only 46 earned runs across 206.1 innings pitched. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Huskers softball standout Jordy Bahl named NFCA Division I Player of the Year
LINCOLN, Neb. (KCAU) – Nebraska softball two-way talent Jordy Bahl as named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I Player of the Year, becoming the first player in program history to earn the honor. The Nebraska native was also a unanimous NFCA First-Team All-America selection. Bahl broke numerous Huskers records this season, including becoming the first player in Big Ten history to win both the Player and Pitcher of the Year awards in the same year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Clemson softball player named All-American after outstanding 2025 season
Clemson softball player named All-American after outstanding 2025 season A dynamic force on the field and at the plate 💪 Congrats to Maddie Moore on being named a NFCA First Team All-American! 📰 — Clemson Softball 🥎 (@clemsonsoftball) May 28, 2025 Clemson softball second baseman Maddie Moore has been named an All-American for her outstanding 2025 season. Moore was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American on Wednesday, the organization announced. It's her second straight All-America honor. A year ago, Moore was a third team All-America selection. A senior from Del Oro High School in Loomis, Calif., Moore batted .411 in 57 games for the Tigers during their run to the Austin Super Regional of the NCAA Tournament. She led the team in home runs (17), RBIs (71), and added 12 doubles to go with a .472 on-base percentage and a .771 slugging percentage. Moore's contributions helped Clemson win its first ACC championship in program history. The Tigers rallied on three straight days at the ACC Softball Championships to take down Virginia, Virginia Tech and Florida State for the conference title. Clemson finished the 2025 season 48-14 overall and went 3-0 at its on-site regional, beating USC Upstate, Northwestern and Kentucky at McWhorter Stadium to advance to the Austin Super Regional against the Texas Longhorns. The Tigers fell, 6-5, in the decisive Game 3 of the Super Regional. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
