Florida softball's first-year standout named NFCA Freshman of the Year
Florida softball outfielder Taylor Shumaker was named the NFCA Freshman of the Year, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced Tuesday night at the 2025 NCAA Women's College World Series banquet in Oklahoma City.
The first-year standout was honored with the award based on a unanimous decision, making her the second-ever Gator to win it. The other to achieve the same accolade was outfielder Amanda Lorenz in 2016.
Shumaker is batting .389 and leads the team with 22 home runs, 72 runs scored, 17 doubles, and an .818 slugging percentage heading into the Women's College World Series; her 86 RBI so far this spring are tied for the best mark in the NCAA. She has also drawn 40 walks and is 18-for-19 in stolen base attempts.
The outfielder from Fullerton, California, is currently tied for the Florida single-season record in both home runs and RBI.
The NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award was created in 2014 to honor outstanding athletic achievement among Division I freshmen softball student-athletes.
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