Taylor Shumaker Named to Multiple Awards this Week

Louisville Slugger/NFCA named Florida freshman softball outfielder Taylor Shumaker their Player of the Week. This makes her the second-ever Gator to earn this accolade in program history. In addition to this, she also collected the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week, D1 Softball’s National Player of the Week and Softball America’s Star of the Week titles. In these first six games of Florida’s season, Shumaker hit five home runs, which ties her for the most in the NCAA. She currently bats .500 and leads the team with 11 runs and three stolen bases. Against the Michigan Wolverines, she tied a school single-game record with four runs.

.@shumaker_taylor is just the second freshman in program history to be named an @NFCAorg Player of the Week and first since Kirsti Merritt in 2013

Good company to be in 👀 https://t.co/OoTOAxT445

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) February 11, 2025

Background

Shumaker came to Florida from Fullerton, California. In 2023, she earned an Alliance Fastpitch National Championship while playing for the OC Batbusters-Stith travel team. Later, she gained Alliance Fastpitch All-Star honors individually in 2024. Additionally, MaxPreps named Shumaker to the All-American Team after her senior year. Outside of softball, she competed as a safety, linebacker and wide receiver on the flag football team. There, she helped lead this team to be named first team all-county and second team all-league honors.

Up Next for Shumaker

Tonight, Shumaker will don the orange and blue once again for her seventh career game with the Gators. The team will play one of their in-state rivals, the Jacksonville Dolphins, in Gainesville. Coverage starting on WRUF 98.1FM/850AM at 5:40 p.m.