OKLAHOMA CITY, Ok.- Taylor Shumaker has been 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.
A unanimous selection, Shumaker is the second Gator to win the award, joining 2016 winner Amanda Lorenz.
The Fullerton, Calif., native, is having a record-breaking season and has been a key component to Florida reaching the 2025 Women’s College World Series for the 13th time in program history.
Shumaker is batting .389 with 86 RBI, tied for most of any player in the NCAA, and leads the team with 22 home runs, 72 runs scored, 17 doubles and a .818 slugging percentage.
She’s also drawn 40 walks and is 18-for-19 in stolen base attempts.
Through her first six NCAA games, Shumaker is batting a team-best .500 (7-for-14) with four home runs, 10 RBI, eight runs, 10 walks a 1.357 slugging and .708 on-base percentage.
She’s currently tied for the Florida single-season record in both home runs and RBI.
Joining Shumaker as finalists were the University of Oregon’s Rylee McCoy and University of Alabama’s Audrey Vandagriff. The winner was voted by the Association’s Division I All-America Committee.
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.