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University of Illinois Athletics

2019 Softball Roster

Andy Wenstrand / Illinois Athletics
Grace Duggan/Illinois Athletics
Libby Knight / Illinois Athletics

12 Taylor Edwards

  • Position Pitcher
  • Height 5-7
  • Class Senior
  • Hometown Arcola, Illinois
  • High School Arcola

Biography

Senior - 2019

  • Appeared in 33 games for the Illini, earning 29 starts
  • 5-10, 5.30 ERA, 107.1 IP, 144 H, 66 ER, 59 BB, 36 SO, .314 OBA
  • Allowed just seven hits and three walk and striking out one against Michigan (5/10).
  • Earned the complete game shutout win against DePaul (4/30) after allowing just two hits and two walks and striking out five in five innings.
  • Earned the Illini’s first Big Ten win of the season in a a four-hit, one-walk outing against No. 23 Wisconsin (3/23), while also posting two strikeouts in her 6.1 innings of work.
  • Went 1-1 with a 2.62 ERA in 8.0 innings at the LMU Tournament.
  • Registered her first win of the season after giving up just one earned run on four hits and four walks and striking out two in a complete game effort against Cal Poly (3/15).
  • Appeared in all three games at the OSU/Tulsa Invitational, registering a 1.00 ERA in 7.0 innings after allowing just one earned run on 13 hits and two walks and striking out one.

Junior - 2018

  • Easton/NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete
  • Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award
  • Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award
  • Academic All-Big Ten
  • Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
  • Fighting Illini Spirit Award
  • Chi Alpha Sigma Inductee
  • 14-7, 3.32 ERA, 32 appearances, 23 starts, 6 CG, 2 Shutouts, 3 saves, 132.2 IP, 135 H, 63 ER, 68 BB, 49 SO, .262 OBA
  • 6-2 in Big Ten action, 3.29 ERA, 12 appearances, 10 starts, 4 CG, 1 shutout, 61.2 IP, 63 H, 29 ER, 31 BB, 16 SO, .263 OBA
  • Finished in a tie second in the conference and 49th nationally with three saves, tied for 11th with 14 wins and 15th with 23 games started. 
  • Ranked in a tie for eighth with six wins in conference, while also sitting 12th with a 3.29 ERA, 13th with a .263 opposing batting average and 15th with 61.2 innings pitched. 
  • Started and did not allow a base runner, while notching one strikeout in 3.0 frames vs. IUPUI (5/1/18).
  • Posted a 4-0 record with an 1.91 ERA in 25.2 innings and two complete games in wins over Green Bay and Iowa, including earning all three wins over the Hawkeyes.
  • Held Green Bay (4/18/18) to just one run on six hits in the game one win of a doubleheader.
  • Went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA after allowing just one unearned run on six hits and three walks, while striking out four in 11.0 innings vs. Maryland.
  • Registered a 2-0 record with a team-best 2.93 ERA after giving up just six earned runs on 10 hits and striking out 11 in 14.1 innings last week vs. Northwestern, Purdue and SIUE.
  • Notched her third save of the season by holding Cal Poly (3/17/18) to just one hit in 2.2 innings.
  • Secured the win over Bradley (3/7/18) after allowing just two earned runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out four in 6.0 innings of work.
  • Posted a 1.17 ERA with a win and a save in two appearances and 6.0 innings pitched in the Coach B Classic.
  • Earned her first win of the season after allowing one earned run on one hit and two walks while striking out two in 5.0 innings of relief vs. Pitt (2/16).

Sophomore - 2017

  • Academic All-Big Ten
  • 14-2, 2.67 ERA, 24 appearances, 17 starts, 2 CG, 91.2 IP, 97 H, 35 ER, 32 BB, 27 SO, .256 OBA
  • 1-1 in Big Ten action, 5.65 ERA, six appearances, four starts, 17.1 IP, 25 H, 14 ER, 8 BB, 1 SO
  • Ranked second on the team and eighth in the Big Ten Conference with 14 wins
  • Ranked 12th in the league with a 2.67 ERA
  • Earned back-to-back wins in a doubleheader with UIC, pitching 11 innings and allowing just one earned run and 10 hits between the two contests
  • Posted a career-high five strikeouts on two occasions, both coming against Georgia Tech (February 10, February 26)
  • Threw a complete game with six hits and only two earned runs allowed in a win over Illinois State (March 3)
  • Allowed just five hits and one earned run in 5.0 IP in a win over Saint Mary's (February 17)
  • Led the Illini with a 0.00 ERA in the opening weekend, allowing just two unearned runs and struck five while earning wins over Georgia Tech (February 10) and North Carolina (February 11)

Freshman - 2016

  • Big Ten Freshman of the Week (March 7)
  • 4-0, 2.69 ERA, 12 appearances, two starts, 26.0 IP, 32 H, 10 ER, 16 BB, 8 SO
  • First on the team with a 2.69 ERA
  • Made collegiate debut at North Carolina (Feb. 21), giving up one run on three hits in 1.1 IP
  • Earned first collegiate win in her first collegiate start against Penn (March 5), in complete game shutout, giving up just three hits and striking out three in six innings
  • Earned second-career win just a day later against East Carolina (March 6) with three scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and striking out two.

High School

  • A four-year starter for Arcola High School.
  • Batted .457 as a freshman, .486 as a sophomore and .500 with six home runs as a junior.
  • Three-time First-Team All-Little Okaw Valley Conference (2012, 2013, 2014)
  • Two-time Champaign News-Gazette All-Area First Team (2013, 2014); 2015 Honorable Mention
  • 2014 H&R Prep Player of the Year
  • Three-time team MVP (2012, 2013, 2014)
  • Four-year team captain.
  • Led the Arcola Purple Riders to the 2013 Sectional Semifinal.
  • Played in eight games as a senior before needing surgery for a stress fracture and sitting out the remainder of the season.
  • Played eight years of travel softball, most recently for Premier Fastpitch under Dany and Kristi Paulson.
  • A four-sport athlete at Arcola, she was a four-time first-team all-conference basketball and volleyball player and three-time all-conference track star.
  • Captured three top-four finishes at Indoor Track State Championships, and was a two-time all-state honorable mention (2014, 2015) in basketball.

Personal

  • Born Taylor Ann Ewards on December 27, 1996.
  • Daughter of Jeff and Lisa Edwards.
  • The middle of three children, has an older sister, Cara, and younger brother, Beau.
  • Sister Cara played softball at Parkland College from 2013-15.
  • Arcola High School Valedictorian
  • Three-year member of the National Honor Society
  • Illinois State Scholar
  • Received High Honors all four years of high school

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 12

    2016Freshman

    P/UT
    5'8"
    12
  • 12

    2017Sophomore

    P/UT
    5'8"
    12
  • 12

    2018Junior

    Pitcher
    5'7"
    12
  • 12

    2019Senior

    Pitcher
    5'7"
    12