Taylor Edwards, a long-time staple behind the plate in professional softball, announced her retirement after the 2025 season.
Edwards’ pro career has spanned over a decade. She was the eighth overall selection in the 2014 National Pro Fastpitch Draft by the Pennsylvania Rebellion. She played four NPF seasons, finishing three of them as a champion: two titles with the Chicago Bandits and one with the Scrap Yard Dawgs.
She also played with Scrap Yard Fastpitch for two seasons as an independent team and a pair of seasons overseas with Team Denso-Bright Pegasus of the Japanese Diamond League. Edwards has competed in every AU Pro Softball Championship season (now known as the All-Star Cup) and AUX competition. She is a 2022 All-Defensive Team honoree.
Defined by her quiet presence and meticulousness, Edwards experienced the grind of professional softball before it reached the stability of Athletes Unlimited.
Edwards wore red, white, and blue for Team USA for many years. She helped the team win gold at the WBSC World Championship and USA Softball International Cup. She was an alternate on the 2020 Tokyo Olympic team.
Edwards was selected in the 11th round of the AUSL Allocation Draft and was the primary catcher for the Blaze in the team’s inaugural season.
She cites one of her proudest accomplishments as having her jersey number retired at Nebraska. Edwards is one of the best players in Huskers Softball program history as a four-year starter who finished her career with 17 program records. She held a pair of NCAA marks at the end of her collegiate career.
Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on X @savannaecollins.