Missouri softball junior outfielder Rhea Taylor has been selected as a Division I All-American. Taylor, who was selected to the second team in 2008, earns third team honors this season. She is the 19th Tiger in the history of the program to receive All-America accolades.
Taylor has put up the best year of her career so far, as she enters the Women’s College World Series with a .442 batting average, the 14th-best in the country and the best in Missouri history. She’s set career highs in doubles (10), triples (8), home runs (7), RBI (39), total bases (127), slugging percentage (.702), walks (12) and on-base percentage (.480). She’s swiped 47 bases in 50 attempts, and has racked up 80 hits this season. Earlier this year, she set new school records for most stolen bases in a career and most runs scored in a career. She’s also currently having her best year defensively, sporting a .987 fielding percentage.
She was a first team All-Big 12 selection and was named to this season’s Big 12 All-Tournament team. Taylor is one of six athletes from the Big 12 to be selected to the three All-America teams this season.
Taylor and the Tigers open play at the 29th annual Women’s College World Series tomorrow at Noon CT against Hawaii.