McKayla Taylor

Photo by: Alex Mowrey/Pitt Athletics

Photo by: Delvin Jones/Pitt Athletics

Photo by: Alex Mowrey/Pitt Athletics

Photo by: Jeffrey Gamza/Pitt Athletics

Position:
INF
Hometown:
Huntington Beach, Calif.
Class:
Senior
High School:
John F. Kennedy HS
B/T:
R/R
Club Team:
Riptide Gold

Career Highlights
NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Third Team (2016)
All-ACC Second Team (2015)
ACC All-Tournament Team (2018)
First in program history in career assists (597)
First in program history in career RBIs (150)
Second in program history in career home runs (43)
Third in program history in career runs (140)
Third in program history in career walks (84)
Fourth in program history in career hits (187)
Fifth in program history in career doubles (38)
Owns single-season program record with 59 RBIs (2015)
Hit three career grand slams (2016, 2018, 2018)

AS A SENIOR (2018)
Part of the first team to win the ACC Coastal Division in 2018 ... Finished the season ranked first in program history in career assists (597) and RBIs (150), second in home runs (43), third in runs (140) and walks (84), fourth in hits (187) and fifth in doubles (38) … Completed the year tied for fifth in single-season program history with 42 runs … Named to the 2018 ACC All-Tournament Team ... Started all 52 games for the Panthers at shortstop and third base ... Went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, including the walk-off grand slam, against Virginia Tech in the ACC Softball Championship quarterfinals to send the Panthers to the next round ... Had a great series at the plate for the Panthers against Louisville, going a combined 4-for-7 with six RBIs, including a double and two home runs, to help the Panthers win the series and clinch the ACC Coastal Division ... Went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBIs, including a three-run home run and a double, in Pitt’s 9-1 victory over NC State ... Hit her first grand slam of the season in a 10-2 victory over North Carolina ... Hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Panthers insurance runs in their 8-0 victory over Marshall ... Compiled two hits in four at-bats, including a two-run home run, and scored twice in the Panthers’ 6-4 victory over Kent State ... Hit a solo shot to help give the Panthers insurance runs in their 4-1 victory over Loyola Marymount ... Went 1-for-2 and scored two runs to help the Panthers defeat Saint Joseph’s ... Hit a home run in the Panthers’ 6-1 victory over Ball State ... Ranked first on the team in RBIs (30) ... Ranked second on the team in home runs (11), total bases (81), slugging percentage (.516) and walks (19) ... Ranked third on the team in at-bats (157), hits (41) and on-base percentage (.386) ... Finished the season with 42 runs scored, three stolen bases and a .261 batting average.

AS A JUNIOR (2017)
Awarded ACC Player of the Week honors (4/11) ... Started 46 games at shortstop for Pitt ... Was 2-for-3 with two doubles, one walk, one RBI and one run at UCF ... Compiled three hits, including two doubles, to go along with one RBI in a 6-2 win over Nebraska ... In a win against Northwestern, went 3-for-4 including a double and a walk ... Drove in two runs in the 5-0 perfect game victory against Southeastern Louisiana ... Smacked two-run home runs in consecutive games in wins at Elon and East Carolina (3/7-3/9) ... Collected two hits and scored twice in the Panthers’ second game at East Carolina ... Scored what ended up being the game-winning run in the final game of the series against Boston College ... Homered in four consecutive games, all Panther victories, against Saint Francis (Pa.) and a three-game series against Virginia Tech (4/5-4/9) ... Overall went 5-for-10 with three home runs, six RBIs and five runs scored in the series against the Hokies ... Went 3-for-3 with a double and one RBI in a win over NC State ... Hit a crucial two-run home run in a 4-3 extra-inning victory in the series finale against NC State ... Homered at Georgia Tech in the final game of the season ... Ranked second on the team in home runs (8), runs (29) and RBI (25) ... Ranked third on the team in doubles (7), hits (39) and slugging percentage (.467) ... Finished the season with a .260 batting average.

AS A SOPHOMORE (2016)
Finished the year ranked second in single-season program history in walks with 32 … NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Third Team selection ... Started all 52 games at shortstop for the Panthers ... Recorded a team high 63 putouts and led the ACC with 143 assists ... Her 32 walks led the team and tied for sixth in the ACC ... Reached base in 20 consecutive games (3/5-4/6) ... Compiled 14 multi-hit efforts ... Went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs in an early season victory at Mercer ... Followed that up by crushing her second home run that evening in win over St. Bonaventure (2/13) ... Collected two hits, a home run and two RBIs in win over Georgetown ... Recorded nine hits in four game span culminating with two hit effort in win over Utah Valley (2/27-3/4) ... Tallied three base knocks in series at San Diego ... Had five hits and drove in two in home series versus Virginia ... Went 3-for-4 with a home run, double and three RBIs in an 8-0 win over St. Bonaventure ... Collected four free passes at N.C. State (4/3) ... Had a home run and two RBIs in the first game of a doubleheader versus St. Francis ... Notched four hits, four walks and a home run in home series against Georgia Tech ... Went 4-for-10 with two RBIs in a series versus Florida State ... Contributed 52 hits this season including 10 home runs and 36 RBIs, while she crossed the plate 36 times.

AS A FRESHMAN (2015)
Part of the first Pitt softball team to reach the ACC Championship Game and NCAA Regional Final ... Finished the year ranked first in single-season program history in RBIs (59), third in assists (165) and third in home runs (14) … Tabbed Second Team All-ACC ... Went 1-for-2 with a RBI in win over California in the NCAA Regional Tournament ... Drove in two runs and scored once against Oakland in Pitt's first ever NCAA Tournament victory ... Doubled and drove in two runs against Florida State in the ACC Championship ... Batted 2-for-4 with a double against North Carolina in the semifinals of the ACC tournament ... Reached base three times, drove in two runs and scored one run against Notre Dame in round one of the ACC tournament ... Had four RBIs against Saint Francis (Pa.) ... Was 4-for-10 in the Virginia Tech series and recorded two doubles and two RBIs ... Had an outstanding eight hits, including two doubles and four home runs in the Syracuse series. Notched an impressive 17 RBIs and scored seven runs while hitting .727 on the series. Also was named ACC Player of the Week (4/13) ... Had one hit and one run at Ohio State ... Recorded one hit against Florida State ... Hit a three-run home run in final series game against NC State ... Went 1-for-3 versus FGCU (March. 10) and collected two RBIs ... Reached a season-high five at-bats and three hits in game two of three against Virginia ... Named to the All-Tournament Team at the Cougar Classic ... Led the team in batting after hitting .444 through four games at the Cougar Classic, recording her second career double ... Hit .467 during the Gaucho Classic after going 7-for-15 with three home runs, five RBIs and three runs ... Made her first college career start as a Panther in five games at shortstop at the Hampton Inn and Suites Tournament ... Went 5-for-15 at the plate.

HIGH SCHOOL
Graduated from Kennedy High School in LaPalma, Calif ... .Sophomore year awarded the John Wooden Award ... Named to the Empire League 2nd Team All-League, Golden Glove Award, Orange County Varsity Top 10 Athletes You Would Want on Your Team ... Tabbed the 2013 Empire League Defensive Player of the Year for carrying a .950 fielding percentage ... Named twice to the Empire League All-Academic team ... Also played soccer and cheered for four years.

PERSONAL
Daughter of Rick and Lori Taylor ... Has two older sisters, Jackie and Mallory, and one younger sister, Maicie.