Where Are They Now? Laura Taylor '05
4/9/2014 12:00:00 AM | Pirate Blue
April 9, 2014
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - In the newest installment of the SHU Athletics "Where are they now?" series, we catch up with Laura Taylor, one of the greatest players in Seton Hall softball history and one of the most significant contributors to the Pirates' back-to-back BIG EAST Championship seasons in 2004 & 2005.
Taylor's power hitting numbers from her four years as a member of the Seton Hall softball team are staggering even today, nearly 10 years after her last collegiate season as a Pirate. She belted a school record 59-career home runs, which is 33 clear of the second spot on the list, and her 160 RBI's easily surpass Vicki Lamb's second place total of 121.
Taylor burst onto the BIG EAST softball scene as a freshman when she led the NCAA in home runs, blasting an SHU record 18 homers that year en route to First-Team All-BIG EAST honors, a sign of a promising career to come.
Opposing teams naturally caught on to the fact that pitching to Taylor was, in general, not always the best idea, which is why she also drew a school record 103-career walks. Despite teams trying to pitch around her the home runs kept coming. She homered 14 times in both her sophomore and junior seasons but saved her best all-around offensive performance for the 2005 season.
By the time Taylor started her senior year Seton Hall was already on the national map, capturing the first BIG EAST Championship in program history in 2004 and winning two games at the NCAA Regional in Waco, Texas, with victories over Houston and North Carolina.
In 2005 the Pirates rode that momentum to a 15-3 BIG EAST regular season record, earning the No. 2 seed for the conference tournament at Notre Dame. Taylor hit 13 home runs with 42 RBIs, 11 doubles and 32 walks that season, leading to her being named the 2005 BIG EAST Player of the Year, making her the first player in program history to win a major award in the league.
Seton Hall swept the Fighting Irish in two games on their home field to capture another conference championship and a second-straight berth in the NCAA Regionals. The Hall headed off to Ann Arbor, Mich., where the team posted a 1-2 record. Taylor capped off her magnificent career by batting 6-for-11 (.546) in three NCAA games, hitting a home run against UNC.
Taylor has transitioned from a prolific collegiate career into coaching. She began her career at St. John's University where she earned an MBA in management and is currently in her third season as the top assistant softball coach at Jacksonville University.
Q: Where do you live now and what are you up to these days?
Taylor: I live in Jacksonville, Fla. and I am the assistant softball coach at Jacksonville University. I earned my MBA while I coached at St. John's University and I am also an adjunct professor in College of Health Sciences at JU.
Q: How did your time as a Seton Hall student-athlete prepare you for your future?
I could not have asked for a better experience. I was surrounded by great coaches and talented teammates. I learned so much about working with a group towards a common goal. Obviously now that I am a coach I am able use many of the experiences I had as a player to better connect with my current team.
Q: What is your favorite memory as a Pirate?
I think it is safe to say that winning back-to-back Big East Championships in 2004 and 2005 are memories that stick in my mind that I will never forget. During my four years there I also created bonds with so many of my teammates including my best friend Kim Jackson who will be in my wedding this June.
Q: Do you still keep in touch with any of your former teammates and if so, who?
I do, I am in touch with so many of them. Kim Jackson is my best friend and she was in the class of 2002. I am in touch with several players in the class of 2004: Meg Berry, McKenzie Richards, Casey McDevitt, all of class of 2005: Lindsay (Trottier) Berger, Megan (Meyer) Stoudt, D'arcy (Djakalovic) Kelemen, Kate DePaul, Kate Flynn, and the class of 2006: Akoua (Lonergan) Enow, Anne Leone, and the class of 2009: Jenna Best and Maggie (Simkiss) Walker.
As you can see we were a very close group and our friendships have lasted years since softball has been over. We have shared weddings and new babies!
Q: Do you still follow the Pirates and what are your thoughts on the program today?
Yes I follow the current team. I think I would even if I wasn't coaching. I actually worked alongside head coach Paige Smith while we were both assistants at St. John's. I know she has a passion for the game of softball and I hope she has been able to hit the recruiting trail hard and share her passion with the team. Then the results should take care of themselves.
