Tatum Edwards

Classroom

Edwards carries a cumulative grade-point average above 3.0 as an elementary education and mild/moderate disabilities K-6 major. She has earned an honor roll spot in six of her seven semester at Nebraska, including six straight semesters. Edwards was also an academic All-Big Ten selection in 2013, and she has earned a pair of Nebraska Honors Academic Medallions.

Character

Edwards traveled halfway across the country to play softball at Nebraska, and she has been an impact student-athlete since she stepped foot on campus. Edwards battled through a shoulder injury to earn second-team All-America honors in 2013, despite having difficulty throwing overhand due to the injury. The injury limited her ability to play the field, as she played the fewest games of her career in 2013. Despite the injury, Edwards pitched Nebraska to the first NCAA Super Regional in school history, where the Huskers defeated No. 3 Oregon to advance to the Women’s College World Series. Edwards exploded onto the scene as a freshman but her numbers dipped as a sophomore. Following her sophomore season, Edwards dedicated herself to a rigorous offseason workout regimen. She put in countless hours not to earn individual accolades but for her teammates, as Edwards wanted to be in the best shape possible to fill her new role as ace of the pitching staff in 2013. Her work helped Nebraska return to the postseason after missing the NCAA Tournament in 2012. She has taken on a leadership role in 2014 for a Husker team that consists of 75 percent underclassmen (12 of 16 players). As one of only two seniors, Edwards has helped NU earn three wins over top-10 teams in the first month of the season while leading Nebraska to a top-15 ranking. In addition to being the ace of the Husker pitching staff, Edwards has displayed her team-first attitude by playing a multitude of defensive roles. She has started games in left field, center field and right field this season in addition to pitching, while also earning starts as the designated player.

Community

Edwards has been active in the community as a Husker. In addition to working with elementary school children and special-needs students as part of her major, Edwards has donated her times as a volunteer for the Fight Against Breast Cancer Walk in 2011, 2012 and 2013, Soles4Souls in 2011 and Autism Week in 2011. She also served as a two-year mentor with the HuskerConnect Mentoring Program, in addition to working with young softball players through Nebraska’s camps and clinics.

Competition

Edwards earned second-team All-America honors in 2013 as a pitch/utility player, becoming the first Husker in nearly a decade to be a first- or second-team All-American. The 2013 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, Edwards ranked 11th nationally in shutouts and 12th in victories last spring when she went 30-10 with a 1.91 ERA. One of only four pitchers in school history to win 30 games in a season, Edwards is Nebraska’s first returning All-America pitcher since 1999. Edwards owns a 46-15 career record with a 2.17 ERA entering 2014. At the plate, Edwards owns a .291 career batting average with 28 doubles, 32 home runs and 106 RBIs entering 2014. Her 32 home runs entering this season ranked second among all active pitchers and were in the top five of all players in Nebraska history. Edwards hit 11 doubles and 11 homers in 2013, becoming the sixth Husker to hit 10 doubles and 10 homers in the same season. More impressively, Edwards became just the 11th known player in NCAA history to win 30 games and hit 10 home runs in the same season. A three-time all-conference selection, Edwards was also a first-team all-region selection in 2013. Edwards also earned a spot on the 2013 Big Ten All-Tournament team, and she is a four-time Big Ten pitcher of the week. Through the first month of the 2014 seasons, Edwards has been the Big Ten Player of the Week once, while also tossing her first career record. Through March 10, Edwards owned a 7-5 record with a 1.54 ERA. Three of her five losses have been 1-0 defeats, and including wins over ranked opponents Florida State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Overall, five of Edwards’ first 12 starts came against top-15 opponents.