Softball America Announces SEC Player of the Year Candidates

Here are five names to watch this season.

OU's Ella Parker (5) celebrates with her teammates after hitting a home run in the first inning against Tennessee during the Women's College World Series on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With just a week away from the DI college softball season, Softball America has announced five SEC Player of the Year Candidates.

The conference had a terrific year for the sport, claiming its first National Championship since 2015 thanks to the Texas Longhorns, while Bri Ellis took home SEC Player of the Year and USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year honors. 

Who are the top players to keep an eye on in 2026? 

SEC Player of the Year Candidates

• Reese Atwood, C, Texas
• Tori Edwards, 1B, LSU
• Ella Parker, UTL, Oklahoma
• Taylor Shumaker, OF, Florida
• Audrey Vandagriff, OF, Alabama

Reese Atwood, Texas Longhorns

Landing on the All-SEC First Team and the All-SEC Defensive Team in 2025, Atwood has now found herself on various preseason watch lists. The NFCA Catcher of the Year and Johnny Bench Award winner held a .988 fielding percentage with 313 putouts, 18 assists, and just four errors. Opponents hardly risked running on Atwood, as she threw out four of seven base stealers through 68 games in 2025. 

Atwood finished the historic season with a .393 batting average, a team-leading .822 slugging percentage, and a .504 on-base percentage. She led the team in RBIs (89), home runs (21), total bases (157), OPS (1.326), and walks (41). She became the first student-athlete in program history to record multiple 20-home run seasons. 

the first player in program history with 2⃣0⃣0⃣ career RBI 🤘#HookEm | @atwood_reese pic.twitter.com/ARfUCBVvmL

— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball) May 2, 2025

Tori Edwards, LSU Tigers 

Edwards was a star of the SEC in 2025. As SEC Freshman of the Year, she appeared in all 58 games at first base and put together one of the best seasons by a rookie in LSU program history. Edwards set a single-season program record with a .802 slugging percentage and tied for a program-best 18 home runs.

Edwards currently ranks No.3 in LSU’s single-season record book with 73 RBIs, and No.9 with a .495 on-base percentage. She finished her debut season with a .375 batting average with 62 hits, 52 runs scored, and had 346 putouts and eight assists at first base. 

🔻1 | Tori Tank 💥

Tori Edwards slugs her sixth blast of the year!

📺SECN+ | @ToriE_7 pic.twitter.com/BYMYAhXTN9

— LSU Softball (@LSUsoftball) March 6, 2025

Ella Parker, Oklahoma Sooners 

The NFCA First Team All-American primarily played as the Sooners’ designated player but also made a few starts in the field at the beginning of the season. At the plate, she hit .423 with 51 runs, 74 hits, 19 doubles, 15 home runs, 53 RBIs, 36 walks, and a .798 slugging percentage. She was a two-time SEC Player of the Week and landed on the SEC All-Tournament Team when the Sooners and the Texas A&M Aggies declared co-champions. 

ELLA PARKER WALKS IT OFF ‼️#WCWS x 🎥 ESPN / @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/Z9RZ8t1bxI

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 29, 2025

Taylor Shumaker, Florida Gators 

The rookie made quite a name for herself in 2025. As the first Florida freshman in program history to gain NFCA First Team All-American honors, Shumaker batted .389 with 72 runs, 22 home runs, 17 doubles, one triple, 41 walks, three hit by pitches, and four sacrifice flies. She led the team in home runs, RBI, runs, doubles, slugging percentage (.808), and total bases (164), all while starting all 65 games in right field. 

Her efforts landed her on the All-SEC First Team. 

Another big moment for our freshman.

Hear from Taylor following Florida's 3-1 victory over Texas #GoGators | @shumaker_taylor pic.twitter.com/LaX4uOnhiO

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) March 18, 2025

Audrey Vandagriff, Alabama 

Vandagriff was another rookie to make noise immediately at the start of the 2025 season. She led the Crimson Tide with a .583 batting average during the Candrea Classic in early February, hitting 7-for-12 with six runs scored, six RBIs, and nine stolen bases. Again in February, she set an Alabama single-game record with five stolen bases against Western Michigan. By the end of the season, she landed fourth in program history for 50 stolen bases in a single season and earned All-SEC First Team honors. 

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