Huskers Sign Talented Twins

Talented twin sisters Tatum and Taylor Edwards each signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball at Nebraska beginning in 2010-11, Head Coach Rhonda Revelle announced on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

The twins are battery mates, as Taylor is a catcher and Tatum is a pitcher and outfielder. The sisters are among the best recruits to ever sign with the Huskers, as each has been a three-time all-state selection entering their senior seasons in 2010 at Vista Murrieta High School in Murrieta, Calif.

"We are extremely excited about what the Edwards twins bring to our program," Revelle said. "They are competitive, spirited and they have winning in their blood. Tatum and Taylor will be outstanding additions to the Nebraska softball program.

Playing in a talent-rich Southern California area that annually produces hundreds of Division I softball players, the twins have still managed to separate themselves from their talented peers. Tatum was selected as the California Freshman of the Year in 2007 by CalHiSports.com, while the site named Taylor the California Junior of the Year in 2009. A two-time Under Armour All-American, Taylor was also honored as the EA Sports National Junior of the Year last spring while being named a first-team EA Sports All-American.

Through three seasons at Vista Murrieta, the twins have put up impressive numbers. Tatum boasts a career record of 41-11 in the circle with a 1.10 ERA. Offensively, Tatum is a career .363 hitter with 26 home runs, 21 doubles and 103 RBIs. Taylor has batted at least .500 in each of her first three prep seasons. She boasts a .539 career average with 29 home runs, 25 doubles, 107 RBIs and a .985 slugging percentage.

Last spring, the Edwards twins combined to slug 24 home runs - a total that was more than 301 of the 309 schools in the southern section produced as a team, according to reported statistics from MaxPreps.com. Behind the Edwards twins, Vista Murrieta was the top-ranked team in its division for most of the season. The Broncos earned the top seed for the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs before finishing as the runner-up. Vista Murrieta finished with a 27-5 record, won its second straight Southwestern League title - the first two championships in school history - and finished with a No. 9 overall ranking in the state of California according to CalHiSports.com.

In the summer, the twins play their travel ball for Marty Tyson and the Corona Angels. The twins will join three Angels teammates on the Husker roster next season in Julie Brechtel, Crystal Gonzalez and Tori Tyson. At the 2008 ASA Gold National Tournament in Oklahoma City, the twins helped lead the Angels to a national runner-up finish, the Angels' best-ever finish at the 18-and-under national tournament.

The twins were also part of Angel teams that recorded second-place finishes at the 2007 14-and-under national tournament and the 2005 12-and-under national tournament, along with a third-place showing at the 2006 14-and-under national tournament. Both Tatum and Taylor were also invited to the 2007 adidas Futures Top 100 camp.

With their talent and experience, Revelle expects both players to make a major contribution when they arrive on campus.

"Each of them has the ability to come in and have an immediate and significant impact on the success of our program," Revelle said. "They both can change the game with one swing of the bat. Defensively, Tatum can shut down an offense from the circle, while Taylor can shut down the speediest of base stealers.  We are ecstatic that they have chosen the University of Nebraska."

Tatum Edwards, RHP/OF, Murrieta, Calif. (Vista Murrieta HS/Corona Angels)
Tatum Edwards enters her senior season having already earned numerous career accolades. She has earned a spot on the CalHiSports.com all-state underclass team, reserved for non-seniors, in each of her first three seasons. She was a second-team selection as a freshman and sophomore and earned first-team honors last spring as a junior. In addition to being named the 2007 California State Freshman of the Year, Edwards is also a three-time first-team all-southwestern league selection and a three-time first-team selection for the All-CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Southern Section Division II squad.

Last spring, Edwards put together her most impressive season yet. She went 11-3 with a 0.87 ERA in the circle, as opponents hit just .123 against her and struck out 144 times in only 88.2 innings. At the plate, Edwards batted .460 with nine doubles, three triples, nine home runs and 44 RBIs in only 87 at bats. She also coaxed 24 walks to post a .584 on-base percentage to go along with a .920 slugging percentage. According to reported statistics from MaxPreps.com, Edwards ranked sixth in all of the southern section in RBIs, 11th in home runs and 33rd in ERA. Among all juniors in the state, Edwards ranked fourth in RBIs and seventh in homers.

As a sophomore, Edwards compiled a 14-3 record in the circle with a 0.93 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 105.0 innings. At the plate, Edwards hit .338 with a .443 on-base percentage and an .800 slugging percentage. She hit a team-high eight home runs, while also recording a team-high three triples and adding seven doubles and 30 RBIs in 30 games. She posted the sixth-highest home run total by a sophomore in the state, while leading the league in homers, strikeouts and wins.

As the California State Freshman of the Year in 2007, Edwards was also selected for the CalHiSports.com underclass all-state second team. She and her sister Taylor were among the only three freshmen selected to the first or second team. Tatum posted a 16-5 record as a freshman with a 1.38 ERA in 136.2 innings. She tossed six shutouts and struck out 186. Offensively, Edwards batted .292 with team-high totals of eight homers and three triples. In only 89 at bats, Edwards also produced 29 RBIs to lead the Broncos in that category as well. She ranked 14th in the southern section in home runs, while ranking second among all California freshmen in homers, fifth in wins and strikeouts, 15th in RBIs and 19th in ERA.

Edwards plays her travel ball for Marty Tyson and the Corona Angels. Coached by the father of Husker junior pitcher Tori Tyson, Edwards helped lead the Angels to a second-place finish at the 2008 ASA Gold National Tournament, as well as a pair of runner-up finishes at the 12- and 14-and-under national championships (2007) and a third-place finish at the 2006 14-and-under national tournament. For her efforts, Edwards and her sister, Taylor, were both selected to attend the 2007 adidas Futures Top 100 camp, which is an invitation-only event designed for the top high school softball prospects in the nation.

Batting

Year	Avg.	GP	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	OB%	SLG%	SH-SF	FLD%
2007	.292	28	89	19	26	5	3	9	29	7	29	.344	.719	1-0	1.000
2008	.338	30	80	15	27	7	3	8	30	13	21	.443	.800	5-1	.944
2009	.460	32	87	27	40	9	2	9	44	24	10	.584	.920	0-0	.960
Total	.363	90	256	61	93	21	8	26	103	44	60	.464	.813	6-1	.968

Pitching

Year	ERA	W-L	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HBP	OPP. AVG.	OPP. OB%
2007	1.38	16-5	19	18	6	1	136.2	91	40	27	51	186	6	.178	.260
2008	0.93	14-3	15	15	3	1	105.0	80	28	14	24	146	6	.183	.235
2009	0.87	11-3	15	12	5	1	88.2	40	28	11	30	144	13	.123	.224
Total	1.10	41-11	49	45	14	3	330.3	211	96	52	105	476	25	.166	.242

Taylor Edwards, C, Murrieta, Calif. (Vista Murrieta HS/Corona Angels)
Taylor Edwards is one of the top hitting prospects in the nation. She has been honored at both the national and state levels after putting together three impressive seasons at Vista Murrieta High School. Edwards was one of only 10 players nationally selected to participate in both the 2008 and 2009 Under Armour All-American Softball Games. She also earned EA Sports first-team All-America honors last spring when she was named the National Junior of the Year.

On a state level, Edwards was selected as the 2009 California State Junior of the Year by CalHiSports.com and was named a first-team all-state selection regardless of class or school size. She has earned a spot on the CalHiSports.com all-state underclass team, reserved for non-seniors, in each of her first three seasons. She was a second-team selection as a freshman and earned first-team honors in both her sophomore and junior seasons.

Edwards is also a three-time first-team all-southwestern league selection and a two-time first-team selection for the All-CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Southern Section Division II squad.

In her career, Edwards has never hit below .500 in a season, boasting a .539 career average. She has hit safely in 82 of her 89 career games with an at bat, including hitting streaks of 37 and 28 games.

Last spring as the nation's top junior, Edwards put up incredible numbers at the plate. She batted .571 with nine doubles, 15 home runs and 45 RBIs in only 32 games. She struck out just twice on the season and drew 20 walks to post a .649 on-base percentage that complemented a 1.209 slugging percentage. According to reported statistics from MaxPreps.com, Edwards led all California juniors with her 15 home runs, while ranking third in RBIs, fifth in slugging percentage, 13th in on-base percentage and 19th in average. Among all players in the southern section, Edwards ranked second in home runs, fifth in RBIs and 12th in slugging percentage.

Edwards also posted terrific numbers in 2008 when she was one of only four sophomores named to the 30-player all-underclass first team. She batted a whopping .544 with a .602 on-base percentage and a .900 slugging percentage after hitting 12 doubles and slugging six home runs. She also produced 40 RBIs in only 30 games. Edwards ranked seventh among all California sophomores in RBIs, 16th in home runs and 22nd in average.

As a freshman, Edwards batted .500 with seven homers, four doubles and one triple. She added 22 RBIs in 28 games while posting a .522 on-base percentage and an .841 slugging percentage. Edwards hit safely in her final 24 games of the season while leading the Southwestern League in average, RBIs and home runs. She also hit the fifth-most home runs of any California freshman, while ranking 19th in average and 22nd in slugging percentage. Edwards was selected for the CalHiSports.com underclass all-state second team, as she and her sister Tatum were among the only three freshmen selected to the first or second team.

Edwards plays her travel ball for Marty Tyson and the Corona Angels. Coached by the father of Husker pitcher Tori Tyson, the Angels posted a runner-up finish at ASA Gold Nationals in 2008, to go with two more runner-up finishes at the 12- and 14-and-under national championships (2007) and a third-place finish at the 2007 14-and-under national tournament. For her efforts, Edwards and her sister, Tatum, were both selected to attend the 2007 adidas Futures Top 100 camp, which is an invitation-only event designed for the top high school softball prospects in the nation.

Year	Avg.	GP	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	OB%	SLG%	SH-SF	FLD%
2007	.500	28	88	13	44	4	1	8	22	4	9	.522	.841	0-0	N/A
2008	.544	30	90	14	49	12	1	6	40	12	8	.602	.900	1-0	N/A
2009	.571	32	91	20	52	9	2	15	45	20	2	.649	1.209	0-0	N/A
Total	.539	90	269	47	145	25	4	29	107	36	19	.595	.985	1-0	N/A