Kansas Softball Class of 2013: Taylor Dodson
Nov. 17, 2012
 |
Softball SigneesNameHometownLily BehrmannOverland Park, Kan.Taylor DodsonGrove, Okla.
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Fourth-year head coach Megan Smith announced the six future Jayhawks who signed National Letters of Intent that comprise the 2013 Kansas softball signing class. In the second of a six-part series, KUathletics.com highlights Taylor Dodson.
A four-year letterwinner at Grove High School under the direction of head coach Jeremy Collins, Dodson was a standout for the Ridgerunners. She was named her team’s Offensive Player of the Year in each of her four seasons at GHS, and finished her career as the school record holder in career home runs (34), career RBIs (172) and career batting average (.514).
“Taylor Dodson is a special player and an unbelievable hitter with a lot of power at the plate,” Smith said. “She’s an infielder who can play multiple infield positions. She’s really strong defensively, and offensively she is clearly a power hitter. Her father played professional baseball and went to a World Series with the Boston Red Sox. She’s certainly taken his talents and now she is going to bring them to Kansas.”
As a freshman, Dodson hardly experienced a slow rookie season, hitting .476 with 41 RBIs. By the completion of her sophomore year, she had already broken the school’s single-season (13) and career (14) home run records. She went on to obliterate the career home run mark, but her 13 homers for a season still stands as a school record.
Dodson is the daughter of Pat and Lisa and has two older brothers: Ryan and Tyler. Her father, Pat, played for the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers organizations as well as the Kintetsu Buffalos.
“She’s someone we are really excited about,” Smith continued. “She reminds me of (current Jayhawk) Mariah Montgomery and we lose Mariah which is sad for us, but we are gaining a player who is really similar. She’s a really good power hitter, but athletic enough that she can play any position in the infield.”
