Taylor McQuillin

{{Infobox sportsperson

| headercolor =

| name = Taylor McQuillin

| image = Taylor McQuillin (Sundiva).jpg

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| caption = McQuillin in 2023

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|10|17}}{{Cite web|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/baseball-softball/athlete-profile-n1306746-mcquillin-taylor.htm|title=Baseball/Softball McQUILLIN Taylor - Tokyo 2020 Olympics|date=July 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727045653/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/baseball-softball/athlete-profile-n1306746-mcquillin-taylor.htm |archive-date=2021-07-27 }}

| birth_place = Long Beach, California

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| height = {{height|ft=5|in=8}}

| weight = 120 kg

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| country = USA

| sport = Softball

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| collegeteam = Arizona Wildcats

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Hitachi Sundiva (2022–2023)
Bandits (2025–present)

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Taylor Elizabeth McQuillin (born October 17, 1996) is a Mexican-American professional softball player for the Bandits of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). She played college softball at Arizona, where she was a starting pitcher.{{cite news|url=https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcats/softball/taylor-mcquillin-envisions-bright-future-at-arizona/article_b1576cef-e8c4-5990-8b26-d340d3a9bd05.html|title=Taylor McQuillin envisions bright future at Arizona|date=April 1, 2016|agency=Arizona Daily Star|author=Rosenblatt, Zack|access-date=June 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629140601/https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcats/softball/taylor-mcquillin-envisions-bright-future-at-arizona/article_b1576cef-e8c4-5990-8b26-d340d3a9bd05.html|archive-date=June 29, 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcats/softball/top-for---arizona-wildcats-looking-for-pitcher-taylor/article_2904e179-07cd-5dde-b9f3-0a898735a2c5.html|title=Arizona Wildcats looking for pitcher Taylor McQuillin to become ace|date=July 21, 2017|agency=Arizona Daily Star|author=Rosenblatt, Zack|access-date=June 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629140454/https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcats/softball/top-for---arizona-wildcats-looking-for-pitcher-taylor/article_2904e179-07cd-5dde-b9f3-0a898735a2c5.html|archive-date=June 29, 2019}}{{cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/22604680/arizona-wildcats-pitcher-taylor-mcquillin-named-espnw-softball-player-week|title=392 reasons why Arizona's Taylor McQuillin is espnW softball player of the week|date=February 28, 2018|agency=ESPN|author=Hays, Graham|access-date=June 30, 2019}}{{cite news|url=http://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/article/2018/05/arizona-softball-ace-taylor-mcquillin-not-letting-disorder-define-her-on-or-off-the-field|title=Arizona softball ace Taylor McQuillin not letting disorder define her on or off the field|date=May 2, 2018|agency=Arizona Daily Wildcat|author=Cohen, Max|access-date=June 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630055238/http://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/article/2018/05/arizona-softball-ace-taylor-mcquillin-not-letting-disorder-define-her-on-or-off-the-field|archive-date=June 30, 2019}} In her senior year, McQuillin led Arizona softball to a berth in the 2019 Women's College World Series after being absent for nearly a decade.

After graduating from college, McQuillin was selected sixth overall by the Cleveland Comets in the second round of the 2019 NPF Draft.{{cite news|url=https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcats/softball/why-stop-now-wildcats-ace-taylor-mcquillin-plans-to-finish/article_fd74ce81-4543-51a8-8aea-714b67af6997.html|title='Why stop now?' Wildcats ace Taylor McQuillin plans to finish strong, then join pro ranks|date=April 17, 2019|agency=Arizona Daily Star|author=Gonzalez, Norma|access-date=June 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629140412/https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcats/softball/why-stop-now-wildcats-ace-taylor-mcquillin-plans-to-finish/article_fd74ce81-4543-51a8-8aea-714b67af6997.html|archive-date=June 29, 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2019/06/10/former-arizona-pitcher-taylor-mcquillin-hired-by-pima-community-college|title=Former Arizona Pitcher Taylor McQuillin Hired By Pima Community College|date=June 10, 2019|agency=Tucson Weekly|author=Boan, Christopher|access-date=June 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630055831/https://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2019/06/10/former-arizona-pitcher-taylor-mcquillin-hired-by-pima-community-college|archive-date=June 30, 2019}} McQuillin is a member of the Mexico women's national softball team that placed fourth at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She played in the inaugural season of Athletes Unlimited Softball league.{{Cite web|title=Ex-Wildcats Mauga, McQuillin hitting their stride in new softball league {{!}} Arizona Wildcats softball {{!}} tucson.com|url=https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcats/softball/ex-wildcats-mauga-mcquillin-hitting-their-stride-in-new-softball-league/article_8c0991d1-cadc-5510-8322-119d55863a17.amp.html|access-date=2020-09-08|website=tucson.com|date=7 September 2020 }}

Early life

McQuillin attended Mission Viejo High School.{{cite news|url=https://www.maxpreps.com/news/kcrIlz3ZvkKXJQBsHM9WNA/high-school-softball-pitcher-taylor-mcquillin-stars-despite-duane-syndrome.htm|title=High school softball pitcher Taylor McQuillin stars despite Duane Syndrome|date=June 8, 2014|agency=MaxPreps|author=Krider, Dave|access-date=June 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630054614/https://www.maxpreps.com/news/kcrIlz3ZvkKXJQBsHM9WNA/high-school-softball-pitcher-taylor-mcquillin-stars-despite-duane-syndrome.htm|archive-date=June 30, 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://tucson.com/incoming-ua-pitcher-mcquillin-finishes-hs-career-with-record/article_1b3c5c26-0c9c-11e5-87e0-ffe3a66e86ed.html|title=Incoming UA pitcher McQuillin finishes HS career with record|date=June 6, 2015|agency=Arizona Daily Star|access-date=June 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629140640/https://tucson.com/incoming-ua-pitcher-mcquillin-finishes-hs-career-with-record/article_1b3c5c26-0c9c-11e5-87e0-ffe3a66e86ed.html|archive-date=June 29, 2019}} McQuillin is legally blind in her left eye due to Duane syndrome.{{cite web |url=https://www.maxpreps.com/news/kcrIlz3ZvkKXJQBsHM9WNA/high-school-softball-pitcher-taylor-mcquillin-stars-despite-duane-syndrome.htm |title=High school softball pitcher Taylor McQuillin stars despite Duane Syndrome |website=Maxpreps.com |date=2014-06-08 |access-date=2021-07-28}}

College career

At Arizona, McQuillin began her career as a Third-Team All-Pac-12 performer.{{cite web |url=https://pac-12.com/news/2016/5/19/pac-12-announces-2016-softball-all-conference-honors.aspx |title=Pac-12 announces 2016 softball all-Conference honors |website=Pac-12.com |date=2016-05-19 |access-date=2020-04-17}} She debuted on February 12, 2016, throwing a shutout with 6 strikeouts against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.{{cite web |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/documents/2016/2/12/4481916.pdf |title=Southern Utah at No. 13 Arizona |website=Arizonawildcats.com |access-date=2020-04-17}} In 2017, she was named conference Second Team and had a career best strikeout ratio (9.2).{{cite web |url=https://pac-12.com/news/2017/5/15/pac-12-announces-2017-softball-all-conference-honors.aspx |title=Pac-12 announces 2017 Softball All-Conference honors |website=Pac-12.com |date=2017-05-15 |access-date=2020-04-17}} McQuillin opened the season by striking out a career best 17 batters in a shutout win over the CSUN Matadors.{{cite web |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/softball/stats/2017/csun/boxscore/11956 |title=Cal State Northridge (0-2) -vs- # 10 Arizona (2-0) |website=Arizonawildats.com |date=2017-02-10 |access-date=2020-04-17}}

As a junior, she set season highs in wins, strikeouts (school top-10 record), shutouts (led the NCAA) and innings pitched.{{cite web |url=https://web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/rankings |title=NCAA Softball Division I Shutouts |website=Ncaa.org |access-date=2020-04-17}} She was also named a First Team All-Pac-12 honoree.{{cite web |url=https://pac-12.com/article/2018/05/11/pac-12-announces-2018-softball-all-conference-honors |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180514100543/http://pac-12.com/article/2018/05/11/pac-12-announces-2018-softball-all-conference-honors |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 14, 2018 |title=Pac-12 announces 2018 softball All-Conference honors |website=Pac-12.com |date=2018-05-12 |access-date=2020-04-17}} Facing the New Mexico Lobos on February 11, 2018, McQuillin threw a no hitter and began a career highlight of 14 consecutive wins, until suffering a loss to the Washington Huskies on March 23.{{cite web |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/softball/stats/2018/new-mexico/boxscore/15282 |title=New Mexico (1-3) -vs- # 7 Arizona (4-1) |website=Arizonawildcats.com |date=2018-02-11 |access-date=2020-04-17}} For the streak, she tossed 93.0 innings, allowing 35 hits, 2 earned runs, 22 walks and amassing 121 strikeouts, resulting in a 0.15 ERA and 0.61 WHIP. For one of the wins on February 22, she sealed the victory with 2.1 scoreless innings and went on a personal best 30.1 shutout streak that was ended in the third inning of a win over the South Dakota Coyotes on March 8. She gave up just 7 hits, 11 walks and fanned 36 for a 0.60 WHIP.{{cite web |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/softball/schedule/2018 |title=2018 Softball Schedule |website=Arizonawildcats.com |access-date=2020-04-17}}

For her final year, she earned her second First Team and fourth overall conference honor and also was recognized a First Team All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.{{cite web |url=https://pac-12.com/article/2019/05/07/pac-12-announces-2019-softball-all-conference-honors |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508191656/https://pac-12.com/article/2019/05/07/pac-12-announces-2019-softball-all-conference-honors |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 8, 2019 |title=Pac-12 announces 2019 softball All-Conference honors |website=Pac-12.com |date=2019-05-08 |access-date=2020-04-17}}{{cite web |url=https://nfca.org/category/ncaa-i?awarddivision=ncaa-i&awardtype=all-american&awardyear=2019 |title=2019 All-American Awards |website=Ncaa.org |access-date=2020-04-17}} She set season bests in ERA and WHIP. McQuillin led the Wildcats back to the Women's College World Series and opened with a victory vs. the Washington Huskies on May 30, 2019.{{cite web |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/softball/stats/2019/washington/boxscore/18851 |title=# 6 Arizona (48-12) -vs- # 3 Washington (50-8) |website=Arizonawildcats.com |date=2019-05-30 |access-date=2020-04-17}} McQuillin made her last appearance by pitching four scoreless innings with 6 strikeouts in an elimination loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide on June 1.{{cite web |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/softball/stats/2019/alabama/boxscore/18854 |title=# 8 Alabama (59-9) -vs- # 6 Arizona (48-14) |website=Arizonawildcats.com |date=2019-06-01 |access-date=2020-04-17}} She would graduate ranking top-10 in career victories (7th), strikeouts (9th) and innings (10th).{{cite web |url=https://arizonawildcats.com/documents/2020/4/8/SBRecordBook_2021.pdf |title=Arizona Softball Record Book |website=Arizonawildcats.com |access-date=2020-04-17}}

Professional career

On January 29, 2025, McQuillin was drafted eighth overall by the Bandits in the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft.{{cite web|url=https://d1softball.com/2025-ausl-allocation-draft-recap/ |title=AUSL Allocation Draft: Kilfoyl Goes First Overall; Hoover, Brady Among Selections |website=d1softball.com |date=January 29, 2025 |access-date=January 30, 2025}}{{cite web |title=Taylor McQuillin - AUSL |url=https://theausl.com/players/taylor-mcquillin |website=theausl.com |access-date=March 15, 2025 |language=en}}

National team career

McQuillin was named to the roster for Team Mexico and competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She made one appearance and threw 1.2 shutout innings, striking out two batters. McQuillin did not play in the bronze medal game where Mexico lost to Canada 2–3.{{cite web |url=https://olympicsoftball.wbsc.org/en/2021/schedule-and-results/box-score/6288 |title=MEX 2, CAN 3 |website= Olympicssoftball.wbsc.org|date=2021-07-26 |access-date=2021-07-26}}{{cite web |url=https://olympicsoftball.wbsc.org/en/2021/teams/MEX/players/74881 |title=McQuillin |website= Olympicssoftball.wbsc.org |date=2021-07-26 |access-date=2021-07-28}}