CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M softball didn't have to look far to fill an assistant coaching position as WT head coach Kevin Blaskowski announced on Thursday that former Lady Buff All-American Lacey Taylor has been added to his staff. Taylor is currently pursuing a master's degree in Sports Management from West Texas A&M after graduating with her bachelor's degree in Sports & Exercise Science in May.
 
"I couldn't be more excited to add Lacey to our staff, she knows the ins-and-outs of this program and that will benefit our team moving forward. She has coaching in her blood" said Blaskowski "Lacey made herself into one of the best all-around players in Division II Softball over the last few years and she is a perfect example to show our young team how much leadership and hard-work pays off."
 
Taylor joins Blaskowski, Candace Abrams, Tyler Wilkinson and Jaime Edwards on a staff that claimed the program's second NCAA South Central Regional Championship in the last three seasons as the Lady Buffs went 59-5 in 2016 with an incredible 30-2 mark in LSC play to win their third straight LSC Title. The 2016 Lady Buffs made history to start the season as they won their first 30 contests to set a new LSC and South Central Region record for consecutive wins.
 
Taylor cemented herself as one of the top players to ever wear the Maroon & White as the Byers native registered an overall record of 208-36 (.853) during her career to become the winningest Lady Buff in history alongside fellow four-year senior Brittany Gehle. Taylor led WT to an overall record of 95-19 (.833) in Lone Star Conference play to claim the last three LSC Titles along with a pair of LSC Tournament Titles.
 
The Lady Buffs turned Schaeffer Park into one of the best home environments in the country as WT went an incredible 125-16 (.887) in Canyon during Taylor's career, leading all of Division II in attendance the last two seasons. WT hosted three NCAA South Central Regional Tournaments and two South Central Super Regionals in which WT won both and made a pair of appearances in the Division II College World Series, winning the 2014 DII National Championship.
 
She finished her career with 214 appearances and 197 starts as she registered a .362 batting average with 40 doubles, three triples and 30 homeruns to drive in 173 RBI for a slugging percentage of .619 while walking 140 times for an on-base clip of .499. Behind the plate, she registered the second highest fielding percentage in program history (.944) and ranking fourth in putouts (775) with just five errors in four seasons.
 
Taylor became the second player in program history to be named a two-time 1^st Team NFCA All-American as a senior as she hit .363 with 23 doubles, a triple and eight homeruns to drive in 59 RBI while collecting 110 total bases for a slugging percentage of .655 while registering 55 walks for an on-base clip of .528. She was the field general behind the plate for the Lady Buffs, registering 299 putouts with 23 assists and just two errors for a fielding percentage of .994 while throwing out seven would-be base stealers and calling every game behind the dish for WT. She set a new program single season record in doubles this season with 23. For her efforts, Taylor was named a First Team All-Lone Star Conference and All-South Central Region selection while picking up All-American honors from the NFCA (1^st Team) and D2CCA (3^rd Team), she was also one of 25 finalists for the Schutt Sports NFCA DII National Player of the Year award.

She became one of the top catchers and overall players in Division II Softball during her junior campaign in 2015 as she was named a 1^st Team All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and Daktronics while finishing in the Top-10 for the Schutt Sports NFCA DII National Player of the Year Award. Taylor registered a .458 batting average with 11 doubles, two triples and 12 homeruns to drive in 63 RBI for a slugging percentage of .813 while tallying 40 walks for an on-base clip of .584. The Byers native registered 271 putouts with 22 assists and just two errors behind the dish for the Lady Buffs for a fielding percentage of .993, she threw out eight potential base-runners trying to steal. Taylor was named to the All-Lone Star Conference 1^st Team while being tabbed All-Region by Daktronics (1^st Team) and the NFCA (1^st Team), she was also named to the LSC All-Tournament Team as she led the Lady Buffs to the tournament title.
 
Taylor stepped into a leadership role for the Lady Buffs as a sophomore in 2014, helping the team to the program's first-ever National Championship. The Byers native hit .344 with five doubles and nine homeruns to drive in 35 RBI for a slugging percentage of .552 while walking 28 times for an on-base percentage of .459. Defensively she split time behind the dish and as a designated player, registering 160 putouts and six assists with just one error for a fielding percentage of .994. Taylor hit .333 during the postseason with two doubles and a pair of homeruns to drive in seven RBI, during the College World Series she tallied three walks including one in the seventh inning of the national title game to later score on a Gehle three run homerun. Taylor was honored for her efforts on the diamond as she was named a member of the All-Lone Star Conference 2^nd Team.
 
The City View High School product became a role-player for the Lady Buffs as a true freshman in 2013, seeing time in 33 games with 18 starts. The Byers native hit .177 with one double and one homerun to drive in 16 RBI for a slugging percentage of .242 while also walking 17 times for an on-base percentage of .357. The freshman also impressed on defense, tallying 45 putouts behind the plate and at first base for a 1.000 fielding percentage. Taylor's first collegiate homerun came on February 9^th as the lefty launched a grand slam to right field in a 14-4 rout of Fort Lewis at the Desert Stinger Invite in Las Vegas, Nevada.