Taylor Tinsley is a 5-foot-7 professional softball pitcher from Lawrenceville, Georgia. She was acquired by the Utah Talons with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 AUSL College Draft following a collegiate career at UCLA.
Personal Life
Family: Daughter of Denise and Keith Tinsley. Has one sister named Patrice.
Education: Majored in sociology at UCLA.
Background: Three-sport athlete in high school who also competed in basketball and golf. Lists striking out 21 batters at the Georgia High School Association State Championship Tournament as her greatest athletic thrill. Says Serena Williams is the athlete she admires the most. Favorite baseball team is the Atlanta Braves, and her favorite movies are The Lion King and The Lion King 2.
Hobbies: Enjoys traveling, journaling, painting, and drawing.
Professional Experience
Athletes Unlimited Softball League (2026)
2026 AUSL Regular Season: Selected by the Utah Talons with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 AUSL College Draft.
International Experience (2021–2024)
Team USA: Competed for Team USA at the 2023 and 2024 Japan All-Star Series, batting .333 with two home runs and three RBIs during the 2023 event. Helped the United States U-18 Women’s National Team win Gold medals at the 2021 WBSC U-18 World Cup and Junior Pan American Games. Led Team USA with four doubles and a .450 batting average during the WBSC U-18 World Cup.
College Experience: UCLA (2023–2026)
Career Statistics: Appeared in 137 games with 92 starts. Compiled a 72-23 career record with six saves and a 2.50 ERA. Tallied 566 strikeouts over 577.1 innings, pitching 53 complete games and 14 shutouts. Owns two career no-hitters.
Senior Year (2026): Tied for the NCAA Division I lead with 33 victories, fashioning a 3.16 ERA. Ranked second in the nation with 48 appearances (33 starts) and 27 complete games. Totaled 193 strikeouts over 235.0 innings and added six solo shutouts. Became the first UCLA pitcher to record 30 or more wins in a single season since 2015.
Junior Year (2025): Boasted a 15-6 record with a 2.44 ERA, accumulating 159 strikeouts in 137.2 innings. Totaled 11 complete games with two shutouts. Threw her second career no-hitter against San Diego State on March 8, 2025, allowing just one base runner with nine strikeouts.
Sophomore Year (2024): Registered an 18-8 record with 166 strikeouts in 147.1 total innings. Ranked ninth in NCAA Division I with a 6.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio and held opposing hitters to a .238 average.
Freshman Year (2023): Logged a 6-1 record with a 1.47 ERA across 20 appearances (13 starts). Became the first UCLA pitcher since 1999 to throw a no-hitter in her college debut after blanking CSU Bakersfield on February 11, 2023.
Awards & Honors
All-America: NFCA Third-Team All-America honoree as a junior.
Conference & Region Honors: Three-time All-Conference performer. First-Team All-Pac-12 (2024) and First-Team All-Big Ten (2025). Claimed a spot on the All-Big Ten Second Team as a senior. Member of the 2026 NFCA All-West Region First Team and the 2023 Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.
