Taylor Welch is in her first season as a member of head coach Michelle Wiley’s staff after joining the Gannon coaching staff in mid-September 2022. She previously was a graduate assistant on the Edinboro coaching staff in 2021 and 2022 while completing work on her Master’s Degree in Social Work.
Welch is hardly a stranger to PSAC softball or softball in northwest Pennsylvania. In addition to her time at Edinboro, she played at Slippery Rock from 2012-15. She appeared in 122 career games, with 119 starts, and would hit .254 (73-of-287) with 20 doubles, 4 home runs, 30 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. She finished her career with 47 walks, the fourth-highest total in SRU history.
She enjoyed her best season as a senior in 2015. She would start all 38 games for The Rock, earning first team All-PSAC West honors. She hit .330 and ranked second on the team with 34 hits in 103 at-bats. In addition, she led the team with 12 doubles, which was tied for fifth in the PSAC, was third with 19 runs scored, first with 17 walks, and first with a .426 on-base percentage. She had 2 home runs, 6 stolen bases and 16 RBI.
A native of Waterford, Pa., Welch was a standout at nearby Fort LeBoeuf High School, competing in softball, basketball, and volleyball. She was named the Region 4 Player of the Year and was a second team All-State selection as a senior. She earned All-Region honors in 2009, 2010 and 2011, leading the Bison to the District 10 championship as a senior. She also earned Region 5 Player of the Year and first team All-State honors in volleyball as a senior.
Welch graduated from Slippery Rock in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. She served as a coach at Fort LeBoeuf High School in 2018. She received her master’s degree in Social Work from Edinboro in May 2022.
