Taylor Sedlacek made a childhood dream come true after transferring to the Omaha softball team for the 2026 season.
The senior has taken over the shortstop position after the Mavericks graduated long time starter Maggie O’Brien. The Bennington product spent her first three seasons of college at Wichita State splitting her time between multiple positions. Now she’s returned home — and to her natural spot in the infield.
“It’s been not too bad,” Sedlacek told Hurrdat Sports. “Obviously, I played short growing up my entire life, so transitioning to outfield was actually pretty hard at Wichita, and then even coming back into infield was even harder than I imagined. I’ve always grown up wanting to be a college shortstop and was just envisioning myself wanting to play there growing up, so then being able to work back into that position, and they graduated their starting shortstop, so the position being open just felt like a fairy tale, perfect ending.”
After three years with the Shockers, Sedlacek decided she wanted to conclude her career close to home — and the Mavericks offered the perfect opportunity.
“There were kind of several factors, but a big one being I knew that this was going to be my last year, and just that I wanted to go out and remember my softball career in a positive way and being really happy where I was at and everything,” Sedlacek said. “Coming back home was a big factor, for my family to come to games and my dad to be able to make some more games. So, that was a big deciding factor going in.”
She began playing club softball for Team Nebraska before moving to Nebraska Gold when she was 11. Now, she’s reunited with several of her club teammates, including junior pitcher Maddia Groff.
“I’ve always said that if I could play another game with Maddia that I would, so it’s awesome how it kind of all worked out … It’s awesome to have her on the mound and be back supporting her again,” Sedlacek said. “She’s also one of my best friends, so it’s awesome to be around her more often now.”
The feeling is mutual for Groff, Omaha’s ace.
“It’s so special, it’s very similar,” Groff said. “I’d make my little defense in my brain of all time, who would I want, and Taylor’s probably that shortstop just for the simple fact that I’ve known her for so many years, and she’s pretty much a comfort person for me,” Groff said. “We’ve spent a lot of time together, and we have a lot of the same interests. I think just the fact that throughout club for years and years that she’s been my shortstop, I think it’s just really special that she gets to end her softball career here, and I get to have one more year with her selfishly.”
Another person that Sedlacek is back with his head coach Mike Heard. The senior said that her connection with the coach goes back to her club softball days when he helped the team she played for.
“He’s definitely not the coach that most people are like,” Sedlacek said. “He’s very calm, very collected, a man of few words, but the words are really important and meaningful. He really lets the players kind of just play how they can and everything, and he has pointers. He’s helped me a lot in the infield this year. He’s really intelligent on the defensive perspective of the game, but he just really allows us to play the game and trusts his players. He really respects us, whtch then I obviously have immense respect for him, but I think that’s awesome in a coach.”
Sedlacek said that she’s learned a lot both on and off the field from Heard.
“The biggest thing he’s taught me on the field is defensive work, because I’ve never really trained to that level defensively, in that much detail, into shortstop, so it’s made me a better defender,” Sedlacek said. “Like I said earlier, he’s just very patient, so it teaches you to even be patient with yourself off the field. He never puts pressure on his players to perform. It’s just really nice to have that kind of weight off the back of he trusts me as a player, and I trust him obviously as a coach, just to have that mutual respect.”
In her junior season at Wichita State, Sedlacek started and played in all 55 games, playing both shortstop and second base while setting a career highs in batting average (.329), runs (48), hits (50), doubles (17), home runs (15), walks (40), slugging percentage (.737) and on base percentage (.469).
After three straight Summit League Titles and an NCAA Regional appearance in 2025, the Mavericks are off to a 12-1 start this season with Sedlacek in the lineup. She’s started all 13 games while hitting .486 (second on the team) with a team-leading 19 RBIs and a team-leading five home runs.
“I just think that all of us on the team just support each other, and we all get along incredibly,” Sedlacek said. “We have great connection, and we’re all each other’s biggest fans. Mike and even (assistant coach) Jen (Brauer) noticed just how positive our team is, and how even the small stuff we celebrate, which I think is extremely important. I just think we have a great culture.”
Sedlacek said that the team’s selflessness has translated to wins on the field.
“We just honestly have such great girls on the team,” Sedlacek said. “They’re all in it for each other, and for a common goal. It doesn’t feel like we have anyone who’s in it for themselves. Everybody is in it for UNO softball, which obviously trickles down from Coach Heard and just how he runs things. I think he does an incredible job, but then also within the girls, I think we just have such fun personalities, but also complete competitors that make us UNO softball.”
While the success has been great, Sedlacek said the camaraderie is the part she’s most enjoying and looking forward to in her final season.
“I’m looking forward to just playing with these girls, and playing with this team,” Sedlacek said. “I think that’s what excites me the most, is just getting to wake up every day and going and playing softball with these girls.”
Omaha next travels to Fayetteville, Ark., where it will play five games, starting against the host Razorbacks on Thursday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. CT.
