Former Indiana Softball All-American Taryn Kern Transferring to Stanford

Indiana softball superstar Taryn Kern announced Monday that she's transferring to Stanford following her freshman season in Bloomington.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Taryn Kern broke out as a freshman sensation on the Indiana softball team in 2023, but her Hoosier career is over after one season.

The second baseman announced Monday that she will be transferring to Stanford to continue her collegiate softball career. 

Back to the bay. 🌲♥️🤍 pic.twitter.com/DbS2xbraGY

— taryn kern (@tarynkern2022) July 18, 2023

Kern is a native of San Jose, Calif., and makes her return home to the state with her transfer to Stanford.

Kern was named the 2023 Big Ten Player of the Year, 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-American by D1Softball.com. She led the Big Ten in eight statistical categories — slugging percentage (.930), on-base percentage (.575), OPS (1.505), walks (45), hit by pitch (23), runs scored (68), RBI (68) and home runs (23).

Nationwide, she finished second overall in home runs, third overall in RBI's and fourth overall in slugging percentage.

Kern spearheaded one of the best seasons in the history of Indiana softball in 2023. The Hoosiers finished the year 44-18 and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. They fell just short of making it out of the Knoxville regional, defeating Louisville twice before being eliminated by eventual 2023 Women's College World Series participant Tennessee. 

Indiana also finished second overall in the Big Ten with a conference record of 18-5, just behind Big Ten champion Northwestern. 

Stanford finished the 2023 softball season with a record of 47-15 and reached the Women's College World Series before being eliminated by eventual national champion Oklahoma, and the addition of the Big Ten's best player makes the Cardinal a strong contender for the national title in 2024. 

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