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It'll probably take Karen Weekly a few years to fully appreciate what Tennessee softball pitcher Karlyn Pickens is doing on the field this season.
Weekly, who's in her 24th season coaching the Lady Vols, loves Pickens' attention to her day-to-day growth. She sees the struggle and adversity players face, and the progress that follows it, and Pickens leans into that.
"With her, it's easy to get kind of caught in the moment, which is not a bad thing," Weekly said Wednesday. "It'll probably take a while to step back and really appreciate those accomplishments. And honestly with Karlyn, when she leaves Tennessee the day she graduates, there's still a long future ahead of her in softball."
Pickens led No. 7 Tennessee (32-8, 7-5 SEC) to a 2-1 series win on the road over No. 2 Oklahoma in late March. She'll be crucial again in the Lady Vols' three-game road series against other SEC newcomer, No. 1 Texas (37-3, 10-2), starting Friday (9 p.m. ET, ESPNU).
Weekly praised Pickens for stepping into a bigger leadership role this season, but there are other differences she has seen.
One is the command Pickens has on her changeup now. The junior has always thrown with high velocity, but the confidence and frequency with which she has been able to "dial up her changeup" this season is lethal.
"It's not just the ability, but how she feels about her changeup now," Weekly said. "A year ago she said, 'I throw it, but I want to love it as much as I've always loved my fastball.' And for somebody who has thrown it with such high velo all those years — and the fastball was really kind of the pitch she relied on — to make that a goal and then accomplish it, is absolutely huge."
PICKENS: Lady Vols softball pitcher Karlyn Pickens proving last season was no fluke. Just ask Duke
The other difference is Pickens' demeanor in the circle. She has opened up to showing her emotions on the field in a way she never did as a freshman in 2023. Weekly believes senior catcher Sophia Nugent has played a part in that.
Weekly said Nugent, who transferred to Tennessee from Oklahoma ahead of the 2024 season, has felt comfortable being herself on the field in her second season in Knoxville. Weekly has seen her determination, emotion and fearlessness to say what she sees rub off on Pickens.
"I think the feelings were always inside of (Pickens), but for whatever reason, she had sort of suppressed them and thought, don't try to stand out," Weekly said. "What I like is, she's not trying to stand out. She's just being who she is and just showing her absolute passion and joy for playing the game."
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How Karen Weekly has seen Karlyn Pickens grow for Tennessee softball
Continue reading...
Weekly, who's in her 24th season coaching the Lady Vols, loves Pickens' attention to her day-to-day growth. She sees the struggle and adversity players face, and the progress that follows it, and Pickens leans into that.
"With her, it's easy to get kind of caught in the moment, which is not a bad thing," Weekly said Wednesday. "It'll probably take a while to step back and really appreciate those accomplishments. And honestly with Karlyn, when she leaves Tennessee the day she graduates, there's still a long future ahead of her in softball."
Pickens led No. 7 Tennessee (32-8, 7-5 SEC) to a 2-1 series win on the road over No. 2 Oklahoma in late March. She'll be crucial again in the Lady Vols' three-game road series against other SEC newcomer, No. 1 Texas (37-3, 10-2), starting Friday (9 p.m. ET, ESPNU).
Weekly praised Pickens for stepping into a bigger leadership role this season, but there are other differences she has seen.
One is the command Pickens has on her changeup now. The junior has always thrown with high velocity, but the confidence and frequency with which she has been able to "dial up her changeup" this season is lethal.
"It's not just the ability, but how she feels about her changeup now," Weekly said. "A year ago she said, 'I throw it, but I want to love it as much as I've always loved my fastball.' And for somebody who has thrown it with such high velo all those years — and the fastball was really kind of the pitch she relied on — to make that a goal and then accomplish it, is absolutely huge."
PICKENS: Lady Vols softball pitcher Karlyn Pickens proving last season was no fluke. Just ask Duke
The other difference is Pickens' demeanor in the circle. She has opened up to showing her emotions on the field in a way she never did as a freshman in 2023. Weekly believes senior catcher Sophia Nugent has played a part in that.
Weekly said Nugent, who transferred to Tennessee from Oklahoma ahead of the 2024 season, has felt comfortable being herself on the field in her second season in Knoxville. Weekly has seen her determination, emotion and fearlessness to say what she sees rub off on Pickens.
"I think the feelings were always inside of (Pickens), but for whatever reason, she had sort of suppressed them and thought, don't try to stand out," Weekly said. "What I like is, she's not trying to stand out. She's just being who she is and just showing her absolute passion and joy for playing the game."
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How Karen Weekly has seen Karlyn Pickens grow for Tennessee softball
Continue reading...
