By Stephen Mason
OKLAHOMA CITY — Under threatening Oklahoma skies, which eventually broke open into a deluge of rain that soaked Devon Park, the No. 7 seed Lady Volunteers were able to have a few minutes to get comfortable with their surroundings on Wednesday afternoon.
After clinching their spot in the Women’s College World Series by sweeping the No. 10 seed Georgia Bulldogs, Tennessee must now face the next challenge that stands between it and its first softball National Championship, the No. 2 seed Texas Longhorns.
“Just a phenomenal team from top to bottom, every facet of the game. Teagan Kavan is obviously one of the best pitchers in the game,” head coach Karen Weekly said. “Their offense is very dynamic. They’ve got the righty power. They’ve got the lefties who can spray the ball all over the field, hit with power, and run really, really well. They have a little bit of everything. You don’t expect anything less here at the World Series.”
While the two UTs did not face each other in the regular season or the SEC tournament, this will be a rematch of last year’s semifinal when the Longhorns bested the Lady Vols 2-0 on their way to the National Championship.
To avoid a repeat of last season’s defeat, Tennessee will have to fall back on the area of the game where it has shown the brightest throughout the season: pitching.
Headlined by senior ace Karlyn Pickens, and with massive contributions from Erin Nuwer and Sage Mardjetko, the pitching staff has a combined ERA of 1.36, which has helped Tennessee earn wins even when the offense has not been very productive.
“I think just at the beginning of the season, knowing how well we complement each other, knowing we all do different things, is super important, and knowing our roles against different teams, depending on their bat swing and stuff like that,” Nuwer said.
In an era of college sports where players often transfer to places where they will be in the spotlight, having a rotation of three great pitchers is a luxury that Weekly hopes will separate her team from the other seven teams in the Women’s College World Series.
“For them to see the value of being somewhere where you’re going to develop, and you’re going to grow, and because you have the depth, you’re going to put yourself and your team in a position to be here in Oklahoma City,” Weekly said. “And I think that’s a blessing for us and just a blessing to have three young women like this.”
The key to this staff’s success has been its pitching coach, Megan Rhodes Smith, who has helped refine each pitcher’s unique skill set, making it very difficult for opponents to prepare for Tennessee.
“I know for me, Megan is just super great about doing whatever I need, coaching me in the ways that I need to be coached, just physically, then also like the mental side of it,” Mardjetko said. “We all say she’s not just a cookie-cutter type of coach. She’s not going to try to make us all do the same thing and make us the same pitcher. She’s really good at playing to our strengths.”
For Nuwer and Mardjetko, it will be their second trip to Oklahoma City; however, it will be Pickens’ third trip in her four-year college career, experiences that will help her remain consistent over the next few days.
“Now, being here a third time, it’s kind of a different feel for me. Just like going out there, competing, not getting too caught up in everything else that’s going on, and just knowing it’s the same softball we’ve been playing all year round,” Pickens said.
While there will be some emotions associated with competing against the team that knocked you out of the Women’s College World Series a season ago and playing in Oklahoma City as a collegiate athlete for the final time, Pickens hopes to stay in the moment as she navigates the loaded lineups she will face in the next few games.
“I would say the word that just comes to mind is just be present. Focus on one batter at a time, one pitch at a time. Trust the preparation we do the week coming up here, scouting Texas, and really just focusing on one pitch at a time. Not trying to overthink anything, or think ahead, or think about things from the past,” Pickens said.
UP NEXT: Tennessee will open up its play in Oklahoma City against Texas on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN.