Lady Vols head coach Karen Weekly has a rare staff, and it’s a blessing.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Tennessee Lady Vols softball has a rare pitching staff. The three-deep group, made up of two All-Americans and one who has quietly put together a fantastic season, leads the nation with a 1.35 ERA, .144 BA, and a 0.85 WHIP. They are also fourth in the nation with 460 strikeouts.
“I think that’s a blessing for us and just a blessing to have three young women like this,” said Lady Vols head coach Karen Weekly.
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Weekly has something rare, something great, and while the individual stats that add up to a dominant unit stand out, it is something they all possess: selflessness.
“It is really rare for a lot of reasons,” Weekly said. “To have the opportunity to have this much talent come into your program, for them to improve, develop, and grow as they have, I really think the only other year where I felt like we were three deep this way was Karlyn’s freshman year.”
In 2023, the Lady Vols’ pitching staff was led by Ashley Rodgers and Payton Gottshall, with Pickens playing a major role as a freshman. Now, three years later, Karlyn Pickens has developed into a selfless leader.
In a day and age when players transfer for many reasons, whether it is money or wanting to be “it” and garner all the limelight, that hasn’t been a thing with Pickens or anyone on this staff.
“Then for them to see in this day and age, it’s so much, you’re enticed to kind of go where you’re going to be the star all the time,” Weekly said. “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.”
Staying to develop under one of the best pitching coaches in the country, in Megan Rhodes Smith, shows what happens when players buy in and trust the process. It also shows the product of a coach who really pours into her staff.
Sure, there will always be ups and downs, and nobody is perfect. But going to work every day and learning from one of the best is invaluable.
“We all say she’s not just a cookie-cutter type of coach,” Mardjetko said. “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. Also, just within the game, calling the game, she spends a lot of time watching film and finding the holes of hitters, and also knowing how to use our strengths against them.”
Nuwer is moving through her sophomore season and has made strides from her freshman year. It takes a lot of mental fortitude to command a circle, and when called on, she’s answered more times than not. Smith is a huge reason why.
“I agree, especially with the mental side of it,” Nuwer said. “Last year, she pushed me to be the best mentally I could possibly be. This year, just working with me on little tweaks mechanically has been such a game-changer.”
Nuwer comes into OKC with a 15-1 record, a 0.99 ERA with an opponent batting average of .137, and is someone coach Weekly is confident in calling on. The work from the fall through the season has set her up for this stage.
Individually, the pitchers on this staff possess the tools to be the number one on many teams across the country, but they take pride in forming a solidified unit for the greater good.
“I would say one thing, and it’s not always the case with pitchers, but we all just love each other so much,” Pickens said. “We know that, if it’s our day, then it’s our day to go compete, but we’re also going to be supporting and celebrating each other when we’re out there.”
The competitiveness, unselfish character, and genuine support for each other, no matter who gets called upon, are what make this staff rare. Now on college softball’s biggest stage, in Oklahoma City, they look to finish the job they started months ago.
