Why Tennessee ace Karlyn Pickens has spirit of Jimmy Chitwood from film 'Hoosiers'
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The adrenaline was pumping through Karlyn Pickens' veins in the top of the seventh inning, she said, with runners on every base surrounding her.
But Tennessee softball's senior ace was exactly where she wanted to be – in the circle with the ball in her hands and the game on the line. Pickens said she felt the energy from the packed crowd at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium and the pressure of the moment, two outs away from a win over Georgia in the NCAA super regional on May 21.
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Pickens (15-7) struck out the next two batters swinging in eight pitches to seal the 3-1 win for the No. 7 seed Lady Vols (46-10). It was – almost – the best kind of win Pickens could dream up.
"I’d hope for the bases not to be loaded in that moment, to be honest, but it’s really just electric," said Pickens, who threw 10 strikeouts with seven hits allowed and three walks.
Tennessee needs one more win against the Bulldogs (41-19) and a win in Game 2 on May 22 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN2) will send the Lady Vols to the Women's College World Series for a second straight season.
Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said she has never coached a player like Pickens. She embodies the spirit of Jimmy Chitwood in the film "Hoosiers," which Weekly said they show to every freshman and newcomer.
Weekly drew a lot of lessons from the classic sports film about an Indiana basketball high school team. Whenever a player or coach gives a compliment, the response is JC in reference to Chitwood.
"The reason that we cue in on that, is not because he made it, but because he wanted it. He wanted the responsibility of the ball in his hand with the game on the line, and that’s the way Karlyn is," Weekly said. "She wants that responsibility and she’s going to own it. And you couldn’t ask for more from somebody in the circle."
Pickens said the most special part of the win was drawing confidence from her teammates between pitches when they pointed to her. She feeds off the constant belief they have in her in any situation.
Pickens was calm and collected in the postgame press conference, letting out a grin here and there. But she couldn't hold back a face-splitting smile when Sophia Knight talked about her leadoff home run in the first inning.
It was the center fielder's first homer of the season. The Lady Vols flooded out of the dugout as she rounded second base, a few leaping in the air, but everyone was beaming from ear-to-ear.
"That was the best feeling ever. I’m probably going to think about this for a while," Knight said.
"Me too," Pickens couldn't help adding as they both broke into laughter.
The gritty win to open the Knoxville Super Regional was the epitome of the message the Lady Vols preach to each other: They have each other's backs.
Emma Clarke added a second home run in the first inning before Georgia's Emily Digby homered off Pickens in the bottom half. But then Pickens shut down the Bulldogs until Alannah Leach hit a solo home run in the fifth to give Pickens some insurance. And in the seventh inning, Pickens sealed it.
Knight, a transfer from Boise State, called Pickens the most competitive person she has ever played with.
"Going through these situations, I have no doubt, because you see it in her eyes. This girl’s not getting on base. And if she does, the next girl’s not," Knight said. "So it’s just so fun being behind her, I just have no doubt and gosh, I wish I could have played another year with her."
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Explaining why Karlyn Pickens has spirit of Jimmy Chitwood from 'Hoosiers'