2022 Lady Vols Softball commits

#4
#4
Where in the article or anywhere else does it say she committed? Link please.
 
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#5
77deedd7-371a-413b-b9b3-90fcfd9469fc-Madison_NorthBuncombe_008.JPG
 
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#6
#6
WEAVERVILLE -- One of the top softball players in the country and reigning Western Mountain Athletic Conference player of the year has committed to a SEC program.
North Buncombe junior Karlyn Pickens announced her commitment to the University of Tennessee Sept. 2 over eight other Division I offers.
As a freshman, Pickens batted .492 with seven home runs, 25 RBI, three doubles and four triples for North Buncombe. She was named the Western Mountain Athletic Conference player of the year and was also an accomplished pitcher with two wins, five saves and a 1.07 ERA with 82 strikeouts.
Her sophomore season was cut short due to the spread of COVID-19.
This story will be updated
David Thompson is an award-winning reporter for the Citizen Times. He can be reached at dthompson@citizentimes.com, at 828-231-1747, or on Twitter at @acthshuddle.
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North Buncombe's Karlyn Pickens commits to SEC program
 
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#10
#10
DonDiego said:
Where in the article or anywhere else does it say she committed? Link please.
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I saw it on twitter last night. Karen and Megan both liked it so that is about as official as it can get right now. Majac had a good catch with the new article in the paper. She is a junior this year so it will be awhile before she will be on campus.
From the article "In September of this year, according to NCAA rules, Karlyn will be eligible to receive direct contact from NCAA college recruiters", she did not waste any time. It is nice when someone really wants to play for you.
 
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#12
#12
lvocd said:
She very well could be the program’s next Monica Abbott — only with a strong bat to go with the arm. 😲 This is fantastic news for Lady Vol Softball.
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Next Monica Abbott? I think you should hit the breaks on that one. Also if you come hear as a pitcher more than likely your not going to see to many at bats.
 
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#14
#14
lvocd said:
She very well could be the program’s next Monica Abbott — only with a strong bat to go with the arm. 😲 This is fantastic news for Lady Vol Softball.
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Let's hold our horses, shall we? There will never be another Monica Abbott. Also lots of elite HS pitchers don't do all that well in college, let alone become future Olympians or even AAs.

After seeing top pitchers like Danielle Pieroni (who didn't give up an earned run in HS), Cat Hosfield (broke the single season K record as a junior) and Gabby Sprang come through the program and not be much of anything, I've learned to not get overly excited over HS softball pitchers. (For the record, Sprang also hasn't done well at Oklahoma State, either.) Many of the top softball pitchers in college tend to be under-recruited in HS.
 
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#17
#17
Putbacks said:
Similar hype/preview to what we saw with Gabby Sprang—and similar physique. Hope she keeps her commitment with us and flourishes.
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The deal with Gabby was/is so mind boggling! Just nerves and it turned into a head case from what i understand. I so much wanted her to be the real deal but many highly recruited players in all sports cannot get the mental thing down pat. Hope Gabby does well in life !
 
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Hey, I knew dubbing her a possible “next Monica Abbott” would raise eyebrows. I know that there will never be another Monica Abbott — she is special beyond description.

But I stand by my hopeful statement because it was just my way of putting the possibility that this player could also reach Lady Vol pitching legend status — because it sure doesn’t hurt to dream.

Also, when I look at her physique and push off the mound (except that she’s a righty) she reminds me so much of Monica, not to mention that she throws at 70 mph, which is what Abbott was throwing at UT.

So it’s not totally out of the question that she could be the next one to get Tennessee back into a World Series Final. We shall see! Would that be nice? 🤗
 
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#19
#19
sccshortstop said:
The deal with Gabby was/is so mind boggling! Just nerves and it turned into a head case from what i understand. I so much wanted her to be the real deal but many highly recruited players in all sports cannot get the mental thing down pat. Hope Gabby does well in life !
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Yes, that really was mind boggling. But as is true of golf and, in my experience, tennis, once the yips set in it takes a particularly strong person to break out of the mental hold that grips you and tells you you’ve “lost it and can never get it back.” Lots of great athletes have experienced it, and sadly, some never do come back from it.
 
#20
#20
lvocd said:
Also, when I look at her physique and push off the mound (except that she’s a righty) she reminds me so much of Monica, not to mention that she throws at 70 mph, which is what Abbott was throwing at UT.
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Pickens is going to be fun to watch. Sounds like she has the mental mettle and physical skills to be formidable at the next level.

In another game last month, Karlyn was on deck when she realized she still had chewing gum in her mouth. Just before she stepped in the batter’s box, she took the gum and thrust it into 16U coach Dana Fusetti’s hand. Puzzled as to what to do with it, Fusetti decided to keep it in a bag, which she still has in her possession. Then there was the time at a hotel during a 12U tournament when Karlyn ate popcorn as it rolled off a treadmill. “Making others feel good on the field makes me play harder because I know they have my back and there’s no pressure,” explained Karlyn, who will be moving to the Elite 18U Gold team this fall.

All goofiness aside, Karlyn’s talent in the circle is no joke. Her fastball is consistently clocked between 68 and 70 mph and has even hit 72 on several occasions. At an even 6-foot, she has a long stride. This sometimes poses problems on a wet or muddy mound, when pitchers who have shorter strides make it more treacherous.

Fusetti has lost count of the shutouts Karlyn has accumulated when she’s only had one or two runs of support. “Her fastball is deadly,” Fusetti said. “A kid who is this young throwing that hard is unbelievable.” Even the toughest hitters quickly discover Karlyn doesn’t back down. During a tournament game in Atlanta last fall, Karlyn had a 3-2 count with the bases loaded, two outs, and the Elite up by one. The batter fouled off what seemed like 20 pitches. It was an epic battle that began drawing a crowd, including a large number of college coaches. Finally, Fusetti called for the changeup. “I had been struggling to throw the changeup for a strike,” Karlyn recalled. “But I had my confidence rolling so high. I throw it, and it’s the perfect changeup. She whiffs by a mile. That was the best strikeout of my life.”

- FloSoftball, 8.11.20
 
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#23
#23
kregman said:
Karlyn Pickens
Don't know much about her but love the write up in local paper.
Pickens Continues to Gain National Recognition - The Weaverville Tribune
Tall, and throws 70, and Oklahoma wanted her.
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Number 6 recruit in the country according to FloSoftball.

From what I’ve heard, UT envisions her as a Lauren Heager-type player where she will DP when she doesn’t pitch. They’re excited about her bat and targeted her over a couple of other prospects because of that.
 
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#25
#25
DeerPark12 said:
Number 6 recruit in the country according to FloSoftball.

From what I’ve heard, UT envisions her as a Lauren Heager-type player where she will DP when she doesn’t pitch. They’re excited about her bat and targeted her over a couple of other prospects because of that.
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:eek: I can’t wait to watch her career!
 
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