Ahead of No. 4 Tennessee’s matchup with No. 1 Oklahoma at the Women’s College World Series on Saturday, perhaps the biggest question was who would start for the Lady Vols.
This roster is blessed with not one but two ace-quality pitchers: Ashley Rogers (0.83 ERA) and Payton Gottshall (1.58 ERA). Both are experienced—Rogers is a graduate student and Gottshall a senior—and either seemed like a fair choice to start against the best team in the country. And whichever started, it seemed reasonable to believe the other would not be far behind, with the pair often working in tandem this year, with one coming in to relieve the other. Of Tennessee’s six games so far in postseason play, Rogers and Gottshall had combined to cover all but two innings. Against its biggest challenge yet—Oklahoma entered Saturday with a record win streak—it stood to reason its pitching strategy would be much the same.
But the Lady Vols had a surprise in store. They would start neither of their aces. Instead, the circle would belong to freshman Karlyn Pickens: The righthander throws hard, and she’s shown flashes of brilliance this season, but she’s not Rogers or Gottshall. The move was curious. And it didn’t work.
