Tennessee Softball 2025

[lvocd]

Well, Pannell sure gave all her focus and hitting power and team spirit in her last hurrah as a Tennessee Lady Vol, didn't she? What a great job she did, which is why it hurts so much she's leaving Knoxville.

Frriends, I don't know about anyone else's family financial situations, but for most folks I know the prospect of receiving $350,000 as a teen would be life-changing. Myself and nearly everyone I know have never received $350,000 in one year -- not even close to that! -- EVER, and if they ever had it would likely have made their entite lives easier.

Imagine how Pannell's parents must feel knowing their daughter is starting out her young adult life with a super-nice nest-egg instead of a mountain of debt? She's already got enough money she could buy a modest house and a new car to start out with. That's HUGE. I've known seniors who worked their entire lives and never could get out of financial Hell well enough to buy a home. And now we have kids getting paid very well to play college ball ON TOP OF their degrees paid for.

Pretty darn happy parents, I'd say.

ANYWAY, all this to say that while a big part of me wishes the staff and her teammates could have known sooner, another part of me is kinda glad they didn't because I suspect her leaving would have monopolized the news and sucked some of the good energy the program had going into post season.

Given TP's slump leading up to post-season, she very well may have been feeling the guilt/pressure of it all. She probably paid a toll emotionally. But thank goodness she got it together before Itvwas too late.

Just throwing this out there: I wonder now if she was worried that if she DID tell everyone much sooner she was likely going to transfer that she would be shunned or treated differently or even given a lesser role to play. I wonder if she was afraid she'd be replaced with a player Karen would want to get some experience for next year?

Just thinking out loud here and really know nothing except that I'm grateful that Pannell was a terrific player for most of her career in Knoxville, I'll miss seeing her in orange, and I wish her a happy life. Unlike many, I can't seem to get mad at her because I suspect she and her family must have had what they felt were very good reasons for their decision to transfer and the way they went about it. We're all just doing the best we can, and none of us is perfect.

Sounds to me like we've got some strong players coming in for next year, and I'm already looking forward to seeing how they do!

 

[EZE]

Well, Pannell sure gave all her focus and hitting power and team spirit in her last hurrah as a Tennessee Lady Vol, didn't she? What a great job she did, which is why it hurts so much she's leaving Knoxville.

Frriends, I don't know about anyone else's family financial situations, but for most folks I know the prospect of receiving $350,000 as a teen would be life-changing. Myself and nearly everyone I know have never received $350,000 in one year -- not even close to that! -- EVER, and if they ever had it would likely have made their entite lives easier.

Imagine how Pannell's parents must feel knowing their daughter is starting out her young adult life with a super-nice nest-egg instead of a mountain of debt? She's already got enough money she could buy a modest house and a new car to start out with. That's HUGE. I've known seniors who worked their entire lives and never could get out of financial Hell well enough to buy a home. And now we have kids getting paid very well to play college ball ON TOP OF their degrees paid for.

Pretty darn happy parents, I'd say.

ANYWAY, all this to say that while a big part of me wishes the staff and her teammates could have known sooner, another part of me is kinda glad they didn't because I suspect her leaving would have monopolized the news and sucked some of the good energy the program had going into post season.

Given TP's slump leading up to post-season, she very well may have been feeling the guilt/pressure of it all. She probably paid a toll emotionally. But thank goodness she got it together before Itvwas too late.

Just throwing this out there: I wonder now if she was worried that if she DID tell everyone much sooner she was likely going to transfer that she would be shunned or treated differently or even given a lesser role to play. I wonder if she was afraid she'd be replaced with a player Karen would want to get some experience for next year?

Just thinking out loud here and really know nothing except that I'm grateful that Pannell was a terrific player for most of her career in Knoxville, I'll miss seeing her in orange, and I wish her a happy life. Unlike many, I can't seem to get mad at her because I suspect she and her family must have had what they felt were very good reasons for their decision to transfer and the way they went about it. We're all just doing the best we can, and none of us is perfect.

Sounds to me like we've got some strong players coming in for next year, and I'm already looking forward to seeing how they do!

IF…the parents keep their fingers out of the till. That is a very big “IF.”

 

[anecwnrjcns12]

Well, Pannell sure gave all her focus and hitting power and team spirit in her last hurrah as a Tennessee Lady Vol, didn't she? What a great job she did, which is why it hurts so much she's leaving Knoxville.

Frriends, I don't know about anyone else's family financial situations, but for most folks I know the prospect of receiving $350,000 as a teen would be life-changing. Myself and nearly everyone I know have never received $350,000 in one year -- not even close to that! -- EVER, and if they ever had it would likely have made their entite lives easier.

Imagine how Pannell's parents must feel knowing their daughter is starting out her young adult life with a super-nice nest-egg instead of a mountain of debt? She's already got enough money she could buy a modest house and a new car to start out with. That's HUGE. I've known seniors who worked their entire lives and never could get out of financial Hell well enough to buy a home. And now we have kids getting paid very well to play college ball ON TOP OF their degrees paid for.

Pretty darn happy parents, I'd say.

ANYWAY, all this to say that while a big part of me wishes the staff and her teammates could have known sooner, another part of me is kinda glad they didn't because I suspect her leaving would have monopolized the news and sucked some of the good energy the program had going into post season.

Given TP's slump leading up to post-season, she very well may have been feeling the guilt/pressure of it all. She probably paid a toll emotionally. But thank goodness she got it together before Itvwas too late.

Just throwing this out there: I wonder now if she was worried that if she DID tell everyone much sooner she was likely going to transfer that she would be shunned or treated differently or even given a lesser role to play. I wonder if she was afraid she'd be replaced with a player Karen would want to get some experience for next year?

Just thinking out loud here and really know nothing except that I'm grateful that Pannell was a terrific player for most of her career in Knoxville, I'll miss seeing her in orange, and I wish her a happy life. Unlike many, I can't seem to get mad at her because I suspect she and her family must have had what they felt were very good reasons for their decision to transfer and the way they went about it. We're all just doing the best we can, and none of us is perfect.

Sounds to me like we've got some strong players coming in for next year, and I'm already looking forward to seeing how they do!

I think most people would agree on this. At least for me, I am all for young athletes being compensated especially given the numbers she put up, but how this came to be is where people are the most frustrated. Signing right after the season ended and I think putting the “Do Not Contact” tag when she entered the portal it was really was really obvious where she was going.

 

[glv98]

IF…the parents keep their fingers out of the till. That is a very big “IF.”

I have a family member who just got a D1 schollie in another sport. The amount of time and money her parents spent over the yrs making that happen is gobsmacking. The travel and club fees alone make me want to weep. The parents could def be understood if they’d like a little slice of the pie.

 

[William_77]

I’m not a pitching person but looking back at KP’s pitching performances from early in her career - she was throwing the changeup right around 60. Mostly around 59. I know she is throwing harder overall these days, but at the WCWS the changeup was around 66. What else has changed over the years with that pitch for the increase in speed? Is there a simple way to slow that pitch back down? Seems like that was the only pitch getting her into trouble late in the season.

 

[Benionsopinion]

I’m not a pitching person but looking back at KP’s pitching performances from early in her career - she was throwing the changeup right around 60. Mostly around 59. I know she is throwing harder overall these days, but at the WCWS the changeup was around 66. What else has changed over the years with that pitch for the increase in speed? Is there a simple way to slow that pitch back down? Seems like that was the only pitch getting her into trouble late in the season.

Late in the season her rise ball was the culprit that hitters drove. She was not getting it high enough to make hitters reach for it, instead throwing it where hitters bats could get to it. Much was said by commentators about slowing down her change up and that is an area for her to work on.

 

[volman128]

Late in the season her rise ball was the culprit that hitters drove. She was not getting it high enough to make hitters reach for it, instead throwing it where hitters bats could get to it. Much was said by commentators about slowing down her change up and that is an area for her to work on.

Our pitch calling doesn't incorporate her change up nearly as much as it should, and it can get predictable at times. She's throwing a rise or a screw 80% of the time. Karlyn has a great changeup and drop and those should be called more. She doesn't have much of a curve which I would like to see her incorporate.

 

[volfan102455]

I have a family member who just got a D1 schollie in another sport. The amount of time and money her parents spent over the yrs making that happen is gobsmacking. The travel and club fees alone make me want to weep. The parents could def be understood if they’d like a little slice of the pie.

It should not be their choice though. But they will find each taking a slice of that very small pie will not be much for any of them. 350K seems like a lot but it only lasts if it is invested wisely.

 

[volfan102455]

I have a family member who just got a D1 schollie in another sport. The amount of time and money her parents spent over the yrs making that happen is gobsmacking. The travel and club fees alone make me want to weep. The parents could def be understood if they’d like a little slice of the pie.

Also - I really don't understand this type of thought - but it was how I was raised. From my dad's perspective - he had children and raised them because he wanted children. When his children started making money - it was OUR money, not his. Same was true for his parents. Did the family pitch in if there was a crisis or need? Absolutely - but there was no expectation that we would "pay him back" for raising and supporting us.

 

[volfan102455]

IF…the parents keep their fingers out of the till. That is a very big “IF.”

Totally agree - that ends up being the downfall of anyone who comes into a large sum of money quickly - many folks reaching in asking for things.

 

[Majors]

I have a family member who just got a D1 schollie in another sport. The amount of time and money her parents spent over the yrs making that happen is gobsmacking. The travel and club fees alone make me want to weep. The parents could def be understood if they’d like a little slice of the pie.

Between the offer ours got and NIL, she made out ahead in two years. The pie for us is not paying anymore. Gobsmacking is a good term.

 

[William_77]

Our pitch calling doesn't incorporate her change up nearly as much as it should, and it can get predictable at times. She's throwing a rise or a screw 80% of the time. Karlyn has a great changeup and drop and those should be called more. She doesn't have much of a curve which I would like to see her incorporate.

Yeah the drop should be more incorporated, but was the changeup not called as much because it had become much more hittable? Seemed like they were floating in high, and often above 65. Hopefully they can work more this off season fine tuning that pitch because looking back at her freshman year she was under 60 and keeping it low. Seems like if that can be achieved then everything else will be much more difficult to barrel.

 

[AllVols3]

I think most people would agree on this. At least for me, I am all for young athletes being compensated especially given the numbers she put up, but how this came to be is where people are the most frustrated. Signing right after the season ended and I think putting the “Do Not Contact” tag when she entered the portal it was really was really obvious where she was going.

You're naive if you think she signed after the season. She signed months before the season was over.

 

[Rickster]

Rising HS Senior and Lady Vol commit Avary Stockwell (Tennessee) and incoming Freshman Meredith Barnhart (Colorado) have been named Gatorade Softball State Players of the Year.


Avary Stockwell




Meredith Barnhart
Parker, Colo.
Lutheran High School
INF / 5-8 / L/R

• Colorado 4A Player of the Year – 2024
• Four-time state champion – 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• Four-time First Team All-State
• Holds a high school batting average of .537 with a 1.077 slugging percentage and a 1.658 OPS
• PGF Nationals 16u Runner Up – 2023
• Triple Crown ESPN Future Star (2025) – 2024

 

[Rickster]

Who is going to replace Nuge's bat in the lineup?

 

[Dadof2Vols]

But you don’t except a new job with comp agreed on and stay at the old company for multiple more months.

In a sales job people do it all the time because sometimes they have to stay till certain dates to get their bonus. In my over decade of sales, knew plenty of people accept new jobs, not give their notice, wait till the bonus check clears, give notice and be immediately walked out the door because the job they accepted weeks/months ago is with competitors.

In some jobs/companies commission rules dictate that this is just how it’s done. Others obviously are different.

 

[DeerPark12]

He deleted his x posts from yesterday, but this is the kind of human being we’re talking about.

 

[Rickster]

He deleted his x posts from yesterday, but this is the kind of human being we’re talking about.

Disappointing that the dad turned out to be what he is. I'm sure Brandon would like to try to justify his meddlesome behavior but it won't work. It's no longer a stretch that he was at the middle of this stink and the one who was pulling the strings with TT.



Mom and dad are cousins. Talk about slamming the door on the way out.

 

[VolGee4]

In a sales job people do it all the time because sometimes they have to stay till certain dates to get their bonus. In my over decade of sales, knew plenty of people accept new jobs, not give their notice, wait till the bonus check clears, give notice and be immediately walked out the door because the job they accepted weeks/months ago is with competitors.

In some jobs/companies commission rules dictate that this is just how it’s done. Others obviously are different.

While I get it, sports aren’t the same structure. Collective bargaining and contracts prevent it. Heck, even NIL contracts aren’t even really binding when athletes are jumping at new offers. There are reasons for it because teams have roster requirements and seasons last a certain length of time. I understand it’s the way it is right now, and it’s the NCAA’s mess. Tampering is investigated in all major sports because there are rules in place for competitive balance and to avoid mass chaos.

 

[orangemadam]

Panell and Nugent gone. We'll never win another conference game!!

 

[Rickster]

Panell and Nugent gone. We'll never win another conference game!!

We've lost a lot of good players over the years but Karen has always found a way to field winners that have won 225 games (averaging 45 wins/year) over the past 5 years.

 

[EZE]

Disappointing that the dad turned out to be what he is. I'm sure Brandon would like to try to justify his meddlesome behavior but it won't work. It's no longer a stretch that he was at the middle of this stink and the one who was pulling the strings with TT.

View attachment 749035

Mom and dad are cousins. Talk about slamming the door on the way out.

This guy is a piece of work for sure. And it’s not like he lives in the most metropolitan area in the US.

 

[Dadof2Vols]

Disappointing that the dad turned out to be what he is. I'm sure Brandon would like to try to justify his meddlesome behavior but it won't work. It's no longer a stretch that he was at the middle of this stink and the one who was pulling the strings with TT.

View attachment 749035

Mom and dad are cousins. Talk about slamming the door on the way out.

He is obviously just not smart enough to walk away and keep his mouth shut…

 

[Volfan2012]

The team is potentially as good or even better than this years team, but there are a lot of unknowns and is based on potential which sometimes does not turn into results. We'll have a lot of players that have played at an extremely high level, but are totally untested at the SEC level or their experience at that level has been limited. We have the necessary talent to win the SEC go all the way to the World Series again or finish in the middle of the SEC, Going to be interesting season since the talent is there just unproven at this highest level of play.

 

[Volfan2012]

I wonder if it is any truth to the rumor I heard that Texas Tech tried to get Spearman to transfer to the basketball team. She didn't even get in the portal and that doesn't seem to stop them as looks like they made their deal with Pannell even when she was not in the portal. NCAA needs to have the power to make these type deals void after the settlement comes into play July 1st. If your not in the portal no one should be contacting you.