OKLAHOMA CITY – Smokey the stuffed animal has lived inside what can only be described as Karlyn Pickens‘ world the last two years.
Pickens’ mother, Rebecca, bought Smokey for Tennessee softball to keep in its dugout during the Women’s College World Series in 2023. Rebecca heard from one of the senior’s parents that teams often brought something to make their dugout at Devon Park feel more like home.
She documented their road trip from Weaverville, North Carolina, to Oklahoma City with photos of Smokey at various stops. Rebecca took photos of the stuffed animal with Lady Vols’ bus driver and team moms.
“We decided it would be just silly to take pictures, kind of like a Where’s Waldo kind of thing,” Rebecca said. “Freshman year, we stopped everywhere. I was crazier with it that year, because Karlyn’s boyfriend was with us this year, and I think he probably thought I was nuts.”
After the WCWS run ended, Rebecca stored the stuffed dog in the box with all the memorabilia from Pickens’ career. T-shirts, ticket stubs, newspaper articles, photos – every keepsake from the last 12 years are stored there. And so was Smokey until May 27 when the Pickens made the road trip again to the WCWS.
Documenting the journey on social media is Rebecca’s way of supporting the team and engaging with the fanbase that adores her daughter. She wants everyone to feel the excitement of the trip.
Rebecca and her husband, Phillip, have been steadying forces for Pickens as she has risen to stardom. The holder of the fastest pitch thrown in a softball game has already found peace of mind with her parents in her second WCWS run, which continues with a second straight elimination game for No. 7 seed Tennessee (46-16), this time against No. 9 seed UCLA (55-12) on June 1 (3 p.m. ET, ABC).
How Karlyn Pickens’ parents keep pressure off Tennessee’s ace
The Pickens family didn’t make it far on their walk before Karlyn was spotted. They were heading to the Myriad Botanical Gardens after Tennessee’s heartbreaking 4-3 loss earlier in the day against Oklahoma, which ended with Pickens giving up a two-out, three-run home run.
“Somebody yelled, ‘That’s Karlyn Pickens!’ ” Rebecca recalled.
They laughed about Pickens getting recognized immediately after leaving the team hotel. She wasn’t even wearing Tennessee gear, but her 6-foot-1 frame and long blonde hair were a dead giveaway for one of her biggest fans.
After Pickens took a picture with the young fan, it was obvious she had made her day.
It was exactly the kind of moment Pickens needed. Rebecca even broke her rule to point it out – she and Phillip never talk about games with Pickens unless she initiates the conversation. But Rebecca made an exception that evening.
“Karlyn, that little girl doesn’t care that you won or lost. She sees how you inspire her to be a better softball player,” Rebecca said. “In that moment, she didn’t care about what the score was of the ball game. She just wanted to have a picture with you because you’re her idol.”
Eventually they made their way to the beautiful pond full of koi fish and ducks. They took Pickens’ mind off softball as they waded through the flowers and enjoyed the cooler-than-normal weather.
Pickens’ parents do everything they can to take pressure off their daughter. They draw a firm line with their roles, and they don’t cross it. Phillip asked Rebecca how practice was after she got off the phone with Karlyn once. Rebecca responded, “I don’t know, she went to Ulta. We talked about makeup.”
Rebecca joked that Karen Weekly of the Lady Vols is the one getting paid the big bucks to coach, so they leave it to her.
“Through all these years, I think it saved her from burnout,” Rebecca said. “Knowing that she can come off the field, and if things didn’t go their way, she can come to her parents and we can support her.”
How it felt to watch Karlyn Pickens break her own record
Rebecca’s phone started buzzing five minutes after Pickens threw a 79.4 mph pitch, breaking her own record during the NCAA super regionals.
Rebecca usually ignores her phone during games, but eventually she couldn’t ignore the flood of texts.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, she broke her own record,’ ” Rebecca said. “When we realized it was against Jordy (Bahl), I was like, that explains it. She wanted that out … she just never ceases to amaze me, because there’s always just a little bit more.”
It felt exactly like the first time Pickens threw the fastest softball pitch ever recorded on March 24. That time she threw 78.2 mph against USA Softball Player of the Year Bri Ellis. The stadium got quiet before everyone’s phones started blowing up.
The Pickens befriended season ticket holders near them, and Phillip caught their daughter’s eye. She was holding her phone with a huge smile on her face. Phillip knew something happened, and then Rebecca’s phone exploded.
The record-breaking pitches are the epitome of one of Phillip’s sayings from high school.
“He would always yell, ‘There’s more in the tank!’ ” Rebecca said. “And people laugh, we’re like, how much more is in the tank?”
It seems Pickens’ tank is bottomless when Rebecca watches her power through entire games, still hitting her top velocity into the fifth and sixth innings. It’s a credit to Tennessee strength and conditioning coach Dan Wirth, who transformed Pickens from a lanky high schooler to a workout junkie.
When Rebecca watches her daughter at Devon Park this year, she looks powerful.
“She can start strong and finish strong,” Rebecca said. “She’s just got that long endurance … she’s been that way since she was young, and I think it’s just something that she’s built different. I hate to say that, it’s so cliche – but she is just built different.”
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Karlyn Pickens’ parents explain Tennessee softball’s record-breaking pitcher
