University of Tennessee Athletics
Photo by: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vols Sign 2022 MAC Pitcher of the Year Payton Gottshall
June 16, 2022 | Softball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly has announced the addition of transfer pitcher Payton Gottshall to the Lady Vol softball program. After a dominant junior campaign this past spring, the right-hander from Massillon, Ohio, was named the 2022 Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year and will have two years of eligibility remaining when she arrives on Rocky Top.
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"We faced Payton two years ago and could see that she had really good stuff," Weekly said. "Being around her the last couple days, you can tell that she is extremely competitive and will bring a killer instinct to the circle. We're excited that she is joining us on Rocky Top."
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A standout in the circle for three seasons at Bowling Green, Gottshall amassed a program-record 784 strikeouts with an impressive 1.77 career earned run average. In 92 career appearances, she touts a 58-30 win-loss record with 63 complete games, 19 shutouts and three perfect games. Her career 10.13 strikeouts per seven innings rank third among active NCAA players.
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Gottshall was a force for the Falcons in 2022, ranking second in the NCAA with 374 strikeouts and 253.1 innings pitched this past spring. Her 27 victories led the MAC and were sixth-most in the country, while she also sat atop the conference leaderboard in ERA (1.69) and shutouts (9). The right-hander took home MAC Pitcher of the Year, All-MAC First Team and NFCA All-Mideast Region Second Team honors and claimed seven MAC Pitcher of the Week awards in 2022.
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Notable outings for Gottshall this past season include a perfect game with 15 strikeouts against Green Bay (3/5) and a 14-inning, 23-strikeout performance against Buffalo (4/9).
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Gottshall was named the MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year and All-MAC First Team in 2021, going 20-12 with a 1.87 ERA and 282 strikeouts in her second season of collegiate softball. During the shortened 2020 season, she touted an 11-5 record that was accompanied by a 1.93 ERA and .182 opponent batting average.
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A four-year letter winner at Perry High School (Massillon, Ohio), Gottshall earned first team All-Ohio honors as a junior and senior and led her high school team to a state title in 2018.
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"We faced Payton two years ago and could see that she had really good stuff," Weekly said. "Being around her the last couple days, you can tell that she is extremely competitive and will bring a killer instinct to the circle. We're excited that she is joining us on Rocky Top."
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A standout in the circle for three seasons at Bowling Green, Gottshall amassed a program-record 784 strikeouts with an impressive 1.77 career earned run average. In 92 career appearances, she touts a 58-30 win-loss record with 63 complete games, 19 shutouts and three perfect games. Her career 10.13 strikeouts per seven innings rank third among active NCAA players.
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Gottshall was a force for the Falcons in 2022, ranking second in the NCAA with 374 strikeouts and 253.1 innings pitched this past spring. Her 27 victories led the MAC and were sixth-most in the country, while she also sat atop the conference leaderboard in ERA (1.69) and shutouts (9). The right-hander took home MAC Pitcher of the Year, All-MAC First Team and NFCA All-Mideast Region Second Team honors and claimed seven MAC Pitcher of the Week awards in 2022.
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Notable outings for Gottshall this past season include a perfect game with 15 strikeouts against Green Bay (3/5) and a 14-inning, 23-strikeout performance against Buffalo (4/9).
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Gottshall was named the MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year and All-MAC First Team in 2021, going 20-12 with a 1.87 ERA and 282 strikeouts in her second season of collegiate softball. During the shortened 2020 season, she touted an 11-5 record that was accompanied by a 1.93 ERA and .182 opponent batting average.
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A four-year letter winner at Perry High School (Massillon, Ohio), Gottshall earned first team All-Ohio honors as a junior and senior and led her high school team to a state title in 2018.
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Catch me pitching on Good Ol' Rocky Top the next two seasons!!🧡 #GoVols pic.twitter.com/N9IZhJ3YfW
— Payton Gottshall ♡ (@pgott33) June 14, 2022
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