Women's College World Series: 5 things to know about Tennessee softball's Payton Gottshall

Area softball fans might recognize a familiar face in the circle this week if they tune into Tennessee Volunteers softball game during the Women's College World Series.

Former Perry High School standout Payton Gottshall helped power the Vols into the WCWS for the first time since 2015 with her work as a pitcher. She delivered a dominant start in a 9-0 win over Texas to clinch an NCAA super regional title and propel the Vols to the tournament in Oklahoma City.

Gottshall joins Ashley Rogers as the Vols' two pitching aces. They both worked when Tennessee opened the WCWS with a 10-5 win over Alabama on Thursday — Rogers started and got the win and Gottshall pitched the final three innings for a save. The Vols return to action at 3 p.m. Saturday against powerhouse Oklahoma, the nation's No. 1 team. The game is on ABC.

Here are five things to know about Gottshall:

Payton Gottshall led Perry to an OHSAA softball state championship

Those who saw Gottshall pitch in high school probably aren't surprised by her emergence on the national stage. Gottshall was named Federal League Player of the Year twice in her career and helped Perry win a state championship in 2018. Gottshall had a string of 58 shutout innings that year and struck out 195 batters with a 0.87 ERA. Gottshall earned first-team All Ohio honors for her efforts.

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Gottshall initially signed with Bowling Green and used two years of eligibility with the Falcons after the 2020 season was lost to the coronavirus pandemic. Though her time in the Mid-American Conference was brief, she made an impact. Gottshall was named the MAC Pitcher of the Year after her sophomore year and was first-team All MAC twice. She left as Bowling Green's career leader in strikeouts (768) and was second in program history in wins with 58. Gottshall also left holding the single-season program record for strikeouts (374) and tied the program record for wins in a season (27). She's pitched three of the four perfect games in Bowling Green history before transferring at the end of the 2022 season.

Tennessee Volunteers softball benefits from addition of Payton Gottshall

If there was any question how Gottshall would perform after moving to the SEC, she's answered them throughout this season. Gottshall entered the WCWS with a 16-1 record and two saves with and a 1.42 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 103 innings. Tennessee has been ranked among the nation's top 10 teams and enters the WCWS with a 49-8 record. The Vols won the SEC this season.

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Payton Gottshall comes through in big wins for Tennessee softball

Gottshall continues to showcase a penchant for pitching well in the biggest games of the season. She pitched a shutout in the 9-0 win over Texas in the decisive game of the Knoxville Super Regional to punch the Volunteers' ticket to Oklahoma City. Gottshall held the Longhorns hitless through five innings in pitching a two-hitter. She also was the winning pitcher in the title game of the SEC tournament and pitched a complete game in the decisive game of the Knoxville Regional.

Tennessee Volunteers softball: Payton Gottshall pitches Tennessee softball to Women’s College World Series

Payton Gottshall enters Women's College World Series on a hot streak

The goal is to always be pitching the best by the time the postseason rolls around. Gottshall went 3-0 during the regional and super regional tournaments. She has pitched 17 scoreless innings and struck out 20 in that span. Overall, Gottshall has not allowed more than two runs in an appearance since May 6.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Tennessee pitcher Payton Gottshall in WCWS | 5 things to know