‘Everyone here has the same goal.’ UK softball adds a lefty to help make things right.

In April 2023, when University of Kentucky softball ace Stephanie Schoonover missed 15 games because of a forearm injury, head coach Rachel Lawson found that Schoonover’s absence took a toll on her bullpen’s production.

It was the first major injury to a key starter, Lawson said, in her entire career. The bullpen, an area that had carried the Wildcats to success all season — including in wins over teams like Washington, San Diego State and Missouri — was suddenly dealing with questions regarding starters, relievers and who was going to be most helpful against stout Southeastern Conference competition.

“It kind of really messed up the bullpen and things like that,” Lawson said. “So there was a few weeks where we had to figure out, you know, who’s gonna be the starters, who’s going to be, you know, the relievers, that sort of thing.”

So when left-handed pitcher Jaden Vickers entered the portal as a graduate transfer out of Rutgers University, Lawson saw Vickers as “the missing piece, and I think we hit the nail on the head with that one, she has been exceptional.”

“Not only is she an outstanding pitcher,” Lawson said. “She’s a lefty, which, that’s kind of, in softball, there’s not as many lefties ... obviously a lot more righties, but also she’s a great pitcher and now it adds to the depth of our bullpen, so we don’t have to rely on just one key starter. Last year we had some starts at other people, but there was a clear difference in the production that we got. And this year I think that the production is going to level out throughout the entire staff, which I’m very excited about.”

Over four seasons and more than 375 innings thrown for the Scarlet Knights, Vickers recorded 27 wins in 107 appearances, making 58 starts. In 19 complete games pitched, she posted four complete-game shutouts and totaled double-digit wins in each of her last two seasons.

The lone transfer in Kentucky’s eight-member class of newcomers, Vickers was immediately struck by Lawson’s culture — and the fact that the coach has had more than a decade to forge it.

“I feel like the one thing I lacked at Rutgers was a family environment, and like a coaching staff,” Vickers said. “So Kentucky reached out, and everyone here has been with Coach Lawson for multiple years and she’s been here for 17 herself. So for me that was like an established culture that I was really excited to join.”

Since her arrival, Vickers said Lawson has challenged her in all aspects. And, while Vickers believes her experience will be her greatest contribution to her new team, Lawson and her staff have brought Vickers new methods of support in the circle.

During the offseason, the NCAA’s ruling to increase the coach limit in baseball, ice hockey and softball allowed for the Wildcats to hire former volunteer assistant Grace Baalman as a full-time assistant coach. According to Vickers, Baalman, a UK pitcher from 2018-21, brings a different perspective to coaching the bullpen than Lawson does; and that two-minded teaching has served Vickers and the rest of the pitchers well by promoting the bottom line — everybody matters, regardless of individual skill, experience or delivery.

“Coach Lawson’s a lot more mechanical, she breaks everything down with logic,” Vickers said. “Grace (Baalman) is more feel. So the two different aspects, I get to take that in and I also get to help our freshman Sydney (Langdon) with that. It’s awesome. The environment we’re in, the girls support each other. We all are different, at different levels. We all have better pitches. (Stephanie Schoonover) is a lot stronger on the right side, I’m stronger on the left, you know, it’s just a great atmosphere.”

Vickers and Langdon joined a Kentucky bullpen that graduated both Sloan Gayan and pitcher/outfielder Kennedy Sullivan, and saw the transfer portal exit of Izzy Harrison (Louisville).

To Vickers, that inclusive program identity, cemented long before Lawson’s 17th season, has proved helpful in connecting the newcomers with the UK veterans. When asked how the team’s chemistry was developing, Vickers said it was there — “100%.”

“We’ve really grown together right away,” Vickers said. “I came in with the freshmen, so I was spending a lot of time with them. And then I’ve seen the way they’ve opened up to the older girls and the older girls are completely like open arms, like they want the best for the team. Everyone here has the same goal, so no matter what it’s great communication.”

Kentucky will lean on that team chemistry during the Wildcats’ typically difficult start to the season, which opens Friday with the SDSU Season Kickoff at San Diego State. In California, UK will face UC Santa Barbara, 2023 World Series semifinalist Stanford, San Diego State and Minnesota. After San Diego, the Wildcats will return to the ESPN Shriners Children’s Invitational in Clearwater, Florida, for the first time since 2019 to play North Carolina, Wisconsin, 2023 World Series participant Washington, Central Florida and Texas.

Though Vickers is no stranger to elite competition, she is taking a different approach to this year, her final season of college softball.

“I’ve been telling Coach Lawson every day since I got here,” Vickers said. “Like stepped on campus. She’s like, ‘You have time.” There’s no time. Like the time is now. So like every day I’m literally putting my all into it like it’s my last. Because it is.”

This weekend

SDSU Season Kickoff

What: Five-team season-opening college softball tournament

Where: San Diego State University

Kentucky’s schedule (All times EST):

Friday: No. 25 Kentucky vs. UC Santa Barbara, 1 p.m.

Friday: No. 25 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Stanford, 3:30 p.m.

Saturday: No. 25 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Stanford, Noon

Saturday: No. 25 Kentucky vs. No. 24 San Diego State, 7:30 p.m. (Mountain West Network)

Sunday: No. 25 Kentucky vs. Minnesota, 1 p.m.

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