UK Athletics Photo
Kentucky softball hopefully got some needed pitching help with the arrival of Rutgers transfer Jaden Vickers, who has one year of eligibility remaining.
She had 27 wins in four years at Rutgers in 107 appearances. She started 58 games and had 19 complete games, including four complete-game shutouts, in 375 innings of work. She struck out more batters than she walked each year at Rutgers.
The left-handed Vickers was 11-8 in 2023 with a 3.23 earned run average and 93 strikeouts. She had wins over Northwestern, Iowa and Texas Tech. She had a team-high 93 strikeouts in 108 1/3 innings with five complete games.
“I chose Kentucky because I could see how strong the culture was among the coaching staff and the team.” Vickers said in a release from UK. “The team was not satisfied with last season, and I could see how determined they were to change the outcome for the upcoming season – and I would love to contribute to that success.
“It means a lot to wear that Kentucky Blue. I can’t wait!”
While searching for information on Vickers, I found several interesting testimonials for her on Linkedin. The first was from former Rutgers teammate Gabrielle Callaway, who is now an athletics administrative assistant at Princeton.
“I played on the Rutgers University softball team with Jaden Vickers for three years. She has been such a wonderful teammate and leader for our team. She excels in high-pressure situations and is extremely disciplined and motivated in every endeavor,” Callaway said.
“Through her time balancing softball and school she has demonstrated resilience as well as effective time management and organizational skills. I know she will bring her infectious personality and drive to all of her future endeavors.”
The second testimonial about Vickers came from teacher Anna Holloway. She wrote:
“Jaden is extremely dedicated, dependable, and hard-working. For the many years that I’ve known her, she has always displayed a high degree of integrity and ambition. She’s not only a great student but also a great athlete. Her good judgment and mature outlook ensure a logical and practical approach to her endeavors. Jaden would be an asset to any organization,” Thomas said.
