Stephanie Schoonover (Vicky Graff Photo)
Rachel Lawson has taken Kentucky to 14 straight NCAA Tournaments and expects to do so again this year even though UK was picked in a preseason coaches poll to finish only 10th in the Southeastern Conference.
Lawson has also been UK’s pitching coach during her 17 years at Kentucky but is turning that duty over to former UK pitcher Grace Baalman, a volunteer on last year’s staff who is not a full-time assistant coach.
Lawson said she will still be involved with the pitchers in various ways but called Baalman “brilliant” working with pitchers.
“This year we are tag teaming the pitch calling. (Stephanie) Schooner is used to me. I will call pitches for her while Grace does the rest,” Lawson said. “To be honest, I think Grace is a better pitch caller.”
Schooner was the team’s ace — and one of the nation’s best pitchers — last season before an arm injury forced her to take time off. When she did return, she was maybe 75 percent healthy. However, she wants Lawson calling her pitches again even though Baalman is her former teammate.
“No second thoughts at all. Coach Lawson has got me. She has had me since day one,” Schoonover said. “She understands me and we are on the same wavelength for the most part. She anticipates the pitches I want to throw and I trust her.”
Lawson said UK was “rolling on all cylinders” last year before Schooner suffered the first major injury of any pitcher she had ever coached.
“That messed up our bullpen. It took us a few weeks to figure out who our starters were and who the relievers were,” Lawson said.
The Kentucky coach believes Rutgers graduate transfer Jaden Vickers will help solve that issue this season. She was 11-8 last year with a 3.23 ERA and 93 strikeouts who had wins over Northwestern, Iowa and Texas Tech along with a save against Ohio State.
“She is a great pitcher and adds to the depth of our bullpen,” Lawson said. “She’s not only an outstanding pitcher but also a lefty and there are not as many (left-handed pitchers) in softball. She was kind of like the missing piece. We hit the nail on the head with that one. She has been exceptional.”
