Perry's Payton Gottshall transferring from Bowling Green to softball powerhouse Tennessee

CantonRep.com staff report
·1 min read
Payton Gottshall
Payton Gottshall

The Mid-American Conference Softball Pitcher of the Year will take her talents to Rocky Top.

Perry High School product Payton Gottshall announced on social media Tuesday that she is transferring from Bowling Green to the University of Tennessee. Gottshall will have two years of eligibility remaining for the Lady Vols.

Perry's Payton Gottshall rounds the bases after her run home run during the seventh inning of their D1 district final against Louisvile at Massillon on Thursday, May 17, 2018. Perry won 9-0.
Perry's Payton Gottshall rounds the bases after her run home run during the seventh inning of their D1 district final against Louisvile at Massillon on Thursday, May 17, 2018. Perry won 9-0.

Gottshall comes off a fantastic sophomore season during which she went 27-13 with a 1.63 ERA and a school-record 374 strikeouts in 253.1 innings. Her 27 wins tied a school record. She earned first-team All-MAC for a second straight season and second-team NFCA All-Mideast Region.

More Payton Gottshall: Postseason honors roll in for Bowling Green pitcher Payton Gottshall after dominant season

Bowling Green head coach Sarah Willis left the Falcons earlier this month to take the head coach position at Bradley University.

Gottshall leaves BG as the program’s career leader in strikeouts with 768 in just two and a half seasons (her first season of 2020 was cut short because of COVID-19). She ranks second in wins with 58. She threw three of the four perfect games in Falcons history.

Tennessee went 41-18 this past season and lost in a regional final to Oregon State. The Lady Vols have won 40 or more games in 19 consecutive full seasons and have reached the NCAA tournament every year since 2004.

A four-year letter winner and two-time Federal League Player of the Year at Perry, Gottshall led the Panthers to the 2018 state championship.

Perry's Payton Gottshall (right) embraces Sunshine Armstrong after defeating Lakota West 11-1 during their Division I state championship game at Firestone Stadium in Akron on Saturday, June 2, 2018.
Perry's Payton Gottshall (right) embraces Sunshine Armstrong after defeating Lakota West 11-1 during their Division I state championship game at Firestone Stadium in Akron on Saturday, June 2, 2018.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Tennessee softball adds transfer Payton Gottshall from Bowling Green