At the age of 10, Nevaeh Wilson told her dad that she wanted to take softball seriously. She wanted the opportunity to play Division I softball. Wilson wanted to play for the best, and from there she locked in to the process. Now, through all of the hard work and sacrifices, Wilson has taken a serious commitment to play at the University of Tennessee.
For Wilson, everything that Tennessee brings is above the rest. From the people to the tools available, this opportunity was too good to pass up.
“Everything about what Tennessee has is amazing,” Wilson said. “Compared to other schools, the coaching staff is hands on. The coaching staff is unmatched, and there’s no way for you to be able to fail. Everything they have on campus, all the help they have with every aspect, it’s crazy.”
That family feel showed up fast and from everyone. The culture that resides within the program is something that Wilson observed as real.
“All the girls, the way they act with each other, is like family,” Wilson said. “Once I got on campus and saw the other coaches and other players, I already felt like I belonged there. They entered me into their family. That’s one thing you don’t really get from other schools.”
Wilson comes to Knoxville from Corona, California, but leaving for a cross country stay was never an issue. The Southeastern Conference was always the goal.
“I always wanted to play in the SEC,” Wilson said. “I want to go big. I want to play for the top schools. I want to go where I know all the top players are at, and I want to be there.”
The road to that point looks a little different than most. Wilson trains at EM Speed and Power and takes her classes online through Ganesha, a setup she has run since the fifth grade. Her days start with agility at 8 a.m., move into hitting in the cages, then the weight room, then schoolwork. She credits that structure for keeping her ahead and ready to be seen by the top programs.
On the travel circuit, Wilson plays for the Firecrackers under Tony Rico. A huge thing she’s taken away from him is the attention to small details.
“Tony focuses on the little details so much,” Wilson said. “I didn’t even think softball could get to this type of level of small details that he talks about. That’s one thing that changes the game so much.”
In studying the details, Wilson has closely observed a Tennessee assistant for years. This assistant is also the best role model for where she wants to go in the game.
Aubrey Leach-Gartner is a member of the USA Softball Women’s National Team. Coach Karen Weekly and I discussed the values of having Leach-Gartner on the staff in a prior interview, and Wilson slots right into that vision. Wilson is a member of the U-18 National Team, so the connection is a natural one. A player chasing the highest level of the sport will learn every day under someone already living it.
“When I first started slapping and learning how to get into it, I would watch all of her videos,” Wilson said. “I would see, okay, this is how she’s doing it. I want to be like that. So I try to copy the drills she would work on so I can look exactly like her. She’s someone I’ve always looked up to in the softball world, and it’s so cool to have that coach on the staff.”
Wilson, a middle infielder, watches Leach-Gartner just as closely on defense. She is tough at second base, and those are the traits Wilson wants for herself.
“She’s just very smooth, and she has great range,” Wilson said. “That’s something I like to build on the most. I want to be able to get to any ball, no matter where it’s hit, and make sure it’s still smooth. When you watch her, that’s how she looks. She makes everything look easy.”
At the plate, Wilson is more than what she is labeled. She is a slapper who can flip the switch when the moment calls for it, and she lets the situation dictate the swing.
“I can totally let it rip,” Wilson said. “The way I hit in games is based on the situation at hand. If there’s a runner in scoring position, I’m hitting away. I’m trying to drive the ball out of the infield. If I need to get on base right now, I can lay down a chop or a bunt, or just read the defense very well.”
That kind of versatility travels. Coaches want players who can do a little bit of everything, and Wilson does not box herself into one role.
Away from softball, Wilson describes herself as caring and wants the best for the people around her. She credits her mom, a nurse, for a lot of that.
Academically, Wilson is pursuing business and marketing with the goal of owning her own business one day. She had once looked at nursing before deciding she wanted a path that let her be fully herself.
“I’m very creative and I have a really creative mind,” Wilson said. “I want to be open to doing things and really enjoy my job. I feel like business is what fits me and what I would succeed in.”
Tennessee checks the box in that area also. Few programs brand themselves the way Lady Vols do, and Wilson sees the reach that comes with that. Also, the massive support of the Tennessee fanbase is among the best.
“I’ll be able to have a fan base surrounding me, no matter if I do brand deals or try to support something,” Wilson said. “The people in Tennessee are those types of people who will support me. When I talked to Karen, she said this is the best school to do it. Even before I get into starting my own business, I already know how to fully do that at this type of school.”
Wilson is not waiting on college to get started. She is already a sponsored athlete with Bruce Bolt, the batting glove company, as part of the brand’s Next in Line campaign, and she has had a hand in the design.
“I wear Bruce Bolt because I love the way they feel, how durable they are and how unique they look,” Wilson said. “I was able to design my own gloves, and I’ll be designing a new pair both my junior and senior year as well.”
Wilson got to experience that fan base in week one of the college football season. Wilson was in attendance for the Furman game, and the turnout blew her away.
“It was absolutely crazy,” Wilson said. “There were hundreds of thousands of people there all coming to watch this one game. I like that type of fan base, where everyone truly wants to be there to support.”
I wanted to know what Wilson’s first impression was on Weekly. She described her as genuine. Wilson got to visit the coach’s home and meet her family, and one moment stuck with her more than anything.
“Right when I told her I committed, she literally jumped up out of her chair and ran to give me a hug,” Wilson said. “There are other coaches who would have just said, that’s so great. She ran past my parents to come give me a hug. I can tell how genuine that was.”
In a recruiting era where commitments come and go, Wilson does not treat the word lightly. For her, it comes down to one thing.
“I take it as loyalty,” Wilson said. “Me committing to the school means I am coming to the school. I am staying loyal and I am fully committed. And Go Vols, obviously.”
